Black Sea cruise, our experiences

Hi All

We just got back from a cruise around the Black Sea, on the HAL Prinsendam. I got so much very helpful info on these boards as I planned our trip, that I thought I would post some tips and experiences we had. Really just a small supplement to what has already been posted multiple other places but it might help. We found some of it a little confusing, so maybe we can help others out with these notes. All in all, we were pretty well-prepared after reading these boards but you can’t have too much information!! Most of my notes are about finding free wifi but some other things crept in along the way!

Athens

Our cruise started and ended in Athens and we arrived a day early and stayed an extra day before and after our cruise. I am posting about all the ports we stayed, in order.

X95 Express —as noted in other posts, it does go to Syntagma square. It also makes a few other stops mostly for locals who seem to be trying to transfer to other bus routes to get home. Anyway, you exit the terminal and go right, the buses you are looking for are at the far end. There is a ticket kiosk there and you get your tickets (5 euro per person), then you get on the bus. The buses park by signs at the curb that show the numbers (X93, X95, X96, etc). Once you get on and stow your bags you need to validate your ticket. There is a small box right by the center door of the bus (probably where you got on), you insert the ticket in that, it stamps the time and date, and it is validated. Note that there is plenty of luggage storage but the locals like to lay their bags flat, so you can either pile yours on top, or, stand the bags up and squeeze yours in. We did the latter and no one complained. I’m not sure which way is better. There are no bars or bands around the luggage area to keep the bags from coming out into the aisle when the bus makes turns. We moved some bags to make room for 1 of ours to stand up, then put our other bag on top and had no issues. The trip takes about 45 minutes; we didn't hit too much traffic until we got into downtown Athens. Don’t get confused when the bus starts making stops and people get off. Syntagma is the last stop and bus stops across from the square, on a street on a small hill. Once you get off the bus, you cross the street and can catch the metro. If you have a bag, even a small one that rolls, I suggest you either walk down to the bottom of the hill, cross the street and turn right, then walk across the square to find the metro station, which is at the other end of the square, on the side closer to the street the bus dropped you off at. Or, you can cross at the middle of the street, and take a short flight of stairs down to the square, then turn right and walk about 50 yards to the metro station—there is an elevator right there, so you can get you and your luggage down to the ticket booths and platforms. When we got there, it had just rained and the steps, which are very smooth stone, were very slippery when wet. Whatever you do, don’t walk to the top of the hill, and cross over to the square! If you do, you will have to navigate 2 fairly long sets of stairs that are steep and slippery when wet. Even if it is dry, you might not want to try this since the steeps are steep and there are 2 sets of them.

Metro

Once you get to the ticketing level, you can use the automated machines (there are instructions/info in English) or you can wait in a line and buy your ticket(s). We waited in line and the woman attendant spoke English. We bought 24 hour use tickets for 4 euro’s each, worked great for us since we were leaving for the cruise the next morning. Note that the ticket you buy is good for the metro, the electric rail, the trolley and buses. As with the airport bus, you need to validate your metro ticket (1 time only); there are some small machines on short poles as you enter the area that leads to the platforms. Just insert the ticket and it is time/date stamped and you are good to go for however long you r ticket lasts. The metro is easy to use—all the stations are marked in Greek and English, and the stops are announced in both Greek and English. If you have bags, be sure and take the time to find the elevator and take it to the street. If you don’t you will have to drag your bags up long flights of stairs, which even we found hard to do and we are pretty fit. There are escalators, but oddly, sometimes they are all just going down when you need to go up!! As you exit the train at a station, look up and towards the ends of the platform—there are electric signs that show the escalators and which way they go (a little red guy goes up or down to show which way!!). There are also signs that show where the elevators are, usually in the middle of the platform in a little alcove.

