Economy Deck-Seats passengers can leave their luggage at a specially-designated area next to the garage entrance of SeaJets. We are scheduled to take the 3:30pm ferry from Santorini to Heraklion. 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. That title easily goes to Blue Star Ferries, especially after the acquisition of Hellenic Seaways. You simply need to go down a bit early to retrieve your luggage when deboarding. People were screaming and bags were flying around the cabin. Took ferry from Heraklion to Piraeus and was smooth and enjoyable ride. But I was very impressed with SeaJets and would go in their ferries again without hesitation. Fly. Things finally got better at around 9:45AM, five minutes before our scheduled arrival. I have done ferries in Greece multiple times and never had any significant delays with Blue Star and others. 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. I would much rather recommended other ferries, if available. However, as SeaJets seats are not numbered or named, once you leave your seats, it is not guaranteed that you will find later the same seats available. My guess is that have to be something with seats being unassigned or something similar. It was cool to see where we sat in your photo. You have successfully joined our subscriber list. I just got off Sea Jet 2 from Milos to Santorini this morning. Not only does flying take longer, but I find it to be a pain: Thats why I generally recommend taking ferries in Greece when youre traveling between islands that arent too far from one another.
Then there is the high probability of a strike by the ferry workers, which impacted our last trip to Greece. 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. As you say, it is a much better experience for the slight premium. Like you stated boarding and disembarkation always go quickly, within minutes. Another type of vessel that seems to have issues all the time, are flying dolphins. I agree!! 
We went Platinum Class.
Recommend also the website called Ferry Hopper in Greece for ferry and timetabling options. Technical specifications, tonnages and management details are derived from VesselFinder database. 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. If you come into your SeaJets experience with low expectations you shouldnt be too disappointed. The data is for informational purposes only and VesselFinder is not responsible for the accuracy and reliability of SUPERSTAR data. 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. These were perfect options for us, but I now see both schedules have now completely disappeared. 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. The vessel SUPERSTAR (IMO: 7346221, MMSI 237001000) is a Passenger/Ro-Ro Cargo Ship built in 1974 (48 years old) and Unsurprisingly, SeaJets schedules really cant be relied on. 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. This is a ship that was built in 1997, that can accommodate 1,000 passengers and 200 vehicles, and thats 285 feet long. SUPERSTAR current position and history of port calls are received by AIS.
Thank goodness I read your review a few weeks ago and came prepared. Thank you for a good article that is not de rigueur. We took several fast catamaran ferry rides Athens & several islands & Naxos. A good read! Still our seat companions were delightful French professionals and we had a great conversation. i fly when possible, Ben you should read this German article about the owner of Seajets : Marios Iliopoulos .He is suspected for various crimes. air ports on islands are small, true, but seldom crowded, Just too many things to write about unsafe experience unfortunately. The fact that you had many delays and changes is no news for Seajets, as they are the ones most prone to it. Interesting story about the ferry in Greece. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Employee of a major web portal for ferry tickets here in Greece. I am curious what you would advise if we are only going to one island from Athens and back. I had a terrible experience with a ferry in Greece in 1982 -- from Heraklion to Pireaus. Where to stay? If youve taken a SeaJets ferry in Greece, what was your experience like? We noticed there were a ton of people in line, standing in the hot sun. We leisurely waited until the last few dozen people were boarding, and we had to wait in line no more than five minutes. As you say, it is a much better experience for the slight premium. Guide To The UK Passenger Locator Form & Testing, How & Why To Use VeriFLY For International Travel, How To Complete Greeces Passenger Locator Form, A Perfect American Airlines Transatlantic Business Class Flight, Grrr: Our Unlucky London Heathrow Misconnect, A Lovely British Airways Business Class Experience, Greeces (Unfair?) First, Seajets isn't the biggest ferry company in Greece. Loyalty programs of both German cruise companies (AIDA and TUI cruises) suck. SeaJets Airplane Type Seats are numbered seats and booked on the name of the passengers. 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. Therefore Im hoping both schedules do still exist! It was quite an experience. Thanks! I nearly missed a long flight connection because of a last-minute cancellation due to engine failure back in 2019. We ended up arriving at a little after 11AM, about 1hr15min behind schedule. Well see. For me the main issue arises from the totally unrealistic advertised schedule and esp. No need to collect your tickets before boarding. And yes, I kept our bags in the hold and had no issues. 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. 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. 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. Since our stay in Santorini was non-refundable, we decided to leave to Santorini one day earlier rather than one day later. Boats hurry up people while loading. I was just happy to be back on firm ground. Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. Once again, it was recommended that people store their luggage downstairs, but thats not something Id recommend doing. I ordered a cappuccino and a muffin. Can't understand who is ever going to sign up for this shitty programs. Let me know if you have any questions, I would love to answer them! Mask enforcement and Covid procedures were well executed. Seriously though, I got about a paragraph in thinking hmmthis is similar to something I've read before. Drinks (Greek white wines) were excellent and food was better than expected - but service was slower than we preferred. Isnt there another long haul ferry company? 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. 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. We are scheduled to arrive at 5:15pm and have an 8:20pm flight to Frankfurt.
