A fleet reshuffling is in progress on the Piraeus-Crete service due to scheduled ferry inspections and repairs.
ANEK Lines
Hellenic Seaways/Blue Star Ferries
BLUE STAR CHIOS Sent to Lesbos to Host Asylum Seekers
September 10, 2020. Blue Star Ferries BLUE STAR CHIOS arrived in the port of Sigri (Lesbos) in order to host 1,000 asylum seekers after the destruction of the Moria facility.
The ship was about to stop service and undergo scheduled repairs. However, the sad incident at Lesbos sends her there to work as a hotel ship following a temporary plan of the Hellenic government. More asylum seekers will also be hosted by the Hellenic Navy ships for a while.
In a circular economy project, Baleària has reused the plastic equivalent of more than 85,000 bottles to build the furniture for the exterior decks of the ferries BAHAMA MAMA (Dénia-Ibiza-Palma), and ABEL MATUTES (Barcelona, Alcúdia and Ciutadella).
Attica Group introduced the e-ticket/boarding pass application on domestic routes, building the new digital age in Greek ferry services.
The goal of this new app is to improve services, make transactions more convenient for passengers, and simplify boarding and travel procedures. Visitors from all over the world, as well as island residents, who travel frequently by ferry, will now have the possibility to make their reservations much easier and receive and store their tickets and/or boarding passes.
On July 24, Minoan Lines’ ‘cruise’ ferry KYDON PALACE was introduced on the Piraeus-Chania line, after an inauguration ceremony that took place in the port of Piraeus. She is the fastest, newest and most luxurious ship of the line, while she is also the first ship of the Cretan service to undergo scrubber conversion.
KYDON PALACE will depart, from the port of Piraeus, in July and August, at 16:00 and from the port of Souda at 23:59.
Every Saturday and Sunday she will depart from the port Piraeus at 11:00 and from the port of Souda at 22:30.
Her carrying capacity is for 2.500 passengers (758 beds) and 700 private cars or 113 trucks and 100 cars while she can run at a speed of maximum 31.50 knots.
The HSW’s sisters NISSOS MYKONOS [link: Fakta om Fartyg] and NISSOS CHIOS [link: Fakta om Fartyg] will soon sport the Blue Star Ferries livery following the recent decision of the Atiica Group, as they operate mainly on Blue Star Ferries routes and share the Blue Star Ferries’ fleet design.
The two popular ferries will be renamed BLUE STAR MYKONOS and BLUE STAR CHIOS, while their refurbishment will start soon in Perama.
Both ships will be fitted with scrubber units while their interior public areas will change in order to follow the Blue Star Ferries philosophy.
The Hellenic Seaways fleet will be confined only to the large ferries of the North Aegean as well as the high-speed crafts.
Last night, Blue Star Ferries’ new acquisition BLUE CARRIER 1 (13.073gt/2000) began her first commercial trip from Keratsini.
The ship will operate 3 times a week on the Piraeus-Kalymnos-Kos-Rhodes run, while she will also cover the needs of Cyclades and Samos.
Following the BLUE STAR PATMOS grounding, Golden Star Ferries’ SUPERFERRY was rerouted from Rafina to Piraeus. SUPERFERRY is now back in Rafina.
Blue Star Ferries have chartered FAST FERRIES ANDROS for the next month.
She will now service the Piraeus, Syros, Tinos, Mykonos route.
Photo © FastFerries