Queries in English for our non-Greek speaking members.

[TomJ]

What is happening to the El Venizelos? Is she going to work this Summer?

[Nick the Greek]

Well Tom, although Greece is the Land of Resurrection for older ferries, I personally cannot see how and why a ferry that was deemed too expensive to run in markets with low fuel prices, can be considered profitable in the summer of 2022. Unless of course we're talking about a static role as accomodation, which is a different proposition altogether.

[TomJ]

Why hasn’t the Olympus started working?

[Nick the Greek]

The ship and her owners have been deemed unfit for the service, following an emergency process from the Ministry. Through a similar emergency process, the service has been awarded again to the Prevelis. On the day of her first sailing, the PSC inspected the ship and found more than a couple of dozen of detainable deficiencies. This triggered the whole sequence of events. 

[TomJ]

Thanks Nick.

[JonB72]

Nick, can you explain the difference between A, B and C class ferries in Greece?

 

[ΒΙΚΤΩΡ ΧΙΩΤΗΣ]

My friend,exactly there are voyage categories,how long is the voyage and how far from the coastline the certified  ship sails.

Edited July 28, 2022 by polmyt
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[JonB72]

Thanks. Any difference in the what is required of the ships physically? 

[Esperos Papadaskalopoulos]

Really, no question here. Just an observation that Sifnos Jet seems to be always taking an unconventional route around Paros towards Naxos. It sails between Paros and the small islets north of Paros. Maybe saves a couple of minutes?

One question: When was the new port Athinios of Santorini completed? Couldn't find that info on the net in English.

[Nick the Greek]

Chaps, we have a special topic for the A-B-C classes here. I think a translator might solve many of your questions. In short, the biggest difference is on a life saving appliances level as well as GMDSS provisions.

 

@Esperos Papadaskalopoulos: the port of Athinios, Santorini, in its current shape was completed in early 2021

[JonB72]

Thanks Nick. That explained it all, along with why Superferry was fitted with a couple of big lifeboats when it was sailing to Crete, and lost them again when it went no further than Mykonos.

Jonathan

[Nick the Greek]

Quite correct, Jonathan. If you ask me though, from the moment as a country you have no organized Search and Rescue network like the UK does for example, it doesn't really matter if you're sailing 5 or 25 nautical miles from the nearest shore.

[Nicksy58]

Rumors are that ANEK Lines will be put up for sale by Piraeus Bank in the (very) near future. Any idea if Attica Group will add ANEK Lines as a whole into their shipping group of companies?

Also, what would that mean for the Prevelis? Would they be able to get the new contract for the Karpathos route? 

[Nick the Greek]

This is the case now for many years now, more here, using a translator of course.

[barconauta]

Well. I dont speak Greek but i want to share this photo from HS Prometheus near Setúbal harbour in POrtugal. Hope you enjoy it:

 

See it here my blog

[ΒΙΚΤΩΡ ΧΙΩΤΗΣ]

Many thanks for the photo my friend.She was during the annual training travel of the Hellenic Naval Academy.

Edited August 19, 2022 by Nick the Greek
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[barconauta]

Thanks for the information. I really dont know what it was doing here, but i know that was a friend ship of Portuguese Navy and maybe was sailing for Setúbal harbour. 

Edited August 19, 2022 by Nick the Greek
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[georgios express]

…and almost every cadet paid a visit here, uploading hundreds of photos in their social media accounts.

[JonB72]

Thanks for the review Nick. Imagine if ANEK bought the ship as a replacement for the Kriti II on the Heraklion run. 

We can only dream 😀

Edited November 1, 2022 by proud_ionian
link

[Nick the Greek]

Thanks JonB. You can argue they already have one ship with these type of characteristics, the Eleftherios Venizelos. And she's proving impossible to employ profitably. So yes, that would be the stuff dreams are made of

[hhvferry]

Great review Nikos.

The Rhapsody is a real delight, although I imagine she was less so for the accountants at SNCM who simply couldn't operate her profitably.

I imagine when she sank herself in Marseille harbour and they got an insurance payout they couldn't  believe their luck. In fact I can visualise them sneaking down to the quayside and setting her loose in that gale themselves.

GNV probably have a better balance of tourists vs freight on the peak season passenger-oriented service they use her for - and of course they picked her up for virtually scrap value.

[Nick the Greek]

Cheers mate! The Rhapsody is not something spectacular or ultra-luxurious in terms of her fittings. But she's got every amenity you can imagine as a passenger and plenty of things to do and visit if you're a fan of ferry travel, like ourselves. Onboard prices were reasonable, staff were quite helpful and friendly, what more can you ask for?

 

Just finished reading your Daleela trip report as well, made for super nice reading. I'm kicking myself for finally not making the time to do this crossing too. A former Japanese ferry like that would have been a treat. But something tells me it's there to stay for next year as well, when I was in Limassol earlier this year, I was hearing pretty good comments abou the fact you're now able to visit Greece using your own private car.

[mlulurgas]

Absolutely agree about all the impressions over the Rhapsody, she's probably the best ferry sailing in the Mediterranean. I've to say, having sailed or visited also all the former Baltic ferries of Corsica Ferries, they're pretty far from the former Napoleon Bonaparte. And I've to say that, while many former original GNV ferries were "grimaldized" in some way (false leather, linoleum carpeting), the Rhapsody seems to maintain well her French charme.

About the comparison between the SNCM paid by French taxpayers and Tirrenia paid by Italian taxpayers, I think I could say a poem, but I think it's better if I avoid to do it... but, to understand well how things were going in Italian State-owned companies, we could simply say that the last purpose-built ferry for Adriatica (paid by Italian taxpayers) was the Laurana, which had to compete on Brindisi - Corfu - Igoumenitsa - Patras line, was delivered in 1992. Only about six months later, in 1993, Grandi Navi Veloci of Aldo Grimaldi took delivery of the Majestic. Less than three years later, Superfast Ferries introduced their first pair of vessels. 

Would like to see this kind of competition also in Adriatic Sea, but the last facts and happenings are not so encouraging in this way...

Edited November 1, 2022 by mlulurgas

[Nick the Greek]

Well, in our part of the woods(the Mediterranean that is), there's no innocent party when it comes to spending public money, sadly. Can only imagine what us Greeks would have built .

 

You give me the opportunity to ask you one thing though, irrelevant to the discussion above. I have noticed all these years, unless i'm making a mistake, that the Tirrenia duo of the Napoli - Palermo route(Florio and Rubattino) are always in that route. They don't do any winter substitutions in other routes, nothing. They do only Napoli - Palermo. Is there a particular reason for that? Or just coincidence?

[mlulurgas]

As long as I know, the Florio-class twins are “tailor-made” for Napoli - Palermo line (three cargo decks for trailers, reasonable-passenger capacity) so that they would be unsuitable on every other Tirrenia route (too large garage for Sardinia, and little passenger capacity). In fact, Tirrenia usually ordered “tailor-made” vessels, as they did with Sharden and Nuraghes (bigger garage to operate only two ships between Civitavecchia and Olbia instead of two plus two cargo) or the Bithia class (large car capacity for North Sardinia summer services).

in my opinion, anyway, the Florio twins are by far the best Tirrenia ships, because of their internal arrangement and their furnishings, which are almost the same of original GNV vessels.