However, the more annoying thing here is the timing of the ferries from Andros to Rafina, 12.30 was perfect, a meal in Rafina and an evening bus to the airport for our late flight back to the UK. The ferry finally left and for 18 hours it rocked back and forth -- so violently that cabin doors wouldn't stay shut, dishes crashed to the floor, etc. Then I realized there was no land in sight, so I looked at the map on my phone, only to realize we were only at the halfway point of the journey. The ship is already sporting her new livery. The passengers on both sides of me puked at least 3x a piece. I had a terrible experience with a ferry in Greece in 1982 -- from Heraklion to Pireaus. The passengers on both sides of me puked at least 3x a piece. I'm from the deep 3rd world and I can tell you that's the common behavior in any similar setting, I just can't stand it. Part of the issue with Ferrys is that they usually start in Athens and end in somewhere like Crete and stop off EVERYWHERE in between so delays are easy to happen. Well, that changed about 30 minutes in, when it got rough. As you say, it is a much better experience for the slight premium.
Id already planned our route back to Rafina from (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? There was a Platinum Class attendant there to take care of passengers. I never found them unreliable. Tallink Grupp: profitable June leads to near break-even Q2, Tallink Grupp charters two vessels to the Netherlands, P&O Ferries Zeebrugge: arrival of second crane + start of Finnlines service to Rosslare, Hellenic Chamber of Shippings proposals for the new era of the Hellenic Coastal Shipping, No surprises: two candidates for the Marseille-Corsica subsidised routes, BC Ferries says goodbye to the CEO and appoints interim CEO, Panellenic Lines HSC SANTA IRINI arrived at the port of Heraklion, DFDS 2022 Outlook Raised After Strong Q2, LMG Marin designed battery powered ferry RYFYLKE has been delivered, Public tender launched for highspeed maritime link in the Strait of Messina, Majority of voting creditors said yes to Tirrenia Cins debt restructuring plan, Farewell to Vittorio Morace, founder of Ustica Lines (today Liberty Lines). Last trip to Santorini, the ferries in July were cancelled for 3 days due to high wind and that is not worth it in my opinion. The vessel is en route to PA-MY-TI-AN-RA, sailing at a speed of 18.9 knots and expected to arrive there on Jul 30, 00:01. Once on board, there were literally hundreds of empty seats to choose from. Passengers can leave their luggage at a specially-designated area next to the garage entrance or carry with them. Took ferry from Heraklion to Piraeus and was smooth and enjoyable ride. Masks not worn for many people and it's quite packed on boat. Horrible service. There is no debate or discussion. The Platinum Class cabin was significantly nicer and quieter. Boats hurry up people while loading. Your thoughts please? When the ship arrived, boarding was conducted in an aggressively efficient manner, as people were literally shooed onto the ship. First, Seajets isn't the biggest ferry company in Greece. The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered. Travel is not without it's challenges. I just disembarkated Mein Schiff 6 today. The ferry finally arrived and disgorged its passengers, and when they opened the gates to let those in line board, people were literally running to get on. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-113394177', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Paros, with a 5 day stay in Andros along the way. Would you fly then? I think I may have just replicated your experience. Oh, wish I was in Greece now!! It was a lovely cruise. I am curious what you would advise if we are only going to one island from Athens and back. Let me know if you have any questions, I would love to answer them! I couldn't understand why this was the case, since everyone had to have a ticket to board the ferry anyway, right? Were now forced to go at 10.15 from Gavrio or leave it until 16.00. Did you know that the owner of Seajets is a murderer? It was cool to see where we sat in your photo. Just too many things to write about unsafe experience unfortunately. Business class or/and VIP seats on a SeaJets ferry is a separate section with larger seats on the upper deck with the most comfortable seating. Airlines do this all the time. Like you stated boarding and disembarkation always go quickly, within minutes. You can take your baggage up top to your seating level because they have baggage storage area's on every level of seating. In this post I wanted to share my experience with SeaJets, one of the biggest ferry lines in Greece. I booked our ferry from Crete to Santorini about a week in advance. Not because theyre fun, but because theyre the lesser of two evils. Economy Deck-Seats passengers can leave their luggage at a specially-designated area next to the garage entrance of SeaJets. While you still have to pay for food and drinks, they bring them to you. Just take your personal items/valuables with you. Isnt there another long haul ferry company? If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Thanks! ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-113395087', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');flight home, after having been let down twice by them years ago when I had less experience with them. Period. Its recommended that passengers leave their bags on the car deck, though I cant imagine just leaving bags there unattended, so we took them with us. The vessel SUPERSTAR (IMO: 7346221, MMSI 237001000) is a Passenger/Ro-Ro Cargo Ship built in 1974 (48 years old) and During our time in Greece we took two separate ferries one to get from Crete to Santorini, and one to get from Santorini to Mykonos. Fortunately, Fast Ferries are running from Paros > Andros on Sunday, although a tad later. This came in handy, since I wondered if the delay could be even longer than posted, or if it might even be moved forward. If I had a complaint it would be that the cabin was kept at Arctic temperatures and the windows were a bit fogged up. Nonetheless this ended up being a much better experience than our first ferry. Nice review. Since there are over 150 inhabited islands, plane Vs ferry always comes down to where you are travelling to and from ie distance of trip, timetables, availability of plane Vs ferry, how much time you have and personal preference.On average, travelling out of Athens to a more distant island Good article and advice, especially re upgrading to be more comfortable. They have huge ships and their food options are generally much much better than seajets and they are much more reliable than seajets. the prices are inexpensive especially if you join their club which saves 20%. Ill run to make my connection. We took several fast catamaran ferry rides Athens & several islands & Naxos. I see the schedules I referred to above are still showing on the main GTP website, but not the Danae.travel website, which is the one I usually use for my ferry planning. I managed to stay productive for most of the trip, thanks to the fact that there was a cell signal most of the way (since we were passing other islands), so I could tether off my phone. Your feedback is important in helping us keep our community safe. Our ferry from Thira, Santorini, to Mykonos, was operated by SeaJets Champion Jet 2. We ended up having to wait in the port for about an hour, since we didnt know when exactly our ship would depart. No cars, one class, very comfy/roomy Agree that ferries can sometimes be unreliable and there can be delays , however you discovered one of the reasons why!! Platinum Class is only marginally more expensive than the cheapest seating option (by ~20%), and the way I view it, the benefits include: So while theres no priority boarding, complimentary food & drinks, or other special services, its still money well spent, in my opinion. Seriously though, I got about a paragraph in thinking hmmthis is similar to something I've read before. Find important info about amenities and services, track the location of Superstar live on the map, and book ferry tickets on Ferryhopper. Platinum Class was nearly empty throughout; in covid times this would be a significant attraction. We ended up arriving at a little after 11AM, about 1hr15min behind schedule. Stay connected with the latest travel, aviation, and credit card news. Sky express do operate some inter island flights but the schedule is sporadic but worth looking into, I'd prefer that over a boat. it's also cheaper than Seajets Plat seating. but the steward was efficient and pleasant. If you have big bags they WILL stop you taking them up the stairs with you so if you are scared to leave your bag down stairs like Ben then pack light! Members who are knowledgeable about this destination and volunteer their time to answer travelers' questions. We left the port on time at 8AM, and at first I thought to myself that this was quite an enjoyable cruise. Also unrelated note on the topic of flying: if you have a layover in Athens, the priority pass Goldair lounges have alcohol, Skyserv lounges do not. Rather if you want to fly between islands you typically have to connect in Athens, which is a time consuming detour.
You simply need to go down a bit early to retrieve your luggage when deboarding. These were perfect options for us, but I now see both schedules have now completely disappeared. I also would recommend leaving luggage below. Fly. Drinks (Greek white wines) were excellent and food was Ben, We think Seajet is a wonderful way to get between islands. Lock it and leave it. We went Platinum Class. No need to collect your tickets before boarding. Literally everyone on the boat was sick the entire time. Good article and advice, especially re upgrading to be more comfortable. reliable time table, We leisurely waited until the last few dozen people were boarding, and we had to wait in line no more than five minutes. Do you also not use the overhead bins on a plane in case someone steals your bag while youre asleep? The next ferry would be either a day earlier or a day later. Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. We just couldn't understand it. Like you stated boarding and disembarkation always go quickly, within minutes. And if you can pay for Platinum Class, Id recommend doing so, as the extra space and service makes it worthwhile. What are everyone's thoughts on making that flight given everything that I am reading, this might be risky?? Im not someone who has ever gotten seasick or who usually gets motion sickness, but my gosh, I was on the verge of puking. Second, as the vast majority of Seajets' fleet is high speed catamarans, they're massively impacted by weather, and the small the the ferry, the bigger the problem. (Of course, he had only about 10 passengers to serve). I gave my entire family bonine and we were the only ones not sick as a dog. Very nice article, learned some things I didn't know! (Numbers slightly off, too jet lagged to look them up). I agree that the regional Greek airlines are very good, and the travel process you described is as we experienced. I never found them unreliable. Platinum Class was nearly empty throughout; in covid times this would be a significant attraction.
