Blue Star Ferries is a brand name of Blue Star Maritime S.A. The company operates ferry services from the Greek mainland to the Aegean Islands. Blue Star Ferries is the biggest ferry company in Greece, serving more than 20 destinations. Their fleet is composed of 12 modern ferries whose course speeds range from 23 to 30 knots.

History

Blue Star Ferries was founded in 1965 as Strintzis Lines by the Strintzis family from

Lixouri Lixouri ( el, Ληξούρι) is a town and a municipality in the island of Kefalonia, the largest of the Ionian Islands of western Greece. It is the main town on the peninsula of Paliki, and the second largest town in Kefalonia after Argostoli a ...

, Kefalonia. The company was rebranded as Blue Ferries in 2000 following

Attica Enterprises Attica Holdings S.A. is an operator of international ferry services in Europe. The Group's operations include its subsidiaries Superfast Ferries, which began in 1995 with the launch of its first ships, Superfast I & Superfast II, and Blue Star Fer ...

' acquisition of a 48% stake in the company. Blue Star Ferries is a sister company of Superfast Ferries, as both are part of the

Attica Group Attica Holdings S.A. is an operator of international ferry services in Europe. The Group's operations include its subsidiaries Superfast Ferries, which began in 1995 with the launch of its first ships, Superfast I & Superfast II, and Blue Star Fer ...

and have had partnership in some routes, such as Rosyth to Zeebrugge and presently Piraeus- Heraklion. In 2000 the company took delivery of two Ro-Ro (roll on/roll off) ferries built at the Dutch shipyard

Van der Giessen de Noord Van der Giessen de Noord () was a shipyard, shipbuilding company that mainly built ferry, ferries, located in Krimpen aan den IJssel, a town in the western Netherlands. The yard was especially suited to the construction of large Ship, vessels ...

. In 2006 Blue Star Maritime S.A. purchased the

Dodecanese The Dodecanese (, ; el, Δωδεκάνησα, ''Dodekánisa'' , ) are a group of 15 larger plus 150 smaller Greek islands in the southeastern Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean, off the coast of Turkey's Anatolia, of which 26 are inhabited. ...

ferry company DANE Sea Lines. Blue Star Ferries ordered two ferry-type ships at Daewoo Shipyards in Korea. The first ferry, named ''Blue Star Delos'', was delivered in the first 10 days of October 2011, and the second, ''Blue Star Patmos'', in July 2012. ''Blue Star Delos'' is currently on the route Piraeus–Paros–Naxos–Ios–Thira, and ''Blue Star Patmos'' on the route Piraeus–Chios–Mytilini (Lesvos).

Fleet

Blue Star Ferries currently operates a fleet of 12 vessels.

Conventional ferries

Ro-Ro cargo ships

On charter to Irish ferries

Former fleet as Strinzis Lines

*''Kephalinia'' (1965-1993), scrapped as ''Zachara'' in 2005 *''Ionion'' (1972-1978), sank in Gramvousa, Crete in 1992 *''Ionian Star'' (1976-1990), scrapped as ''Tian Kun'' in 2001 *''Ionian Glory'' (1981-1989), scrapped in 2012 at Alexandria, Egypt *''Eptanisos'' (1984-2000), scrapped as ''Pollux 1'' at Gadani Beach, Pakistan in 2004 *''Ionian Victory'' (1984-1986), scrapped as ''Jin Hu'' in 2004 *''Delos'' (1986-1997), scrapped in 2011 *''Ionian Sun'' (1986-2001), scrapped as ''Merdif'' in 2004 at

Alang, India Alang is a census town in Bhavnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Because it is home to the Alang Ship Breaking Yard, Alang beaches are considered the world's largest ship graveyard. Demographics As of the 2001 Indian census, Alan ...

*''Ionian Island'' (1987-2000), scrapped as ''Merdif 1'' in 2010 at Alang, India *''Ionian Galaxy'' (1987-2000), scrapped as ''Merdif 2'' in 2011 at Alang, India *''Ionian Fantasy'' (1988-1991): while serving as ''Ionian Sea'' (1991-1993), caught fire while laid up under the name ''Leros'' at Elefsina, Greece; scrapped at Aliağa, Turkey in 2001 *''Ionian Harmony'' (1989-1990), scrapped as ''Caly'' in 2013 at Alang, India *''Superferry'' (1991-2001), serving as Mahabbah for Namma Lines since 2006 to be scrapped as ''Mahabba'' in Colombo 2021 *''Superferry II'' (1993-2000), serving as ''Superferry II'' for

Golden Star Ferries Golden Star Ferries is a Greek ferry company operating from the Greek mainland to the Cyclades islands in the Aegean Sea. Golden Star Ferries was founded in 2011 by Andriot brothers Giorgos and Dimitris Stephanou, who also own the ''Bright Navi ...

since 2011, now as ''SuperStar'' for

Seajets Seajets is a Greek/ Cypriot ferry company operating passenger and freight ferry services in the Aegean Sea. History Seajets was established in 1989. Today, it operates a fleet of 14 high speed vessels, and 3 conventional Ro-Ro ferries which serv ...

since 2021 *''Ionian Star'' (1994-1999), serving as ''Denia Ciutat Creativa'' for Balearia since 2016 *''Kefalonia'' (1995-2000), serving as ''Kefalonia'' for

Levante Ferries Levante Ferries is a Greece-based ferry company which was established in 2014. Today, a fleet of four ferries serves the transportation needs of the islands Zakynthos, Cephalonia and Ithaca. Routes Currently, Levante Ferries is operating lines i ...

