Voyages to Antiquity 2015 Winter Schedule

In 2013 we were on the Delhi to Istanbul tour. It was really a nice trip. You will like the pre tour of India. Tour company did a nice job of taking care of our well being. Hotels were superb also. I have not looked at your day by day, however we had 4 days at sea at one time and it was a pretty long time. If you are on for Easter you will be treated to a feast and some fun. Envious of you.

Thanks for the information about the India land tour, we are truly looking forward to it. Concerning the length of continuous days at sea, we have done 6 in the past, crossing the Atlantic, 4 days will be a breeze! We are travelling at Easter, so we shall look forward to feast and fun.

For anyone travelling to India a good read, fiction, is "Shantaram" by Gregory David Roberts.

Liz

Liz - congrats on booking with V2A, the AO is a lovely little ship with an amazing staff.

Best advice for you to know is that the ship is very laid back in their dress code so really no need to pack the long gowns, tuxes and bling unless you want to of course. I've even had fellow pax complain re the no jacket required in the MDR but really it's not that kind of cruise ship.

Having said that, the air-con in some of the public areas is very cold so a wrap or shawl is best.

Re the cabins - they are smaller than most standards and if you've booked one with fixed twin beds, the beds are very narrow.

It's nice to see a blog for this company so active again.

Shar

Thanks so much for the information. We have been cruising for many years and are very ready for a change from the big ships. We will never, ever, miss the dress codes on some of the lines. Long gowns and tuxes are not going to happen for us again, possibly at a grandchild's wedding though, but not on a ship! I am confident that this will be a wondrous adventure in India.

Innisfill.... we lived in Barrie for 11 years and my family had a place at Big Bay Point, a lovely part of Ontario!

Liz

It seems like forever but I am sure the time will go quickly. Especially if I squeeze another trip or two in before.

Well I have over a year to wait for my cruise. We have booked a back to back for June 2015 in the med. The ship was so nice I wish I could do it for every trip. Have debated doing Bangkok to Singapore for Feb 2015 but do not know if health will allow to travel so far. The experience on board is great. The website for the US is new so check it out. Nice pictures of the staff and dining rooms.

Well I have over a year to wait for my cruise. We have booked a back to back for June 2015 in the med. The ship was so nice I wish I could do it for every trip. Have debated doing Bangkok to Singapore for Feb 2015 but do not know if health will allow to travel so far. The experience on board is great. The website for the US is new so check it out. Nice pictures of the staff and dining rooms.

I'm on the Bangkok-Singapore in Feb 2015. The time goes by faster than you'd think. (Especially with another V2A cruise between now and then....:))

Cruisemom,

Are you on the grand voyage one of 30 days? Truly thinking of that as we are not doing the Belize, Honduras, Guatemala trip we were doing.

Cruisemom,

Are you on the grand voyage one of 30 days? Truly thinking of that as we are not doing the Belize, Honduras, Guatemala trip we were doing.

I'm on the 20-day voyage. Unfortunately I can't be away from work any longer than that.

Sorry - This is gonna be a little off-topic as the thread is about 2015, but there is not a lot on CC for this cruise company.

I will be on the Athens to Istanbul & Istanbul to Istanbul starting in September 2014 & wonder if anyone else is on either of those cruises.

Steve

Hi Steve - I know it can be frustrating looking for a roll call for this line and may I suggest that all of us try to persuade the company to set up some kind of roll call thing on their website or that other site that we are not supposed to mention here.

Several years ago, I set up a roll call for my first ever cruise with them and it got shanghaied by haters and was eventually locked down ... and rightly so. I've never tried to open another one since.

Anyway, any questions re the ports of call for your cruse, just ask away since some of us have probably been there on a past cruise.

Enjoy and I envy you your cruise on the lovely little ship. - Shar

Hi Steve - I know it can be frustrating looking for a roll call for this line and may I suggest that all of us try to persuade the company to set up some kind of roll call thing on their website or that other site that we are not supposed to mention here.

