“I for one still find it hard to believe that I actually paid money to be treated so poorly,” George Gigicos wrote on the English-language news site Nea Proini. The Greek-American entrepreneur, co-publisher of Nea Proini and former White House director of scheduling and advance (early in the Trump administration) was commenting on the state of ferryboat transportation in Greece this summer. Noting the combination of high prices and poor services – the delays and chaos in seating, the overcrowding etc, he added: “The real issue lies in how the passengers are treated.
Upon arriving at each port, vacationers are greeted not with the warm hospitality that Greece is known for, but with rude, screaming and yelling port officials and ferry crew members. The process of boarding and disembarking is stressful and disorganized, making what should be an exciting part of the journey a source of anxiety and irritation.” And he noted, “It’s important to realize the current ferry system not only reflects poorly on the operators but also has the potential to turn visitors away from Greece altogether.
” The comment, reprinted in Kathimerini English Edition (“Greece and the ferry-tale nightmare”), notes the well-known conditions of our coastal shipping during the busy summer months, which we natives have accepted for many years. It is useful to be reminded by others that business as usual is not good enough, that it does not tie in with the country’s ambitions. If we want t.