Cruise Olympia
Operated by Minoan Lines
Cruise Olympia
Operated by Minoan Lines
This ship is no longer operated by Minoan Lines.
This guide is applicable only for when the ship was operated by Minoan Lines and this information should not be used as a guide for the ships current or future operations:Sister ship to the Cruise Europa and the most modern of the Minoan's lines fleet, the Cruise Olympia can hold up to 3000 passengers, 963 vehicles and has 413 cabins in addition to 542 reclining seats. Facilities include a swimming pool, gym, casino, supermarket, disco, piano bar, shopping centre, Wi-Fi, children’s play area and a video games room for older passengers and much more.
Please Note: Whilst we have taken great care in making our Cruise Olympia guide as accurate as possible, onboard facilities, services and entertainment may vary depending on the date and time of year that you travel, facilities mentioned may change without notification and ferry companies reserve the right to operate vessels other than those mentioned at time of booking without prior notification.
out of 5
29% of our customers recommended this ship
"Minoan Greek Tradgedy"
Absolutely appalled with the level of NON Service given by Minoan, starting with embarkation at Ancona, followed by surly staff, complete lack of information, this line has detioriated so much since the last time we traveled with Minoan, customer service/satisfaction is zero! The Greek Management ought to be ashamed of themselves and consider what Greek Hospitality really is! They obviously have forgotten.
"Punctuality"
Arrived 4 & half hours later than scheduled and according to previous reviews this is the norm. Don't plan ahead or book accommodation for your onward journey without leaving plenty of time to spare.
"An 11-hour delay with no explanation"
I was informed by Minoan Lines in a text message on 19 October that the departure sailing on 20 October at 18:00 would be delayed for 1 hour 30 minutes and would depart at 19:30. No explanation was given for the delay. I arrived in Ancona at 16:33 on 21 October, experiencing no delays en route. However, on 21 October, while on my way to Ancona via Milano, I received a text message from Minoan Lines that there would now be a 9 HOUR delay. The ferry would only leave on 21 October at 4:00 am. There was still no explanation given for the delay, which was now massive. I immediately booked a hotel room in Ancona near the ferry terminal so that I could get some sleep. This is in line with the EU legislation on passengers’ rights. Later, Minoan Lines announced that departure would be at 3:00 am, not at 4:00 am. I was only able to disembark in Patras at 2:40 on the morning of 22 October. The delay had now grown to close to 11 hours. I got no sleep that night. I have since read numerous negative reviews from travellers at TripAdvisor and talked to passengers that have tried to travel on Minoan Lines ferry services. Their comments about Minoan Lines are uniformly negative. I am now forced to conclude that what I have experienced is by no means an isolated incident but also, unfortunately, that little action is taken by Minoan Lines to change this situation. No other travellers should be forced to put up with the combination of incompetence, gross negligence and cynicism displayed by Minoan Lines. If I could give 0 stars, I would.
"Late yet again!"
I have made the Patras-Ancona crossing several times with Minoan. They have been late sailing by around two hours on each occasion and more than two hours late arriving at destination. This rarely seems to happen when I do the same trip with Anek Superfast! I shall book with them in future.
"Enjoyed our voyage"
We enjoyed our voyage very much. The crossing was calm. We will sal with Minoan Lines again. Thankyou, Edward
"Unhappy Customer"
The ferry was late to arrive in Igoumenitsa by 4 hours, which I was willing to accept. Things happen. On the way, it didn't seem to go full speed and by the time we reached Ancona, we had added several hours to our delay. At no time was it announced when we would reach our destination and why we accumulated to much more delay. This is simply unacceptable! The line is saving money by going slow, which is OK if they say so. They keep customers by lying about the travel time and schedule and at the same time drive prices up by having a full boat, which I suspect comes from canceling those trips falling off the schedule due to slow travelling. I will try to avoid Minoan in the future
"My experience"
I have to say that the ship was very dated and the staff were not very friendly, but worst of all, the Air seats, you just can't sleep, it becomes a very long night without sleep, I also found everything very expensive, ie food. if you travel with a pet it has to go in the kennel, they are just not allowed in many parts of the ship. Pay the extra have a cabin.
"Aggressive staff"
The boat was delayed by at least 2 hours and was after midnight when we left. The cabins were fully booked so our only option was to sleep on deck. We chose a sofa in a quite corner on deck 10, at the front in the lounger bar. We went to sleep about 2am and by 7, a member of staff woke everybody up. Some people were very upset about being physically shook to wake them up and told them member of staff this. The member of staff was very aggressive and shouted at anyone that challenged him, even a pregnant lady! Now, I could understand him waking people up if it was busy in the lounge but it wasn’t. He continued to do this the entire journey if anyone fell asleep. Someone said they would inform the police and the member of staff said “just try it”. I observed him shouting Malaka at some other people because they had fallen asleep and he pulled their sleeping bag off them and threw it on the floor. At this point I complained to reception because his language and aggressiveness was inappropriate, particularly in front of children. Reception did nothing and his behaviour made families take their children from the lounge area to get away from him. I also complained to the bar and nothing was done. I did not feel safe and could not relax. On a journey as long as this, you should be able to rest, many people have long journey’s when they get off the boat and this should be respected by staff.
"Overcrowded, disorganised, unsafe and expensive"
We travelled by car from London to Greece and back using the Ancona Patras Minoan Lines ferry. On the journey out the ferry ran 6 hours late with no information given about the delay and only a 6 Euro saving at the self service cafe as compensation. Vehicles were packed tighter than any ferry I have travelled on and there were so many people on board that corridors, stairs and decks were full with people sleeping on inflatable beds. Consideration about safety for loading, disembarking and while at sea is almost non existent and far lower than most ferries. The restaurant food was expensive and very poor quality. (£100 without drinks for dinner and £50 for self service breakfast for two adults and three children). Cabins are clean and tidy but we were asked to vacate the cabin 2.5 hours before we arrive at the destination port. Minoan have a monopoly on the crossing so with no competition to improve the service. I wonder if my review will be published.