Acropolis—we spent the afternoon at the Acropolis and nearby areas. All I have to say about this is be prepared! We knew the Acropolis was on a hill but it is ON A HILL. No kidding, the walk up to the top (the Parthenon) is very steep in places, and the ground/steps are uneven. There is a path, but it alternates from a steep ramp-like walk, to steps that are not at an even height (and some are quite high, especially for short people. I am 5’2’, and had some trouble climbing some of the higher steps on the steeper slopes) to just a rough path around trees. If it is also hot, it is a looong way up and there isn't much shade. We were there in October and it was pretty warm; I don’t think I would have liked doing this in the summer heat and with a lot more people. I found it hard to do, even with some stops at points of interest along the way, and we live at a high altitude and I am fairly fit. We didn't try the museum, but that might be a good alternative for anyone who can’t/doesn’t want to hike to the top. It is a great view up there but it takes some effort. Definitely wear comfy shoes and bring water.

Cruise port—there are 2 terminals now and terminal A has 2 shops where you can buy wine. The first is as soon as you enter the terminal. Just go left and it is the corner of the terminal. There is also a Duty Free shop in Terminal A, after you clear the security checkpoint but before you board. We found the prices to be comparable at both places but the selection was better at the Duty Free shop. I read that the terminal has free wifi but I never had a chance to check.

Volos

Well, this is an interesting spot I suppose but not very tourist friendly. The best thing is that there is free wifi at the small terminal building at the port! It isn't blazingly fast but not slow, and there were quite a few people using it when we were there. For reasons I won’t go into, we really needed email access during our trip, so this was a godsend. HAL has (overpriced and slow) internet access and the port was better—for free!! We heard a rumor that there was a free shuttle to the city center but we never saw one. There were some cabs queued up for about 2 hours after we got into port, not sure how much they charge. We walked into town—about 1.5 miles. Not a difficult walk and it is well-marked but still kind of a long walk, and it is very uneven in places. The streets and sidewalks are narrow and there are a lot of cars parked that block your path, so this isn't practical for a wheelchair or if you are dragging a bag (not sure why you would but just in case). And once you get to the city center, there isn't much to see/do/buy. No signs in English, a few restaurants along the waterside, and shops one street over (the “main drag”) but they weren't offering anything you want. Unless you were interested in a lawnmower, getting a key made, a safe, or some fresh fish!! We chose not to take a HAL excursion here, but I guess you could. We weren't convinced any excursion was worth the $100 they were charging. 4 people I knew took a private tour to Meteora, and they enjoyed it. Cost them $200 for the cab/ride to and from Meteora. We didn't go, so I have no first-hand knowledge. If you want to see the monastery, a private tour might be best. There really isn't any reason to go into the city, but it is a pleasant enough walk. It is a pretty industrial around the port and city center but is good exercise if you want to give it a go.

Sinop

This was our next stop. We had to tender in and that took awhile. The water was pretty rough and the ship had to ride out a decent swell, after some huge storms had hit the Black Sea the week before (this was a recurring theme throughout the cruise—read on!). Once again, there isn't much here but right at the port there are several shops that sell various sizes of the carved wooden boats you probably heard about. I think Sinop is famous for them. We didn't buy any, but they were priced from 5 euro and up, depending on the size and amount of detail. I think they were priced in euros but it might have been in Turkish Lira. There is no terminal but there are tons of little cafes/bars along the waterfront and all have free wireless access. We picked one about halfway down, and went into the little plastic tent they have. The restaurant is actually across the street but they all set up these outside areas along the water to sit in. Not sure if there were all covered due to recent rain or because summer was over. I tried to log in to the wireless network, but it was secure. We don’t speak Turkish and the young man serving didn't speak English, but we ordered some tea (very good too—it was sort of cool since we were there early in the morning) and motioned him to log us in. he did it but didn't know he had to enter the code twice. Once we straightened that out, we did great. He was very helpful, even though all we could do was use hand motions. It cost us less than a dollar (in Lira) for the tea and we left the equivalent of $2 as a tip, since he was so helpful and we really needed to check email. Then we walked around the town, but really there isn't much to see.

