There is a sense of unease among its passengers Aqua Jewel (E/G-O/G), which was supposed to depart at 7:00 p.m. from the port of Diakofto bound for Piraeus. Tο The ship was unable to approach Diakofti, most likely because strong westerly winds.
The ship attempted to dock at the port of Agia Pelagia, in an effort to accommodate passengers and begin the route with as little delay as possible. However, it was unable to dock at Agia Pelagia and is returning to Diakofti.
Conditions remain adverse, with winds of 6 Beaufort and gusts of up to 70–80 km/h, making it difficult to secure the boat safely.
There has not yet been an official announcement as to whether the ship will ultimately be able to depart from Kythira or whether the itinerary will be changed. The Kythera.News is monitoring the situation and will provide an update as developments occur.
What’s going on?? We’ve been on this ship for so many hours—the crew is completely indifferent, and announcements are made only when people start complaining. The ship is sailing back and forth around Kythira, and no one seems to understand the difficulty since there aren’t any bad weather conditions. We’re at the mercy of this captain. And in the midst of all this, they won’t even give people a free bottle of water. Everything is charged as usual. So much for Greece’s tourism industry!
So you're saying there's no weather problem, and the captain who's been sailing this route for so many years can't make it into the harbor?;
It’s certainly difficult for the passengers, but let’s also spare a thought for our sailors
I was one of the passengers. The captain simply has to leave there (and I say this because the ferry from Naples that same day, half an hour after we arrived, docked without any problems) or the company itself needs to operate more efficiently. The information we received as passengers was minimal to nonexistent. We were on the ferry from 4:00 p.m. until 3:00 a.m. (early morning), and food and water were provided only after we requested them, with no information regarding our tickets or where we would stay upon our return to Gythio at 3:00 a.m., when everything is closed. I’ll never travel with that company again; you’re better off going to Neapoli and taking the ferry from there.
Everything you write is just lies!
Free items such as coffee, food, and water were provided.
Aren't the weather conditions bad?;
You're on the wrong boat!
Why were there three attempts at Aqua Jewel...
Is it true about the threats against the crew and the officers? Why don't you say anything about it?;
Isn't that in your best interest?;
They gave it to us after some of us made a fuss and demanded a little water and food after spending nearly 12 hours on the boat.
What threats did we face when we demanded our right to a ticket refund? So that we would have a place to stay in Gythio at 4:00 a.m.? Where we weren’t properly informed?
The ship was unable to dock, not because of weather conditions, but because there was a problem with the ship; nevertheless, it departed as scheduled, and we received no notification.
They did give out free stuff, yes, but when I took some cookies, a bottle of water, and a Coke, the lady at the bar had the nerve to ask me if those were for just one person!!! What the hell?! Was I going to bankrupt the f***ing company with one extra Coke?! Their behavior was unacceptable—leaving people trapped on a boat for so many hours. Not to mention the time we ran aground on the rocks during the second attempt—when, for safety reasons, they should have taken us to the nearest port instead of cruising around Avlemonas!
Well… what did Ms. TI want Coca-Cola for?? To wash down her cookies?? Ha ha ha… but I guess it was the diet kind!!!!
The fact that you’re mocking someone who endured ten hours of hardship on a boat, wasting both time and money, should at least make you feel ashamed! But to feel shame, one must have empathy—something you clearly lack, my «dear» John.
This Aqua Jewel should be taken out of service, and the company should replace it with a better one, since it has better ships… But who cares? To them, people are expendable… Also, improvements need to be made at the port, since in recent years there have been frequent incidents where ships can’t dock…Sooner or later, there’ll be a major accident, and then they’ll scramble…
They'll rush to collect their compensation from the insurance company and will be over the moon.
Yesterday, wind gusts reached 70 km/h…. I was traveling from Gythio to Kythira. The captain tried to dock at Diakofti, but it was impossible to moor there, and then at the port of Agia Pelagia, where the harbor master—who at first pulled the ship’s mooring line to tie it up—threw it into the sea and signaled the first mate to leave! Announcements were made, and every time my wife, my parents, and I approached the reception desk, they informed us with great patience and gracious courtesy! There were passengers who were frantically banging on the ship’s windows and walls while cursing, which frightened our children! The staff was extremely polite, and when we went to the bar to pick up the complimentary drink they had offered us, there were some passengers who kept coming back, demanding that they be offered soft drinks and beers, sometimes even making threats. Oh yes, the wind force readings and the whims of God in the middle of July in a land of wind gods, where half of Greece (including half of Kythira) is burning due to the strong gusts—it’s all the fault of…the captain’s lanyards and the stewards’ vests. Oh, you immortal, spoiled Greek education!
I was one of the passengers. The captain simply has to leave there (and I say this because the ferry from Naples that same day, half an hour after we arrived, docked without any problems) or the company itself needs to operate more efficiently. The information we received as passengers was minimal to nonexistent. We were on the ferry from 4:00 p.m. until 3:00 a.m. (early morning), and food and water were provided only after we requested them, with no information regarding our tickets or where we would stay upon our return to Gythio at 3:00 a.m., when everything is closed. I’ll never travel with that company again; you’re better off going to Neapoli and taking the ferry from there.
Were all the know-it-all Greeks and the usual old ladies gathered there? Poor captain, and poor crew. Who are you carrying…
Regarding all the inconvenience—since I was on board the ship as well. I’m not a captain, so I don’t have specialized knowledge. However, I must point out the following: 1. The ship’s crew was extremely courteous. 2. Food and water were provided to the passengers free of charge, but with a delay. 3. The other ship, from Naples, is smaller, so it can maneuver more easily and probably dock more easily in small ports. 4. I cannot judge the captain for his actions. However, at a certain point, you got the impression that even he didn’t know what to do. 5. Assuming the conditions were that adverse, the ship shouldn’t have been rocking back and forth until, finally, after a sharp jolt, we all realized it had struck something. 6. In the end, we headed south toward Avlemonas to find a safe anchorage and wait for favorable conditions that would allow us to reach port. 7. Finally, after spending 10 hours at sea, we returned to the port of Gythio. 8. My personal opinion was that the ship should have returned immediately rather than sailing back and forth aimlessly for nearly 10 hours.
Everyone can do it down to the last detail, depending on which side they're on—I'm not a passenger on the ship.
I’m sorry for the hardship you went through; I feel for our sailors, who—no matter what happened—managed to withstand the pressure of it all…The company must take care to ensure that this does not happen again.