"Aircon"
One of the worst experiences I've ever had in my entire life. The air-condition in the closed areas was unbelievably on low temperature. My sensor on my I phone gave me 13 Celsius drafting on the floor from the roof and the static temperature of the area was 17 Celsius. This make me feel that the cold was drilling my flesh and my bones all the night. The service of course of the crew was unbelievable on good quality.
"Cold reheated burgers and worse...."
Food disgusting and possibly dangerous. Staff grumpy and unhelpful. Sheets tattered. Just about clean, and aircon worked, so voyage ok, but make sure you bring your own food and drink.
"Cruise Olympia"
Nightmare, over 2000 passengers on board and night time the toilets was locked, only 3 was available, can you imagine? One of them had no paper. reticulus. The woman staff in the casino starts fighting with a customer and swearing each other and then she becomes aggressive with the other customers for no reason and me as well. The Minoan lines is no longer quality service. And don't forget ( can of coca cola 3.20€ )
"Travel "
Staff very bad ,not answering the questions. I don’t recommend this company... It’s my second time to traveling by this company ( Minione) I think, I don’t member.
"Ritardi e ritardi"
In generale quello che mi aspettavo, il cibo è un po’ costoso ma staff e pulizia sono più che accettabili. Peccato i ritardi sia all’andata che al ritorno di più di tre ore che hanno avvallato coninsalata di tonno (immangiabile) o sneck e acqua... era meglio una colazione!
"Awful "
The boat was running 4 hours late at departure. Good and drink expensive and pool not filled. The journey was ok, however when we reached Corfu we were told to wait to disembark the boat, then we were told that we had missed the dosembarent and had to travel to mainland Greece before returning. To Corfu. This of course was horrendous, there around 7 other families which had the same issue and the staff on board were not helpful whatsoever. We couldn’t even use there phones to make a call. We arrived in Corfu at 3.30 when we should have been there at 8.
"Appalling- delay, no communication explaining why ..."
Received a text to say midnight ferry delayed 2 hrs, ended up boarding 3.30am..... had to get into ferry port dock section before 1 o’clock. No facilities in port had to go back through passport section , which was quite a long walk. No explanation on board re problem , in fact said delay may get longer! Arrived Ancona 4 hrs late! To then wait in car another hour (& still waiting) with no explanation as to why cars not getting off . Ship only gave you a drink & snack voucher - this only covered small water & cherry or apple pie! No refund offered. With onward accommodation booked & paid for this delay caused a lot of concern and anxiety. Appalling - will be complaining .....
"Minoan ferry to Ancona Igoumenitsa Ancona"
Nice Ships, clean. About catering we just had a Capuccino in the morning for breakfast which was very expensive and not really good. The staff we met at the garage and reception was competent. I received SMS and e-mails with info about rescheduling the departing time two days in advance, both on going and return ships. It is nice to be aware of the delay, but If Minoan knows two days earlier about operational delays should increase speed or correct its time table.
"Worst trip ever......"
On arrival at Patras ferry port was told the departure was delayed by 4 hours (insteam of 7pm now departing 11pm). When I later enquired at the check in desk was told now delayed or 1am. Eventually we departed at 2:30 am. 4 hours from Ancona there was an announcement that the ferry would not be going to Venice and everyone had to disembark at Ancona. Were told we would get a refund, but the office in Ancona was closed. Trying to get a refund now, but no luck so far after 4 days of waiting. Appalling service.
"A ok!"
We read many bad reviews before taking the ferry to Igoumenitsa with my sister but our trip was really good! Stayed in a shared female only cabin, had no problems with anything and made new friends on the way. The pool at the deck bar wasn't open at the time but it wasn't a big deal for us. Queuing and driving into the ferry was well guided and the personnel were friendly, we were on time and the cabin was neat and clean and had everything we needed. Can't really say about the food cause we didn't eat there, but the beer was cold and the coffee strong!
"Big disappointment "
Very disappointed in Minoan ferry. Firstly our confirmation email said we would arrive in Ancona at 13:30 but we actually arrived at 17;15!!! Cabin had a very bad smell and the toilet had not been cleaned. Bathroom floor was wet. Food in cafeteria was poor and very expensive. We did not like that we were told to leave our cabin 2.5 hours before arrival in Ancona. The disembark for cars was complete chaos. No crew arrived from company until it was too late & one of them was actually smoking in garage 7!!! Disgusting. Never will we use Minoan again.
"Patras- Ancona"
Poor signage to find port. Pleasant staff checking in. Poor information where to wait for boat. Cabin bathroom was filthy, disgraceful!! I had t clean it before we could use it. Very upsetting and disappointing.
"Faultless crossing "
Just completed the Ancona to Patras on Minoan lines Olympia ferry May 2019. Everything from check in to disembark could not have gone smoother. Great comfortable cabin although not quite luxury cruise liner standard but after all it is a ferry and good wholesome food at reasonable prices made a refreshing and relaxed 24 hour break in our road trip from Wales to Crete. Thoroughly recommended as was our onward crossing from Piraeus to Heraklion.
"Disappointed "
Having sailed quite a few times on the Ancona Patra crossing.. I must say that the last 2 trips have been a disappointment... Mostly on the cabin side.. always seems to be the same problem... the drainage, either in the sink or the shower... Maybe it's time for a good overhaul in these areas, especially as the crossings are not exactly cheap...
"Minoan April 19"
Normally we use Anek as the food is better. However they have no Monday sailing so we took our own picnic. Bottle of water cost 3.5 euros.
