About Us: Variety Cruises Zeus Casual Cruises Small Ships Greek Islands and Meditteranean Yachts Cruise Ships Greece Meditteranean Islands Cruises Island Hopping Charter Yachts Sail Boats

since 1949

Our History

ZEUS GROUP Maritime S.A.
Zeus Group was born out of Zeus Tours, a company founded in 1949 by Greek tourism visionary and pioneer Diogenis Venetopoulos, as an incoming Travel Agency and soon became among Greece’s leading travel companies. 
As of 1968 the company enters the ‘SMALL SHIPS’ scheduled cruises niche market by chartering the yacht ELEFTHERIOS and in 1973 launches the owned reconstructed wooden cargo vessel NIKI, offering 18 cabins with sharing facilities.
In 1978 Triantafyllos (Lakis) Venetopoulos became President and Managing Director of the company that was renamed in ZEUS TOURS & YACHT CRUISES. His main priority was the increase of the fleet and the improvement of production network.
In 2001 the fleet comprised of the vessels HARMONY G, GALILEO, DIOGENIS V., ZEUS II, VIKING STAR and V. STAR II while the production network was of universal range as it spread from America to Australia and the European countries, and ZEUS GROUP Maritime S.A is established under which umbrella all of the organization’s activities are incorporated. 
Through these years, our  philosophy has always reflected the founder’s contagious love for the sea and for Greece and his exuding pride for the glory of its past and the richness of its cultural fabric. 
In 2005 following the tourism industry recovering from the negative influences of September 11, Lakis Venetopoulos becomes partner with HELLAS YACHTS and along with Dimitris Vasilakis, Variety Cruises is established.
HELLAS YACHTS GROUP
Hellas Yachts has been offering high class services in almost all yachting fields since 1978. Back in the seventies, Dimitrios Vassilakis, a young sea lover participating in offshore sailing races, met with Captain Nontas Nikolopoulos who left the commercial vessels to deal with yachts and yachting business and together establish “Hellas Yachts” as a small charter company. 
Year after year they saw Hellas growing-up, based on the offered quality services and the subsequent high number of repeat clients. Hellas Yachts Group consists of six companies, each one of them dealing with different areas of yachting such as Ownership of the 2 Megayachts PANORAMA and PANTHEON,Yacht Chartering, Yacht Insurance, and Financing, Management and Sales of professional or private yachts.
              
Key Moments in our History:
• 1949 Diogenis Venetopoulos, founding father of the ZEUS GROUP and pioneer in Greek Tourism, establishes D. VENETOPOULOS Travel & Tourism Ltd, an incoming travel agency and ignites incoming tourism to Greece

• 1966 The company is re-named as ZEUS TOURS

• 1968 ZEUS TOURS charters the yacht ELEFTHERIOS and commences Yacht cruises in Greece.

• 1973 ZEUS TOURS completes the reconstruction of a wooden traditional cargo vessel, as a motor-sailer with 18 cabins with common facilities introducing the weekly scheduled cruise concept.

• 1978 ZEUS TOURS is taken over by Lakis Venetopoulos and is re-named as ZEUS TOURS & YACHT CRUISES.

• 1978 Dimitrios Vassilakis and Nontas Nikolopoulos establish HELLAS YACHTS Ltd, a company specialized in sailing yachts sales, management, charters and operations.

• 1983 ZEUS TOURS adds the motor yachts ZEUS II to the fleet.

• 1985 ZEUS III is added to the fleet.

• 1986 D. Vassilakis launches HELLAS YACHTS INSURANCE Ltd. (Reps of London Lloyd’s Broker for Marine Insurances) dedicated to Yacht Insurances.

• 1993 PAN ORAMA, the first sailing yacht of HELLAS YACHTS is launced.

• 1993 The motor yacht ZEUS IV and the motor-sailer ZEUS V are added to the ZEUS TOURS fleet.

• 1995 ZEUS TOURS launches the new construction motor-sailer GALILEO.

• 1999 ZEUS TOURS adds the motorsailers VIKING STAR and V. STAR II to the fleet.

• 2000 ZEUS GROUP MARITIME S.A. is founded as the holding company of all ZEUS fleet vessels.

• 2000 ZEUS GROUP launches the motor yacht DIOGENIS V, named after the company’s original founder.

• 2001 The new motor yacht HARMONY G is launched and added to ZEUS GROUP fleet.

• 2004 The new sailing yacht PAN THEON is launched and added to the fleet of HELLAS YACHTS.

• 2005 Lakis Venetopoulos becomes partner of HELLAS GROUP and with Dimitris Vassilakis establish VARIETY CRUISES

* 2006 VARIETY CRUISES adds the motor yacht PEGASUS to her fleet.

* 2006 VARIETY CRUISES establish VARIETY YACHTING aiming to ownership or management of private yachts

* 2006 VARIETY YACHTING becomes owner and / or manager of the motor yachts AMPHITRITE and RE DI MARE and of the sailing yacht CHRISTIANA 8