Sochi

Our next port was Sochi. When we got to Sochi, once again the rough waves caused problems. We had to tender because the Russians closed the port so they could build a new one in preparation for the Olympics (even the captain commented that this seemed like a dumb, but very Russian, idea!!). It was really bad and the captain had to keep moving the ship to try and find some calm water. It took about 3 hours to get off the ship. We had a private tour set up and were one of the last groups off. It was hard to get into the tender—you had to time your step so that you stepped into the tender when it was rising up, not falling down between waves. Easy for us, but some people had a huge problem which is why is was so slow.

We didn't have time to use wireless in Sochi, so I don’t know if there were cafes nearby that had it. If you aren't on a HAL tour or a private tour, you need a visa to get off in Sochi and they cost about $250. I didn't talk to anyone who had one, so I don’t know if anyone used any cafes/bars with wifi.

Our private tour was great, we set it up through Julia with Sochi Holidays Travel Agency, holidays@sochi.com. Cost was $120 each and our guide was Anna, who was quite good. We spent about 5 hours on the tour. We saw some cathedrals and the main drag of Sochi, went to Stalin’s dacha, a tea house where we had black tea and breads with different jams and spreads, then we headed back to town, saw some monuments and more cathedrals and went back to port. We stopped a couple of other places but now I can’t remember where. Heard from a lot of folks that they didn't like their HAL excursions, so we felt lucky our private tour worked out so well. Personally, I think they are going to have a problem when the Winter Olympics come but I could be wrong. I don’t think they will really be set up to receive people into the city, and have enough for them to do.

Sea day/Sevastopol

We had 1 sea day on the way to Sevastopol after Sochi; Sevastopol was the furthest north we went. The swell was still causing a lot of trouble and we were in rough seas. As a result, many people were sick the night before we got to Sevastopol. The MDR was pretty empty, Lido was deserted; they had staff from MDR and Lido moved to help with room service—everyone was ordering broth, crackers and green apples! That was formal night, so we went to the MDR, dinner was great.

Due to the high seas and so many people being sick, and to try and make up for the very long disembarkation in Sochi, the captain tired to call Sevastopol on Sunday to see if we could come in and dock the night before (Monday night). But because it was Sunday, no one was around. But lo and behold, they got back to him bright and early on Monday and said, that yes, we could come in early and have berth at the dock—woo hoo!! So, we got to Sevastopol at about 5 pm. We were allowed to get off the ship that evening and I think people started feeling better about how the cruise was going.

We walked around town that night but didn't do much—it was hard to tell what was going on and I never saw any signs about wireless at any of the clubs/bars/cafes but I talked to some people who said they found a lot of places that had free wifi right near the port.

We had another private tour booked, with Sergey, who has received great reviews on these boards. We didn't have any local currency, and arranged with Sergey to have them pay for our museum entry fees and we just paid the tour guide (Luba) for the tour and the fees. It ended up costing us $177 each for the tour and access to all the museums—there were 11 of us. First we went to the Valley of Death (where the Light Brigade had their famous charge), heard the whole history of that battle, then we went to St Clement church, where there is also a cave monastery. It was interesting but all the women had to wear scarves and they made us wear these skirt/apron things to go into the cave—I didn't like that part!! We also went to the Assumption Monastery (scarves, no skirts!). This was all in Balchistray. Next we went to the Khan palace and learned a lot about Sevastopol history and how it was ruled by the khan (who was from Turkey, as it turned out). That took more than an hour. Next we had lunch at a nice café in Balchistray—we had wine, lamb stew, baked lamb pie and baklava for 3 people for 80 hravinas (or whatever the Ukrainian currency is—I could never remember so we just called them havalinas!! LOL) that was like $10!! Great bargain and great food. Then we made a stop at a local winery because a few of us wanted to get some local wine—we bought 3 bottles for 145 havalinas (!!), which is about $18. We bought 1 bottle for our guide—who was excellent. Next we did a speed tour of the sub base at Balaclava—we were running out of time. It was pretty interesting and we saw all the highlights. Then we made a mad dash to see the Panorama. I wasn't that excited about this and would have been fine if we had skipped it, but I am so glad we didn't. We decided to risk being late back to the ship (all aboard was supposed to be 4 pm) so we could see the Panorama. Our guide did some quick talking and negotiating with the museum folks and we were able to squeeze in between 2 groups to see the Panorama (you are assigned a time to go in, so each group enters, does the tour, then exits, there is a whole flow to it). We had to skip all but the actual Panorama—all I can say is OMG! It was great. I didn't think it would be nearly as good as it was, and I am so glad we went. It was the highlight of the trip up to that point for me (even including the Acropolis). Very well done and you can’t tell where the painted image ends and the stuff in front starts. Very cool. Then we raced back to the port—we arrived at 4:10 and the ship was still there, even though we were late. As it turned out, 2 HAL excursions were late. And they didn't get back until 4:40, so we needn't have rushed, since we had to wait for them anyway.

