ARIADNE Tribute and Moments of Trip

Trip: 12-13 August 2022. From Rhodes to Piraeus, via Kos and Samos, with the ARIADNE of Hellenic Seaways.

The beautiful cruiseferry ARIADNE (bearing my grandmother's name) was built in 1996 in Japan. She began her career there, as the RAINBOW BELL for the Japanese company Kyuetsu Ferry, being deployed on the Naoetsu-Fukuoka line. She was laid-up in 2001 in Naoetsu. In 2002 she was sold to Shuttle Highway Line, being deployed on the Yokosuka-Fukuoka line, and two years later she was sold to the Japanese company Miyazaki Car Ferry, being renamed FERRY HIMUKA. She entered service on the Hannan-Hyūga-Miyazaki line, before being laid-up in 2006. A few months later, however, she was sold to the Greek company Hellenic Seaways, thus becoming their first acquisition under their new company name (they were previously known as Minoan Flying Dolphins from 1999 to 2002 and later as Hellas Flying Dolphins from 2002 to 2005). She was renamed ARIADNE, becoming in the process the third ship in the history of the Greek coastal service, with the first having been previous ferries of Minoan Lines (the first one was the legendary ARIADNE which operated from 1975 to 1999, while the second one was the 2002-built Ro-Pax ferry which was later renamed ARIADNE PALACE before being sold in 2006 to the Italian company Moby Lines). The new ARIADNE underwent an extensive conversion in Keratsini, during which her indoor areas were fully renovated, and in late 2007 she was deployed on the Piraeus-Chania line, where she competed against ANEK Lines. Despite her impressive size and amenities, she began service during the late high season and ANEK Lines was able to hold on to their loyal customers by bringing in their flagship, namely the OLYMPIC CHAMPION, from the Adriatic Sea. The move proved to be effective, and therefore Hellenic Seaways sought to find another area of employment for their large ferry. As such, in the winter of 2008, the ARIADNE was briefly chartered to Minoan Lines in order to replace that company's ships on the Adriatic Sea, which were undergoing their annual refits. She was deployed on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Venice line. Later in 2008 she was chartered to ANEK Lines, being deployed once again on the Piraeus-Chania line. After that summer she went to the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Ancona line, and in 2009, as Hellenic Seaways still did not manage to find a spot for her within their plans, she moved abroad as she was chartered to Algérie Ferries for the summer. There, she was inserted on the Marseille-Oran line between France and Algeria. She repeated the same process in 2010 and in 2011 (namely a winter charter to ANEK Lines on the Adriatic Sea and a summer charter to Algérie Ferries). In 2012 however she did not operate at all, except for her usual summer charter in Algeria. In 2013 she was again due to operate only in the summer for Algérie Ferries. Having been left over by Hellenic Seaways as a result of her large size (which at the time prevented her from being used across many services that included underdeveloped ports) and high running costs, she remained sidelined from her company's plans, despite being one of the most modern and luxurious ferries carrying the Greek flag and despite being one of the favourite ships of Greek shipping enthusiasts (including myself). That year, however, she unexpectedly made a breakthrough for Hellenic Seaways. Her fleetmate, namely the NISSOS MYKONOS (today the BLUE STAR MYCONOS of Blue Star Ferries), which was operating on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Samos line on the Northeast Aegean Sea, suffered a minor fire incident, which caused her to undergo repairs for a month. She was replaced by her sister ship, namely the NISSOS CHIOS, which had been operating on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line. However, there was no replacement for the latter, apart from the ARIADNE, which was being prepared for her charter in Algeria. She was therefore deployed on a temporary basis on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line, and she was a massive success, helping her company return to profitable levels. Although she later left for Algeria, she returned to the Northeast Aegean Sea once the summer season ended, and she replaced the NISSOS CHIOS (today the BLUE STAR CHIOS of Blue Star Ferries) on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line. The latter was then chartered in 2014 to the Spanish company Baleària for four years, which meant that the ARIADNE had permanently taken over the line. In 2015, she operated on the Piraeus-Samos-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala line for the summer. The following year, with the introduction of the NISSOS SAMOS, she returned to the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line. In 2018, with the various changes undertaken by Attica Group following their acquisition of Hellenic Seaways, she unfortunately left Greece once again, as she was chartered to the Italian company Tirrenia Di Navigazione, being deployed on the Naples-Cagliari-Palermo line on the Tyrrhenian Sea. After three years there, she returned to Hellenic Seaways in 2021, and she was deployed on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Santorini-Samos-Patmos-Leros-Kos-Symi-Rhodes line, thus taking over the service left by the BLUE STAR 1 of Blue Star Ferries (previously her competitor on the Northeast Aegean Sea from 2015 to 2018), which was chartered to Irish Ferries.

Having now completed two consecutive summers in Greece after having been away in Italy for some time, it is certainly a joy for shipping enthusiasts like me to know that she has returned to the country with the purpose of remaining there. Indeed, considering her career path and the various moves that she made, she has certainly been one of the most 'mobile' ships in the Greek coastal service. If we exclude her successful spell on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line from 2013 to 2018, she has alternated between temporary deployments on services of Hellenic Seaways and charters both within Greece and abroad, serving the former in Crete and on the Adriatic Sea. She was originally due to make her mark for her company on the Piraeus-Chania line, but after just a few months of operations with them, she was deemed to surplus requirements and not used for any of their services until she finally found a role on the Northeast Aegean Sea in 2013. The reasons behind this certainly include the different managerial and financial issues faced by the company in late 2000s and in the early 2010s, but it is mostly due to the ship's attributes. In fact, some believe that she is 'excessive' as a ship for the Greek coastal service. This is true to a certain extent, as in the start of her Greek career she was deemed too large to operate on certain islands of the Cyclades or the Dodecanese, and even on the Northeast Aegean Sea. She was instead considered ideal for Crete and the Adriatic Sea, but her smaller amount of cabins for services to the former and her slower speed for services on the latter have put her at a disadvantage. Moreover, her status as 'excessive' is also highlighted by the fact that her large size and numerous amenities require a larger crew and higher engine and onboard consumptions, which has also meant higher running costs at the expense of her operators. But in spite of these issues and her regular service changes, she has proved to be a very popular ship and one of the most beloved ferries in Greece. Her impressive and imposing silhouette, her large size, and her beautiful indoor areas have made her an acclaimed ferry that was appreciated by many passengers in Crete and on the Northeast Aegean Sea in particular. She also has very good speed levels for the Aegean Sea, and she is performs smooth sailings providing much comfort to anyone traveling with her. And now, she completed her second summer serving the Cyclades and the Dodecanese, where her owners had previously avoided sending her due to her size. On the contrary, she has proved that she is also able to serve these areas' main islands with great success, and she therefore complemented the services of Blue Star Ferries with much effectiveness. Since her return, she has also become a workhorse for Attica Group, having provided services on the Adriatic Sea and on the Dodecanese during the winter, while covering for the usual ships operating there as they underwent their annual refits. As such, one can hope that she finally found a useful purpose within the operating structure of Hellenic Seaways, just like she had done so back when she was operating on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line with much success.

