Variety Cruises is a private yacht cruise line based in Athens, Greece. It owns and operates a number of small cruise ships and yachts. The company was founded in 2006 by Lakis Venetopoulos.[1]
| Company type | Private cruises |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cruises |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Founder | Lakis Venetopoulos |
| Headquarters | Athens, Greece. |
Area served | Greece, Turkey, The Adriatic Sea, North Sea, Costa Rica & Panama, Cuba, the Canary Islands, Seychelles, Costa Rica & Panama, and Cape Verde |
Key people | Lakis Venetopoulos, CEO, Chairman and President Dimitris Vassilakis, COO |
| Services | Cruises |
| Website | www.varietycruises.com |
History
editVariety Cruises was established in 2006 following the merge of Zeus Tours & Yacht Cruises, a third generation cruise and tourism business operating since 1949, and Hellas Yachts, which started operating small ships cruises in 1993. The company’s history dates back to 1949 when the original founder of Zeus Cruises built the company’s first ship Eleutherios in order to fill a need for educational travel in Greece.[2]
In 2013, the company founded a school project in The Gambia entitled The Lamin Koto School Project [3]
Company
editThe company has established itself as one of the pioneers in theme cruises including gay and lesbian-themed cruises.[4][5][6][7]
Destinations
editThe cruise lines' first destination was Greece, but since the company's expansion a number of destinations include the Adriatic Sea, Costa Rica & Panama, Cuba,[8] the Canary Islands, Seychelles, and Cape Verde.[9] The company's West Africa destination was featured by CNN for their Rivers of West Africa program.[10]
Fleet
editVariety Cruises runs a fleet of eight small cruise ships, in addition to owning and renting a fleet of 4 private yachts. The company's flagship is the Variety Voyager, followed by the Galileo, the Panorama, Panorama II, the Harmony V, the Harmony G, the Pegasos, and the Callisto.[11] The company also owns a fleet of smaller yachts solely available for charter including the Obsession, the Absolute King, Christiane, and the Monte Carlo.
| Name | Built | Builder | Gross Tonnage | Flag | Length | Draft | Pax Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| To Callisto | 1963 | KREMER WERFT - ELMSHORN | 499 tons |  Saint Kitts and Nevis |
49 m. | 3,5 m. | 34 guests |
| Harmony V | 1985 | DENTAS SHIPBUILDING & REPAIR | 693 tons |  Greece |
55 m. | 3 m. | 49 guests |
| Pegasos | 1989 | GLYNOS ATHENS | 773 tons | Greece |
44 m. | 3 m. | 44 guests |
| Pan Orama | 1991 | KASTRINOS | 674 tons | Greece |
53 m. | 5,5 m. | 49 guests |
| Galileo | 1995 | FRATZIS SHIPYARD | 564 tons | Greece |
48 m. | 2,8 m. | 49 guests |
| Harmony G | 2001 | SAVVAS SHIPYARD | 498 tons | Greece |
54 m. | 3,7 m. | 44 guests |
| Pan Orama II | 2004 | KOUTALIS & KOSTERGIAS SHIPYARD | 498 tons | Greece |
49 m. | 4,5 m. | 49 guests |
| Variety Voyager | 2012 | PSARROS SHIPYARD | 1,593 tons |  Marshall Islands |
66 m. | 3,5 m. | 72 guests |
References
edit- ^ Tagliabue, John (27 May 1997). "Rough Going for Greek Merchant Fleet". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 19 April 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
- ^ "Variety Cruises' CEO Fillipos Venetopoulos has a big vision for small ships". seatrade-cruise.com. 4 November 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
- ^ "Media Center". Varietycruises.com. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
- ^ "Top 10 Cruise Lines for Gay and Lesbian Travelers - Cruise Critic". Cruisecritic.com. Archived from the original on 5 April 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
- ^ "Variety Cruises Announces Gay Cruise in Greece Benefitting the Trevor Project - Frontiers Media". Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
- ^ "Variety Cruises courts gay community, yoga enthusiasts: Travel Weekly". Travelweekly.com. Archived from the original on 19 April 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
- ^ "Variety Cruises expands gay voyages for 2013". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
- ^ "Cuba on a Small Ship - Panorama Review - Cruise Critic". Cruisecritic.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
- ^ "Our Destinations". Varietycruises.com. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
- ^ "West africa the variety cruises way". CNN iReport. Archived from the original on 19 April 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
- ^ "Media Center". Varietycruises.com. Archived from the original on 6 April 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2018.