Princess of Acadia ferry replacement finishes its Greek duties

The ferry set to replace the Princess of Acadia has finished its work in Greece.

The MV Blue Star Ithaki is expected to begin sailing between Saint John, New Brunswick and Digby, Nova Scotia sometime in 2015.

In Greece, the ferry connected the Aegean Islands with mainland Greece.

Makedonia Koutsoumpeli studied at St. Thomas University in Fredericton and works as a journalist in Athens. She says people on the island of Siros bid the ship farewell after its last run on Oct. 25.

The islanders actually said goodbye. They had signs with a farewell saying, 'Calm seas our dearest Ithaki wherever you may sail, from all the passengers who loved you,' said Koutsoumpeli.

The captain of the ship was also emotional.

He was blowing the whistle as he left the island port for the last time and churches were ringing their bells as well," said Koutsoumpeli.

She says the Ithaki carried more than 10 million people during its 14 years of Greek service.

The Canadian government recently announced it purchased the Ithaki for $44.6 million. It's a slightly smaller and faster ship than the worn out Princess of Acadia.