Having stated the above, the idea of traveling with the ARIADNE was without a doubt a major dream of mine as soon as I learned that she had returned to Greece in 2021. She is a ship that has always impressed me, and she also has an additional symbolical value as she reminds me of my late grandmother who was also named Ariadni. I was always curious to experience a trip on the Aegean Sea onboard her, and this dream finally became a reality when we decided to plan a trip on the Dodecanese with my parents for the 2022 season. Having visited the islands of Patmos, Arkioi, Leros, Kalymnos, Kos and Symi, we finished our 10-day trip by spending two evenings in the area's main island, namely Rhodes. We had arrived there from Symi on 10 August 2022 with the BLUE STAR CHIOS, with which we had therefore done our second trip, after having previously done our very first one to the Dodecanese by sailing with her from Piraeus to Patmos on 2 August 2022. After having seen all these wonderful islands and spending a fantastic time in each one of them (while also getting to see and travel with numerous ships of the Greek coastal service for the first time), we were planning to make our return back to Athens. And that trip would be done onboard the ARIADNE, which would be leaving in the afternoon of 12 August 2022 in order to arrive in Piraeus the following morning. This overnight trip would include us staying at a cabin, which would also be a nice experience as I had not been on one in many years. Altogether, traveling with the ARIADNE was quite eventful as it had several fun facts marked by numerous 'firsts'. Indeed, it was my first trip from an island of the Dodecanese to Piraeus, my first such trip while sailing overnight, my first-ever full-night trip (meaning that I would be reaching my destination the following day at daylight) on the Aegean Sea and my first one in Greece since 2018, and the trip also became the longest that I ever did on the Aegean Sea both in terms of duration and distance covered. It was also my first trip while using passenger cabins since 2008 (the last time having been while heading from Patras to Ancona with the OLYMPIC CHAMPION), and my first-ever such trip on the Aegean Sea. It was also my first-ever trip with a ship of Hellenic Seaways on the Dodecanese, and my first trip with a conventional ferry of the company since 2012, with the last one having been when I sailed from Piraeus to Aegina with the POSIDON HELLAS (which has been owned by 2way Ferries since 2015) a decade prior. The trip was also my first one with a conventional ferry of Hellenic Seaways outside of the Saronic Gulf, and my first trip with a conventional ferry of the company since the latter was taken over by Attica Group in 2018. Furthermore, by heading to Samos as part of our return leg, this would mark my first time sailing through the Northeast Aegean Sea, even though I did not disembark there. Finally, it was my first-ever trip with a Japanese-built cruiseferry on the Aegean Sea, and my first trip with this kind of ship since 2006, with the last one having been from Patras to Venice onboard the LEFKA ORI of ANEK Lines, which has been known as the BLUE GALAXY of Blue Star Ferries since 2015.

A view of the beautiful ARIADNE in the port of Rhodes, just a few moments before embarking onboard her for the first time in my life.

The ARIADNE seen while docked in Rhodes. This was her second consecutive season on the Cyclades and on the Dodecanese, which she began serving in 2021 following her return to Greece and to Hellenic Seaways after having spent three years under charter to Tirrenia Di Navigazione in Italy.

A view of the ARIADNE in Rhodes. Ever since been owned by Hellenic Seaways, she has been the largest passenger ship to have ever operated for the company.

A view of the large garage of the ARIADNE, which is spread across five out of the ship's 11 decks (namely from Deck 2 to Deck 6). The ferry can carry up to 650 vehicles, which makes her a very useful ship for the transportation of numerous cars and lorries across the Cyclades, the Northeast Aegean Sea and the Dodecanese. This is a view from the main entrance area from Deck 3. Something noteworthy to state is that the ship has three ramps allowing for vehicle embarkation and disembarkation, with two of those located on the starboard side of the vessel (one in the aft section and the other in the front section behind the bow). This is a typical feature found on large Japanese-built cruiseferries, which continue to use them upon their deployment in the Greek coastal service, as it enables them to load and unload large amounts of vehicles in a very efficient manner.

Upon embarking onboard the ARIADNE, we took the escalators which led us to the central section of Deck 7, where we got to see the Embarkation Desk area, which features the well-known ceiling displaying a white compass looking over the top of the small desk located there. While this area is no longer in use, it remains the greeting point for passengers upon their embarkation.

Besides the Embarkation Desk area, there is one small lounge area featuring several comfortable aircraft-style seats. Known as the Santorini Lounge, it is one of the many lounge areas featuring only aircraft-style seats onboard the ship. All these areas are named after Greek islands, something which is even more prominent on Deck 8 and on Deck 9. The seats on the Santorini Lounge area were recently refurbished, and they feature a nice purple design, while the walls are decorated with beautiful paintings depicting different kinds of ships.

After passing by the Santorini Lounge area, we headed to the main reception area, whereupon we collected our keys for the cabin in which were planning to stay overnight. Located on Deck 7 (which is one of the three indoor decks dedicated to passenger accommodation), it has nicely-shaped desk made by both wood and marble. Next to it are several dark brown armchairs together with a brochure holder displaying numerous magazines promoting the companies which are part of Attica Group, namely Superfast Ferries, Blue Star Ferries and Hellenic Seaways.

