Greek Ferries & TicketsThanks to a fairly comprehensive maritime transport system of Greek ferries, you can be assured that the Greek islands are a relatively easy place to travel around, and it is getting easier with the passing of time and improved technologically advanced vessels.
A major part of any of our trips to the islands is always the excitement of catching the ferries, particularly the open deck variety when travelling in the warmth of the June and September sunshine. Because of a fairly recent tragedy and consequent government intervention, more and more replacement ferries are much more modern and comfortable and they all (in the main) offer on board catering facilities, which range from a simple coffee or bottle of mineral water to full-blown restaurant facilities.
In fact, it is more like flying in an aircraft than sailing in the Aegean Sea...Such is progress! However, we don't use these types of ship that often, as it means we can't roam freely on an open deck, find a place to lay down and take a snooze, or simply get the sun on our backs and the wind in our hair. To my partner and me, that's what ferry rides are about. Many high-speed ferries, such as those Greek island ferries run by Minoan lines and Blue Star Ferries are a better option in my opinion. They offer up all the facilities you would find on one of the catamarans I've briefly discussed already, but they are more like the old style conventional Greek ferries. Though not as fast as the catamarans and hydrofoils, but if you are on a particularly long trip, like ferries to Rhodes from Piraeus, they can make the journey much more pleasurable.
The cost of such a trip is comparable to a discounted airline ticket from somebody like Aegean Air, but I guess your 'carbon cost' would be lower. If like me, you find the whole idea of roaming the islands a romantic notion, and you yearn for the old days to continue for as long as possible, you can still find intensive smoke-filled cafeterias with three TVs, all showing different programmes, with nobody listening; the ubiquitous un-sanitised bathroom facilities and 'Casablanca type' voyages across the seas...just choose carefully! The changes being effected by the industry - out of necessity and government requirements - means that such past wonderful experiences will soon be 'fenced-off' within our memories.  With the tragic sinking of the Greek ferry boat 'Express Samina' off the coast of Paros in September 2000, with the loss of 82 lives, Greece's domestic ferry scene has undergone a radical transformation.
Whilst they have in sort, disappeared, there are still a small number of these slow boats still doing 'the beat' between island sea routes, and in an almost anachronistic way, they are fun; but you do have to have plenty of time for these older Greek ferries. Every island will have a ferry service of some kind or another, but do bear in mind that some of the winter services to some of the smaller islands in particular, can be massively reduced. Ferry services will run with higher levels of service during the visitor period of April onwards, so that by the time July and August arrive, there are innumerable services busily ferrying passengers throughout the whole of the Greek islands territory. Ferries vary so much that some people are completely surprised when they arrive at the dock for their journey. From giant 'super-ferries' which cover very long distances and work the major routes, to the small and often ageing, small, open, private ferries which provide services to the more remote islands, they are quite often considered an unexpected surprise or shock to some folks and they can be quite daunting. Ears you decidedthe itinerary, for your trip it's probably a good idea to gain some understanding of the differences between high and low season, ferry, hi speed, hydrofoil and tour boat types and three vagaries of the Greek ferry ticket system has all of these elements can have an impact on the way in which you travel around the various island chains. 
The high season period is only 12-14 weeks, running from late June through to the end of September, with the tourist peak period considered to be the last week in July to the end of the third week in August. This means that Greek ferries and companies are working flat out for a fairly short length of time during the year. Most companies leave the organising of their ferry schedules until the very last moment (this is Greece after all...and what's the rush) and as a consequence it is quite difficult to get definitive operating timetables for trips that you may want to take at some time in the future. Having said that the majority of operators leave their timetables untouched for the high season from year to year; with the exception of an odd tweak here and there. Given the experience that we have from sailing over many years, I would estimate that you will normally find between 60-80% of sailing in any one year to be replicated the following year. However, it's not uncommon for companies to swap and change ferry boats along with their names and schedules; consequently you might find that Greek ferries on the odd route here and there, may have been brought forward or put back an hour or two.
We love travelling outside of the high season and there are many reasons for this. However, there is a price to be paid in the terms of reduced ferry activity levels and considerable fluctuations in the times of services and quite often, the actual company that run them.
The low seasons also bring with them, less stable weather and times are much more dependent on sea conditions, as is the likelihood of any of the smaller boats running, with hydrofoil and catamaran services barely available at all. June and October are particularly awkward months to describe simply because services are either expanding during the former, or running down in the latter. During the low season, reliability also declines. This is partly due to poorer sea conditions (as late as the end of May you can encounter storms that will leave ships port bound for 24 hours), but economic factors also come into play. Greek ferry companies are granted licences by the Greek government providing they adhere to certain agreements. They commit to operate on an annual basis, and they are duty bound to regularly visit the less popular and visited islands. The result is that they run very profitably for four months of the year and at a loss for the rest of the year. Their losses are reduced, by reducing less profitable winter service operations, and it is very tempting to have a ferry suffer a ' mechanical failure' from time to time, so as to ensure not too many losses are incurred. If you would like information about Greek ferry tickets and how and where to purchase them you can get it here!
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Most people visiting Greece, love the idea of island hopping and they enjoy the ferries to Greek islands, which of course, all adds to the fun of coming to the region.
Some of these Greek ferries, particularly the closed catamaran style ferries offer 
Unfortunately, because the ferry companies are making massive investments to ensure quality facilities are available to their customers and that they travel safely, they can be quite expensive, especially if you want a cabin, where you can sleep in relative comfort. 
The slow rust-buckets are now beginning to be a thing of the past. 
The Low Season Port Tables are not usually provided, simply because in most instances, travelling between the islands is merely a matter of catching the single boat every 24/48 hours running up or down, the major chains.