by Andy W » 06 Mar 2015, 17:09
As usual it is social media that's unreliable, Chris. The Panagia Skiadeni had serious problems which caused its summer season to be cut short in early September last year, but it isn't "unreliable" - it failed to complete its journey twice in three years, and since then the entire control system for the engines (which was what had failed) has been replaced over the winter. It is a lot bigger than the catamarans, and takes 90 minutes as against 50 minutes.
According to the timetable as issued so far on Thursdays in September the Panagia Skiadeni will leave at 09:00 from the Akandia section of Rhodes Town port - this is the section used for vehicle and car ferries (which the Skiadeni is) as it has room to hold the cars and trucks prior to boarding. It's a long way from the centre of town and you would really need a taxi to get there. It has separate bits of quayside for Panagia Skiadeni, ANEK ferries to Crete, and Blue Star, so tell the taxi driver which boat you want, saves a lot of walking. There's a ticket hut on site that will hand out tickets pre-booked on line and sell tickets on the day.
Coming back the timetable indeed shows a Samos-Rhodes sailing by the Pride calling at Symi at 13:30 on the day you want to leave. This will take you to the Kolonna quay in Rhodes Town port.
My personal problem is that I'm not arriving via Rhodes airport, but via Kos, and there is now no service at all between Symi and Kos on the dates I need to travel, so I'll have to spend the first and last nights on Kos. However these timetables are rarely cast in stone and will probably change several times before I travel, let alone before you visit in September.