Another view of the section located next to the main reception, known as the Central Lounge, which features more dark brown armchairs.

While moving towards the middle section of the ship after having gone by the reception area on Deck 7, one can pass through the Agora Lounge, which covers the two promenade sections on both sides of the ship that surround a bar which bears the same name. There, one can find a beautifully-decorated lounge area with several grey lounges located next to the ship's windows.

Inside the Agora Lounge area is the ship's self-service restaurant, which covers a significant area owing to the large amount of passengers that the ship can carry.

At the other side of the self-service restaurant is the ship's à la carte restaurant, which is known as 'Restaurant Silver Star'. With a beautiful setup of tables looking towards the sea, it gives passengers the chance to enjoy a nice meal while also admiring the Aegean Sea.

Inside the Agora Lounge, on the port side, one can also find the ship's onboard shop, which is known as 'Shopping Island'. As it is the case with most ships of the Greek coastal service, it sells various souvenir items and gadgets primarily for tourists traveling in Greece.

Moving further towards the front section of Deck 7, there is a much larger indoor lounge area known as the Crystal Lounge, which features more brown lounge and comfortable orange armchairs.

Another view of the Crystal Lounge area, which also has a bar operated by Flocafé, which serves coffee, juices, soft drinks and snack to passengers seating there.

After having seen Deck 7, I proceeded to Deck 8, with the atrium area towards the aft section displaying a sign showing the names of the three lounge areas that cover that deck at that specific section of the ship. These are the Corfu Lounge and the Cefallinia Lounge (Cefallinia is an alternative way to refer to Kefalonia), which are named after the two famous islands of the Ionian Sea. Next to them is another lounge area featuring a bar known as 'Café Del Mar'.

A view of the chairs and table located next to the 'Café del Mar' bar, which is located right next to the outdoor sun deck area that is located in the aft section of Deck 8. These seats are much more modern and have a more original shape compared to the armchairs found on Deck 7.

A view of the bar found in the 'Café del Mar' lounge area, which is operated by the well-known Greek coffee chain Everest. Interestingly, the sign at the top of the bar displays the area's name as 'Café del Mare', which differs from the name displayed on other signs found onboard the ship.

Besides the outdoor sun deck area and the 'Café del Mar' bar, Deck 8 primarily features passenger cabins and indoor lounge areas featuring only aircraft-style seats. There are five such areas on that deck, with the first one being the Kalymnos Lounge area (named after the island of the Dodecanese which I got to see for the first time just six days before my trip with the ARIADNE).

Right in front of the Kalymnos lounge area is the Ikaria lounge area, which features aircraft-style seats with the same design as the former. It is named after the famous island of the Northeast Aegean Sea.

At the central section of the ship is the Rhodes Lounge area, which is wider and features more aircraft-style seats. Named after the main island of the Dodecanese (and also the island on which we happened to be at the start of the trip), it features rows of sage green and dark brown aircraft-style seats.

Another view of the Rhodes Lounge area, as seen from the ship's starboard side. It features the same pattern of aircraft-style seats seen in the previous picture, which was covering the port side.

Moving back towards the aft section from the ship's starboard side, the lounge areas that feature the aircraft-style seats at the same level as the Kalymnos Lounge area and the Ikaria Lounge area are known as the Patmos Lounge Area (shown in this picture) and the Samos Lounge Area. Both of them have names of islands that the ARIADNE began to service since her return to service under Hellenic Seaways in 2021.

Moving further forward along Deck 8, from the central section covering the Rhodes Lounge area up until the front section windows, one can find many of the ship's passenger cabins. The ARIADNE has a total of 145 cabins for a total of 467 berths, and they can be found on Deck 9 as well. This number is deemed sufficient for trips along the Northeast Aegean Sea and the Dodecanese, but it is far below the required demand for service in Crete. This was one of the main factors behind her withdrawal from the Piraeus-Chania line on which she was originally deployed at the start of her career in Greece.

A view of the cabin in which I stayed with my parents during my trip with the ARIADNE. It was a four-bed cabin that also had one small office desk. It also featured the usual upper beds that are able to be folded into the wall. The beds were very comfortable, in spite of the area's small size.

After seeing the indoor areas of Deck 8, I quickly headed to Deck 9, which features more passenger cabins and indoor lounge areas that only have aircraft-style seats. There are six of those on that deck, with all of them being named after islands of the Cyclades. Most specifically, these include the Amorgos Lounge area, the Syros Lounge area and the Delos lounge area (which are all located towards the central section of the ship), together with the Paros Lounge area, the Naxos Lounge area and the Mykonos Lounge area (which are further towards the front section). The latter is reserved to First Class ticket-holders, and features more modern aircraft-style seats. This picture shows the Delos Lounge area, which is the only one that is not located next to any of the ship's windows.

Having seen and photographed most of the ship's indoor areas, it was now time for me to explore the outdoor areas too. This is a view of the aft section outdoor sun deck area located on Deck 8, just outside of the 'Café del Mar' bar. It is the smallest of the two outdoor sun decks, with the other one being located on Deck 9. The latter is connected to Deck 8 through two main staircases, one of which (at the left corner of the picture) has a slight spiraling shape.

A view of the larger outdoor sun deck area located in the aft section of Deck 9. Featuring several blue plastic chairs surrounding small white round tables attached to the deck, they offer passengers a nice view of the vessel's surroundings.

A further view of the outdoor sun deck area located in Deck 9, while facing towards the ship's middle section. In addition to the numerous chairs and tables, there is also another bar which is operated by Everest.

Moving further towards the front section of the ship, there is a side alley that enables passengers to head up to the vessel's bridge. This is the one found on the starboard side on Deck 9. On the right side, one can find several life-rafts as well. Deck 10 and Deck 11 (which only covers a length from the aft section to the middle section) are located just above, and they are know to host the crew cabins.

