IN MEMORIAM
Good-Bye to Mania Poulides, Godmother of Fes6val’s “European Star”
Festival Cruises management and friends said the goodbye to Mania Poulides in Crans Montana on March 3rd, 2015. Her husband and Chairman of Festival Cruises together with their sons, Markantonio, Fotis and Alex, expressed on behalf of the family his feelings on how gracious, altruistic, and always ready to assist anyone who needed for help Mania was during her entire life and thanked all her friends for making such an effort to participate in her last trip. Mania was buried in the same cemetery as Ambassador Fotis Poulides (2003) in Crans Montana, a place which was loved so much by both. The Pope from the Vatican appointed two Cardinals to perform the ceremony for Mania. Festival Cruises was the Greece-based cruise line that operated between 1994 and 2004. It was founded in 1992 by George Poulides using second-hand ships. The company acquired three new-built ships between 1999 and 2002. George Poulides founded Festival Cruises in 1992. The company, begun its operations in 1994, after purchasing MS The Azur from Chandris Cruises. The following year the company acquired MS Starward from Mania Poulides Norwegian Cruise Line, renaming her MS Bolero. A third second-hand ship followed in 1997, when MS Southern Cross was acquired from Premier Cruise Line and renamed MS Flamenco for service with Festival. Festival Cruises acquired their first newbuilt ship in 1999, when MS Mistral was delivered from Chantiers de l'Atlantique in France. In 2000 Festival Cruises announced that the company would be merged into Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O), with the Festival Cruises brand being maintained under P&O ownership. The merger plan was abandoned later that year due to low value of cruise line shares at the time. Two additional newbuilt ships based on an enlarged version of the Mistral design were delivered in 2001 and 2002 as MS European Vision and MS European Stars, respectively. Following delivery of the new ships the Bolero and Flamenco were chartered to other opeators. Festival Cruises had an option for two more ships of the enlarged Mistral design, but the company decided not to use G. Poulides, Th. Kontes and G. Zorzos of Festival Management team the option. MARCH 2015 SHIPPING 27