Although I normally review planes, hotels, and airports, I do occasionally take trains and ferry rides. I then review them when I find them useful or interesting. We took two separate ferry trips to Greece during our stay. One to take us from Crete to Santorini and the other to Mykonos from Santorini.This post is about my experiences with SeaJets, one of the largest ferry lines in Greece.Ferries between Greek islands are the best option.Although there are some solid airlines in Greece (Aegean Airlines and Olympic Airways), they don't offer inter-island flights. You will need to connect to Athens if you wish to fly between islands. This is a tedious detour.Flying is not only more time-consuming, but it's also a hassle.The airports on Greek islands were not designed to handle the current number of passengers. I find that the experience for passengers is often terrible.You will be running to get your connection because the airlines schedule their flights so that you have a connection in Athens in under an hour.It's not fun to fly within GreeceWhen you're traveling between islands that are not too far apart, I recommend ferrying in Greece. They are fun and they are the lesser of two evils.SeaJets pricing & bookingSeaJets allows you to book tickets online. It is a good idea to do this in advance. SeaJets offers multiple classes. I believe that the premium seating, known as Platinum Class, can be worth the small premium.Here's a quick overview of the pricing.For Platinum Class seats in the Heraklion-Santorini route, we paid 84 ($99.60 per person).For Platinum Class seats between Santorini and Mykonos, we paid 78.80 ($93.40 per person).Given the lack of information online, I was unsure what to expect from Platinum over Silver or Club. I decided it was worth a try, given the small price premium (20%)SeaJets schedules cannot be trustedSeaJets schedules are not reliable, which is no surprise. Two ferries were used, with delays that ranged from a few hours to a full day.About a week before departure, I booked my ferry from Crete Santorini. Within 24 hours, I received notice that the ferry was cancelled. I would receive a notice stating that the next ferry would either be a day or two days later. We had to rework our hotel stays. We decided to depart Santorini earlier than planned because our Santorini stay was non-refundable.Two hours before our ferry from Santorini, to Mykonos, I received an email stating that the ferry would be delayed for 1hr45min. However, the delay was even more severe.This website is basically Flightradar24's ship equivalent. It allows you to track the location of ships. This was very useful as I wondered if there might be a longer delay than the posted time or if it could be moved forward. I was able to see the exact location of the ship and could calculate how long it would take for it to reach us.SeaJets is therefore not terribly reliable.SeaJets Naxos Jet, Crete to SantoriniSeaJets Naxos Jet operated the ferry that took us from Heraklion (Crete) to Thira (Santorini). The ship, which measures 243 feet in length, was built in 1991 and can carry 700 people and 75 vehicles. The ferry was scheduled to leave at 8:00 AM and arrive at 9:50 AM.The boarding process began at 7:30 AM. All passengers are transferred to the ramp that also loads cars. You then climb the stairs to reach the passenger deck.SeaJets Naxos Jet, Heraklion, CreteAlthough it is recommended that passengers leave their bags on a car deck, I don't think anyone would want to leave them there. So we brought our bags with us.SeaJets Naxos Jet Car deckIt was huge and made the A380 cabin seem small. The main seating area could accommodate the majority of passengers.SeaJets Naxos Jet main SeatingSeaJets Naxos jet seatingSeaJets Naxos Jet main SeatingThe seats were comfortable, but the legroom in main cabin was not.SeaJets Naxos Jet main SeatingThis area also had a cafe that sold food and beverages.SeaJets Naxos Jet CafeThe Platinum Class seating was located to the right of the cabin and was behind a curtain.SeaJets Naxos Jet Platinum SeatingThe Platinum Class cabin was much nicer and quieter. The Platinum Class cabin had a 2-2 layout, so the legroom was better. There were also windows and power outlets. Perhaps most important, it didn't seem to be occupied at the same rate as the rest.SeaJets Naxos Jet Platinum SeatingSeaJets Naxos Jet Platinum SeatingSeaJets Naxos Jet Platinum SeatingA Platinum Class attendant was available to assist passengers. You still need to pay for food and drink, but they will bring them to your door. This is a great feature as the wait at the cafe was long. I had a cappuccino with a muffin. It is a good idea to order before you leave, as you never know what bumps it might get on the ride.SeaJets