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Ferries to and from Cyprus

Last activity 03 July 2023 by Toon

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Toon

With the final trip of the Limassol-Piraeus ferry route looming, Kathimerini's Oriana Papantoniou speaks to the Deputy Minister of Shipping about whether or not the program was a success, the public's impression of the service and what could be improved in the long run.  The Minister also suggested a possible ferry connection with neighboring Israel.


How many people went to Greece by boat?


Around 8,000 passengers and 2,000 cars made the Limassol-Piraeus trip this year with Mr. Vassilis Dimitriades saying he was satisfied - since the total number of passengers exceeded expectations - but he remained cautious, stressing that this number may not be indicative. "Many may have traveled out of curiosity to see what it's like, others because they needed to. This number is not indicative," he said, adding that the aim is to create the deputy ministry recurring.


"In order to make reliable estimates, we need to see if the ferry connection can be made viable without state subsidies," he stressed, referring to the state subsidy that supports the program while recalling that the contractual obligation of the company is to provide 22 round trips. Asked about the possibility of increasing this number, he said the aim is to have at least one trip per week and anything beyond that is left to the contractor company.


A ferry to Israel? - The ball is in the company's court


On the possibility of testing the route to other destinations, the Deputy Minister of State for Shipping "threw the ball" to the company, calling on the service to try the Israeli market as well. A trip of much shorter distance and a lesser amount of time - around 9 to 10 hours - cheaper - due to lesser fuel - and with an emphasis on religious tourism is expected to go between Piraeus and Israel with Cyprus as a possible stopover for logistical and geographical purposes.


Complaints, omissions and sustainability - subsidy is key


In conclusion and with regard to any complaints, problems and omissions observed it was said that out of a sample of around 8 thousand passengers, 20-30 complaints were received and is clearly a very small number, the Deputy Minister admitted, owing to an issue identified in the procedures followed at Limassol Port. "There is an inevitable comparison between the procedures followed at the Port of Piraeus and that of Limassol," he said but continued stressing that special emphasis will be placed on simplifying procedures in order to further improve the travel experience. He underlined that the route would only be viable if the state subsidy is extended over a six-year period while attracting other companies to make their ships available for this route as well.

Toon

Cyprus-Greece ferry Schedule

The Daleela ferry has announced it will be sailing from both Ports of Limassol & Larnaca to Piraeus this year - 2023.

The line will launch in May from the port of Limassol, with a total of 14 sailings. Following that, the route’s starting points will be moved to the port of Larnaca, with eight services beginning in August and ending in mid-September.

The journey to the port of Piraeus takes approximately 30 hours from Limassol and an additional 2 hours from Larnaca.


https://scandroholding.com/

Toon

Ferries prices and times etc



https://www.ferries.gr/en/?utm_source=f … 0FQEFDWKgM

Toon

Bookings for the ferry from Cyprus to Greece starts tomorrow here:


https://scandroholding.com/

Toon

Deputy Shipping Minister Marina Hadjimanolis called the addition of the Larnaca port to the Cyprus-Greece ferry link “a success for the country and for its economy.”


Speaking during the official presentation of the new programme for this summer, Hadjimanolis said the ferry link, which restarted last year after a 20-year hiatus, registered a huge demand, both for passengers and for companies operating it.


“More choice means better connection to Greece,” she said. “The addition of Larnaca to the existing link is certainly going to benefit everyone.”


The service is set to restart on May 31. The sale of tickets, which will begin on April 11, will be operated by Scandro Holding Ltd, the company operating the link, at www.scandroholding.com.


However, passengers wishing to travel to Greece from Larnaca will have to wait until July, as the first eight trips of the ferry link, one in May and seven in June, will only depart from Limassol.


July will offer six more trips from Limassol and the inaugural one from Larnaca, while August will feature seven trips operating from Larnaca only. The exact dates will be released later.


“A total of 7,412 passengers used the ferry link in its first year of operations after over 20 years,” Hadjimanolis said. “People have been waiting for an alternative to the plane for a while and the results were very satisfying.”


Moreover, a total of 2,250 vehicles, of which 1,920 were cars and 330 were mopeds or motorcycles, were transported on the ferry link last summer, in addition to 300 bicycles.


In addition to that, 205 pets, 199 dogs and 6 cats, also made the trip.


Prices will remain the same, regardless of the choice of departing port.  The cheapest return tickets for adults, with a simple seating arrangement, are set at €76 while a second-class cabin return ticket will cost €80. The respective one-way tickets are €38 and €40.


“The sea is Cyprus’ most important resource and, as such, it needs to be properly put to use,” Larnaca mayor Andreas Vyras, also present during the event, said. “We all depend on it and the ferry link has proven able to provide a very valid alternative to flights.


“Cyprus is too small a country to have options only in one city rather than another one. If Limassol succeeds, and it did as far as the ferry link is concerned, then Larnaca can also do so.”


The Daleela ferry, which made a total of 22 voyages last summer, will also operate the link in 2023.


Elias Soulis, the director and representative of operating company Scandro Holdings, said the reviews received from passengers regarding the state of the ferry were overwhelmingly positive.


“We are very satisfied that our ferry was appreciated,” he said, adding that passengers this summer will also be able to enjoy a restaurant, a cafeteria, a mini market and a casino on board.


“In addition to that, a doctor will be on call 24/7,” he said.


“The addition to Larnaca will support the local community and strengthen the tourism product of both the city and of the entire country.”


Source https://cyprusmail.com/2023/04/10/larna … -minister/

MJD82

While the service is a great addition to travel between Limassol and Athens there are a few issues travellers should be aware of. Namely there is no communication that when boarding from Cyprus to travel to Greece that if you attend on travelling with any items other than suitcases you're in trouble. Specifically if you're military and decide to travel home with any personal items other than those that can be packed in suitcases. Secondly the food available onboard is extremely limited and over priced. My personal pet hate was the WiFi provision they offered chargeable at €10 for a 1GB of data which is reasonable if you actually got your data allowance. I used less than 100mb and when challenged and asked for a refund I was told there was nothing they could do. My experience was not an isolated incident as I'm aware other travellers had the same complaint. So buyer beware!!!

Toon

Great info

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