ANEK Lines

Who they are

ANEK Lines (Anonymi Naftiliaki Etaireia Kritis, the Shipping Company of Crete) was founded in Chania on 10 April 1967. It was set up after the 1966 sinking of the ferry Heraklion, which killed more than 200 people, and several hundred Cretans, from traders to farmers and pensioners, bought shares to create a safer island-owned ferry line.

ANEK is now part of Attica Group, the holding company that also owns Blue Star Ferries, Superfast Ferries and Hellenic Seaways. Attica agreed to absorb ANEK in 2022, and the merger was completed in December 2023. Since then the group has integrated ANEK's ships and routes: the Crete sailings are sold jointly with Blue Star Ferries, and ANEK's former Adriatic ships Olympic Champion and Hellenic Spirit were renamed Superfast III and Superfast IV. Ships still carrying the ANEK name include Asterion II, Kissamos and Elyros.

Network and main routes

ANEK's domestic runs are the overnight sailings from Piraeus to Heraklion and Piraeus to Chania, the two biggest ports of Crete. In the 2026 timetables:

• Heraklion: 21:00 from Piraeus via Serifos, arriving 06:50, on the Kissamos or Asterion II. On selected summer dates in 2026 there was also a 09:00 daytime sailing.
• Chania (Souda): 22:00 from Piraeus via Milos, arriving 07:00, on the Ariadne, Blue Star 1 or Kissamos.

Both routes run every night of the year. You may see ANEK or Blue Star Ferries on your ticket for the same sailing.

On the Adriatic, the joint ANEK-Superfast service links Ancona, Bari and Venice in Italy with Igoumenitsa and Patras in Greece, with calls at Corfu and, on some Bari sailings, Sami on Kefalonia in summer. Ancona and Bari sailings run year-round. See our Superfast Ferries guide for details.

Fleet and on board

ANEK operates large ro-pax ships that carry cars, trucks and passengers. These are full-size ferries rather than catamarans: stable, spacious and built for overnight travel.

On the Crete ships you can choose deck class, reserved air seats, shared 4-berth cabins, private 2-berth cabins and higher-grade cabins. There are restaurants, cafés, bars and outdoor decks. A bed in a 4-berth cabin to Heraklion started at about €59.50 on the 2026 fares, and deck tickets from about €37. Drivers board early and reach the passenger decks by stairs or lift once parked.

Booking and tips

For the Piraeus–Crete overnights, book well ahead for July and August, especially with a vehicle or if you want a cabin. Deck tickets rarely sell out, but cabins and car space do. ANEK offered a 20% return discount on evening departures in 2026 when both legs are booked together.

Crete ferries in Piraeus usually leave from gates E2 and E3, far from the metro station. Use the free port shuttle bus or a taxi.

Minoan Lines also sails overnight from Piraeus to Heraklion at 21:00, via Milos. Compare cabin prices and arrival times on both before you book. For times, fares and port tips, see our Athens to Crete ferry guide.