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. Not only horrible but also unsafe. 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. Was there luggage storage near the seats? Not because theyre fun, but because theyre the lesser of two evils. 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. The current position of SUPERSTAR is 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. Well, that changed about 30 minutes in, when it got rough. I ordered a cappuccino, which was surprisingly decent for a ferry. Our ferry from Thira, Santorini, to Mykonos, was operated by SeaJets Champion Jet 2. I Finally Visited Crete: My New Favorite Greek Island? I had a terrible experience with a ferry in Greece in 1982 -- from Heraklion to Pireaus. 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. There was one main seating area that could seat the bulk of passengers. Less than 24 hours later I received a notice saying that the ferry had been canceled. All our voyages were pretty much on time and, thank heavens, the sea was as flat as a pancake (I get nauseous quite easily). We went Platinum Class. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners. Find important info about amenities and services, track the location of Superstar live on the map, and book ferry tickets on Ferryhopper. I think the recommendation to store bags on the car deck is for safety reasons in case the ferry sinks. the prices are inexpensive especially if you join their club which saves 20%. , . No cars, one class, very comfy/roomy 6.5 hours vs. 4 for seajets. Best beach food and loungers Perissa Beach. You can book tickets directly on SeaJets website, and it can make sense to do so in advance. Airlines do this all the time. Literally everyone on the boat was sick the entire time. 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. the prices are inexpensive especially if you join their club which saves 20%. The rough waters continued for over an hour. Reputation For Bad Service. 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 do not remember getting seasick at all - maybe I chose the longer route for slower speed. 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? Thats a nice feature, since the line at the cafe was otherwise long. Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any entity mentioned herein. Enjoy great facilities and accommodation options when traveling to the Greek islands with SeaJets. We ended up having to wait in the port for about an hour, since we didnt know when exactly our ship would depart. no seasickness. Then I realized it was a copy of this. Would you fly then? We traveled Santorini-Crete on Seajet 2, Platinum. Members who are knowledgeable about this destination and volunteer their time to answer travelers' questions.
Aegean airlines has won the IATA award for best regional airline in Europe at least 7 years in a row and they are a professional and well regarded company . Kind regards Jo. Dont know how you ended up choosing the worst ferry companies. Im not someone who has ever gotten seasick or who usually gets motion sickness, but my gosh, I was on the verge of puking. For me the main issue arises from the totally unrealistic advertised schedule and esp. Id already planned our route back to Rafina from (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? What a pain to carry it upstairs. Imagine the chaos of trying to evacuate with bags everywhere. We were headed from Santorini to Naxos, and the information said to be sure and get there 60 to 90 minutes early. Took me a while. One woman got off the ferry literally whimpering. Fly. Oh, wish I was in Greece now!! Seating was in a 2-2 configuration, the legroom was much better, there were windows, there were power outlets, and perhaps most importantly, the cabin didnt seem to have the same percent occupancy as the rest of the ship. My wife and I took SeaJets in 2017 Heraklion - Thira, Thira - Mykonos, and Mykonos - Athens. Fortunately, Fast Ferries are running from Paros > Andros on Sunday, although a tad later. it is not clear to me why flying is second choice. Agree that ferries can sometimes be unreliable and there can be delays , however you discovered one of the reasons why!! I couldn't understand why this was the case, since everyone had to have a ticket to board the ferry anyway, right? We noticed there were a ton of people in line, standing in the hot sun. It was a lovely cruise. When the ship arrived, boarding was conducted in an aggressively efficient manner, as people were literally shooed onto the ship. 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. We took two ferries, and had delays ranging from a a couple of hours to one day. 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. Why wouldnt I just fly again? But given the modest price premium (~20%), I figured it was worth giving a shot. Why carry luggage upstairs, it not only is a hassle but dangerous for other passengers carrying heavy bags on stairs. Nonetheless theyre popular, because if you want to get out of the sun and sit in the shade, its your only option. Why are people such lemmings? 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. There was also a cafe in this area, with food and drinks for purchase. Like you stated boarding and disembarkation always go quickly, within minutes. 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. Travel is not without it's challenges. Their ships are filthy (generally) and their schedule is way off. Ive never taken SeaJets before but they seem decent especially Platinum class.