 

Several years ago, I set up a roll call for my first ever cruise with them and it got shanghaied by haters and was eventually locked down ... and rightly so. I've never tried to open another one since.

 

Anyway, any questions re the ports of call for your cruse, just ask away since some of us have probably been there on a past cruise.

 

Enjoy and I envy you your cruise on the lovely little ship. - Shar

How about asking CC to open up one for V2A just like any of the big cruise lines? How would one go about that?

My questions for my Black sea cruise are around the subject of the stops in Crimea, which might get cancelled. No point asking if Crimea will be cancelled just yet but It would be interesting to speculate what the company might substitute.

Steve

We will be travelling on this line at the end of the year from Mombasa. I am going to be posting this on the Roll Call for "Other Cruise lines". I have done so for other lines and ships which are too small too have their own spot.

Jean

We've requestsed a call back for the Singapore to Delhi March '15 cruise.

 

From reading the CC reviews things have improved since earlier cruises.

 

Since there is no thread just for this line, am I correct in assuming that there's no way to connect with fellow cruisers.

 

Ruth

I am booked on that cruise. I was on one last year to India that was cancelled. Can't wait to do this one.

Cathy

We've requestsed a call back for the Singapore to Delhi March '15 cruise.

 

From reading the CC reviews things have improved since earlier cruises.

 

Since there is no thread just for this line, am I correct in assuming that there's no way to connect with fellow cruisers.

 

Ruth

I am on that cruise. I started a thread but haven't seen any responses. Maybe too far away. I had been scheduled on an India one last year that was canceled. This one doesn't do a few things that the other did and that is a bit disappointing. Plus I have been to Singapore. That said, I am looking forward to the trip. I plan to stay a couple days in Delhi after and also get down the Ganges River. Looking for someone on the cruise that might like to extend a bit.

Cathy

Sorry - This is gonna be a little off-topic as the thread is about 2015, but there is not a lot on CC for this cruise company.

 

I will be on the Athens to Istanbul & Istanbul to Istanbul starting in September 2014 & wonder if anyone else is on either of those cruises.

 

Steve

Steve,

My husband and I will be on the cruise sailing from Istanbul on September 2nd. Very sad that so many of the scheduled ports were cancelled, but still looking forward to the new itinerary. We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise on VTA three years ago.

Hello Folks,

My husband, Craig, and I are sailing on the Aegean Odyssey on March 22 from Delhi to Athens. This will be our first time sailing with VTA and are truly looking forward to the adventure. We have been on many cruise, but not one of this style. Hopefully over the next 6 months there will be more entries on CC.

Liz

Steve,

My husband and I will be on the cruise sailing from Istanbul on September 2nd. Very sad that so many of the scheduled ports were cancelled, but still looking forward to the new itinerary. We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise on VTA three years ago.

Yes- it is very sad to miss Russia & Ukraine. I had hoped the alternates would be still in the Black Sea or more time in Istanbul, instead of what for me will be, more Greek Islands.

It is even sadder for those poor folk caught up in the Ukraine's problems.

I have been looking at the shore excursions and see they offer more than one included excursion on the same day. Any idea how that works out?

Steve

You can choose either of the excursions, but not both. In Batumi, both are half day, but Thessalonica has either a full day or half day.

You can choose either of the excursions, but not both. In Batumi, both are half day, but Thessalonica has either a full day or half day.

How does one make the choice? On line or on board? Is there a priority list for bookings? Do some choices get 'sold out' & late comers get what's left?

For half day tours - are there separate morning & afternoon tours?

At the back of my mind for all this is that I quite like being on board when everyone else is ashore. With a half day tour split between am & pm, the ship might be half empty for half a day - very nice.

Seve

How does one make the choice? On line or on board? Is there a priority list for bookings? Do some choices get 'sold out' & late comers get what's left?

 

For half day tours - are there separate morning & afternoon tours?

