Meltemi and ferries: do sailings get cancelled?

What the meltemi is and when it blows

The meltemi is the Greek name for the Etesian winds. The Hellenic National Meteorological Service (HNMS) describes them as the north winds that blow mainly over the Aegean in the warm part of the year and temper the summer heat.

Meteopedia, the encyclopedia of meteo.gr, adds the detail. They blow in the warm season with their peak strength from mid-June to early September, driven by high pressure over the Balkans (or central Europe) against low pressure in the south-east Mediterranean. They come from the north-east in the north Aegean, from the north in the central Aegean and from the north-west around the Dodecanese. They reach force 6 to 7 and sometimes force 8 to 9 in the central Aegean, usually strongest at midday and in the afternoon and easing in the evening and at night.

What force 6 to 9 means

The HNMS Beaufort scale puts numbers on it:

HNMS issues a gale warning for winds of force 8 and 9 and a storm warning for force 10 or higher. Its sea-area forecasts give wind direction and force on the Beaufort scale for each sub-area, with a 12-hour outlook.

Who decides, and the limit we could not confirm

Blue Star Ferries' general conditions say the company is not responsible for delays, changes or cancelled itineraries caused by bad weather, by orders from the Ministry of Mercantile Marine or the port authorities, or by force majeure. The call is made by the operator and the authorities on the day.

We did not find an official page that sets one wind force at which Greek ferries stop sailing, and the notices we read name no limit, so we do not quote one. Treat any single number you see elsewhere as unconfirmed. The notice below shows that on the same day some ships were rerouted, some changed times and some were cancelled.

What a cancellation notice looks like

On 14 August 2026 at 16:50, Blue Star Ferries updated a notice titled "Itineraries Modifications due to bad weather conditions" that covers 9 to 16 August 2026. It does not name the wind. For Friday 14 August it listed, among other changes:

• the 13:45 Piraeus to Ermioni and Spetses sailing and the Hydra call on the 13:00 Poros and Hydra sailing cancelled, while other high-speed sailings ran at changed times with no ticket change required;
• the Artemis sailing from Lavrio at 07:00 to Kea, Kythnos and Syros, and its 13:30 sailing from Syros to Paros, Naxos, Ios, Sikinos, Folegandros, Kimolos and Milos, cancelled;
• the Blue Star Paros sailing from Piraeus at 07:30 to Syros, Tinos and Mykonos and back cancelled;
• Blue Star Myconos skipping Syros and Mykonos and leaving Piraeus at 07:15 for Evdilos and Karlovasi instead.

Each entry ends with either "Ticket change is required, please contact the agency where you made your booking" or "No ticket change is required". Operators replace these notices as conditions change, so read the current one for your own sailing.

If your sailing is cancelled

Blue Star's conditions treat a delay and a cancellation differently:

• Delayed departure: passengers and vehicles can embark without changing their tickets.
• Cancelled departure: the ticket is not valid for boarding and must be exchanged for a ticket on the next scheduled departure, subject to availability. The company asks passengers to contact its port agencies for the new departure time, and to give their travel agency a phone number so they can be reached if a departure is cancelled for bad weather.

The EU's "Your Europe" page on ship passenger rights, which the Hellenic Coast Guard links from its own passenger-rights page, describes what carriers must offer:

• If a crossing is cancelled, a choice between reimbursement of the ticket within 7 days (with a free return to the departure point where needed) and re-routing to your destination at the earliest opportunity at no extra cost.
• Snacks, meals or refreshments in proportion to the waiting time, if they are available or can reasonably be supplied.
• No right to accommodation when the cancellation was caused by severe weather conditions.
• The same choice if a departure is delayed by more than 90 minutes. Compensation for a late arrival (25% to 50% of the ticket price) does not apply when the delay was caused by severe weather.

The two sources describe the situation differently (an exchange for the next sailing versus a choice of refund or re-routing), so if your sailing is cancelled, ask the agency or the operator which applies to your ticket. The Coast Guard's page also has a complaint form for passenger-rights issues.

Planning around it

• Between mid-June and early September expect the meltemi, and check the HNMS marine bulletin and your operator's notices the day before and on the morning of your sailing.
• The wind usually peaks at midday and in the afternoon, so look at the forecast for the hour you sail, not just the day.
• Keep a spare day before flights and non-refundable bookings. This is our suggestion, not an operator rule.
• Give your agency or operator a mobile number: Blue Star asks for one so passengers can be contacted if a departure is cancelled for bad weather.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Meteopedia (meteo.gr), "Etesian winds" (in Greek)
• HNMS, Climate of Greece
• HNMS, Marine: Beaufort scale
• HNMS, Guide to marine bulletins
• Blue Star Ferries, General Conditions of Ferry Travel
• Blue Star Ferries, notice "Itineraries Modifications due to bad weather conditions", 9-16 August 2026
• Your Europe, Passenger rights when travelling by ship
• Hellenic Coast Guard, Ship Passenger Rights

All pages were read on 16 October 2026. Operators and authorities change them, so check the current version before you travel.

Times, prices and frequencies are indicative and change by season and operator. Always confirm the live timetable before you book.