Here comes September
The ferry situation is still confused. In particular, throughout the summer Dodekanisos Seaways have been pushing back the start date for Panagia Skiadeni, and substituting stops by Dodekanisos Express or Dodekanisos Pride. As at today, Panagia Skiadeni is still in a shipyard near Piraeus, and the earliest start date is Monday 13 September. Now the earliest start date is Monday 27 September. Personally I wouldn’t make any travel plans that depended on her sailing this year. It scarcely seems worth activating the ship for seven or so weeks work at the tail of the season.
We are still waiting for confirmation that SAOS Ferries will continue the usual sailings of the Stavros into October, and that ANES Ferries will continue the Sebecco’s sailings after 3 October, so there’s no point in producing a schedule for ferries in October yet, when the only certainty will be 2 Blue Star sailings each way a week, plus SAOS Ferries Stavros twice a week, with slight time changes due to southbound sailings starting and northbound ones finishing at Kalymnos.
But here is the timetable for September, split into two halves, 1 September to 12 September, and 13 September to 30 September.
8 thoughts on “Here comes September”
Hi Andy, We have already bought tickets for the 21st September going from Symi on the Panagia Skiadeni.
Would you think it would be best to cancel that and get our money back and just go a bit earlier on the Sebeco ?
Thanks for any help
If you’re sure you can get all your money back right now, then by all means ask for it. Otherwise wait until Dodekanisos Seaways actually cancel the service (probably about a week from now if they’re going to), then there won’t be a dispute about refunds, and you’ll also know what alternative they are going to suggest.
Unless you’re travelling in mid summer, it is never worthwhile booking Greek ferries any great time in advance. The Greeks themselves certainly don’t, and they should know. What with weather disruption and timetable changes, there’s always a risk involved in booking more than a few days before travel.
Different if you’re travelling in the peak month, August, or with a vehicle, but you aren’t.
Don’t forget that as well as the Sebeco, there’s also the Stavros sailing to Rhodes on a Tuesday afternoon, and they claim to be offering free travel between Symi and Rhodes on the Stavros between 15 September and 31 October! Booking on the Symi Tours website, or in their office once you’re on Symi.
Hi Andy, Thanks for all that information. We have cancelled and now booked on the Stavros, yes completely free.
Is it advisable to book return ferry from rhodes to symi17th September to 20th september in advance. Also are there any pcr/lateral flow requirements travelling between the islands?
In advance, probably yes. Much in advance, probably no. I’d book just a few days in advance. At the time of writing there are no requirements for passengers who have had both doses of vaccine to take COVID tests before travelling between Rhodes and Symi.
Hope you do not mind me using this thread to ask if there maybe an update for Oct ferries?
Our specific needs are the first ferry Rhodes to Symi on Wed 20th Oct, and the latest return Tue 26th that gets us to Rhodes by early pm at the latest.
I’ve pretty much stopped updating the blog after being accused of spamming Facebook when I posted to say I’d made a blog update. As I have been funding the whole thing out of my own pocket, this has made me really angry.
Your question isn’t answerable yet, reliable timetables only exist up to 17 October. According to published timetables, on 20 October there will be a sailing by Panagia Skiadeni at 8.30am (but the Panagia Skiadeni has yet to carry a single passenger this year, and sailings have consistently been cancelled about 2 weeks before planned departure) and by Blue Star Patmos at 6.40pm. On 26th October, nobody is advertising a ferry to get to Rhodes by early pm. The first ferry of the day is the Stavros of SAOS Ferries, leaving Symi at 3pm and arriving Rhodes at 4.30pm.
Your only hope is that ANES Ferries extend the season of their ship Sebecco, currently planned to go out of service on 18 October. If they do, there will probably be a sailing from Rhodes to Symi daily at 10.00am and from Symi to Rhodes at 8.00 am, plus other sailings that don’t help meet your requirements.
Good luck!
Thank you Andy.
More reason, if I needed it, to continue my boycotting of Fakebook.