Blue Star Delos is a fast ferry operated by the Greek company Blue Star Ferries. Built between 2010 and 2011 by Daewoo Shipbuilding in South Korea, it has been sailing since November 2011 on Blue Star Ferries routes in the Aegean Sea.
Origins and construction
At the dawn of the 2010s, Blue Star Ferries considered strengthening its fleet dedicated to serving the Aegean Sea archipelagos. Throughout the previous decade, the company had expanded its network with the opening of new routes to the Dodecanese and the North Aegean, in addition to its long-standing connections with the Cyclades. With this promising outlook, the shipping company placed an order for two new ferries with the South Korean shipyard Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME).
Based on the design of the three previous Blue Star ferries—Ithaki, Paros, and Naxos —also built by the same shipyards, the new vessels represent a significant evolution compared to their predecessors. In addition to being larger and faster, they are also much more comfortable, despite a deliberately compact size to allow easy access to all ports.
The first ship, named Blue Star Delos, was launched on November 20, 2010. After finishing work, it underwent sea trials on June 5 and 6, 2011 before being delivered to Blue Star Ferries on October 18.