"Minoan Line - Worst Ferry company"
very old and untidy ship. People were camping inside the ferry in the VIP lounge where I booked my tickets. Does not worth to travel with them again.
"will be remembered!"
Nice vessel with good facilities although restaurants were expensive. Good crew who were friendly and helpful. Nice crossing arriving on time.
"Much improved performance"
I travel this route to Italy/Greece 2 to 4 times a year. This time the boat sailed at the time it said and arrived at the time it said it would. Bravo. I either stay in a cabin if accompanied but this time I was travelling by myself and used the First Class Airline type seats. They were great and I slept very well. The showers were fine as well.
"Patra to Ancona"
We make this trip twice per year and use the Minoan line. Rooms are basic but it is only for one night. Book early for a competative deal. Always meets its crossing time.
"Not great"
No wifi, reserved seating dirty and broken, also noisy from worked carried out on boat during transit. Reception had lack of language to understand problem. Not in any hurry to book again.
"Awful"
We were booked to travel from Patras to Venice, having travelled the day before from Chania to Piraeus. During that journey we received a text message from Minoan telling us that the ship we were travelling on had changed. There was also a phrase, "SKIP Ven Call" which meant nothing to us. When we checked in at Patras (4 hours before leaving) we were told that our ferry wouldn't be travelling to Venice and that we would disembark at Ancona, some 375 kms away from where I expected to be. We'd apparently been told the day before but the only text was advising of the ship change & "Skip Venn Call" which meant nothing. They offered a refund or €60 in compensation - neither of which was particularly useful when you are stood on the dock waiting to depart. If I'd wanted to travel to Ancona I would have booked with ANEK!! The staff on the ship were generally arrogant and rude. I had dinner in the a la carte restaurant and ordered a beer. I then asked for a glass and was asked what was wrong with the ones of the table. They were wine glasses. I told him so and his response was, "thats all we've got". The meal was advertised as coming with risotto and vegetables. The "risotto" was boiled white rice, and on querying was told that ,"on this ship that's risotto" There were no vegetables. I was presented with the bill before being asked. It was just thrown on the table. At one point 2 members of staff were having a major argument in the middle of the restaurant. The cabin was , "OK" but needed refurbishment. At least the beds were clean and quite comfortable, albeit our "sea view" room consisted of looking at the side of a lifeboat with virtually no view of the sea at all. Considering I had book 7 months before I would have expected a half decent view. Overall the trip was not enjoyable. Drinks and food on board were expensive, service was generally rubbish, and their communication skills definitely need some work. I suspect that there weren't enough passengers and freight to warrant the ship going to Venice and so they amalgamated the Venice contingent with the Ancona ship, and "stuff" the passengers who were expecting to go to Venice. I specifically booked this ferry because it fitted my arrangements by going to Venice - it ended up costing me additional toll Autostrade fees and an extra nights hotel accommodation, + additional fuel.
"Food poisoning "
This needs to be sorted....I had seafood pasta on board this ship and contracted food poisoning from it! My onward journey to England was a nightmare!!
"Igoumenitsa - Ancona. 2359hrs, sat 22nd October 18"
On Sat 20 October 18: my wife and I boarded the ferry at Igoumenitsa in my car. While waiting at the dockside, I informed DF boarding staff that my wife is disabled and requested we be directed onto a vehicle deck where we could park close to a lift. In the event, we were ushered onto deck 5, where I was parked by less than polite staff. There was “No Lift” from deck 5. We were obliged to struggle the length of the vehicle deck through a mass of HGV to the stairway from deck 5 to Reception on deck 7. Mine was the only private car on deck 5. In recent years, we have boarded this same ferry service with no complaint. This recent trip was not good. I was informed in Igoumenitsa that departure would be 90 minutes late. We were directed to vacate our cabin more than 90 minutes before arrival at Ancona. It is to be hoped that our next DF trip from Italy to Greece in 2019 will be better. Christopher Coltman
"JUST OK"
No working internet told it had been out for 2 weeks and not repaired....expensive food and drinks. Cabin not as good as Anek Superfast.
""Cauchemar à bord...""
je viens de rentré de Grèce et mon voyage m'a amené à utiliser les "services" ( même si il n'y en a aucun...!!! )de la compagnie Minoan lines. Les bateaux sont peut-être adaptés pour accueillir autant de monde à bord, quoique...!!! mais l'organisation est déplorable et cela du guichet, jusqu'au débarquement. Le personnel est incompétent ( à part 1 ou 2 personnes, ce qui fait peu...!!! ), le bateau est sale et je ne parle pas des toilettes. Au retour, le bateau a eu plus de 2 heures de retard pour l'embarquement qui était déjà tardif puisque le bateau devait partir à 23h59...!!! Aucunes informations sur les raisons de ce retard, donc nous avons subi... A l'arrivée à Ancône plus de 40 minutes d'attente ( et cela dans une cohue incroyable )avant de pouvoir accéder au garage. Puis encore 25 minutes avant qu'une personne vienne pour "organiser" la sortie des véhicules. Je peux comprendre que ce jour là, la mer étant agitée, cela peut engendrer quelques soucis d'accostage, mais ce n'est pas non plus la première fois que la mer est forte... et ce qui n'excuse pas le retard ENORME que nous avons été obligé de supporter. La compagnie n'est pas consciente que les passagers ont aussi des contraintes et que + de 2 heures de retard modifient totalement l'organisation d'un voyage surtout pour les réservations d'hôtels. De ce fait, je demande un dédommagement pour le préjudice subi et j'espère que vous prendrez ma requête en compte. Voilà le récapitulatif de ma première et dernière expérience avec Minoan Lines. P.S: si j'avais pu ne mettre aucune étoile, je l'aurais fait...