Airlines do this all the time. We noticed there were a ton of people in line, standing in the hot sun. Boarding started at around 7:30AM, and all passengers board via the ramp that also loads cars. Nonetheless theyre popular, because if you want to get out of the sun and sit in the shade, its your only option. I ordered a cappuccino, which was surprisingly decent for a ferry. As Ben said - it's the lesser of two evils for inter island but to/from Athens from Santorini there are plenty of flight options (Ryanair, Volotea, Sky Express & Olympic/Aegean ) We went Platinum Class. For our ferry from Santorini to Mykonos, I received a message about two hours before departure stating that the ferry would be delayed by 1hr45min, though the delay ended up being even longer than that. Our intention was to use the Superstar ferry, advertised at 13.20 from Paros > Andros on a Sunday, and then the same boat from Andros to Rafina at 12.30 on the Friday. As for a delay on the day of sailing I have found they were always weather related. While I usually review airplanes, airports, and hotels, I also sometimes take trains and ferries, so I review those when I think its useful or interesting. We're scheduled to ferry from Santorini to Heraklion next week and now I'm trying to figure out if I can upgrade my ticket (booked on ferryhopper, but I have a seajets confirmation #). Very unsafe! Since our stay in Santorini was non-refundable, we decided to leave to Santorini one day earlier rather than one day later. Quick, fast, comfortable, mainly on time and very good prices. Tickets not checked when loading, checking only when moving, turns out people take wrong boat. @ Loren M -- From Athens to Santorini I would 100% fly. Regular ships:Usually SeaJets Economy Deck-Seats they are splendid all around the ship!Economy Deck-Seats actually mean that you can sit anywhere you want on the inside or outside deck and walk around on SeaJets Ship. The ferry was supposed to depart at 12:35PM and arrive at 2:50PM, but ended up being delayed by over two hours. My wife and I took SeaJets in 2017 Heraklion - Thira, Thira - Mykonos, and Mykonos - Athens. To this day, I will not take a ferry anywhere. We are scheduled to arrive at 5:15pm and have an 8:20pm flight to Frankfurt. I dont really understand the mistrust of other passengers and your bags. Lock it and leave it. Best Greek islands for summer holiday with young children, Ferry service from Paros to Mykonos and Santorini, Advice re Greek Islands Honeymoon itinerary July 2009, Best beaches in cyclades not mykonos or santorini. SeaJets Airplane Type Seats are numbered seats and booked on the name of the passengers. Where to stay? I just got off Sea Jet 2 from Milos to Santorini this morning. Go figure we had to then rework our hotel stays. It is expected 100 extra beds will be added in order to offer night service in South or North Aegean routes. Fly. Woot, I figured we made it!