 

At the back of my mind for all this is that I quite like being on board when everyone else is ashore. With a half day tour split between am & pm, the ship might be half empty for half a day - very nice.

 

Seve

You will have a chance to book the shore excursions you want once you are onboard. They don't "sell out" to my knowledge except in a few cases where they definitely let you know that there are limited spaces (such as an excursion to a particular palazzo in Palermo).

Usually if a particular excursion is a half-day excursion, it is only offered once (e.g., morning only or afternoon only, not some in the morning and some in the afternoon).

You will have a chance to book the shore excursions you want once you are onboard. They don't "sell out" to my knowledge except in a few cases where they definitely let you know that there are limited spaces (such as an excursion to a particular palazzo in Palermo).

 

Usually if a particular excursion is a half-day excursion, it is only offered once (e.g., morning only or afternoon only, not some in the morning and some in the afternoon).

Thanks very much. Its is coming together nicely. Not long to go now. Going to be looking for a copy of The Iliad.

Looks like Iceland is going to blow it's top again soon. Hope it doesn't cause the same chaos as last time.

Steve

My husband and I are booked on 2 cruises next year; the Singapore to Bali and the Jordan to Athens. On the first one in January we are going with Road Scholar. Want to see what the difference is between being part of RS and not. we are frequent Road Scholar travelers. Has anyone sailed on VTA with Road Scholar?

I did not travel with road scholar on Voyages to Antiquity but when I did the Mumbai to Istanbul cruise there was a group of them which got on in Egypt. The tour director was well known on the ship. They usually had a private lecture with her at some point in the day. They always had a private tour when they left the ship on a private bus. The rest of us left at various times and they left at the same time. When we ended they went off and did not stay in the same hotels we did. They were a pretty tight group. Outside of that they did not seem to get anything extra. All were treated the same.on the ship. One of them made a remark as to why did they pay more when they got the same and to that we could not answer. Some of the people in the group were rather needy and that might have been why they went with Road Scholar. The tour director was a woman from a foreign country I cannot remember her name but she was memorable. That is about all I can say. It was a smaller group. They ate at the same times as we did and they did mingle a bit with others.

I did not travel with road scholar on Voyages to Antiquity but when I did the Mumbai to Istanbul cruise there was a group of them which got on in Egypt. The tour director was well known on the ship. They usually had a private lecture with her at some point in the day. They always had a private tour when they left the ship on a private bus. The rest of us left at various times and they left at the same time. When we ended they went off and did not stay in the same hotels we did. They were a pretty tight group. Outside of that they did not seem to get anything extra. All were treated the same.on the ship. One of them made a remark as to why did they pay more when they got the same and to that we could not answer. Some of the people in the group were rather needy and that might have been why they went with Road Scholar. The tour director was a woman from a foreign country I cannot remember her name but she was memorable. That is about all I can say. It was a smaller group. They ate at the same times as we did and they did mingle a bit with others.

We recently returned from a terrific Voyages to Antiquity cruise, Sept.25, Athens to Istanbul, "Constantinople, the Empire of the World..". There were two organized groups on board, AHI( Canadian and US university alumni)and Road Scholar. They went on their own buses and tended to eat together. We were in Balcony Class which gave us several perks such as our group bus always departed first, avoiding crowds and the heat. We had a higher quality hotel in both cities. Those in Balcony Class cabins who were part of the organized groups did not have those perks. The woman in the cabin adjacent to ours was amazed at what she was missing by being with a group. It seems to be an unnecessary second level when the ship provides so well for it's guests. They use the same guides and excursions. I think each group had an additional orientation and farewell meeting, different arrangements in Athens and Istanbul.

We were all given the same lectures, usually 4-5 pm, and meetings to prepare us for the upcoming excursions. The Shorex staff were always there to help during excursions and one always at the end of each group. We can't wait to book another trip with V to A! AHI and Road Scholars offer excellent trips but I can't see why it's advantageous to travel on V to A with an organized group.