"Booking via Direct Ferries"
After booking via Direct Ferries there were several days of confusion as I did not receive a confirmation mail even though the costs were immediately billed. At one point I even rang my bank to check that my credit card could be repaid if necessary. Stress. After more than one telephone call- and I must say the lads on the phone were very patient and helpful- I eventually got a confirmation mail with booking number, not for the date and time I had originally asked for, but fine anyway. The trip itself was okay- we had a deck ' place' which effectively meant on the deck in howling winds, but as the cabin prices are extreme we decided to survive this! Generally- the initial booking process online/ via the telephone was very stressful but after this all was well.
"Very Disappointed "
In short, I would not travel with this company again! The staff were very unhelpful and rude. When we arrived on board we asked where the kennels were for the dogs, we were told we could take the dog to our cabin, which I would add was not a pet friendly one and when we asked where the dog walking area was, we were told to let the dog go to toilet in our bathroom but to make sure we rinsed it down afterwards..unacceptable!! The restaurants opening hours were hopeless considering this was a 23 hr crossing. We were woken at 06.30am to move our car off the ship, at Igoumenitsa, along with 4 other very disgruntled passengers (note - we were disembarking at Patras not Igoumenitsa) We were told there were 2 cars parked in front of us and due to illness the passengers had to get off. We had to wait for over 1hour, in the blistering heat inside the car deck waiting to be told what to do. The two cars had signs in their windows, clearly showing they were disembarking at Igoumenitsa -clearly the cars were put on the wrong car deck, nothing to do with illness and we were blocking them in. When they finally opened the car deck, the loading guys were so rude, sadly I ended up losing my temper with one of them because of his insolence. Finally having got the cars off and back on board, the Officer in charge on the loading deck didn’t even have the decency to apologise or thank us, he was just intent on smoking his cigarette and ignoring the fact that there were 5 very unhappy passengers...he was in fact very very rude to us!! To top the iceberg, breakfast was almost over in the restaurant when I arrrived back on deck. I knew it was pointless asking for anything more than a piece of toast, but guess what...I was told they don’t do toast, regardless of the fact that it was on their menu...don’t put it on the menu if it’s not available...apparently according to the chef, they had never sold toast in his three years of being on board. So in short....don’t bother sailing with Minoan. I would like to think the other ships and staff in their fleet are better, but I doubt I will bother to find out......As for Hellenic Seaways, I think Minoan Lines can learn a lot from them...they were excellent!
"Liked the trip"
Everything was perfect to me
"Minoan Lines generally poor throughout"
We booked first class seats thinking this would be a good way to travel in some sort of comfort but not break the bank. Having found a lounge ALL the seats were broken - the recline button no longer functioned so the seat was impossible to make upright. No soft cushion for legs - just a metal bar for your feet. This all made sleeping very uncomfortable. We made sure to position ourselves by a plug so we could charge our phones - this turned out to be a hole in the wall. When hearing an announcement regarding upgrades to a cabin we went to investigate, only to find a long queue of people complaining about their cabins - no hot water, no towels etc. We decided not to take the 160 Euro upgrade having already paid 250 Euro for our original tickets, and return to our seats. It was also clear there were limited checks to tickets - our first class lounge was full of people including dogs, on inflatable mattresses who clearly did not have a 1st class ticket. This made us wonder why we had bothered paying for ours. About an hour before arriving at the port we overheard a staff member saying there had been so many complaints that an inspection would now happen on arrival. This resulted in all the toilets being locked 1hr before arrival so they could try and fix everything which was broken and clean up! We saw many people, including ourselves trying to go to the bathroom but unable to...surely there is a law regarding the provision of bathroom facilities?! The ship was signifcantly understaffed - one lady at the counter having to deal with everything - hand out towels, deal with angry passengers, make announcements in 4 languages, and it was clear the 22hr trip did not have a staff change. In the morning the same staff were in place, clearly tired and over worked. I won't even go into the quality of the enterainment - it simply made the main lounge uninhabitable for all guests. After our trip my father who had also used Minoan lines in the past commented that if we and our motorbike had arrived in one piece, we should treat that as a successful crossing! Glad to say the motorbike was in one piece. Would not use again, and will be looking at any alternative company for future crossing. It is obvious the sale of Minoan lines to the Italian Grimaldi company has been bad for what was a previously highly reputable name. Oh - we were also delayed by 3 hrs due to the ridiculous loading and offloading at Ancona.
"Diss satisfaction "
Completely misleading time timetable from January which the are not telling customers but saying 24 hours ahead of your trip it’s unfortunatly delayed ? Rubbish ! Both ships are delayed and not trying to make the time up which they could have in a fortnight ? Misleading desk eta of ships 4hrs before that they are only 1 hour late which changes to 2 then actually 4 and arrives at destination at 5 hours late compleatly ruining your hotel booking arrangements Use ANEK lines !staff don’t bark st toe and their on time 👌
"Travelled on later ship - Mykonos Palace"
Booking was switched few days before by text- no explanation given. Ran about 4 hours later. Nice cabin - food options good. Various facilities not available- pool and bar being refurbished, cinema, shop open very briefly.
"Bad information and organisation"
In my booking confirmation i did not get the Adress of the port, where my ship leaves. So I have been waiting at the wrong port. I needed to take a taxi to Fusina. Than my ship got cancelled and I had to stay in Venice for one day. The company paid me just the hotel, not the taxi. I also purchased an sms massage if anything chages and they did not write me anything. Not good.
"Very rude staff"
On my recent trip from ancona to patras a very long trip. I fell asleep in the lounge. About 12pm I was shaken awake by a very rude waiter. Shouting you carnt sleep here touching my face. He continues to shout at me telling me to leave the lounge area. I understand that you can not sleep there but there was no need for that behaviour. He then went on to wake three other people in the same way slapping there faces. Very bad way to treat people.