One woman got off the ferry literally whimpering. Mask enforcement and Covid procedures were well executed. Technical specifications, tonnages and management details are derived from VesselFinder database. For me the main issue arises from the totally unrealistic advertised schedule and esp. they even have the area roped off with a crew member standing watch. They are in the hurry to get people off the boat, so you have to try to walk while holding on to something, so you get thrown from side to side. I have travelled on Greek ferries around 30 times. We just couldn't understand it. I couldn't understand why this was the case, since everyone had to have a ticket to board the ferry anyway, right? This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Being Greek and having used Sea Jets a few times, I must say delays and cancellations are not directly related to COVID-19 and weather is rarely the cause; they are considered extremely unreliable among Greeks. SeaJets has multiple classes, and I tend to think that paying for the most premium seating (known as Platinum Class) can be worth it if you can swing it, given the modest premium. Youre all on a boat, where are they going to take it? Not only horrible but also unsafe. Since there are over 150 inhabited islands, plane Vs ferry always comes down to where you are travelling to and from ie distance of trip, timetables, availability of plane Vs ferry, how much time you have and personal preference.On average, travelling out of Athens to a more distant island is best done by plane. While I found SeaJets to be highly unreliable (both ferries had major schedule changes and were delayed on top of that), its still better than the other option, which is flying via Athens. Very unsafe! We leisurely waited until the last few dozen people were boarding, and we had to wait in line no more than five minutes. But given the modest price premium (~20%), I figured it was worth giving a shot. Other options that people recommend?? I wasnt sure what exactly to expect with Platinum over Silver or Club, given that there wasnt much info online. I have done ferries in Greece multiple times and never had any significant delays with Blue Star and others. The ferry finally arrived and disgorged its passengers, and when they opened the gates to let those in line board, people were literally running to get on. Masks not worn for many people and it's quite packed on boat. And yes, I kept our bags in the hold and had no issues. Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ). Reputation For Bad Service. I do not remember getting seasick at all - maybe I chose the longer route for slower speed. Was there luggage storage near the seats? My guess is that have to be something with seats being unassigned or something similar. I had a terrible experience with a ferry in Greece in 1982 -- from Heraklion to Pireaus. That's a really long ferry ride, so it's different than the much shorter ferries between islands. All our voyages were pretty much on time and, thank heavens, the sea was as flat as a pancake (I get nauseous quite easily). Cancelling a week ahead sounds more like a schedule change which is understandable considering COVID. A good read! Like, really rough. Superstar is a ferry serving Seajets routes. While we do try to list all the best miles and points deals, the site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. There was also a cafe in this area, with food and drinks for purchase. Boats hurry up people while loading. SeaJets, Call Center Hours: Once again they rushed everyone off the ship, and it was already on its way a minute after we arrived. People were screaming and bags were flying around the cabin. What a pain to carry it upstairs. All our voyages were pretty much on time and, thank heavens, the sea was as flat as a pancake (I get nauseous quite easily).
People were sick everywhere. I had assumed we would fly since the ferry is so very many hours and after reading this, I think flying would be better since we are not going island to island? more, Reply to: Seajets schedule changes, very annoying. the prices are inexpensive especially if you join their club which saves 20%. Why are people such lemmings? As these are mostly former USSR vessels, their age is really beginning to show. Never again and not recommended it. We were headed from Santorini to Naxos, and the information said to be sure and get there 60 to 90 minutes early. SuperStar - We took two ferries, and had delays ranging from a a couple of hours to one day. For me the main issue arises from the totally unrealistic advertised schedule and esp. They also just operate in the summer season and not any other time of the year. Having taken two ferries, I can say with certainty that I think its a good value. We were a bit disappointed that we weren't sitting with our traveling companions, but the Platinum Cabin was rather full (August) The Platinum Class seating was to the very right of the cabin, and was behind a curtain. Not only horrible but also unsafe. Horrible service. Thank goodness I read your review a few weeks ago and came prepared. That title easily goes to Blue Star Ferries, especially after the acquisition of Hellenic Seaways. Its breathtaking , https://www.spiegel.de/geschichte/supertanker-brillante-viruoso-2011-die-77-millionen-dollar-verschwoerung-a-8ce6d2d4-bf51-43ca-a97a-92566804ea74?sara_ecid=soci_upd_KsBF0AFjflf0DZCxpPYDCQgO1dEMph. Can't understand who is ever going to sign up for this shitty programs. I also would recommend leaving luggage below. The fact that you had many delays and changes is no news for Seajets, as they are the ones most prone to it. Overnight ferry on Seaspeed Olympus Athens - Santorini? The cancellations