Blue Star Ferries

Founded	2000
Headquarters	Piraeus, Greece
Area served	Aegean Sea
Services	Passenger transportation Freight transportation
Parent	Attica Group
Website	www.bluestarferries.com

Blue Star Ferries is a brand name of Blue Star Maritime S.A. The company operates ferry services from the Greek mainland to the Aegean Islands.

Blue Star Ferries is the biggest ferry company in Greece, serving more than 20 destinations. Their fleet is composed of 12 modern ferries whose course speeds range from 23 to 30 knots.^[1]

History

Blue Star Ferries was founded in 1965 as Strintzis Lines by the Strintzis family from Lixouri, Kefalonia. The company was rebranded as Blue Ferries in 2000 following Attica Enterprises' acquisition of a 48% stake in the company.^[2] Blue Star Ferries is a sister company of Superfast Ferries, as both are part of the Attica Group and have had partnership in some routes, such as Rosyth to Zeebrugge and presently Piraeus-Heraklion.

In 2000 the company took delivery of two Ro-Ro (roll on/roll off) ferries built at the Dutch shipyard Van der Giessen de Noord.

In 2006 Blue Star Maritime S.A. purchased the Dodecanese ferry company DANE Sea Lines.

Blue Star Ferries ordered two ferry-type ships at Daewoo Shipyards in Korea. The first ferry, named Blue Star Delos, was delivered in the first 10 days of October 2011, and the second, Blue Star Patmos, in July 2012. Blue Star Delos is currently on the route Piraeus–Paros–Naxos–Ios–Thira, and Blue Star Patmos on the route Piraeus–Chios–Mytilini (Lesvos).^[3]

Fleet

Blue Star Ferries currently operates a fleet of 12 vessels.^[4]

Conventional ferries

Ship	Flag	Built	Entered service	Gross tonnage	Length	Width	Passengers	Vehicles	Knots	Photo
Blue Star 2		2000	2000	29.415 GT	176,1 m	25,7 m	1,854	780	28
Blue Horizon		1987	2000	27.320 GT	187,1 m	27 m	1,488	780	23
Blue Star Paros		2002	2002	10.438 GT	124 m	19 m	1,474	240	24
Blue Star Naxos		2002	2002	10.438 GT	124 m	19 m	1,474	240	24
Diagoras		1990	2006	9.834 GT	141,5 m	23 m	1.462	274	21,1
Blue Star Delos		2011	2011	17.550 GT	145 m	24 m	2,400	430	25,5
Blue Star Patmos		2012	2012	17.550 GT	145 m	24 m	2,000	430	25,5
Blue Galaxy		1992	2015	29.992 GT	192 m	27 m	1,740	780	24
Blue Star Myconos		2005	2020	14.717 GT	141 m	21 m	1.915	418	25.5
Blue Star Chios		2007	2020	14.717 GT	141 m	21 m	1.715	418	28.0

Ro-Ro cargo ships

Ship	Flag	Built	Entered service	Gross tonnage	Length	Width	Passengers	Vehicles	Knots	Photo
Blue Carrier 1		2000	2019	13.073 GT	142,5 m	23,5 m	18	1,680 lane metres	17,5

On charter to Irish ferries

Ship	Flag	Built	Charter duration	Gross tonnage	Length	Width	Passengers	Vehicles	Knots	Photo
Blue Star 1		2000	2 years (2021–22)	29.415 GT	176,1 m	25,7 m	1,890	780	28