As I began looking around the port of Rhodes, I got to see this nice little wooden sailing ship, named ARGO, which was heading towards the port's entrance. Further in the background is a product tanker of the well-known Greek shipping company Avin International, which is under the control of the prominent Vardinogiannis family (of which one of its members, namely Ioannis S. Vardinogiannis, used to be the chairman of the board of Hellenic Seaways from 2008 to 2013, and he is currently the CEO of ANEK Lines. Back when the latter company had shares in the former during the late 2000s, he orchestrated the numerous charters of the ARIADNE to his company and Algérie Ferries).

Right behind the sailing ship ARGO, I saw a small passenger ship that was also heading back to the port of Rhodes. Indeed, it was the CAPTAIN MICHALIS of Captain Michalis Cruises, which is one of the many ships of her kind that perform daily cruises around the island, serving some of its most popular beaches. She specifically heads to the famous beach of Lindos, as well as to the small islet of Exonisi.

Another view of the CAPTAIN MICHALIS as she completes her daily cruise in Rhodes. Just after the summer season ended, she was sold to another company based in Rhodes, namely Rhodes Day Cruises. She was subsequently renamed ROMANTIKA DREAMS, and she is due to begin service for her new owner for the first time this summer.

At about 16:15, the ARIADNE departed from Rhodes, thus marking the start of our trip. From a further distance, I got to spot a familiar face, namely the BLUE STAR CHIOS of Blue Star Ferries, which was seen arriving from Castellorizon.

A view of the BLUE STAR CHIOS as she is seen arriving in Rhodes from Castellorizon. Built in 2007 in Greece, she is none other than the former fleetmate of the ARIADNE, namely the ex-NISSOS CHIOS of Hellenic Seaways. Indeed, she spent the first 13 years of her career with that company before it was taken over by Attica Group in 2018, after which she joined Blue Star Ferries in 2020. Her sister ship, namely the NISSOS MYKONOS (built in 2005), also did the same move, becoming the BLUE STAR MYCONOS in the process.

The BLUE STAR CHIOS seen as she is arriving in Rhodes, from which the ARIADNE had just departed. Since joining Blue Star Ferries, she has been the main ship operating on the lengthy Dodecanese lifeline linking all islands of the archipelago with Piraeus and the Northeast Aegean Sea, having been deployed on the Piraeus-Ikaria-Fournoi-Astypalaia-Patmos-Leipsoi-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Nisyros-Tilos-Symi-Rhodes-Kasos-Karpathos-Castellorizon lifeline since 2020. She had also been serving the latter since 2018, having been inserted there during her final two seasons with Hellenic Seaways. With Blue Star Ferries, she also performs one return tip per week during the summer season on the Piraeus-Mykonos-Chios-Sigri line on the Northeast Aegean Sea.

Another view of the great BLUE STAR CHIOS, on which I had the chance to travel twice during the summer of 2022. Indeed, she was the first ship on which I traveled in order to head to the Dodecanese, doing so on 2 August 2022 in order to go from Piraeus to Patmos. I then sailed onboard her for the second time while heading from Symi to Rhodes on 10 August 2022. It was therefore nice to see the ship with which the trip to the Dodecanese began, as well as the ship which took my to Rhodes for the first time (just as we were leaving the island and the Dodecanese altogether).

A view of the BLUE STAR CHIOS during her third season with Blue Star Ferries. Just like the ARIADNE, she first began service for Hellenic Seaways in 2007. As the NISSOS CHIOS, she was initially on the Piraeus-Chania line, before moving to the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line after the ARIADNE has completed her conversion. She would later go on to be replaced by that very same ship once again after the 2013 season, after which she spent four years under charter to the Spanish company Baleària. As such, despite being two of the best ferries that Hellenic Seaways has ever had, both the ARIADNE and the NISSOS CHIOS actually spent very moments operating together for the company at the same time. Indeed, from early 2008 until 2013, the ARIADNE was being chartered to various other operators, while the NISSOS CHIOS was absent from Greece from 2014 to 2018. By the time she came back, the ARIADNE was sent under charter to Tirrenia Di Navigazione in Italy. And by the time the ARIADNE had returned to Hellenic Seaways in 2021, the NISSOS CHIOS had already joined Blue Star Ferries as the BLUE STAR CHIOS in 2020. While they are no longer fleetmates, they nevertheless still remain collaborators as both their companies are part of Attica Group.

One last view of the BLUE STAR CHIOS, as she is about to head towards the entrance of the port of Rhodes.

Moments after our departure, I got to see another notable ship. Indeed, it was the conventional ferry STAVROS of Saos Ferries, which was seen heading towards Rhodes.

The STAVROS seen as she is making her way towards Rhodes. Built in 2001 in Greece, she has spent her entire career so far with Saos Ferries, being initially known as the SAOS II during her first 18 years with them, before she was renamed in 2019. She operates on the Astypalaia-Kalymnos-Kos-Nisyros-Tilos-Chalki-Symi-Rhodes-Castellorizon lifeline, thus providing additional inter-Dodecanese services in addition to those offered by companies such as Dodekanisos Seaways or ANEK Sea Lines.

Another view of the STAVROS. She has been operating on the Dodecanese since 2020, having first been deployed on the os-Nisyros-Tilos-Chalki-Symi-Rhodes-Castellorizon lifeline, before she began to serve Kalymnos and Astypalaia as well during the 2022 season.

Crossing the STAVROS on the Dodecanese, as she is seen heading towards Rhodes. Her company was previously based in Samothraki, while having also deployed several ships on the Northeast Aegean, on the Sporades and on the Cyclades, during the 2000s. After the infamous fiasco in Samothraki during the 2019 season (during which the STAVROS-then still known as the SAOS II-and her fleetmates all experienced major engine failures which prevented the island from being connected with the rest of Greece by ferry), Saos Ferries moved to the Dodecanese in 2020, having since deployed the STAVROS and their small high speed boat, namely the ZEFYROS (which was introduced on the Samos-Agathonisi-Farmakonisi-Arkioi-Patmos-Leipsoi-Leros-Kalymnos-Pserimos-Kos lifeline). The company's other conventional ferry, namely the SAONISOS, has not resumed service since 2019, and, despite rumours of a potential deployment on the Dodecanese as well, she has remained laid-up in Lavrion since 2021.