"Comfortable trip"
The check-in in Igoumenitsa was smooth. Since I didn't have a car, they sent me to the ferry. The cabin was comfortable & I was able to sleep. The breakfast was good. Only the staff at the reception was very rude, if you dare to ask a question, they feel very much disturbed. That is not the first time on Greek ships.
"Ancona to Patras Minoan Lines"
Ship was on time, cabin quarters were comfortable and clean with good ensuite facilities. Food was good - basic but tasty. We recommend the a la carte restaurant , the food is exactly the same as in the self-service restaurant but for a couple of extra euros you get better surroundings and good table service. You are woken up about 5 am with announcements at the first ferry stop so if you are travelling all the way to Patras we recommend earplugs.
"Return to UK"
This was not a good experience, left late then on entering our junior suite found it smelt stale also dust on headboard ,one of towels on bed dirty then on pulling back bed sheets found the "food" left by last guest whenever that was!! On complaining the staff came and looked and with in 10 minutes we were given another cabin. Overall the ship was grubby, did not seem to have enough staff for the duties required.
"Greece to Italy"
Good cabin and food Our only gripe - a few from the front on embarkation, ended by being pretty much last on disembarkation. Not fun when there’s a planned long drive to follow
"Good, and bad"
We booked a return trip from Ancona to Patras, late summer 2017. The boarding at both ports was straight forward enough, but not clearly marked or indicated by staff leaving us in some doubt as to where we were meant to be etc. And it was a great bonus being a campervan to have mains hook up available onboard. Overall boarding and disembarking was orderly and relatively easy. We had an outside cabin booked for both trips, and the cabin was comfortable enough and quite pleasant on the way out, but on the way back our cabin was dirty, hairs on the sheets, dirt on the floor (including a bit of a dirty mop!) and the bathroom was not clean. That, and the fact that immediately outside our window there was a crew walkway which prevented any privacy, and beyond that a lifeboat so we had no view at all of the sea, we asked to be moved. Our request was treated with a total lack of interest, and we had to be persausive before we were moved to the room next, which, although clean, was still adjacent to the crew walkway and lifeboat - technically an outside cabin, but lacking any of the normal facilities, such as a view of the sea, that paying the extra brings. We felt that we were being fobbed off by staff when we complained. The meal out in the main restaurant was good and the service excellent. The waiter asked for our voucher to receive the discount, and since we had not been given one, he arranged a discount anyway and explained that we needed to ask for a voucher on our return journey. When we did this on our return trip, the man at the reception told us he knew nothing about vouchers and could not help. Again we used the main restaurant and the waiter asked for our voucher, and we explained that we had asked for one and not been given one. He told us that if we had a cabin booked, we should have a voucher, so we showed him out cabin key and he called a superior officer over. This man told us that we only got a voucher if we had a campervan booked, and insisted that I go all the way down to our cabin to get our tickets to prove to him that we did. On my return he was rude and snatched the tickets off me telling me he would check - meanwhile all we wanted to do was order our food and really did not care about the voucher, but they would not let us. Finally the senior offircer returned and explained that because we had an outside cabin booked and not an inboard cabin, we did not get a voucher. He was rude, and I believe, lied about the cabin - why would you not get a voucher having paid more for your room? Finally, we were allowed to order our meal but by this time the meal was already spoilt, so it was the final straw when my partners meal arrived cold and unedible, and she complained. The waiter offered to heat it up but by this time we had had enough and she refused. He then tried to charge us for the meal, we refused, and he then shortchanged me by 10 euros until I protested. The service and the meal was terrible and we warned others not to eat there. Apart from the dirty cabin on the return trip, the ship was generally clean and well laid out. We did not use any of the other facilities so cannot comment on those. Most of the staff seemed helpful, apart from those at reception and in the restaurant who were rude and lied to us. The ship sailed on time and appeared punctual. We would use Minoan again because there is little choice on this route, but I doubt that we would eat onboard unless we take our own food. I would award higher stars for the outward journey, but since the return trip was so bad, my markings are based on that.
"Loading/Unloading"
Dear Sir, There are several parts to this review, but first of all I would have liked to give NO stars for punctuality but the system did not allow this. 1. Ancona to Igoumenitsa. The loading arrangements at Ancona were chaotic. On all cross channel ferries there are lanes to which one is directed; not at Ancona. It will not do to argue that such arrangements are only the responsibility of the port. Minoan Lines use the port and should inform the port just how chaotic and incompetent the port arrangements are. Minoan lines pay for the use of the port and should attempt to ensure that such facilities are provided in a suitable manner. I now realise just how competent and efficient P&O cross channel ferries actually are. When we finally got on board it was not clear where to go since no one directed us. Finally someone did. Once on board I found that the swimming pool had been closed. No reason was given for this, perhaps this is indicative of EU arrogance. It was open the following day but how could one dry one's swimming costume in time? The restaurant was fine and the service therein also fine. We had a good night's sleep and arrived in Igoumenitsa about 1 hour late. Considering the late departure from Ancone it was clear that some time had been gained. 2. Patras to Ancona. If the loading arrangements at Ancona were chaotic, the scenes at Patras transcended mere chaos and disorganisation. To say the place was disorganised does not begin remotely to describe it; disorganisation implies that there was some organisation, but at Patras there was none. After clearing customs (a tiresome process best described by Saki) there was no indication as to where to park. I asked several members of staff, who were not easy to find, as to where to wait but all I received was a vague wave of the hand. This was after asking in Greek. The ship was said to scheduled to leave at 19:00; I received a text message to say the departure would be at 20:30; it was actually well after 21:00 when we finally set sail. We had hoped to pick up time on the crossing; this turned out to be a vain hope. We were due at Ancona at 15:30; we were actually disembarking at about 19:00 probably even later than that. This meant that our arrival in Bologna was after 23:00 because we could not guarantee an arrival before 22:00 in order to eat at the hotel. Disembarkation at Ancona was, of course chaotic. Whilst on the boat the pool was closed; after a tiring and sweaty wait at the port it would have been nice to use the pool, but this was not possible. There was, of course, no explanation. Restaurant facilities on the boat were fine and made up for some of the frustration. We discovered that the boat stopped on the way to Ancona at Igoumenitsa, which occasioned the delayed arrival. Passengers at Igoumenitsa embarked at about 01:00 or so (we were asleep), which meant a very late time to enter cabins. However, the restaurant did not stay open later to allow those who embarked at Igoumentisa more time. This did not affect us at all, but it does illustrate the poor service given by Minoan Lines. 3. Th real problem was the design of the boat, which did not permit roll-on roll-off loading. This meant that loading times were considerably longer and entailed delays. I do recognise that Minoan Lines have a more difficult job than cross-channel ferries in that there are two pick up points and two set-down points, but ro-ro ferries have been used on cross-channel ferries for decades, so they are hardly a new idea. If you have the courtesy to respond to this review, kindly address yourselves to the points therein, I am not interested in superficial waffle or feeble excuses. Could do better.
