Booking ferries

Although used mostly for train travel tips, seat61.com is the place to go for booking ferries as well.

There is absolutely no need to book with a 3rd party online ticket vendor for the short trip between Santorini and Naxos. The ferry won't be anywhere close to full, as it will be picking up more passengers from other islands after Santorini as it continues along its travel route. Just wait until you're on the island and buy your tickets from any travel office near your hotel. Also, in June there are already at least 3 ferries that operate EVERY day, with more to be added later in the year. Look here: http://www.gtp.gr

There are 2 really good options, depending on your preferences & timetable:

CHAMPIONJET - a large hi-speed catamaran (up to 1000 passengers/200 vehicles) -- this leaves about 10:30 arr 12:10. All seating inside, but has back deck u can stand on 20-30 mins during departure to see/photo the caldera cliffs. All reserved seating, Costlier (€43.8 vs €23 for deck - economy on conventional ferry, below) - but avoids scramble for best seating on latter, so you can arrive shortly before sailing. Another plus -- if your greece trip is short -- is that this maximizes enjoyment time, you may be at hotel by 12:45, might even be in swimsuit by 1! With noon check-out for mid-afternoon sail, your day is cut-up and u only arrive at Naxos hotel by 6pm earliest.

BLUE STAR - large conventional ferry (up to 1800 psgrs/250+ vehicles). leaves 3:30pm - arr about 5:30. Economy seats on rear decks of 2 upper levels, plus seating in several cafes & along corridors. Indoor reserved-seating about €4 more ( you can have reserved seat but sit outdoors part of time). For best outdoor seats, advise getting to pier by 2:30-2:45. There's a large waiting-room building; you enter at one end, exit door at other end guarded by rope & staff. Advise going immediately to exit door, grabbing nearby seat. When rope drops, people move Fast. Big bags are stashed on vehicle-level; if you are 2 or more, I suggest that one wrangle the bags, while another hustles up the stairs to snag best deck seats. Out in the breeze, the 2-hour sailing is a nice "mini-cruise."

Janet, we will be on Blue Star in early April (Naxos - Piraeus). Does your advice hold true for that timeframe as well, re sitting outside part of the time and also having one of us going up to grab a seat while the other drops the bags?

Edited to add: I'm assuming we can buy tickets a day or two before and be confident we will get a seat at that time of year? Also your opinion on Economy vs Business for that journey?

Thanks,
Peter

Peter - In Early April, no rush up the stairs... the boat will be half full --unless you are talking about Friday April 17, which you know (if you've done any homework, ahem) is Good Friday, when all Greeks will be on the move... either to get to hometown or to get to some holiday place. As for "will we get a seat" .... BLUE STAR ferries have capacity, as I said, for between 1200 - 1800 passengers. I have never bought my ticket way in advance... just get economy, a day or 2 before. For that short sail, 2+ hours, no point in reserved seats, if u want to go inside from deck, probably 2/3 of reserved seats will be empty so just occupy one. Stewards don't check your ticket unless the entire boat is full.

IMHO, reserved-economy Blue Star seats are for a long sail, i.e, 5.5 hrs Naxos to Pireaus, because they're lean-back,comfy, headrest, footrest, you can snooze. Business class? "Club chairs" around tables, waiters in white come to ask for your drink order. Some folks praise it, but on a long sail, when I'm tired, I especially wouldn't do business class, because club chairs' backs are same height as arms, nowhere to lean my tired head. Yes, it's quieter in high season if a ferry is full... but I really don't see the point in a half-empty boat. Besides, if you buy economy & change your mind once aboard, u can just go to a steward & pay the extra to upgrade.

I used this site to find ferry schedules. I booked Heraklion-Santorini in advance using a link on the site to the ferry company (I assume), before I found out I didn't need to. I think there was about a €10 fee. So I waited to book Santorini-Naxos until I got there. Had no trouble going into the Fira city office and buying my ticket. Best not to wait until the day of - there can be lines at the ferry pier. BTW everything Janet told me was correct and very helpful.

Thanks Janet and Chani. As always, your advice is detailed and helpful.