Former fleet as Strinzis Lines

• Kephalinia (1965-1993), scrapped as Zachara in 2005
• Ionion (1972-1978), sank in Gramvousa, Crete in 1992
• Ionian Star (1976-1990), scrapped as Tian Kun in 2001
• Ionian Glory (1981-1989), scrapped in 2012 at Alexandria, Egypt
• Eptanisos (1984-2000), scrapped as Pollux 1 at Gadani Beach, Pakistan in 2004
• Ionian Victory (1984-1986), scrapped as Jin Hu in 2004
• Delos (1986-1997), scrapped in 2011
• Ionian Sun (1986-2001), scrapped as Merdif in 2004 at Alang, India
• Ionian Island (1987-2000), scrapped as Merdif 1 in 2010 at Alang, India
• Ionian Galaxy (1987-2000), scrapped as Merdif 2 in 2011 at Alang, India
• Ionian Fantasy (1988-1991): while serving as Ionian Sea (1991-1993), caught fire while laid up under the name Leros at Elefsina, Greece; scrapped at Aliağa, Turkey in 2001
• Ionian Harmony (1989-1990), scrapped as Caly in 2013 at Alang, India
• Superferry (1991-2001), serving as Mahabbah for Namma Lines since 2006 to be scrapped as Mahabba in Colombo 2021
• Superferry II (1993-2000), serving as Superferry II for Golden Star Ferries since 2011, now as SuperStar for Seajets since 2021
• Ionian Star (1994-1999), serving as Denia Ciutat Creativa for Balearia since 2016
• Kefalonia (1995-2000), serving as Kefalonia for Levante Ferries since 2018
• Ionian Bridge (1996-2000), scrapped as Duba in 2021 at Alang, India
• Sea Jet 1 (1998-2000), serving as Super Jet for Seajets since 2004
• Ionian Victory (1998-2000), scrapped as Ionian Sky in 2020 at Aliağa, Turkey
• Sea Jet 2 (1999-2000), serving as Seajet 2 for Seajets since 2006
• Superferry Hellas (1999-2000), serving as Blue Horizon for Blue Star Ferries since 2000

Former fleet as Blue Ferries, Blue Star Ferries

• Blue Bridge (2000-2004), scrapped as Duba in 2021 at Alang, India
• Blue Galaxy (2000-2001), scrapped as Merdif 2 in 2011 at Alang, India
• Blue Island (2000-2001), scrapped as Merdif 1 in 2010 at Alang, India
• Blue Sky (2000-2004), scrapped as Ionian Sky in 2020 at Aliağa, Turkey
• Kefalonia (2000-2004), serving as Kefalonia for Levante Ferries since 2018
• Sea Jet 1 (2000-2003), serving as Super Jet for Seajets since 2004
• Sea Jet 2 (2000-2006), serving as Seajet 2 for Seajets since 2006
• Blue Aegean (2001-2002), scrapped as Mahabba in 2021 at Colombo, Sri Lanka
• Superferry II (2000-2011), serving as SuperStar for Seajets since 2021
• Blue Star Ithaki (2000-2014), serving as MV Fundy Rose for Bay Ferries since 2014

Routes

Piraeus-Crete

• Piraeus-Chania (Blue Galaxy & Blue Horizon)

Piraeus-Cyclades

• Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini (Blue Star Delos, Blue Star Patmos)
• Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Irakleia-Schoinousa-Koufonisia-Amorgos (Blue Star Naxos)
• Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos (Blue Star Paros)

Piraeus-Dodecanese

• Piraeus-Syros-Amorgos-Patmos-Leros-Kos-Rhodes (Blue Star 2)
• Piraeus-Astypalaia-Fournoi–Ikaria–Patmos-Leipsoi-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Nisyros-Tilos-Symi-Rhodes-Kasos-Karpathos-Kastellorizo (Blue Star Chios)

Piraeus-Northeast Aegean Sea

• Piraeus-Chios/Mesta-Mytilene (Diagoras)
• Piraeus-Syros-Patmos-Ikaria-Fournoi Korseon-Samos-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala (Blue Star Mykonos)

Media

One of Blue Star Ferries' boats took the role of Princess Myrto on the Greek TV show Θα Σε Δω Στο Πλοίο (literally translated: I'll See You on the Ferry) broadcast by Alpha TV, a Greek channel, from 2000 to 2002. The majority of the filming for this series was on the boat itself except for on-location filming of the characters on holiday or on leave. This is still being broadcast in certain Greek-speaking countries, including Cyprus.