"Booking disaster!"
The ship was fine but the booking was a reall mess! We made our reservation, paid online and received a booking confirmation. Then one day before our departure we were informed by email that our booking to Greece had 'failed'. Direct Ferries were unsure whether the ferry was actually full or whether it was a glitch in the booking system. We were in a remote part of Italy at the time and had very limited communication, so the following 24 hours were extremely stressful - all our travel arrangements hinged on the timing of this ferry trip. We eventually got another confirmation but received no explanation for the 'booking failure'. Nor did we receive a reply to my questions about the ferry port location in Venice. Because of the confusion with our booking we arrived exceptionally early for departure, fully expecting some reasonable facilities at the port. Sadly there was nothing but a basic vending machine and very uncomfortable seats. I feel strongly that Direct Ferries should give passengers advance information about port facilities.
"Greece to Italy. "
They charged me an additional 50 euro because my bicycle was on top of my car and said it would have to go on the ferry with the high vans. When i boarded it was olaced with normal cars they conned me. Staff were rude and unhelpful. Cabin was dirty. Bad overall.
"Great Trip!! "
Swimming Pool, Sun lounges, Better than ANEK BY A LONG SHOT!!! Only downside was still took 32 hrs but can live with that. Will definitely book again.
"No tickets? "
The woman on the desk in igouminitsa said the ship was full, But i was then able to buy tickets online!!!!!!!!
"Things are changing"
Things are changing at Minoan. I've travelled the route between Igoumenitsa and Ancona for many years. I got used to the reality that the ferry was always late and never made up the time at sea. Embarkation and disembarkation were chaotic and slow. But I travelled recently from Igou to Ancona and the ferry arrived on time, loaded very efficiently and set off on time, even getting to Ancona a little bit early. Bravo Minoan. A much needed and overdue improvement.
"Problems"
Your part in this episode was excellent but Minoan needs a lot of work done to help disabled passengers. On the way out we broke down and missed the ferry, your intervention was brilliant - Thank You. When we did get on the ferry we showed our disabled badge, we explained we needed to be close to the lift and no stairs, told no problem, we were put in the lowest deck (2, I believe) 30 metres from the lift and up a flight of stairs, after much difficulty and help from other passengers we managed, again on disembarkation with the help of other passengers we made it with much difficulty. We have friends in Greece who typed a notice in Greek explaining our situation and needs on arrival at the dock I spoke to a person in charge of loading again he said no problem, we were put on board 2 feet from the lift - great we thought but alais on disembarkation only one lift was available the one near us was not in use and everybody had to use the one by the reception area, about 50 metres from our car( which was only 2 feet from the lift) again without the help of other passengers we could no have managed. We go every year to Greece but will not use Minoan again for us it will be Super Fast, as I have said you were excellent and will be booking through you on future trips, Thank you once again.
"🇬🇷Traveler"
Nice ferry, comfortable on the whole, bars a bit expensive but enjoyable all in all...
"Good flexible return service"
The best thing we have found with Minoan Lines over the years is their efficiency and helpfulness over changing return dates. No fuss they just do it . This is real peace of mind.
"Good trip"
Nice clean boat and friendly staff but coffee far too expensive!!
"Ancona Igoumenitsa"
As usual the cleanliness of the cabin and the helpfulness of the staff were excellent. Unusually however we left more than four hours late which meant a long stay in Ancona which has its attractions but not those of Mantua from where he had started that morning....It might be possible - since you have my email - for there to be a service which tells passengers of such delays. We were told that there was o particular reason for it other than that it is a busy time of year and loading/unloading, refuelling/resupplying takes longer so that a delay builds up during the week.. A second annoying feature concerned the wifi which was widely advertised all over the ship. It turned out not to be free - as it is in every cafe or restaurant these days and took a long time to reach.. We gave up..... The restaurant - which was good last was only OK...Sauce out of a tin etc...
"A very pleasant crossing. Staff were friendly and helpful"
We enjoyed the journey with no problems. The staff were pleasant. The food was adequate but a little expensive. We were required to leave our cabin rather prematurely we thought and then had a long wait for disembarkation.
"No wifi"
Comfortable, clean.
"Our trip made special "
We traveled with our dog and the trip was superb. There was no waiting about in the car, we drove on the ship parked and went to our cabin. Amazing.
"car holiday"
Ok, good standard, much better than last time we travelled, we then went with another ferry operator and it was not good. I can recommend Minoan Lines and will travel with them again.
