Symi Catastrophe (Temporary I hope)

by **Olive** » 21 Nov 2006, 14:21

Andrian writes:
As the Pireus boats are ignoring us for the moment, anything being shipped from the mainland has to come via Rhodes or Kos and then connect with the Proteus, causing further logistic complications.

This is a catastrophe for Symi,

Due to the unreliability of ANES hydrofoil , combined with the often late running of their Proteus ship. Passengers have been the victim of this very bad service many times, what gets me most is the lack of information to the customer.

I like many others who have missed onward connections and had to buy replacement flight tickets this is not joke when it happens three times in one year. Sadly I simply cannot risk missing any more flights and Symi (A place I truly love and want to return to) will be seeing less of me.

I�m sure it is not necessary to remind the people of Symi that without regular and as importantly reliable connections to and from the island we will not come.

Maybe this is a good thing? I think peace will return to Symi, but this sadly it might be the result of poverty; Symi depends on its visitors to support the economy.

by **Bina** » 22 Nov 2006, 12:15

Ohhhh, the reality of island life.

by **D and E** » 22 Nov 2006, 17:40

Don't be so hasty Olive.

Whilst we sympathise with your obvious loss of cash in having to change flights, as a regular visitor you will know that the reliability of ferries improves in the summer months.

The need to maintain ships in the off-season and the weather must all impact at this time of the year.

I think the people of Symi recognise this and that is why they do not rely on winter tourism.

It is that same people that we feel sorry for in terms of ferry reliability as they depend on the service for some of life's essentials.

We have travelled with ANES so many times during our visits in May / June and in September / October and have never even been delayed let alone experienced a cancelation. And they (plus the other ferry companies) are so reasonable in terms of cost.

In Britain where we also travel a lot we regularly miss connections due to poor reliability of low cost airlines and high cost train services - also, one can't even rely on the roads nowadays which are subject to hours of delay and gridlock.

Keep smiling

by **Adriana** » 29 Nov 2006, 15:24

There have been so many complaints from locals and local businesses about the poor shipping schedule this winter that an extraordinary meeting of Symi Town Council was called on 14 November.

For more details see the December issue of the Symi Visitor.

by **Tove** » 29 Nov 2006, 19:05

Whenever we get it!Hopefully before Christmas. There's a long, long way from Symi to the Northern Europe and I know its not your fault.

by **Hermes** » 30 Nov 2006, 23:56

This is now getting a bit absurd, Allan. All I asked was why did you delete a posting I made giving a link to the news about the boats to Symi this Winter. You delete this post. Can I ask why? is anything I put here going to be deleted? or just those which contain news?

by **Hermes** » 01 Dec 2006, 00:02

For those of you who wish to know the news about the winter boat schedule, a full report is giving in a posting by "Christos" on the "Other page". The post is called "SAOS II : A new boat for Symi? - EXCLUSIVE". I have tried to put up the link to make this easier for you but Allan just deletes it.

by **Kojak** » 01 Dec 2006, 00:26

Hmmm, not content with posing as "Symivisitor" on Tripadvisor.com, Hermes/Will is again trying to advertise his site on here. A tad hypocritical for Hermes/Will to complain about the "Vomitor" as he calls it, and then try to use it to advertise his own site... I hope Allan does remove the posting, as Tripadvisor did once I put them wise.... :twisted:

by **Hermes** » 01 Dec 2006, 00:31

Please explain how putting up important Symi-related news which this page seems to wish to withold from it's readers can be called advertising

by **Adriana** » 01 Dec 2006, 08:27

Exclusive? The suspension of Dodecanese Seaways, the reduction of the ferry service for the winter etc have been common knowledge for some time and have been referred to in my web diary as well as on this chat page. Indeed Olive actually commenced this thread with a quote from my blog on this particular subject.

The Ministry of Shipping will only be announcing who has been awarded the tender on Monday 4 December 2006 and it is only at that point that the decision becomes official. Costas Sikalos of Symi Tours says that although the decision to award the contract to Samos seems to be 99% it was not to be made public knowledge until the offical announcement was made next week. However, some people seem to have decided to jump the gun on this.

This will not, however, alleviate the present problem as it will be replacing the Proteus and following the same route, not augmenting it, so the original problem actually remains. Just the name of one of the players has changed.

by **Adriana** » 01 Dec 2006, 08:51

Hi Tove,

Alexia's letter from Australia only took a week to get here so maybe the postal service has improved!

The papers are at the printers at the moment and the mailing labels are ready so we'll get them off as soon as we can.

ops:

How's Ellen?

by **Tove** » 01 Dec 2006, 09:57

We look forward to it, hope it doesn't disappear in the Christmas letters. Ellen is fine, we just sat yesterday looking at pictures from Jenine's wedding that we just have had copied. And I wished I have been to the November party, it looked great. Give my regards to everybody. Well, I must go back doing things for the Christmas market, cannot be hanging around the computer all day.

by **Adriana** » 01 Dec 2006, 10:20

Yes, Tove, there is so much to do at this time of the year

And at the moment here on Symi the weather is so nice we are spending as much time as possible working out of doors.

by **Tove** » 01 Dec 2006, 10:47

Here it is nearly impossible to be in the garden, the lawn is like a moor and we are fighting to keep the wood for the fireplace dry. I would rather be gardening on Symi just now.

by **Adriana** » 01 Dec 2006, 10:51

How early in the spring do you think you will be back, Tove?

by **Tove** » 01 Dec 2006, 11:18

I really don't know. I am going to Austria for skiing with my husband, son and daughter-in-law in February and it depends of the flight prices too. I would like to go tomorrow but my family needs me too.

by **Adriana** » 04 Dec 2006, 10:46

Just been on the phone to Costas Sikalos at Symi Tours and the tender for the mail boat contract still has not been confirmed.

by **Olive** » 06 Dec 2006, 20:08

[quote="Adriana"]

For more details see the December issue of the Symi Visitor.
[/quote]

As I have visited Symi for some days of every month, since before the Symi Visitor was first published, (Yes I managed 18 international trips involving the island, in a twelve month period, and that is not counting the trips to Datcha). This is not intended as bragging, but explaining my need, like others, for sea transportation at all times of year.

I�m saddened that for the first time and for two consecutive months now. I�m not able to pick up a copy of the Visitor in Person, (please can someone save me November and December)

Never stayed away so long I�m now truly missing my friends, one person especially,

ops: he knows who he is. Whatever the expense, (in time and money), I will make it back in the New Year.

I�m seriously needed at work here all over Christmas, and simply can not let people down, so will start my journey to Symi on the 2nd of January, straight from the office, and get back on the rock just as soon as I can, even if it means I have to walk and swim!

I have just checked my diary, (early 2006) and last year I arrived in Rhodes on 3rd of January and was left stuck there, and ended up watching the Epiphany celebrations in Mandraki harbour on the 7th January before finally catching a late afternoon boat, that was with an excellent sea transport sevice, so with the current situation we will see about nest year.

Hopefully this time it won�t take so many days to get there. Maybe I will be lucky?
Olive

by **Adriana** » 07 Dec 2006, 14:47

Hi Olive,

I'll be in the office as usual so I hope you don't have to wait too long to pick up those newspapers in person.

We've got a visitor trying to work out how to get here from Oman during the Eid holiday and at this stage it looks like he'll spend more time travelling than actually here - and that's assuming the weather plays ball! :idea:

by **Olive** » 08 Dec 2006, 11:51

Am I right in thinking Eid is the 19th December of is it a movable feast?

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