Nessebur

Next stop, supposed to tender in but no way the Captain could find a way to lower the tenders safely (due to the swells, again), so once again, quick thinking has us move 20 miles further south to make a stop at another port—Borgas (or Burgas or Bourgas, depending on which sign/spelling you used). No tendering required, brand new pax terminal; we were the 2nd ship to use it. Not much to see, not sure about wireless at the new terminal—I found a wireless connection but not sure how. The town was not set up for tourists but sort of pretty. We walked down a main drag that had lots of shops and cafes (and I am sure they all had wireless) but you could only use the local currency (the lev). We decided we didn't want anything from there, so didn't get any local cash. But there are ATMs everywhere if you want some local currency.

Istanbul

What can I say—it is Istanbul and this was easily the highlight of the cruise for us. We booked a private tour through Ephesus tours and our guide was Mustafa. He was great. We saw everything—the Blue Mosque, the cistern, the Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, the bazaar and the Spice Market. We also had a nice lunch at a place our guide recommended. It was terrific, but we walked 15 km, which is a little more than 9 miles!! (Our guide told us he had a pedometer and that was what it read when we were done). We covered the same ground a few times because we were there on a Friday and the Blue Mosque didn't open until 2:30. Even so, be prepared to do a lot of walking. We ended up at a carper shop—I think almost all tours end up going to a carpet shop. There is a sort of high pressure sales pitch, so be prepared for that too. The carpets are amazing, made out of silk, lamb wool, cotton and combinations, from 625 knots per inch and down, and pretty expensive. If you want one, be sure and bargain with them. I suggest starting a little less than half what they are saying—and make them pay the shipping! We never looked for wifi here but I am sure the cafes and bars have it.

Mykonos

Our last stop was here—another tender port, and other problem getting the ship positioned so we could lower the tenders. There was a lot of wind, which caused some decent waves. The Captain finally maneuvered the ship to an Ok spot but the tender trip was quite bumpy. As soon, as we got off the tender, we found a café that advertised free high speed Internet—Kadena café, I think, right on the water as soon as you walk into the central part of the city (we tendered right into the main part of the city, not from the terminal further away). We ordered hot chocolate at 4.5 Euros each (!) but it was pretty good and you got a big mug of it. They did have a strong Internet signal (and the clever password of 12345678!) and it was secure, so not a bad deal. We walked all over Mykonos, saw the windmills, went into a lot of the shops, and ended up having lunch at a place right behind the main buildings on the water at the port—it was called Paraportiani Restaurant. My hubby had the mousaka, I had lamb souvlaki, we each had a glass of local red wine, and we got a 1 liter bottle of water. It cost about 28 euros and I thought the food was excellent.

