When it comes to island hopping in Greece, you generally have two options: flying or taking a ferry. While flying can be faster, it often involves a transfer through Athens, which can be inconvenient. Ferries, on the other hand, are part of Greece’s extensive and well-connected maritime network — and in my experience, they offer a more scenic and enjoyable way to travel, provided the schedule works for you.

On our recent trip, we opted for a SeaJets ferry from Heraklion (Crete) to Naxos in Platinum Class. In this post, I’ll share our experience and walk you through everything you need to know about taking a ferry in Greece.

PURCHASING GREEK FERRY TICKETS

Although it’s possible to buy ferry tickets in Greece — often right at the port from small ticket booth trailers — I always prefer to book mine online in advance, either directly through the ferry company or via a trusted third-party site. There are two main reasons for this: first, ferries do sell out, especially during peak season; and second, prices are often dynamic, meaning you’ll typically pay less the earlier you book.

As soon as I completed my purchase, I received a confirmation email with a PDF version of my ticket attached.

ARRIVING AT THE PORT

Depending on the port and your distance from it, I recommend arriving 30 minutes to an hour before departure. While an hour might seem early, it’s wise to allow extra time if you’re traveling a long distance. For example, we once drove two hours from Chania to Heraklion to catch a ferry, and you never know when traffic might slow you down. Ferries run on strict schedules and will not wait for late passengers. In general, 30 minutes early is plenty, but if it’s your first time taking a ferry or you’re departing from a large or unfamiliar port, giving yourself extra time can make the experience far less stressful.

Once at the port, locate your ferry or the boarding line for it, join the queue with your luggage, and wait for staff to signal when it’s time to board. Important note: Depending on how you purchased your ticket, you may need to exchange your digital confirmation for a physical boarding pass at a ticket office on-site. Always check the fine print on your confirmation email or ask at the port to avoid any surprises.

BOARDING THE FERRY & STORING YOUR LUGGAGE

Boarding a Greek ferry is a unique experience in itself. Passengers enter via a large ramp that connects the port directly to the lower level of the ferry (the same level where vehicles are loaded on many vessels). There’s no jet bridge or baggage handling here; you literally walk on carrying all your luggage. For this particular trip, we arrived early and were among the first to board, so the process was quick and uncrowded. However, at larger or busier ports like Santorini, and during peak travel times, it’s common to see long lines of passengers waiting to board. The good news? Once boarding begins, the line usually moves quickly.

Interestingly, you typically don’t need to show your ticket when stepping onto the ferry. Instead, tickets are usually checked once you’re inside and headed to your designated seating class or cabin.

Once you board the ferry and enter the lower level (typically the vehicle deck), you’ll find designated luggage racks near the entrance. These are usually marked by color, letter, number, or even the name of the destination. If you’re carrying suitcases or large bags, this is where you’ll leave them (there is nowhere for them in the seating area). For example, on our trip to Naxos, we placed our luggage in the rack labeled “Naxos.” Each destination may have its own section, so just look for the signage and match your stop to the correct area. Also note, there’s no formal check-in for your bags, so it’s a good idea to keep valuables with you and make sure your luggage is clearly labeled and tagged with an Airtag, just in case. That being said, we have done this numerous times and never had an issue.

SEATING ON SEAJETS

This particular SeaJets ferry featured entirely indoor seating, which is common on many modern Greek ferries. After depositing your luggage on the lower deck, passengers reach their seats via a set of interior stairs. SeaJets offers three classes of seating: Silver, Club, and Platinum. When I recently checked pricing, the difference between Silver Class and Platinum Class was 40 eur

Silver Class

Silver is the most affordable and most populated class. It’s located directly above the luggage area and consists of rows upon rows of airline-style seats. Think of it as a spacious economy section, but with 8+ seats across per row, so it can accommodate a large number of passengers. While we only walked through this section, it looked clean and perfectly adequate. Silver class also features a café/bar area and restrooms (WCs), making it a practical choice for budget-conscious travelers. I, unfortunately, failed to snap a picture.