"Patras-Ancona"
The journey went well. The only problem was a really rude member of the staff that was supposed to help you find your cabin. Reserved seats cost a lot and are really uncomfortable. Do not book them!!! Better bring with you an air maittress and sleep on the floor.
"holidays trip"
We travelled with this line the 17th/7 (outbound) and the 30th/7 (return), the ship is really nice and with good services but I must say that I don't find right that people who only booked desk space were all over the first class (where I booked a 1° class seats) like homeless, using seats that they don't even paid for. I hope that you are going to do somenthing about it because at this point is better to do not pay the reserved seat ticket!!!
"Our crossing from Ancona to Igoumenitsa with Minoan Lines"
I gladly write this review, because the trip was a really good one. Punctual from the beginning to the end, nice and friendly staff, clean. We were really lucky, nice crossing started in Greece and the return looked like beeing in a cruise. Goodbye
"Stuck inside the garage"
5 hours delay from Trieste to Igoumenitsa, an hour Igoumenitsa to Ancona. We waited three hours in the garage with all the exhaust gas of cars. Apart from that all good.
"Ancona Igoumenitsa and return"
The ship left the Igoumenitsa with 1 houre delay, and depsite the really quiet sea we arrived to Ancona with more than 2 hours delay. To be improve the landing procedure, you have to spend 30 minutes inside the garage with stupid people who turn on the motor to go nowhere. Really expansive self service, €3.20 for a coffee at the bar; on the return we brought our food and water. I recommend the ship but you have to be aware of these things.
"Good trip"
Really nice trip, but in the morning the bar opened and woke me up. I don't understand why you have to close the bar from 3 to 5 with all the couches available around the area. Perhaps is better to book a cabin. The toilets were quiet good.
"Excellent Journey"
The only down side of our trip was the offloading at Ancona. We were sat in the car for over an hour before we were allowed to to drive off! The ship Europa was very modern, clean and the onboard shops were relatively cheap. The food was okay and portion size was large.
"Ferry Crossing Ancona Iguamanitsu"
The boarding was trouble free and as our two dogs were travelling with us the transfer to our pet friendly cabin was faultless. Sadly being an internal cabin it was a little claustrophobic but because the ferry was not overcrowded we were able to walk the dogs on deck. Once at sea we were able to take advantage of the bars and restaurants plus walk the dogs on deg, This followed the same pattern for the next 17 hours. Crossing overnight the journey was uneventful and whilst the cabin became a little stuffy the journey was quite comfortable with friendly crew and staff. Will definitely plan on using this service again in the future
"pleasant trip"
I took my small dog with me and everything went very well. The cabin was clean and big enough.
"review"
all perfect in the crossing Ancona-Patras. Bar too expensive. Nice staff. Have a nice
"bad experience"
route ancona-igoumenitsa, departure on time but the ship was very dirty with people and dogs sleeping everywhere.
"2 different ships"
ok for Cruise Olympia, no for Cruise Europa
"bad trip"
air conditioning too strong, cabins too expensive, nice staff, departure 2 hours late.
"pleasant trip"
positive experience, clean ship, friendly staff and good entertainment with music. But everything is too expensive and I felt sick after my salad at the restaurant.
"cheap trip"
dirty ship, no one was caring about the cleaning on board. Rude staff at the bar. Air conditioning not working. Ship not big enough for all those people. I booked with this company just because it was the only operator for my return from Greece.
"open spaces"
we couldn't sleep outside as with Superfast Ferries. So we were all inside at bar. They should improve the outside area.
"bad experience"
We travelled in the route Ancona-Patrasso with Minoan Lines, on the outbound with Cruise Europa and on the return with Cruise Olympia. We booked a cabin so everything went well on the outbound, but on the return we had reserved seats business class. nightmare. departure 2 hours late, people everywhere sleeping, screeming, drinking and eating. dirty toilets. uncomfortable seats. self service restaurant too expensive. (3sandwiches, one croissant and 2 cappuccino €12)
"always with Minoan Lines"
great trip. whatever is your destination in Greece, I recommend Minoan Lines.
"ship Olympia"
comfortable seats, perfect ship
"Good trip"
Our trip on board the Cruise Europa and the Cruise Olympia was very pleasant. The cabin was neat and clean and the facilities on board were good. Everything was clear and the ship was punctual. We are very satisfied!
"Trip Ancona-Igoumenitsa and return with cabin."
Late departure: 1hour. This can be a problem if someone have connections to take. Comfortable cabin even if lights and plugs were not enough and the TV was missing. Low quality at the restaurant: slow service. Parking process not well organised.
"racism and terrorism"
The trip on Minoan Lines was excellent. The staff on board was lovely but the staff at the port in Greece was awful. Tey try to steal money to the driver asking for more money, saying that if he doesn't pay he can't board, and just because we booked through an agancy and not directly at the port. Obviously he didn't pay.
"Boat"
I will recommend every other boat, except the Grimaldi Line.
"Igouminitsa Ancona "
At the ferry there is nothing wrong. We would, however, can save you the cost of the VIP armchair us. It was controlled in any way the access so late at night everyone, no matter what condition, an empty chair his own calling and cheerful in a drunken stupor or in between the chairs was snoring in front of him. Sleeping was out of the question.
"Great journey"
It was a great journey from Ancona to Igoumenitsa. I recommend it. Many thanks
"Everything was great "
Igoumenitsa Trieste and back. ship on time, staff very friendly and helpful, ship very clean, food was good but expensive. Very pleasant crossings, everything OK.
"Very good crossing!"
Good time and great service this time. Everything was comfortable and water was warm. Very thankful for this trip in comparison to my last one.
"pleasant "
The ship is pleasant, the service properly, the normal prices! Very cumbersome and difficult: the orientation in the port of Patras! One is forced to find three different control stations by car (!) And to pass before you get into the vicinity of the ship.
