Chandris was born in Chios, then part of the Ottoman Empire.
[1] By World War I, Chandris' fleet was made up of four ships, including steamships.
[1] Following the outbreak of World War II, Chandris followed the exodus of shipowners from Greece.
Chandris ran the cruise lines until he retired in 1939.
His two sons, Anthony and Dimitri, later rebuilt the company, named Chandris Line.