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. Then you take stairs up to the passenger deck. Overnight ferry on Seaspeed Olympus Athens - Santorini? 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. Both Business and VIP have their own bars and are restricted to passengers holding SeaJets ticket for those sections. Other options that people recommend?? 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. What are everyone's thoughts on making that flight given everything that I am reading, this might be risky?? I have travelled on Greek ferries around 30 times. 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. All planes are very reliable and usually on time. Do you also not use the overhead bins on a plane in case someone steals your bag while youre asleep? I also would recommend leaving luggage below. This option is fantastic for SeaJets day trips or for passengers traveling with a sleeping bag. High-speed and Catamaran ships:SeaJets Economy Seats are numbered seats and are the same as Airplane Type Seats. Thanks you for your helpful information, Ben. What a pain to carry it upstairs. They have huge ships and their food options are generally much much better than seajets and they are much more reliable than seajets. From my experience, weather also plays a huge part in ferry reliability in Greece. 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. During this time I also discovered a website thats basically the ship equivalent of Flightradar24, and lets you track where ships are located. Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Marvellous, thanks a lot Seajets.
Very nice article, learned some things I didn't know! We were a bit disappointed that we weren't sitting with our traveling companions, but the Platinum Cabin was rather full (August) This is a ship that was built in 1991, that can accommodate 700 passengers and 75 vehicles, and thats 243 feet long.
Did you know that the owner of Seajets is a murderer? This ship had much nicer accommodations for Platinum Class guests, as there was a separate room with a door for those with Platinum tickets. What was somebody saying in another thread about the Seajets owner being a lunatic? When I booked our tickets, I wasnt sure if SeaJets Platinum Class would be worth the premium. The port in Thira has some cafes and shops set up, and as youd expect theyre quite touristy. There is no debate or discussion. The ferry was supposed to depart at 12:35PM and arrive at 2:50PM, but ended up being delayed by over two hours. the embarkation/ disembarkation estimation. The cabin was massive, and made an A380 cabin look like nothing by comparison.. We were also astonished at how efficiently cars and passengers were boarded and deboarded. Ill run to make my connection. Since you did not leave your luggage in the recommended area, where did you end up storing it? There was a Platinum Class attendant there to take care of passengers. I dont really understand the mistrust of other passengers and your bags. We were forced to leave Santorini one day early to avoid the strike. I just got off Sea Jet 2 from Milos to Santorini this morning. @ Loren M -- From Athens to Santorini I would 100% fly. Never again and not recommended it. Re: Seajets schedule changes, very annoying, Get answers to your questions about Cyclades. SeaJets is the largest passenger ferry company in Greece, and its definitely the best way to get between islands. It was quite an experience. We left the port on time at 8AM, and at first I thought to myself that this was quite an enjoyable cruise. much quicker, Im not sure if we were going slower due to the rough water, or what, but there was no explanation for the delay. 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. Monday-Friday: 09:00-16:00 Saturday: 09:00-14:00. I have done ferries in Greece multiple times and never had any significant delays with Blue Star and others. at Aegean Sea (coordinates 38.0 N / 24.12223 E) reported 6 mins ago by AIS. 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. Our ferry from Heraklion, Crete, to Thira, Santorini, was operated by SeaJets Naxos Jet. I never found them unreliable. Review: Domes Zeen Chania, Marriott Luxury Collection, Review: Blue Palace Elounda, Marriott Luxury Collection, Ugh: I Was Accused Of Damaging My Rental Car, Our Unexpected Stay At Mystique Santorini #Bonvoyed, Review: Emirates 777 First Class Athens To Newark, Why youre best off taking ferries between Greek islands, SeaJets Naxos Jet from Crete to Santorini, SeaJets Champion Jet 2 from Santorini to Mykonos, I think SeaJets Platinum Class is worth it, Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners, Airports on Greek islands werent build to handle the number of passengers they have nowadays, and I find the passenger experience to typically be terrible, The airlines time their schedules so that you typically have a connection of under an hour in Athens, which can be stressful; there are often ATC delays in Greece, airlines dont pad their schedules much, and more often than not youll arrive at and depart from a remote stand in Athens, so youll be running to make your connection, We paid 84 (~$99.60) per person for Platinum Class seats from Heraklion to Santorini, We paid 78.80 (~$93.40) per person for Platinum Class seats from Santorini to Mykonos, Significantly more legroom and seat width, and on one ferry we even had a separate cabin, Service to your seat from an attendant (though you still have to pay for food & drinks), The ability to more easily store your bags near you, since you have more space around your feet (I wouldnt feel comfortable leaving my bags unattended on the car deck), Better odds of having an emptier cabin (on both of our ferries, occupancy levels were lower in Platinum Class than the rest of the ship). Santorini 4 nights, Nov. 3 -7, 2023. Paros April/May 2023 Ferries, car rental, Islands? And if you can pay for Platinum Class, Id recommend doing so, as the extra space and service makes it worthwhile. Horrible service. but the steward was efficient and pleasant. 