easyCruise

easyCruise was the cruise brand created by Stelios Haji-Ioannou, bringing the low-cost principle of the easy companies to sea travel. Introduced in 2003, the concept separated individual services from the traditional cruise package: the cabin was the basic offering, while meals, housekeeping and other onboard services were charged separately. The ship was intended less as a holiday destination in its own right and more as a way to take travellers between Mediterranean ports during the day, allowing them to spend longer ashore.

A different model for Mediterranean travel

When it launched in 2005, EasyCruiseOne sailed along the French and Italian Rivieras. The 88-metre ship could accommodate 170 passengers. Unlike many cruises at the time, it docked in port in the afternoon or evening and did not set sail again until the early hours of the morning. This gave passengers time to visit the cities of call in the evening as well. The week-long itineraries allowed passengers to embark and disembark at intermediate ports, although they had to stay on board for at least two nights. The combination of individual overnight stays and port calls gave the itinerary a different structure from a fixed round trip with a single embarkation and disembarkation port.

The cabins and communal areas were deliberately simple. The concept, described as “unbundled”, meant that guests paid extra for meals, housekeeping and other services. From the outset, the plan called for a per-day price and flexible embarkation and disembarkation; ports with good air connections were to be selected for the itineraries. The offering was aimed at independent travellers who planned to spend most of their days ashore and wanted to choose for themselves how many nights to spend on board.

Sale and ship

In 2009, the easyCruise brand and its ship at the time, EasyCruise Life, which had capacity for 574 passengers, were sold to the Greek ferry company Hellenic Seaways. In connection with the sale, Haji-Ioannou invested nine million euros in Sea Star Capital through easyGroup; Sea Star Capital was then Hellenic Seaways’ largest shareholder. Hellenic announced that it would continue using the brand; the sale report at the time said it would be marketed in 2010. The ocean-going ships overview and the overview of ocean cruising regions place the ship and its Mediterranean destinations in context. The company overview helps distinguish the brand, the tour operator and the subsequent buyer.