Naxos jet Platinum food and drinksWe arrived at the port at 8 AM and I thought it was a very enjoyable cruise.Cruising on the SeaJets Naxos JetThat all changed around 30 minutes later, when things got really rough. It was really, really rough. Although I have never been seasick, or experienced motion sickness, this was my first time puking. Poor attendant couldn't keep his feet on the ground and had to use sick bags to get rid of all the people who were puking.Passing out sickness bagsFor over an hour, the rough waters continued. Five minutes before our arrival, things finally improved at 9:45AM. We made it, Woot! I then realized that there wasn't any land visible, so I checked the map on my smartphone, only to find we were only halfway through the journey.We arrived at the airport just after 11AM, 1 hour and 15 minutes behind schedule. I'm not sure if the slow speed was due to rough water or other reasons, but it wasn't the only reason.It was all I wanted to do was be back on solid ground.SeaJets Naxos Jet on arrival in SantoriniSeaJets Naxos Jet on arrival in SantoriniSeaJets Champion Jet 2, Santorini-MykonosSeaJets Champion Jet 2 operated the ferry that took us from Thira, Santorini to Mykonos. The ship, which measures 285 feet in length, was built in 1997 and can carry 1,000 people and 200 vehicles. Although the ferry was scheduled to leave at 12:35PM and arrive by 2:50PM at noon, it ended up taking more than two hours. This was a far better experience than the first ferry.Because we weren't sure when our ship would leave, we ended up waiting in the port for over an hour. There are a few shops and cafes in Thira, which is not surprising considering they are touristy. They are popular because they offer shade and shelter from the sun.Restaurants and shops at the port of Thira, SantoriniThe boarding process was very efficient. People were literally forced onto the ship when the ship arrived. The ferry docked maybe for five minutes before departing, during which time hundreds of people were loaded onto the ship.SeaJets Champion Jet 2 SantoriniIt was once again recommended that luggage be stored downstairs. However, I don't recommend that.SeaJets Champion Jet2 baggage storageThe ship offered Platinum Class guests much more luxurious accommodations, with separate rooms with doors that allowed access for Platinum ticket holders.SeaJets Champion Jet Platinum cabinThe seating was more comfortable than the previous ship's, as each guest had a table.SeaJets Champion Jet Platinum seatingSeaJets Champion Jet Platinum seatingYou could even get your coffee from the cabin's attendant or counter, as they could take you to the main cafe directly.SeaJets Champion Jet2 Platinum barThe following is the menu:I had a cappuccino and it was quite good for a ferry.SeaJets Champion Jet Platinum cappuccinoIt took less than two hours and, unlike the first, the ride was very smooth. The fact that we passed other islands, there was a cell reception most of the journey helped me stay productive.Because the ferry was late, everyone was told to go to the lower deck at least 10 minutes before it arrived in Mykonos. This would allow us to get on the ship as soon as it arrives. They rushed everyone off the boat, and it was already moving just minutes after we arrived.Mykonos: How to Get ThereSeaJets Platinum Class is a great value, I believeI was unsure if the SeaJets Platinum Class was worth the extra cost when I booked our tickets. I have taken two ferries and can confirm that it is a great value. Platinum Class is marginally less expensive than the cheapest option by 20%, and I see the benefits as:We had significantly more legroom and seat width than we expected, and one ferry even had a separate cabin.An attendant will serve you at your seat (though food and drinks are not included in the service).You have more room around you to store your bags. I wouldn't be comfortable leaving my bag unattended on the car deck.There are better chances of getting an empty cabin (on both our ferries occupancy levels were lower for Platinum Class than the rest).Although there is no priority boarding, complimentary food and drinks, or any other special services, it's still money well-spent, in my opinion.Bottom lineSeaJets, the largest passenger ferry company of Greece, is definitely the best way between islands. SeaJets was not reliable. Both ferries were subject to major schedule changes, and they were also delayed. However, it is still better than flying via Athens.You shouldn't be disappointed if you have low expectations about your SeaJets experience. If you have the money to pay for Platinum Class, I recommend it. The extra space and superior service make it worth it.What was your experience with a SeaJets ferry to Greece?