The STAVROS seen sailing towards Rhodes, during her third consecutive season on the inter-Dodecanese lifeline.

Another view of the Greek-built STAVROS, which had previously operated on the Northeast Aegean Sea, while having also connected the island of Samothraki with the Cyclades and the Sporades on certain occasions during the mid 2000s. Back then, Saos Ferries experienced a major fleet expansion, buying numerous ferries from abroad on which they performed (for most cases) questionable conversions, and ultimately by 2009 they were on the verge of bankruptcy, with all their ships except for the STAVROS (then known as the SAOS II) being arrested by their crews. Most of them were eventually sold for scrap between 2011 and 2013. The only ship, namely the STAVROS (as the SAOS II), remained in service on their flagship itinerary along the Alexandroupolis-Samothraki line, which she served until 2019 (she also operated on the Lavrion-Limnos-Samothraki-Alexandroupolis line during the 2017 season only). After her company withdrew from that service, the latter was taken over by the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS of Zante Ferries.

Crossing the STAVROS, as she heads to the port of Rhodes.

The STAVROS seen as she sails on the Dodecanese. In spite of all the troubled years that her company has experienced since the turn of the century, the ship has notably been providing regular services, and always at very high standards.

The STAVROS seen as she heads to Rhodes, from which she would then sail in order to reach Castellorizon, which is the Easternmost island of the Dodecanese and of Greece as a whole, being about 74 nautical miles East of Rhodes.

One last view of the STAVROS, as she continues to make her way towards Rhodes.

As we were sailing towards Kos (which was our first stop, followed by Samos), we also passed by the island of Symi (which was not part of our itinerary that day). I had the chance to go there for the first time on 9 August 2022, before heading to Rhodes the following day. From a far distance, I saw one of the many ships that operate on the Rhodes-Symi line, namely the small high speed boat SEBECO of Sebeco Lines, as she was heading back to Rhodes. Built in 2018 in Greece for ANES Ferries, she began operations on the Rhodes-Symi line, before spending a single season on the Piraeus-Northern Aegina line (serving the ports of Souvala and Agia Marina) on the Saronic Gulf in 2020. During her spell there, I got to see her several times in Piraeus. She returned to the Rhodes-Symi line in 2021, while in 2022 she was acquired by the newly-established Greek company Sebeco Lines, which has kept her on her current service.

After having passed by Symi, and as we continued to make our way towards Kos, I then spotted another ship based on the Dodecanese, namely the high speed ferry DODEKANISOS EXPRESS of Dodekanisos Seaways. Built in 2000 in Norway, she has spent her entire career on the inter-Dodecanese service, and she currently operates on the Rhodes-Symi-Chalki-Tilos-Nisyros-Kos-Kalymnos-Leros-Leipsoi-Patmos-Agathonisi lifeline. Her fleetmate and sister ship, namely the DODEKANISOS PRIDE, joined the company in 2005. I had the chance to travel with her during my spell on the Dodecanese during the summer of 2022, as I was onboard her while going from Patmos to Leros on 5 August 2022.

After just over three hours of sailing, we had arrived at 19:20 in the port of Kos, which I got to see again after three days, having sailed from there in order to go to Symi on 9 August 2022, when traveling onboard the BLUE STAR 2 of Blue Star Ferries. Upon arriving in Kos, I got the chance to once again spot a familiar face which I had previously not seen in two years prior to my first visit to the island. Indeed, it was the small passenger ship GEORGIOS BROUFAS II of Broufas Vessels, which has notably spent the bulk of her career under her owner on the Piraeus-Salamina line, although she has been assigned to the Hellenic Army since 2021, transporting soldiers around the Northeast Aegean Sea Islands and the Dodecanese. She was once again seen resting in the port of Kos.

While looking further down towards the marina area of the port of Kos, I also got the chance to once again spot the two Greek-owned ships that operate on the Kos-Bodrum line, namely the small high speed boat APOLLON II of Lafasi Maritime Company and the high speed catamaran RODON of Sky Marine Ferries.

After 30 minutes in Kos, we departed from the port at about 19:50 in order to begin heading towards Samos. Patmos, Leros and the islands of the Cyclades usually served by the ARIADNE were also not part of our itinerary, meaning that we would be then heading directly from Kos to Samos and then from Samos to Piraeus. Here is a view of the outdoor side alley on Deck 9, as seen from the port side and from the aft section, with the outdoor sun deck area located right next to it. Towards 21:30, we headed for dinner at the ship's self-service restaurant, after which I headed straight to our cabin together with my parents. At around 00:30, we had arrived in the port of Vathy in Samos, but unfortunately I was unable to witness this as we were asleep during that time. Towards 01:00, the ship left Samos in order to complete the final part of the return leg towards Piraeus.

Having gone to sleep quite early during the previous evening, I woke up on my own at 07:00 the following morning, meaning it was now 13 August 2022. I proceeded towards the outdoor areas of the ship once again, in order to witness the final two hours of sailing prior to our morning arrival in Piraeus. Here is a view towards 08:00, as seen from the port side of the outdoor side alley located on Deck 9, with Deck 10 and Deck 11 being visible as well.

Just moments after I had returned to Deck 9, I got to see one of the first ships sailing on the Aegean Sea following their morning departure from Piraeus. Indeed, that was the high speed ferry WORLDCHAMPION JET of Sea Jets, which was sailing at full-speed towards Syros.

The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen as she sails towards Syros. Built in 2000 in Australia, she joined Sea Jets in 2018, and she began service for them on the Cyclades in 2019. That season, she had an acclaimed spell on the Piraus-Syros-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line, and in 2020 this service was extended as she was deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line. Since 2021, she has been on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line.