Athens

We returned to Athens to end the cruise. We had arranged a private tour to the areas outside Athens with Nikos Loukas of http://www.privategreecetours.com. We had arranged to meet the driver at 8 am, so we did expedited disembarkation. We got off the ship at 7 am, and had to take the shuttle from terminal B where we docked over to terminal A, where we were to meet the driver. His name was Tom and he was great. He came at about 7:50 am, we piled in the nice Mercedes cab and off we went. We saw the Corith canal, Corinth, Mycenae, and a few other places (this was the Argolis tour, 8 hours, with an option to also add Epidarus, which we decided not to do). We had also asked to stop somewhere for lunch and our driver took us to a place he knew. We had a nice lunch of pasta with shrimp (hubby) and I had pasta with mixed seafood (shrimp, mussels and squid), 2 glasses of red wine and a 1 liter bottle of water for about 31 euros. It was good. We could have had a fresh fish (and you go inside and pick out the very one you want!), but it was about 30-35 euros each for this, which we thought was a lot for lunch, so we just stuck with the pasta dishes. After lunch we headed back to Athens and our hotel, we got back at about 4 pm. It was a long day but I liked this tour a lot more than the Acropolis but that’s just me. We stayed at the Athens Lotus Hotel for one night before and after our cruise and thought it was pretty good. We found it on Hotwire and got it for $55 a night. It was advertised as a 4 star hotel and is in a diverse working neighborhood. Maybe it wasn't quite that good but it was clean, the rooms were small but air conditioned, and you could get a breakfast buffet for 8 or 10 euros (but no tissues in the room!). It is just a block or so from the Metaxmagouro metro stop, which is only 3 stops from the Acropolis (or maybe 4). I read some reviews that said the area wasn't safe at night but we didn't have any problems. I might not stay out past 9 or 10 but I think it still might be OK. There is a nice little local restaurant another 2 blocks up the street from the hotel that we discovered the 2nd night we were there. We each had the gyro dinner, and wine for 15 euros!! It was called To Neon or something like that and the owner spoke English, which was a big help. I would recommend eating there, as it is close to the hotel, the food is great and prices are good. There is also a market a few blocks away where you can buy some wine or bottled water. The staff at the hotel is very helpful and they all speak English, so that makes it easier.

That’s about all I have to say. Hope someone finds this useful. Sorry it is so long. I can try and answer any questions but no guarantees!!

ML

Thanks for the review, there are not many of the BS so this will be helpful to many future cruisers.

Thanks for posting your review. We are considering a cruise that includes Istanbul so your post is very helpful.

Thanks for the review, there are not many of the BS so this will be helpful to many future cruisers.

Hi Kirk

well, less of a review than a retelling of our experience but I was trying to add some details we never knew before we went. P was off to Malta for the mini-dry dock for the stabilizer after we got off.

ML

Thanks for posting your review. We are considering a cruise that includes Istanbul so your post is very helpful.

Great--glad to hear it helped someone! If you have any questions, just post here and i can try and help.

good luck

ML

Lovely to read your review - we did one of the Black Sea in August this year which we loved; would like to return & see more now! We were more fortunate with the weather at that time of year & enjoyed Nessebar, Sevastopol, Constanta, Istanbul & Cesme then we did a 2nd week on a B2B cruise. Reading your comments brought back some happy memories of our trip, thank you :)

Lovely to read your review - we did one of the Black Sea in August this year which we loved; would like to return & see more now! We were more fortunate with the weather at that time of year & enjoyed Nessebar, Sevastopol, Constanta, Istanbul & Cesme then we did a 2nd week on a B2B cruise. Reading your comments brought back some happy memories of our trip, thank you :)

happy to bring back good memories! did you really like Constanta--i couldn't find anyone on our cruise who did? was it all torn up when you were there? That might make a difference. I didn't even include it in this list because i didn't go into the city. My husband did and said it wasn't that great.

ML

happy to bring back good memories! did you really like Constanta--i couldn't find anyone on our cruise who did? was it all torn up when you were there? That might make a difference. I didn't even include it in this list because i didn't go into the city. My husband did and said it wasn't that great.

 

ML

Let's just say, I'm glad I've been to see it & to add another port to my list but actually no, it wasn't my most favourite port!

This was the review I did when we went - I didn't post it in this section before so hope you don't mind me adding it to yours - at least it might help others ;)

Ports Review Crimean Discovery

Everything went smoothly on this Black Sea cruise - all very slick & organised.

