Sea Tourism

The newest ferry vessel on the Piraeus-Chania route, the Blue Star 2, has managed to sail ahead of all its competitors. For the month of December, Blue Star 2 increased travel on the route by some 43% and increased cargo transport by about 31%, when compared with the same month the year before.

Blue Star Ferries managed to increase passenger traffic on the Piraeus-Chania route by some 43% during the month of July when compared with traffic on the route in July of last year. Its vessel Blue Star 2, which was placed on the route this year for the first time, covered almost half of all passenger and car traffic, according to a company report. Another two passenger vessels and one transport vessel, all owned by ANEK Lines, ply the route.

It’s not only local cruise companies — for the first half of this year cruise passengers on Greek vessels are down some 30% over the same period last year — that face difficulties this year.

Two recent very notable announcements allow Greece to boast as perhaps being the country with the world’s best and cleanest swimming waters in the world. It began last month when the country was awarded a record 373 Blue Flags this year for its clean beaches and safe swimming waters. This marks more than a decade of a continual and successful drive by the local operator of the program, the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature, to make Greece one of the top countries in Europe that participates in the EU program.

Along with their own booking systems for domestic and international ferry routes, Superfast Ferries and Blue Star Ferries now have their routes on the FORTHcrs reservation system. An agreement between Attica Enterprises, which controls both above mentioned ferry lines, and the Forthnet group was signed last month.

Traffic on our new routes is even better than we expected, says Blue Star Ferries (Strintzis Lines) sales and marketing director, Michalis Sakelis. “We are particularly pleased and pleasantly surprised with the traffic on our new Piraeus-Chania route,” he says.

Piraeus-based Blue Star Ferries now runs a ferry route from Piraeus to Chania, Crete, with its newbuild Blue Star 2. The journey takes a mere five hours and 45 minutes. The vessel, built in 2000, plies the route at a speed of 28 miles an hour and carries up to 1,900 passengers and 700 vehicles. Blue Star 2 leaves Piraeus daily at 16:00 and leaves Chania daily at 23:30.

Greece’s passenger shipping association says its sector is in for a difficult time this year. It wants government to help soften the blow with a cut in port costs, and subsidies for new employees, for newbuildings, and for employee insurance. It also wants a 50% increase in advertising abroad funds. But although most cruise lines are concerned, they are also upbeat.

Within the new liberalized framework of Greek coastal shipping, Strintzis Lines (Blue Star Ferries), expands its routes. As of this month, the Greek ferry line is at the forefront with three brand new ships on the Cycladic Islands’ routes, the Blue Star 1 in the Dodecanese on the Piraeus-Rodos route and its Blue Star 2 on the new, fast daily connection between Piraeus and Chania, Crete.

Greece’s first tourism submarine service was inaugurated last month by Merchant Marine Minister George Anomeritis at the Peace and Friendship Stadium’s wharf area. The Atlantis Santorini I, which dives to a depth of 25-30 meters, will explore the undersea area of Santorini’s Caldera. The vessel comfortably hosts 28 passengers and two crewmembers.