You often hear travel is all about the journey, not the destination. And the journey certainly counts. Over the years I’ve gathered a lot of good memories and interesting stories on old, crowded buses crawling over bumpy roads, on trains that seemed to have come straight from the past or on foot with my backpack, alone or with fellow travelers. So when I had to cross the Aegean Sea to get from Athens to Rhodes, I decided not to take the plane, but enthusiastically promoted the ferry to my boyfriend. Initially he didn’t really understand why, but was ok with it because I wanted it so much. But after our overnight journey he’d changed his mind.
I’d taken an overnight ferry once, sleeping in the trucker’s cabin. There’s something about boats, especially massive ships like the car ferries crossing from Athens’ Piraeus port to the Greek islands. Even as we dragged our luggage to the furthest end of the harbor in 44 degrees I still felt the excitement. We passed a few big Blue Star ferries and then finally arrived at gate E1 about 2 hours early. Our Hellenic Seaways vessel was of course already docked and had started loading cars and trucks. To our surprise we also saw a few people heading in, so we decided to follow.
After showing our tickets, proof of vaccination and a health form we went up the escalator. There were people to greet us at every corner, but it was still quiet as we walked towards the reception desk. A guy led us up to our cabin. We’d decided to splurge and get a private cabin with window. For €7 extra we got the Deluxe version, so why not? I’m not sure what was different from the regular cabin, but our cabin was great. It was bigger than many of the hotel rooms I’ve stayed in, with a couch on the left, a spacious bathroom including a bath (because who doesn’t want to take a bath while on a ferry?), the beds and a table with comfortable seats right at the window.
There was a little bag with needle and thread and such small things, there were slippers and the fridge was filled with some fresh fruit. I was excited to explore what else this ship had to offer us, but first we enjoyed being in the airconditioning. After a refreshing shower we walked out to explore the decks. On the outside deck you could see the trucks lined up for the car deck. Hours went by and the trucks were still loading. It must have been a puzzle for the people directing the vehicles. Eventually not all of it fit in, but we got on our way with a 2 hour delay. It didn’t matter. The spectacle of the trucks and last minute passengers debating with the staff to still get on had kept us entertained.
As we pulled out of Piraeus, Athens got smaller and above it was a thick brown fog. We’d left just as the fires had started. I didn’t even realize it at first, thinking it was smog from the harbor. It was great to watch as we passed the coast on our way to other islands. Come dinner time I pulled out the chicken we’d bought at the supermarket and we supplemented it with some fries and peas from the self service restaurant. As I nibbled on a drum stick and watched the scenery through our cabin window I could suddenly image why some people take a cruise for a holiday. After dinner we went out on the deck to watch the sunset and stretch our legs. The temperature was pleasant, with the constant breeze out at sea.
I still wouldn’t go on a cruise, but I think traveling by ship between destinations is a great way to go. The cabins were comfortable and the food actually quite affordable. You can see the sunset, and sunrise if you want, over the water. You can take all your luggage with you. You can really slow down and enjoy a book, a game, or the interesting Greek soap opera on the TV. Sure, our boat stopped in the middle of the night and we vaguely heard some announcements over the hallway speakers, but the gentle rocking puts you right back to sleep. When we arrived on Rhodes we walked right off, without waiting for luggage or having to take a long airport bus. It was almost a shame that we didn’t have another overnight ferry to look forward to.