"customer friendliness "
Very long wait at reception, for the tickets to the cabin respect! The organization at the reception we experienced as a disaster. Finally get the tickets - were nowhere to employees who could show us the direction to the cabin. After a long time we have found the cabin, but the room card did not work - the whole thing started to wait at the reception from the front. On deck it was very dirty, the dirt on the floor, overcrowded rubbish bin etc. - just awful. For 10 years, we take minoan and have always been satisfied. The trip this year was was the exact opposite - we could hardly believe it.
"beware of the dogs"
My journey was absolutely fine, the on board services were perfect, My only negative thing was that they allow dogs on board, and because several people lie down on the floor as I did it myself, I would advise you rather to put an adequate number of chairs instead.
"Everything except the food mediocrity, that's awful ... "
All in all OK. The stopover in Ancona costs about 2 hours. From here the ferry takes another 6 hours to Trieste. The food in the restaurant, canteen and bistro on the ship is incredibly bad and this of course is not all that cheap. This one gets dished out on an Italian ship the worst possible pizza is amazing. Coffee and other drinks are good but expensive. Only 30 minutes late for a ferry on the Adriatic quite ok.
"Some seats please"
A very nice company, but not enough seats on the deck… not to mention the deck chairs which were chained up and weren't there at all during the inbound crossing. A pleasant restaurant and a clean cabin. A delay of 2 hours for the outbound journey.
"Drive from Ancona to Igoumentitsa "
This ferry can recommend with good conscience.
"Unspectacular trip, but the additional advertised services (internet, swimming pool) were for no app"
We had a two person cabin interior and arrived by car. The cabin was small but functional, and I was positively surprise by the matresses of the bed. We Could sleep comparatively well. Unfortunaltely, I was unable to connect to the WiFi, we tried three devices but neither of them succeeded. It seems like at IT problem-there, in Particular as all of the computer terminals were out of order as well. We Planned to swim in the pool, but it what already without water, Which We missed as well. So overall, the additional services (internet, swimming pool), were not available. The prices for food were reasonable, but drinks were rather expensive, so bring your own drinks on board! We were the first ones to board with the car, Which was not good, as in turn we were the last ones to disembark, Which Took over an hour! It even occured to us that we were somehow forgotten, as all cars of the upper decks had left, and it only what the lowest deck Which had to disembark, and at some stage everyone was honking to inform the crew that still some cars wanted to leave the ship. The temperatures applications were unbearable, 43 C, so having to wait for one hour whas no fun. The staff left a mixed impression, somewere reasonable friendly, while other ones were simply impolite.
"Recommended Minoan Lines conditionally "
The competence of the vehicle marshaller is catastrophic. The drivers are made totally confused by the lack of planning and the language deficits of staff and hence incur unnecessary discussions. The disembarkation is as amateurish as the Boardin process. The hygiene on the ship and in particular the Tolietten leaves something to be desired. A variety of dining options, one searches in vain. Add Thread competence, hygiene and catering Minoan can not keep up with Superfast. Only the SPA with sauna, steam bath, jacuzzi and massage offers weary motorists a welcome relaxation.
"A relaxing trip"
Excellent wellness centre!!
"Journey"
We felt like we travelled in a camp. The deck, the stairs, the footbridges, the cafes were totally occupied by mattresses and people - mostly Turkish - sleeping on the floor . It's fine when there are only a few people doing this. However, when people swamp the boat like this, it's at the cost of the people who booked a cabin. It's a shame, because the boat is nice and the sea is beautiful
"nevermore "
Sanitary facilities were after a short time on a catastrophic disgusting condition. We had a dog with itself, but that dog owners everywhere let their dogs pee on deck, really bothered us! The exit from the ferry in Ancona was incredibly stressful because totally disorganized. Never again! Ursula Steudle
"Improvements appreciated "
The pool was not filled with water. The sun chairs were tight up and never available to lie on. Not enough seats on the outside top deck. Top deck toilets were unavailable after a few hours (male and female) Public space to rest and sleep way too small, not enough flight seats. Unfriendly staff in the self service restaurant. Drinks and food expensive but quality wise ok.
"Trip "
We travelled with the ferry "Olimpia" on the outbound trip and it went all well. The ferry was clean and tidy. On the return, we travelled with a Grimaldi ferry "Zeus". It was awful. The old ferry was dirty, the cabin noisy and smelly. The toilet in the cabin was broken and the self service was far too expensive.
"Huge delay"
Horror! The ferry was 8 hours late. There was no pool aboard the ferry and the common areas were crowded.
"Recommended"
Had a fun time on board.
"Comfortable holiday start "
The very comfortable 26 hour crossing on the new Cruise Olympia is a very relaxing holiday start. Ship has to ask all the amenities, the spa is well equipped and little frequented. Cabin (Junior Suite / outside cabin) is spacious and clean, well air conditioned and functional. Loading functions efficiently. However, departure time and arrival time in Trieste are not pleasant.
"Patras Ancona crossing"
It's a pity, because this crossing is close to being a mini cruise. There were just a few problem. No swimming pool for the first afternoon. The only external shower wasn't working. There weren't enough deck chairs. The staff was tired. Minoan only carries passengers, nothing more and nothing less
"Trip"
It's a pity that people lay down in the corridors near the cabin with dogs barking. No problem otherwise.
"A crossing in June 2013"
A beautiful cabin, a good crossing. One reproach: a 3 hours delay and no information.
"Enjoyable way to travel"
Keep in mind that this is a ferry and not a luxurious cruise ship. Sleeping is best done in a cabin, but this is not cheap. There was no water in the pool. The food in the self service and restaurant was OK, without question.
"Recommend"
I can recommend.