dont surprise me as things had only just started to pick up post Greeces lockdown. I nearly missed a long flight connection because of a last-minute cancellation due to engine failure back in 2019. While Greece has some pretty solid airlines (Aegean Airlines, Olympic Airways, and Sky Express), for the most part they dont offer many inter-island flights. Outside of banner ads published through the Boarding Area network, this compensation does not impact how and where products appear on this site. We traveled Santorini-Crete on Seajet 2, Platinum. The Vip seating with table is so worth the price, you have your own restrooms (which get cleaned by staff during the trip your own cafe for ordering food. As SeaJets crew is not considered responsible for any luggage loss or damage onboard, is recommended to lock your luggage, have your names on them and get at the luggage area before SeaJets vessel docks at the port to make sure that no other passengers have left with your suitcases. Truly the worst experience of my life. I have travelled on Greek ferries around 30 times. I agree!! I would never rely on Sea Jets to get me to Rafina the same day as a (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? We traveled Santorini-Crete on Seajet 2, Platinum. no seasickness. Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. The picture "Cruising on the SeaJets Naxos Jet" shows the Mein Schiff 5 from Tui Cruises, right? Another type of vessel that seems to have issues all the time, are flying dolphins. Id definitely recommend ordering before departure, since you never know how bumpy it will get during the ride. Cancelling a week ahead sounds more like a schedule change which is understandable considering COVID. The company supports electronic tickets. We are scheduled to take the 3:30pm ferry from Santorini to Heraklion. We were loaded on the large, car ferry and then we were stuck in port for 3 days and people were actually getting sick on the boat which was docked and hadn't even started moving. (and on other days I see the GoldenExpress ferry is now scheduled on the Paros > Andros route at 17 more than the Superstar!). at Aegean Sea (coordinates 38.0 N / 24.12223 E) reported 6 mins ago by AIS. It was cool to see where we sat in your photo. It was quite an experience. Dont know how you ended up choosing the worst ferry companies. This option is fantastic for SeaJets day trips or for passengers traveling with a sleeping bag.
We were forced to leave Santorini one day early to avoid the strike. Santorini 4 nights, Nov. 3 -7, 2023. Both Business and VIP have their own bars and are restricted to passengers holding SeaJets ticket for those sections. When I booked our tickets, I wasnt sure if SeaJets Platinum Class would be worth the premium. Wondering where your ferry is on the day of your trip? Seasickness is also very common, because these ships are generally smaller. ferries-greece-italy.gr | As for tracking ferries, I found the Marine Traffic app quite handy. As for a delay on the day of sailing I have found they were always weather related. People were screaming and bags were flying around the cabin. From my experience, weather also plays a huge part in ferry reliability in Greece. Overnight ferry tip: join Minoan Lines rewards program, not for the rewards, but it gives you 20%ish off. Employee of a major web portal for ferry tickets here in Greece. It's supposed to be windy too, so maybe I should pick up some dramamine in advance? I have done ferries in Greece multiple times and never had any significant delays with Blue Star and others. So I said, let's grab a drink and a bite, so we sat comfortably under an umbrella while people sweltered in line in the burning hot sun a few feet away from us. I think the recommendation to store bags on the car deck is for safety reasons in case the ferry sinks. I guess because the ferry was running late, everyone was advised to already go to the lower deck 10 minutes before the ship arrived in Mykonos, so that we could get off the second it arrived. The port in Thira has some cafes and shops set up, and as youd expect theyre quite touristy. If you come into your SeaJets experience with low expectations you shouldnt be too disappointed. Id guess that the ferry was maybe docked for five minutes before it left, and during that time they loaded cars and hundreds of people. The ride took just over two hours, and unlike the first one, it was smooth the entire way, and the ride was almost enjoyable. I would much rather recommended other ferries, if available. Thanks you for your helpful information, Ben. Fortunately I could see where the ship actually was, and based on that could estimate how long it would take to get to us. I was just happy to be back on firm ground. Paros April/May 2023 Ferries, car rental, Islands? I think I took Golden Star from Athens to Santorini. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners. SUPERSTAR current position and history of port calls are received by AIS. We had to order coffee, etc. it is not clear to me why flying is second choice. You have successfully joined our subscriber list. The sea and weather arent always predictable, so when the travel conditions are not good, delays can occur, especially in smaller ferries, so sometimes companies delay to avoid rough conditions. Why wouldnt I just fly again? SUPERSTAR (former SUPERFERRY II) is getting prepared for her fourth career in Greece, this time with SeaJets. Find info for more ferries in the Seajets fleet below: Wi-Fi is available on board (charges may apply), Snacks and beverages are available for purchase. We were headed from Santorini to Naxos, and the information said to be sure and get there 60 to 90 minutes early.