I would recommend listening to the commentary through the Dardanelles on the way to Istanbul. It is a very moving talk detailing the history of the area as you sail past all the various monuments. They also have a minute silence at the end followed by the ship sounding the horn - very emotional. We also stayed up for the sail through Istanbul at night too - it was about 1am-ish that we started to go through & we saw the city lit up at night with the Bridges that change their colour. Also, the sail-in back through the Bosphorous that started at 6.15am was well worth getting up for; we had dolphins following us all the way.

Nessebar

This is a tender port and as we had read that people had had problems getting off on previous cruises, wehad booked a walking tour of Nessebar which was the churches one. To be honest, I am glad we did that as it was only for about an hour & it was very interesting & the guide took us round a lot of the town & told us lots of information which we would not have gathered otherwise. After that we had free time & just wandered around. There was a small beach there & mainly the town was full of shops & restaurants - I'm not sure we would have spent so long there if it wasn't for the tour. It was very pretty but not an awful lot there to see unless we just completely missed it all! Shopping is very cheap there - handbags, belts etc - we took £25 in local currency & we literally had to walk round the shops trying to spend it!!!

Other people managed to DIY with no problems - they release a certain amount of tender tickets & once they have gone you just have to wait your turn to get off; we met some people who had no tender tickets but managed to get off & see what they wanted. We also met some people who went on the wine & food tour & they said it was superb; if ever we went back, think I would opt for that or another trip as would probably be a fuller day.

Constanta

This is something else!!!!! We did the cycle trip which took us to parts that most tourists probably wouldn't see; interesting is what I can say. Constanta looks like it has been bombed in parts & they are trying to rebuild it - pot holes everywhere on the roads - made for exciting cycling!!! Also got taken on some pretty busy roads which I wasn't too keen on but we lived to tell the tale!

Now, if you like tacky beach resorts with music blaring out, tourist shops, equivalent of fish & chip shops everywhere & scantily clad ladies dancing on platforms on the beach, then Mamaia is for you - it was definitely not a place that we liked but it's all part of life's tapestries & we can say we've been there & would not go back; it was mid August & lots of holidaymakers there so maybe it will be quieter at another time of year. Certainly lots of places to shop & eat & drink. The beach itself is lovely - one huge long stretch that seems to go on forever, it's just a shame that they have covered it in sunbeds, parasols & the like.

Glad we got off & saw it for the experience & the people locally were very friendly. I do wonder if cruise ships HAVE to visit a Romanian port as part of the conditions of being allowed to do a Black Sea cruise as I see no other reason for going there really. The port was actually very interesting; lots of Navy fleet & a submarine were in port the day we arrived.

Sevastopol

We did the Submarine base & Balaclava tour from Sevastopol - very, very interesting.

We drove to Balaclava passing by some interesting places which were pointed out to us by the guide & saw the location of the Charge of the Light Brigade.

We had a fascinating tour of the Submarine Base which was huge - the place was a mass of underground tunnels including canals & dry docks where they hid the submarines. Balaclava was actually taken off maps for several years because of this base & the nuclear fallout shelter that was kept a secret from the rest of the world.

We loved what we saw of Ukraine & wished we were able to spend longer there. It was a fascinating port to sail-in to; lots of interesting monuments all around & some impressive views. We ended up tendering here as a US Navy ship had arrived & pinched our berth so there was quite a long wait for everyone to get off until they had sorted it all. Big queues coming back at the end of the day too.

Everyone we spoke to who did the Panorama said it was really good but I didn't speak to anyone who did it themselves. I would imagine it may be a problem getting in as a lot of the people on the ship were doing the Panorama and of course you would have other tours from other places going there too.

Istanbul

This was our 3rd visit to the city - what an amazingingly vibrant, busy & bustling place with so much of interest to see & visit. This year we were docked a good walk from the Galata Bridge - we had to walk quite a way out of the port before we actually got anywhere. We spent our whole day walking, taking in all the sights & sounds. We found our way to the Galata Tower, a pleasant walk through the streets uphill. We paid 15Tkl to get in & go up to the top in a lift - well worth it for the fantastic views all around the city - photographer's heaven!