A view of the WORLDCHAMPION JET as she was sailing at full-speed towards Syros, during her fourth consecutive season under Sea Jets. She is the fastest ship in the Greek coastal service, and she was previously the fastest passenger ship in the world, from 2000 until 2013, when her speed record was overtaken by the FRANCISCO of the Argentinian company Buquebus.

Crossing the WORLDCHAMPION JET between the Cyclades and the Saronic Gulf, as she continues to head at full-speed towards the beautiful island of Syros.

The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen once more, during her journey en route towards Syros.

The WORLDCHAMPION JET, which has been a major contributor to the rise of Sea Jets as one of the most dominant players in the Greek coastal service as a whole in recent years, seen as we meet her between the Cyclades and the Saronic Gulf, with the small island of Agios Georgios seen in the background. So far, I have traveled with her three times, with the first two being from Piraeus to Syros and back on 20 September 2020 (coincidentally, on the day of my grandmother Ariadni's birthday), followed by a trip from Piraeus to Ios on 22 July 2021.

One last view of the WORLDCHAMPION JET, as she continues to sail towards Syros at full-speed.

At about 08:25, we had entered the Saronic Gulf, and by that time we could see the coast of Attica from the starboard side. But from the port side, there was some ferry traffic that could not be overlooked, in spite of the far distance from where the ARIADNE was. Indeed, I got to see two ships of Blue Star Ferries which had also left Piraeus earlier in the morning. These were the BLUE STAR DELOS, which was being followed by the BLUE STAR MYCONOS.

A view of the great BLUE STAR DELOS, which operates on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line (although she does not serve Ios during the summer). She was built in 2011 in South Korea, and she is the second youngest ship of Blue Star Ferries, after her sister ship, namely the BLUE STAR PATMOS, which was built a year after her.

Another view of the BLUE STAR DELOS, as she is heading towards Paros. Since beginning service on the Cyclades in 2011, she has been considered by many as the best day ferry currently operating in Greece.

Behind the BLUE STAR DELOS was, as we mentioned it previously, another former fleetmate of the ARIADNE. Indeed, the BLUE STAR MYCONOS was previously known as the NISSOS MYKONOS from 2005 until 2020, when she joined Blue Star Ferries together with her sister ship.

The BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen as she sails on the Saronic Gulf. She operates on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Patmos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos-Chios-Oinousses-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala line, being one of the two ships of Blue Star Ferries that serve the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline from Piraeus together with the DIAGORAS.

The BLUE STAR DELOS seen once again as she sails towards Paros, as part of her usual daily service to the Cyclades.

The BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen as she sails towards Syros, before she would continue her long trip to the Northeast Aegean Sea. Back when the ARIADNE was operating on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line from 2013 to 2018, the two ships were two of four ships of Hellenic Seaways that were permanently operating on the Northeast Aegean Sea during the mid 2010s, together with the NISSOS RODOS from Piraeus and the EXPRESS PEGASUS from Lavrion (until that ship moved to the Dodecanese in 2020, before being sold for scrap the following year).

At about 09:10, we had arrived next to the entrance of the port of Piraeus. There, I got to witness a few more departures. The first one was that of a fleetmate of the ARIADNE, namely the high speed ferry HIGHSPEED 4, which operates on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos line.

The HIGHSPEED 4 seen having just exited the port of Piraeus in order to begin her trip ti the Cyclades.

The HIGHSPEED 4, which has been one of the most successful high speed craft in the history of both the Cyclades and the Greek coastal service, seen as is leaving Piraeus.

The HIGHSPEED 4 seen following her exit from Piraeus, now ready to sail at full-speed towards Paros. Built in 2000 in Australia, she has spent her entire career on the Cyclades, having been previously owned by the predecessors of Hellenic Seaways, namely Minoan Flying Dolphins (later Hellas Flying Dolphins), before the latter was rebranded in 2005. She is therefore one of the most experienced ships in the company's fleet.

The HIGHSPEED 4 seen as she begins to sail at full-speed towards Paros. This was her second consecutive season on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos line, which she also served in 2014 and from 2016 to 2018. In 2019 she was only servinf the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi line.

The HIGHSPEED 4 seen after having exited Piraeus. She has been the only ship of the 'Highspeed' brandname to have operated for Hellenic Seaways in every summer season in the company's history (in addition to her first years under Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins). With the only other remaining high speed ferry of the company, namely the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED, having spent the 2022 season on charter to Africa Morocco Link, this meant that the HIGHSPEED 4 was the sole ship of her kind to operate in Greece for her company during that summer. This, unfortunately, goes on to show that, despite success on the Aegean Sea, Attica Group does not really rely on high speed craft in the long term.

The HIGHSPEED 4 seen as she is sailing past her fleetmate, namely the ARIADNE.

The HIGHSPEED 4 seen once again, as she heads towards Paros. I have traveled with her once, having sailed onboard her from Paros to Piraeus on 29 July 2018. This had previously been one of my two only trips with a ship of Hellenic Seaways outside of the Saronic Gulf (having also traveled on the Cyclades from Ios to Piraeus with the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED on 14 July 2017), until my trip with the ARIADNE.

Another view of the HIGHSPEED 4, as she is now sailing at full-speed towards Paros.

Just after seeing the HIGHSPEED 4, I got to see another high speed ferry which also had a link to Hellenic Seaways. Indeed, it was the SANTORINI PALACE of Minoan Lines, which was also a previous fleetmate of the ARIADNE. More specifically, she was previously owned by Hellenic Seaways, as the HIGHSPEED 5 from 2005 (the year during which she was built) until 2016, and then as the HIGHSPEED 7 from 2016 until her sale to her current owners in 2018 (following the takeover of Hellenic Seaways by Attics Group).

A view of another extremely successful Greek high speed ferry, namely the SANTORINI PALACE. This was her fifth year with Minoan Lines, and her second consecutive summer on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Santorini-Heraklion line, on which she was introduced in 2021.

The SANTORINI PALACE also seen sailing at full-speed after having exited the port of Piraeus, in order to head towards Syros.

