SUPERSTAR (ΣΟΥΠΕΡΣΤΑΡ)

-Sea Jets

ex-SUPERFERRY II (ΣΟΥΠΕΡΦΕΡΡΥ ΙΙ) for Golden Star Ferries (2011-2021)

Built in 1974 (age 50). Registered in Piraeus. Current line: Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos

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The legendary SUPERSTAR, formerly known as the SUPERFERRY II, considered to be the greatest day ferry in Greek coastal service history, and which spent 30 years connecting Rafina with the Cyclades, was built in 1974 in Belgium. She was initially known as the PRINCE LAURENT of the Belgian company Regie voor Maritiem Transport (RMT), which was part of the British conglomerate Sealink. She entered service on the Ostend-Dover line. She collided with a quayside of Dover in 1978, but was quickly repaired afterwards. She was transferred to Townsend Thoresen in 1985. She was then transferred to P&O European Ferries in 1987, and continued to serve the Ostend-Dover line. Her company then traded as Oostende Lines in 1991. She was sold in 1992 to the Greek company Strintzis Lines and was renamed IONIAN EXPRESS. She underwent a major conversion in Perama, where she saw an expansion of her garage, a full renovation of her indoor areas, (including the removal of several cabins), a new bow, an improved stern and the addition of balconies above her bow. She was ultimately renamed SUPERFERRY II and began service in 1993 on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Syros-Astypalaia-Kalymnos-Kos-Nisyros-Tilos-Rhodes line on the Cyclades and the Dodecanese, before remaining solely on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Syros line in 1994, where she went on to be a massive success. She remained with Strintzis Lines until the latter was taken over in 2000 by Attica Group, with the new company being named Blue Star Ferries. She remained in service on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line for the next ten years, initially under the Blue Ferries division from 2000 to 2004 and then under Blue Star Ferries from 2004 to 2010. She also occasionally operated on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line when her fleetmates would undergo their annual refits. In 2010 she collided with the main pier of the port of Tinos, thus ending her Blue Star Ferries career. She was subsequently bought by the newly-established Andros-based company Golden Star Ferries. After a small conversion that included the addition of a new bulbous bow in Piraeus, she began service in 2011 on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line, where she was once again extremely successful. She returned to Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line in 2013. With the arrival of her new fleetmate, the SUPERFERRY, in 2016, she was deployed on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos-Paros line. She returned to the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line in 2017, after having undergone a major renovation in Perama. The following year, she and the SUPERFERRY were deployed on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Ios-Santorini-Heraklion line, thus marking the first-ever connection of Rafina with Crete. In 2019, she and the SUPERFERRY were deployed on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Santorini-Heraklion line. In 2020 she was deployed on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros line. In 2021 she returned to the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos-Paros line. Later in that same year, she was sold to Sea Jets, and was renamed SUPERSTAR. She resumed service on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros line in 2022. In 2023, after 30 successful seasons in Rafina, the ship was deployed on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line on the Sporades.

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PHOTOS (2018, 2019, 2020):