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Variety Cruises The family-owned and Greece-based Variety Cruises, is one of the largest small ship cruise lines in the world with a fleet of 11 fully owned vessels including mega yachts, sail cruisers and private luxury yachts. All the ship hosts a limited number of passengers ranging from 12 to 75, providing the intimacy of a private ship that can dock in smaller ports of call in global destinations including Greece, Turkey, the Adriatic, Italy, France, West Africa, the Mediterranean Sea, Middle East and more.

History Variety Cruises launched in 2005 following the merger of Hellas Yachts and Zeus Tours & Yacht Cruises which was founded in 1949 by Greek tourism visionary and pioneer Diogenis Venetopoulos. In 1968, Zeus Tours enters the 'Small Ships' cruises niche market by chartering the yacht ELEFTHERIOS and in 1973 launches its first fully owned small ship, the Motorsailer NIKI. In 1978 Triantafyllos (Lakis) Venetopoulos took over the company and more ships followed including a new generation of four-star steel hull ships, the M/Y HARMONY G and the M/S GALILEO. Hellas Yachts has been offering upscale yachting services since 1978 and started operating small ships cruises in 1993 with the commission of the 25 cabin PANORAMA.

Today, Variety Cruises is growing at a fast pace with new itineraries and two new ships launching in 2012 -- the new build Variety Voyager Mega Yacht and the refurbished Panorama II, a two-masted sail cruiser.

Fleets

Variety Cruises

Variety Yachting

Destinations

Greece and the Greek Islands

Turkey

West Africa

Adriatic & Greece

South Italy & Malta

South of France & Italy

Arabian Gulf

Awards

Conde Nast Traveller Greece named Variety Cruises the "Best Small Ship Cruise Company in Greece and Cyprus in 2011". The African Travel Association honored Variety Cruises with the Green Award in 2011 for bringing ecological sustainable tourism to the West Africa region.

Charity

Variety Cruises initiated the Lamin Koto School Project to promote education in Lamin Koto, a village stop along Variety Cruises’ Rivers of West Africa itinerary. The company supports local communities where their intimate ships travel and this program will provide a four-classroom school offering 100 children from Lamin Koto and neighboring villages a safe and encouraging place to learn, also donating supplies, books and clothing. The school opened in February 2012.

Affiliations

Variety Cruises is affiliated with several travel organizations, including: United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), Ensemble, Vacation.com, TravelSavers, Niche Cruise Marketing Alliance (NCMA), Outside Sales Support Network (OSSN), National Association of Commissioned Travel Agents (NACTA), Network of Entrepreneurs Selling Travel (NEST), International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) and Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) Vacations.

External Links

Official Website

References