since 2018 *''Ionian Bridge'' (1996-2000), scrapped as ''Duba'' in 2021 at Alang, India *''Sea Jet 1'' (1998-2000), serving as ''Super Jet'' for

since 2004 *''Ionian Victory'' (1998-2000), scrapped as ''Ionian Sky'' in 2020 at Aliağa, Turkey *''Sea Jet 2'' (1999-2000), serving as ''Seajet 2'' for

since 2006 *''Superferry Hellas'' (1999-2000), serving as ''Blue Horizon'' for Blue Star Ferries since 2000

Former fleet as Blue Ferries, Blue Star Ferries

*''Blue Bridge'' (2000-2004), scrapped as Duba in 2021 at Alang, India *''Blue Galaxy'' (2000-2001), scrapped as ''Merdif 2'' in 2011 at Alang, India *''Blue Island'' (2000-2001), scrapped as ''Merdif 1'' in 2010 at Alang, India *''Blue Sky'' (2000-2004), scrapped as ''Ionian Sky'' in 2020 at Aliağa, Turkey *''Kefalonia'' (2000-2004), serving as ''Kefalonia'' for

since 2018 *''Sea Jet 1'' (2000-2003), serving as ''Super Jet'' for

since 2004 *''Sea Jet 2'' (2000-2006), serving as ''Seajet 2'' for

since 2006 *''Blue Aegean'' (2001-2002), scrapped as ''Mahabba'' in 2021 at Colombo, Sri Lanka *''Superferry II'' (2000-2011), serving as ''SuperStar'' for

since 2021 *'' Blue Star Ithaki'' (2000-2014), serving as ''

MV Fundy Rose MV ''Fundy Rose'' is a RORO passenger ship owned by the Government of Canada, which entered service with Bay Ferries in 2015 between Saint John, New Brunswick, and Digby, Nova Scotia, replacing the MV ''Princess of Acadia''. The vessel was f ...

'' for

Bay Ferries Bay Ferries Limited, or simply, Bay Ferries, is a ferry company operating in eastern Canada and is headquartered in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. It is a subsidiary of Northumberland Ferries Limited and a sister company to the defu ...

since 2014

Routes

Piraeus-Crete

* Piraeus- Chania (Blue Galaxy & Blue Horizon)

Piraeus-Cyclades

* Piraeus- Paros- Naxos- Ios-

Santorini Santorini ( el, Σαντορίνη, ), officially Thira (Greek: Θήρα ) and classical Greek Thera (English pronunciation ), is an island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast from the Greek mainland. It is the ...

(Blue Star Delos) * Piraeus- Paros- Naxos- Irakleia-

Schoinousa Schoinoussa or Schinoussa ( el, Σχοινούσσα, before 1940: Σχοινούσα, ; anciently, grc, Σχινοῦσσα) is an island and a former community in the Cyclades, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the mun ...

- Koufonisia- Amorgos (Blue Star Naxos) * Piraeus- Syros- Tinos- Mykonos (Blue Star Paros)

Piraeus-Dodecanese

* Piraeus- Syros- Amorgos- Patmos- Leros- Kos- Rhodes (Blue Star 2) * Piraeus- Astypalaia-

Fournoi Fournoi Korseon ( el, Φούρνοι Κορσέων), more commonly simply Fournoi ( el, Φούρνοι), anciently known as Corsiae or Korsiai ( grc, Κορσίαι), Corseae or Korseai (Κορσεαί), Corsia or Korsia (Κορσία), and Co ...

– Ikaria– Patmos- Leipsoi- Leros- Kalymnos- Kos-

Nisyros Nisyros also spelled Nisiros ( el, Νίσυρος, Nísiros) is a volcanic Greek island and municipality located in the Aegean Sea. It is part of the Dodecanese group of islands, situated between the islands of Kos and Tilos. Its shape is appro ...

- Tilos-

Symi Symi, also transliterated as Syme or Simi ( el, Σύμη), is a Greek island and municipality. It is mountainous and includes the harbor town of Symi and its adjacent upper town Ano Symi, as well as several smaller localities, beaches, and areas o ...

- Rhodes-

Kasos Kasos (; el, Κάσος, ), also Casos, is a Greek island municipality in the Dodecanese. It is the southernmost island in the Aegean Sea, and is part of the Karpathos regional unit. The capital of the island is Fri. , its population was 1,22 ...

- Karpathos- Kastellorizo (Blue Star Patmos)

Piraeus-Northeast Aegean Sea

* Piraeus- Chios/

Mesta The ''Mesta'' () was a powerful association protecting livestock owners and their animals in the Crown of Castile that was incorporated in the 13th century and was dissolved in 1836. Although best known for its organisation of the annual migrat ...

- Mytilene (Diagoras) * Piraeus- Syros- Patmos- Ikaria- Fournoi Korseon- Samos- Chios- Mytilene- Limnos- Kavala (Blue Star Chios)

Media

One of Blue Star Ferries' boats took the role of ''Princess Myrto'' on the Greek TV show ''Θα Σε Δω Στο Πλοίο'' (literally translated: ''I'll See You on the Ferry'') broadcast by Alpha TV, a Greek channel, from 2000 to 2002. The majority of the filming for this series was on the boat itself except for on-location filming of the characters on holiday or on leave. This is still being broadcast in certain Greek-speaking countries, including Cyprus.

References

Παρουσίαση Blue Star Patmos

Παρουσίαση Blue Star Delos

External links

Blue Star Ferries' ships videos
{{commons category Ferry companies of Greece Companies based in Athens Transport companies established in 2000 Greek brands