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. Were now forced to go at 10.15 from Gavrio or leave it until 16.00. You can take your baggage up top to your seating level because they have baggage storage area's on every level of seating. If going from Heraklion to Thira(Santorini) please avoid Seajets and take the Santorini palace(Minoan lines) it's on time has a more professional looking crew who were all very nice, cleaner ferry, cleaner bathrooms, bigger ferry, on time. As for tracking ferries, I found the Marine Traffic app quite handy. 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. Very unsafe! I think I may have just replicated your experience. So yeah, SeaJets isnt terribly reliable. 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. For us was a nightmare, they cancel our 8am ferry from Santorini to Mykonos so we took the next at 11am with more than 1 hour delayed. People were sick everywhere. People were sick everywhere. That's a really long ferry ride, so it's different than the much shorter ferries between islands. 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. (and on other days I see the GoldenExpress ferry is now scheduled on the Paros > Andros route at 17 more than the Superstar!). 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. 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 ) I gave my entire family bonine and we were the only ones not sick as a dog. Wondering where your ferry is on the day of your trip? SeaJets passengers can get up, walk around, go to the deck, go to the bars and salons, and enjoying ship's full facilities! Just google Marios Iliopoulos Brillante Virtuoso! So you may have better luck with the slower ferries. Tickets not checked when loading, checking only when moving, turns out people take wrong boat. Olympic airlines and sky express are also very good. 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. Anyway for me it's always a gauge of how civilized a country is in general. Just take your personal items/valuables with you. SUPERSTAR (former SUPERFERRY II) is getting prepared for her fourth career in Greece, this time with SeaJets. Having taken two ferries, I can say with certainty that I think its a good value. Like, really rough. They also just operate in the summer season and not any other time of the year. Cancelling a week ahead sounds more like a schedule change which is understandable considering COVID. Id definitely recommend ordering before departure, since you never know how bumpy it will get during the ride. I stacked it with another promo and got a 110 euros cabin for 72 euros. Stay connected with the latest travel, aviation, and credit card news. People were screaming and bags were flying around the cabin. Overnight ferry tip: join Minoan Lines rewards program, not for the rewards, but it gives you 20%ish off. The passengers on both sides of me puked at least 3x a piece. The Platinum Class cabin was significantly nicer and quieter. Could wreck a vacation for sure. Masks not worn for many people and it's quite packed on boat. If going from Heraklion to Thira(Santorini) please avoid Seajets and take the Santorini palace(Minoan lines) it's on time has a more professional looking crew who were all very nice, cleaner ferry, cleaner bathrooms, bigger ferry, on time. Boarding started at around 7:30AM, and all passengers board via the ramp that also loads cars. Review: Air Serbia Premium Lounge Belgrade (BEG), My Frustrating Air Serbia Transfer Desk Experience. it's also cheaper than Seajets Plat seating. The cancellations dont surprise me as things had only just started to pick up post Greeces lockdown. Minibus from Riva to Manolas, how often in August? I nearly missed a long flight connection because of a last-minute cancellation due to engine failure back in 2019. I think I took Golden Star from Athens to Santorini. Download the Ferryhopper App on your mobile phone, use the Ferry Tracking feature to monitor its location live on the map and stay updated on any delays. The company supports electronic tickets. The Platinum Class seating was to the very right of the cabin, and was behind a curtain. Truly the worst experience of my life. Very unsafe! We had to order coffee, etc. The passengers on both sides of me puked at least 3x a piece. I just disembarkated Mein Schiff 6 today. Drinks (Greek white wines) were excellent and food was Ben, We think Seajet is a wonderful way to get between islands. 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 #). Nonetheless this ended up being a much better experience than our first ferry. I booked our ferry from Crete to Santorini about a week in advance. Platinum Class was nearly empty throughout; in covid times this would be a significant attraction.
Platinum Class was nearly empty throughout; in covid times this would be a significant attraction. I have travelled on Greek ferries around 30 times. 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. 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.
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