The SANTORINI PALACE, which was previously one of the best ships of Hellenic Seaways, and a major contributor to the company's dominance on the Cyclades during the mid 2000s, seen continuing her work with Minoan Lines, being their only high speed craft.

A final view of the SANTORINI PALACE, after she met her former fleetmate near the entrance of the port of Piraeus.

The amount of ships exiting Piraeus just as we were arriving kept growing. Indeed, just behind the SANTORINI PALACE was the conventional ferry BLUE STAR PAROS of Blue Star Ferries, which had also left the port in order to being her trip to the Cyclades.

The BLUE STAR PAROS seen having exited the port of Piraeus. Built in 2002 in South Korea, she has been one of the most successful ships to have ever operated on the Cyclades. She has been on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line since 2018 (having also made extensions to Ikaria, Fournoi and Samos on the Northeast Aegean Sea until 2019).

One last view of the BLUE STAR PAROS as she begins sailing towards Syros. I had notably traveled with her four years prior to my trip with the ARIADNE, having headed from Mykonos to Piraeus with her on 20 June 2018.

Following the BLUE STAR PAROS at the entrance of the port of Piraeus was another conventional ferry, namely the PHIVOS of Nova Ferries, which was heading towards Aegina on the Saronic Gulf.

The PHIVOS seen having exited the port of Piraeus as well. Built in 1980 in Spain, she was bought by Nova Ferries in 2004, and she began service on the Saronic Gulf in 2005.

The PHIVOS seen having exited the port of Piraeus, during her eighteenth consecutive season on the Saronic Gulf. During her first two seasons, she operated on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros-Hydra line. Afterwards, from 2007 to 2013, she operated exclusively on the Piraeus-Aegina line. Since the formation of the Saronic Ferries joint venture (which previously included Hellenic Seaways) in 2014, she has been operating on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line.

The PHIVOS, which is my all-time favourite ship of the Greek coastal service, seen leaving Piraeus while passing in front of the ARIADNE, which is also a ship that I consider amongst my favourites.

The PHIVOS seen in Piraeus, as she begins her trip to Aegina. During the 2022 season, I traveled with her just once, while heading from Aegina to Piraeus on the evening of 20 October 2022.

The PHIVOS seen as she has exited Piraeus in order to go to Aegina, an island on which I would also head to on that very same day that this picture was taken, following my trip with the ARIADNE.

The PHIVOS, which is the sole ship of Nova Ferries, seen heading from Piraeus to Aegina. The other company that is part of the Saronic Ferries joint venture is 2way Ferries, which operates three ships on the Saronic Gulf. Since the 2022 season, both member companies of the joint venture have deployed a landing craft which they co-own, namely the ANTIGONE, on the Piraeus-Northern Aegina line (serving the port of Souvala).

A view of the PHIVOS following her exit from the port of Piraeus, while the BLUE STAR PAROS has started to proceed towards the Cyclades.

The PHIVOS seen once more, as she performs her first trip of the day to Aegina, Methana and Poros.

After having witnessed so many departure from the port of Piraeus, it would have been unfair not to have a ship arriving at the same time as us. Indeed, following us was a fleetmate of the ARIADNE, namely the high speed catamaran FLYINGCAT 5 of Hellenic Seaways, which was returning to the port from the Saronic Gulf.

The FLYINGCAT 5 seen following us just as we began entering the port of Piraeus at about 09:20.

As we entered the port of Piraeus, I noticed another fleetmate of the ARIADNE that was docked there. Indeed, it was the cruiseferry NISSOS SAMOS, which operates for the company on the Northeast Aegean Sea, being assigned on the Piraeus-Psara-Oinousses-Chios-Mytilene line (where she has been present since 2018). She is one of the three Japanese-built cruiseferries of Hellenic Seaways, together with the ARIADNE and the NISSOS RODOS (which is also operating on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line, having taken over the service previously covered by the ARIADNE before the latter was chartered to Tirrenia Di Navigazione).

Looking further down towards the E10 gate in Piraeus, I spotted three ships which were all operating on the Western Cyclades during the 2022 season. These were the conventional ferry DIONISIOS SOLOMOS of Zante Ferries, the high speed ferry TERA JET of Sea Jets and the high speed ferry SUPERRUNNER JET, also of Sea Jets.

Just after we had entered the port of Piraeus in order to begin docking in the E1 gate (which is were the ships operating on the Dodecanese usually dock), the FLYINGCAT 5 did the same thing, although she was heading towards the E8 gate.

A view of the FLYINGCAT 5 following her arrival in Piraeus. Just like the ARIADNE, she was built in 1996, albeit in Norway. She began service for Hellenic Seaways in 2005, during the company's first season. She operates on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line, where she has been deployed since 2020. She had also operated there in 2014 and in 2017. From 2005 to 2013, in 2015, and from 2018 to 2019, she was operating on the Sporades.

Another view of the FLYINGCAT 5 as she heads towards her docking spot in Piraeus. Her fleetmate and sister ship, namely the FLYINGCAT 6, had spent the 2022 season on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line on the Sporades, after having previously spent four consecutive seasons on the Saronic Gulf from 2018 to 2021. The last two were together with the FLYINGCAT 5, and during both seasons, the ships were operating on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line.

The FLYINGCAT 5 seen after having entered the port of Piraeus, during her third consecutive season on the Saronic Gulf.

The FLYINGCAT 5 seen as she heads towards her docking spot in the E8 gate in Piraeus. During the summer of 2022, she was one of the two 'Flyingcats' operating on the Saronic Gulf, together with the FLYINGCAT 4. As stated previously, the FLYINGCAT 6 was on the Sporades during that time, while the fourth ship of that category, namely the FLYINGCAT 3, was spending her second consecutive season on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line on the Cyclades.

The FLYINGCAT 5 seen continuing her course towards the E8 gate in Piraeus, just as the ARIADNE was completing her maneuvering procedure in order to dock in the E1 gate.

At about 09:35, after having finished maneuvering in Piraeus, the ARIADNE docked and subsequently began unloading vehicles and passengers alike. We therefore disembarked, thus completing our long trip which had started from Rhodes, and after having sailed throughout a large portion of the Aegean Sea. As you can see in this picture, the ship also began to lower her aft section starboard side ramp, thus facilitating the unloading process for the many vehicles that were still inside the garage.

