Frozen_North_Dave

Some quick questions for seasoned veterans of the Greek island ferries regarding baggage handling on the boats. We will be travelling Blue Star from Paros to Santorini.

Do you check your luggage separately before you board (similar to airline boarding) or is each passenger responsible for bringing all luggage on board? Is luggage kept in a secured area? Do you have access to the luggage during the trip? How early should you arrive before the scheduled departure time?

And finally, assuming it is not raining, will travelling on deck be comfortable in early May? Are the upper decks protected from the wind like cruise ships?

Whew....looking at the post, I apologize in advance for the multiple questions...

Any info would be apprciated for our initiation into Greek island ferry travel.

Dave

brotherleelove2004

No advance baggage check. There's a common baggage storage area belowdecks but it's not secure, just a courtesy area off to the side of where the cars park where you can leave your bag in a pile with anyone else's who chooses to use this area if you don't want to carry them around with you. You're basically responsible for your own bags.

The weather can't be predicted with 100% certainty, but generally it will be fine in early May, not too much wind, very little chance of rain.. The decks aren't protected, but even with "deck class" tickets you have access to an indoor seating area, and there's always some place to stash your bag. The lighter you travel the easier it'll be.

indytravel

I don't have the answers to all your questions but I do know a little.

In October I took the Blue Star from Piraes (Athens) to Santorini.

I arrived an hour before departure, it was plenty of time.

As I boarded the ship they asked if I wanted to check my 21 inch roller board. I said no, I was in the salon and would keep it with me. They had elastic banded tags with a tear off ticket to hand to you. So the process was more like gate checking a bag at the door of a jet rather than at the airline ticket counter.

I don't know where the luggage went. I don't know if it was secure or if you had access to it during the trip.

When I departed the ship in Santorini again it was more like a gate checked bag on an airline. The bags were lined up as I exited the ferry. People just grabbed their's and walked off the ship.

brotherleelove2004

Good information to have. It sounds like things have progressed since the last time I rode the ferry, which admittedly has been awhile.

PurpleNeon

Last June/July we Blue Star'd from Athens to Myknonos, Mykonos to Paros, Paros to Naxos and then Naxos to Santorini. We had 2 different experiences. The first couple of times, we would board, go up a couple of escalators and then to the left was a large storage room with tons of shelves. You would just place your bag on a shelf and leave it (not without trepidation the first time, but I did get used to it!). On one of the trips (can't remember which) it was more like brotherlee described, there was shelving in the car deck area that we again just left our bags on and collected them again just prior to boarding. We didn't have the need to go back to them (kept our books, beer and snacks in our "carry-ons" that we kept with us, but I think it was perfectly fine should we have needed to.

For me as a (generally) overly polite Canadian, I found the whole process nutty! People everywhere trying to get by you and put their bags wherever possible. I got used to it after a few trips though. I think it is physically possible to carry your bags with you wherever you choose to sit, but it is probably more hassle than it's worth. Carry your valuables with you and just go with the flow!

PS: As mentioned, the best thing that we learned from watching others (and wish we would have learned sooner) is to bring beer/pop/wine whatever with you along with snacks. Food is expensive and not particularly appealing. On our best passage (Naxos to SAntorini) we sat outside at a picnic table, drank our Mythos and ate pistachios--ahhhh Greece.

Frozen_North_Dave

Thanks for the info everyone. I think we will upgrade the locks on our luggage and try the storage area - wherever that may be. We'll keep our valuables in the carry'ons including the camera. I'm looking forward to taking pictures of the Caldera as we sail into Santorini. Will now most definitely plan a good picnic lunch as well PurpleNeon. Thanks for the advice

Dave

GeoffHamer

I sailed to Naxos once in the BLUE STAR ITHAKI. When you board, there are escalators up to the passenger decks. A crew member was asking passengers to put baggage in the baggage storage area alongside the upper car deck. I did not like the ship at all. The second class saloons were cramped which was a deliberate attempt to persuade people to pay more for the first class area which was much bigger than on other Greek ferries. There were two counters serving coffee and pastries at much higher prices than on other ferries, and a branch of Goody's burger bars. It was winter so it was too cold to sit on deck and the only empty second-class seats were near the burger bar. If you are boarding at Paros, you don't need to be there more than a few minutes in advance because the ship will just be making a brief call en route from Pireas.

repete

I've used the Blue Star Naxos and Paros, which both were fine boats -- and far superior to the Hellas offerings in the Cyclades. Cleaner, newer and with better boundaries between smoking and non -- a rare thing in Greece.

They are newer with different configurations from the Ithika, which isn't -- at least now -- on the Paros-Santorini route.

If comfort is your primary concern, stake out a couple of the Pullman (airplane) seats.

Retsina

No check in for luggage, you have to carry and deal with it yourself. I personally always keep luggage in close proximity to where I am sitting on the boat (The crew may insist on your luggage being in one area, if so return later and retreive it ;-) ). There is no secure area for luggage, so keep your valuables about your person. You need to be at the quay an hour before the scheduled departure. In the case of Paros port it is more comfortable to lounge in a convenient kaf, only going to the hot, sweaty crowded passenger stalls (usually labelled for a specific ferry departure) when you see your ferry arrive. Rain is very unlikely at that time of the year, some of the upper decks are sheltered from the inevitable wind. BlueStar ferries are marginally better than most ferries as they are newer purpose built affairs, Completely lacking the character of the old rust bucket ferries such as the 'Skopelitis','Ios/Mykonos express', 'Panormittis'. Everthing is so ordered and efficient these days ;-)

stanbr

After our first Greek fery experience we learned two things. First backpacks are the way to go. Don't bring anything resembling a suitcase or anything that you have to carry by hand. Some of these ferrys have very steep stairs.
Secondly we learned that even with a backpak it can be very tiring lugging it around Greece. We have abandoned our full size back packs for medium sized and live by the rule "three of everything." One to wear today, one clean for tomorrow and one dirty from yesterday. Take as little stuff as possible. Of course this may only be relevent for more middle aged people, some of the younger ones have huge packs and seem to manage pretty well.