Club Class

Club is the mid-tier option, and on our journey, it was located on the top deck alongside Platinum. However, unlike Platinum, all Club seating was interior, meaning no window views. The seating here is much more spacious than Silver, and most seats were arranged around shared tables, offering a more comfortable and social setting. From what we saw, it looked like a relaxed and pleasant area for those wanting a little upgrade without splurging. I would point out, however, that Club Class seats, in terms of both location and type of seat, vary between ferries. The Club Class seats remind me a lot of an Economy Plus seat on United.

Platinum Class

We booked Platinum Class tickets, which is the highest tier offered by SeaJets. To reach our seats, we climbed two flights of stairs from the luggage area to the top deck, which, on our voyage, was shared with Club Class. Upon entering the Platinum section, an attendant checked our tickets and escorted us to our seats, which, surprisingly, were not side by side, but directly behind one another. Thankfully, both were window seats, so we didn’t mind too much.

On this ferry, Platinum Class seating was arranged in rows of 3 along the windows. The seats were noticeably larger and more comfortable than those in Club Class, with a decent recline. Each seat came with earplugs and a sanitizing wipe.

To be honest, Platinum didn’t feel drastically different from Club, aside from the window views and the extra space. But for us, the larger, more private window seats made the upgrade worth it. We were also able to store our backpacks under the seats in front of us with legroom to spare. My only complaint? The air conditioning was freezing. It was so cold I actually had to switch seats mid-journey to escape the direct airflow. So take my advice: bring a sweater or light jacket, even if it’s warm outside!

FOOD IN PLATINUM CLASS ON THE SEAJETS FERRY

Platinum Class tickets do not include any food or drinks. However, there is a café/bar on the Platinum level, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that prices were fairly reasonable, not the kind of inflated rates you might expect on a captive ferry audience. The café offered a wide variety of beverages, including beer, wine, soft drinks, and a full espresso bar, which seemed to be especially popular with passengers. I went for a Coke Zero, but there were plenty of options.

As for food, the selection included pastries (which could be heated up behind the counter), premade sandwiches, salads, and a range of prepackaged snacks like chips and candy. While nothing was gourmet, it was convenient and plenty for the few-hour journey.

AMENITIES ON THE FERRY

In terms of amenities, aside from the café/bar and restrooms (WCs), there wasn’t much else offered. No lounges, outdoor decks, or entertainment areas like you might find on larger or overnight ferries.

Wi-Fi was available for purchase at the café: €3 for 3 hours. We decided to give it a try, and surprisingly, it worked quite well for most of the journey, good enough for browsing, messaging, and even logging into work. Just keep in mind that signal strength can vary depending on your location at sea.

There were also several large TVs mounted throughout the ship, playing what appeared to be a movie (likely in Greek), as I didn’t recognize it and didn’t watch. It’s a small touch, but could be a nice distraction if you understand the language or just want some background noise during the trip.

DEPARTING THE FERRY

A few minutes before each stop, the ferry crew made announcements over the loudspeaker, informing passengers of the upcoming destination and giving instructions for disembarkation. However, I found the announcements hard to hear and/or understand.  Because of this, I highly recommend knowing your stop in advance and having a rough idea of when you’re scheduled to arrive. That way, when you hear the announcement, you’ll be confident it’s your stop, and not risk missing it.

Once your destination is called, gather your belongings and head toward the exit (usually the same stairs you came up when boarding). Staff will guide passengers when it’s safe to descend. You’ll exit the ferry the same way you entered, stopping briefly to retrieve your luggage from the racks on your way out (just grab your bag and go).

One important tip: be ready to disembark as soon as the ferry docks. While the vessel may remain at the port for 10 to 15 minutes, only the first few minutes are allocated for passengers to exit. After that, the focus shifts to boarding new passengers, and lingering too long could mean missing your chance to get off smoothly. To avoid any last-minute stress, I recommend being packed up and standing near the stairs before the ferry arrives at your stop.

STEAL OUR FERRY

SeaJets: This is the SeaJets website. You can purchase your tickets directly from this website.