Just after we had disembarked from the ARIADNE, I had the opportunity to witness a few more departures and arrivals of other ships in Piraeus. Among them was the TERA JET, which began heading towards the port's exit in order to begin her trip on the Western Cyclades.

A view of the TERA JET while she leaves Piraeus. She was spending her debut season on the Western Cyclades, having been deployed on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line, which she served together with the SUPERRUNNER JET.

The TERA JET seen proceeding towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. Something notable to state is that this ship was formerly owned by Tirrenia Di Navigazione (for whom the ARIADNE operated from 2018 to 2021), as she spent the first 12 years of her career under their ownership, most specifically from 1999 to 2011. Her introduction to service in Italy was not successful, as her high running costs made her and her other three sister ships extremely unprofitable, and they were all laid-up by 2008. Two of them were sold for scrap in 2011, while the TERA JET (then known as the SCORPIO) was spared from such a fate, being eventually bought by Sea Jets, which reactivated her during the 2014 season.

The TERA JET seen as she makes her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. Besides spending her first season on the Western Cyclades, she was also operating for the first time since 2020, as she had remained inactive for two years owing to her high running costs. The summer of 2022 was therefore a comeback season for the Italian-built high speed ferry.

One more view of the TERA JET as she passes by the ARIADNE in order to begin sailing at full-speed towards Serifos, Sifnos and Milos.

The next ship leaving after the TERA JET was the conventional double-ended ferry POSIDON HELLAS of 2way Ferries. She operates on the Saronic Gulf, serving the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Methana-Poros line. Before joining her current owners in 2015, she was previously operating under Hellenic Seaways, therefore making her another former fleetmate of the ARIADNE.

The POSIDON HELLAS seen heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. Built in 1998 in Greece, she is the first-ever conventional double-ended ferry in the history of the Greek coastal service. She has spent her entire career so far on the Saronic Gulf.

Just as the POSIDON HELLAS was leaving Piraeus, another high speed craft based on the Saronic Gulf was seen having arrived, namely the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA of Aegean Flying Dolphins.

The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen having returned to Piraeus from Aegina. Built in 1991 in Georgia, she has been owned by Aegean Flying Dolphins since 2010, and she has been operating on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line since 2011.

The POSIDON HELLAS seen about to cross the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA in Piraeus, just as the ARIADNE is watching.

Another view of the POSIDON HELLAS, just as she is about to exit the port of Piraeus. As it was mentioned earlier in this post, she had been the last conventional ferry of Hellenic Seaways on which I had traveled prior to my trip with the ARIADNE, having done so while heading from Piraeus to Aegina on 15 July 2012, back when the ship was still owned by the company. Ten years later, I had just completed a trip onboard one of its best conventional ferries.

Finally, the last ship that I saw departing the port of Piraeus was the high speed catamaran SPEED CAT I of Alpha Lines, which was also serving islands of the Saronic Gulf. Indeed, she operates on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Spetses line, where she was introduced in 2021.

The SPEED CAT I seen leaving Piraeus, during her second summer in Greece and under Alpha Lines. During the 2022 season, I got to travel with her twice, heading from Piraeus to Hydra on 24 September 2022 before making the return leg the following day. I had previously done my first trip with her while heading from Poros to Piraeus on 9 September 2021. After taking this picture, I joined my father in our car and we headed to Central Athens in order to make our final preparations prior to making our early afternoon trip to Aegina, whereupon we traveled onboard the APOLLON HELLAS of 2way Ferries, which was also a former fleetmate of the ARIADNE under Hellenic Seaways, having operated for them from 2005 to 2016.

After spending more than 10 days traveling to and within the Dodecanese, I could not have found a better way to end this wonderful journey along these unique islands than by completing it upon heading back to Piraeus with a ship like the ARIADNE. It was the just the perfect way to cap it off, being able to enjoy an overnight trip onboard a spectacular ship which made the entire journey very enjoyable and comfortable for both my parents and myself. The ARIADNE is truly a gem for the Greek coastal service, and her return in 2021 has proved very effective, as she provides passengers with several good options through her services on the Cyclades, the Northeast Aegean Sea and, in particular, the Dodecanese. After several years of being underutilised or chartered to other operators both in Greece and abroad, it has been a pleasure to see that Hellenic Seaways (and Attica Group by extension) count on her in order to cover operations across several well-known islands of the Aegean Sea, in addition to having the ship serving other key areas during the winter, while other ships are undergoing their annual winter refits. The ship continues to have an incredible potential, offering large passenger and vehicle capacity, while having several impressive indoor areas that are both wide and comfortable. Her conversion has made her look like a true cruise ship, being extremely useful for long-distance trips such as the one we just did. She is now due to be sent to operate on the Adriatic Sea in order to replace the SUPERFAST I of Superfast Ferries while the latter undergoes her annual refit, although there are rumours that she might stay there beyond the winter. In either case, no matter where she goes in Greece, she will never go unnoticed and unappreciated. It was truly a pleasure to have managed to travel onboard her at last, and I do hope that the next trip with her will happen again very soon.

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This Blog Post is dedicated to my beloved grandmother, Ariadni-Maria Vraila, or Granny as I would call her, whose name the ship shares. She unfortunately left us in 2021, but her memory and all the unique moments that I got to spend with her live on forever, and anything that reminds me of her adds additional value, especially on the sentimental side. Among them is the ship ARIADNE, which I remember taking pictures of and sending them to her on her phone in order to show her the ship that happened to have one of the most beautiful names in the world. Now, seeing the ship immediately reminds me of her, and there was not a single moment during that trip in which I did not think about her. That would have been the case for any ship in fact, as she always loved talking about the sea and Greek shipping with me, but the imposing and marvelous ARIADNE is more than just a fantastic ship. She helps me remember how grateful I was to have had such a wonderful and unique grandmother who always was and will always be by our side, for both my family and myself.