From here, we walked down through the narrow streets & over across the Galata Bridge, around the fish markets then up the hill where we visited the Sulieymane Mosque which was beautiful. This Mosque is set in a lovely area with beautiful grounds & lots of buildings surrounding it. We felt it was much quieter & prettier than the Blue Mosque & not full of people.

From here, we walked & spent some time in the Grand Bazaar then walked down to the Hippodrome area seeing Aghia Sophia & the Blue Mosque from the outside. We ended up walking back down & across the Galata Bridge rather than take the tram - it was very busy by the afternoon when we did this.

Previous times we have been here, we used the tram & went to Topkapi Palace - beautiful; the Blue Mosque, Underground Cisterns & the Spice Market. We also did a Bosphorus Cruise with a commentary which was lovely.

Cesme

We arrived earlier than planned into Cesme, a pretty smallish Turkish resort. It was approximately a 10 minute walk into the main centre. It is a pleasant town to wander around with with lots if tourist shops & restaurants. There is a town beach & we swam from a platform where people were diving & jumping into the sea.

to Marmaris for changeover day. Part 2 to follow.

We loved our taster of the Black Sea and would really love to see more & do some other ports.

Ancient Wonders Cruise

Marmaris

We spent a lovely day when it was so hot here on our changeover day.

We walked from the ship to the old town & harbour which is further than it looks - a good 20 minute walk. From here, we kept following the promenade around until we reached the bay where there were water taxis. Marmaris is a very big, touristy resort & we didn't like the idea of staying there for the day so we caught a water taxi across to Icemeler. It cost 10 Tkl per person each way which was good value as it was a lovely 20 minute ride around the bay.

We had a wonderful day at the beach - we hired sunbeds for 5Tkl for the day & could bring in our own drinks so went & bought a supply & enjoyed our day in the warm sea then caught the water taxi back.

Other times we have been to Marmaris, we have been on an excellent jeep trip up into the hills & we also did an excellent cycle trip from the ship all the way around to Icemeler & back last year.

Istanbul

We got off early & walked across the Galata Bridge & spent the morning wandering around the Spice Market & bought some bargains. Had no hassle at all from the vendors; all very friendly & lots of words exchanged in good humour. Istanbul is a place for handbag, shoe, sunglasses & t-shirt bargains. We got back to the ship & enjoyed it while it was peaceful as this was our 4th day here so didn't feel we had to spend a whole day there this time.

Lesbos

This was a tender port. We had no problem getting tickets & got off quite soon after the tours left. My husband did the cycle tour that day which was very enjoyable; about 17 miles of fairly flat cycling (only 2 hills!) around pretty, scenic countryside & stopping off at a small Greek village & Taverna for a drink & a bite to eat.

We took the easiest option & turned right out of the port, followed the coastal road round & spent a lovely day at the beach. It cost 2euros for adults, 1euro for children to access the beach & we had sun loungers & parasols for the day. There was a cafe selling drinks which were reasonably priced as well as food. The beach was pebbly & shingle. We forgot to take our beach shoes but could walk across a pier & walk down some steps into the warm sea - take flip flops or beach shoes!

After our day here, we had a little wander around the pretty port town where there were a few shops, restaurants etc before we got the tender back.

Piraeus

We booked a trip to the Corinth Canal here - can thoroughly recommend if you have already seen Athens. It was an hour's pleasant journey where we stopped at the top of the canal where we took in superb views of the whole of the canal, including some boats sailing through - it looked much shorter than it's actual 6km length & didn't look very high until we saw somebody throw themselves off the top bungy jumping which was great as it gave us an impression of the real height of it!

From here, we took the coach down to the 'bottom' entrance to the canal where we got on a boat & had a lovely ride up & down the canal with a commentary. There was an enclosed bottom deck or an open top deck with seating & a few sunbeds. This was a really enjoyable & relaxing boat trip.

We had a lovely drive all around the coast back to the port.

Last time we went to Athens, we did the 'Athens on your own" trip where we got off, wandered around the top by the Acropolis & took in all the city views, then had a wander around Plaka & watched the Changing of the Guard & walked back through the gardens to the bus. My husband did a cycle ride from Piraeus into Athens centre & saw some lovely sights including the modern Olympic Stadium & the Acropolis from a different perspective.

Kudadasi

From here, we had booked the all day boat trip. This was a great day out & very good value for money. They picked us up & took us by bus to a little port where we boarded a 2 tiered boat with sun deck for the day. We were with other tourists of all nationalities which was fine. We had 3 swim stops & it included soft drinks & a lovely lunch of chicken, pasta, salad, rice, bread & water melon.

The previous time we went to Kusadasi we did the 1/2 day Ephesus & Mary's House which was a very good trip.

Mykonos / Bodrum

We were supposed to be going to Mykonos but an announcement was made at about 6pm the previous day to say that due to high winds we would be unable to sail there or dock/tender the following day & the Captain told he had secured a berth in Bodrum which we were quite pleased about as we have holidayed many times around Bodrum so know the area really well.

The ship docks about 1 mile from the castle & bazaar & there is a water taxi transfer provided by the tourist board from the ship to the castle & return. We didn't see this at all but it was advertised everywhere. About 10 minutes walk from the ship is a smallish beach where a lot of people spend the day. We caught a taxi & spent the day at the nearby resort of Bitez (about 15minutes drive) where there is a lovely big beach with sunbeds, parasols, plenty of restaurants & some lovely shops with genuine fakes at a more reasonable price than in Bodrum.

We caught a taxi back to near the castle at Bodrum & had a nice walk all the way through the bazaar & shopping area to the ship.

When we went to Mykonos last year, we spent the day on a jeep trip tour driving around the island - this was a good tour with a guide in a self-drive jeep, stopping at various different points & finishing with a beach at the end of the day.

We really enjoyed our 2nd time on this itinerary doing the same ports but managing to do and see alternative places to what we had done before. We will return & do this itinerary again in the future.

Let's just say, I'm glad I've been to see it & to add another port to my list but actually no, it wasn't my most favourite port!

 

I do wonder if cruise ships HAVE to visit a Romanian port as part of the conditions of being allowed to do a Black Sea cruise as I see no other reason for going there really.

There are at least two sets of wonderful Roman ruins in close proximity to Constanta. I would have a hard time choosing which to do on a visit. In fact, I would turn down any Black Sea itinerary that did not include Constanta (and plenty don't, I've been looking).

I keep reading reports from Black Sea cruisers but no one ever seems to do these -- then they report back that Constanta was terrible. :confused:

To me it sounds a little like Naples. If you just get off the ship and walk around a few streets, you probably aren't thrilled. But if you get to Pompeii or Herculaneum (or Capri or Amalfi Coast) it's a different story.

There are at least two sets of wonderful Roman ruins in close proximity to Constanta. I would have a hard time choosing which to do on a visit. In fact, I would turn down any Black Sea itinerary that did not include Constanta (and plenty don't, I've been looking).

 

I keep reading reports from Black Sea cruisers but no one ever seems to do these -- then they report back that Constanta was terrible. :confused:

To me it sounds a little like Naples. If you just get off the ship and walk around a few streets, you probably aren't thrilled. But if you get to Pompeii or Herculaneum (or Capri or Amalfi Coast) it's a different story.

Maybe the Constanta Tourist Board & the Cruise ships need to be promoting these ruins then? I researched the port & have never heard of them until you mention it now! The ship we went on didn't offer any excursions that included them nor did they mention the Roman Ruins in the Port Guide they give out to passengers!! I also spoke to a friend of mine - a Romanian Nurse who lived in Constanta for 23 years until last year & she never mentioned these Ruins - think they need a huge marketing campaign - we would have gone if there had been an opportunity to hear about them! Everybody knows about Pompeii & Herculaneum but I am guessing that not many people have heard about these Roman Ruins in Romania! ;)

Maybe the Constanta Tourist Board & the Cruise ships need to be promoting these ruins then? I researched the port & have never heard of them until you mention it now! The ship we went on didn't offer any excursions that included them nor did they mention the Roman Ruins in the Port Guide they give out to passengers!! I also spoke to a friend of mine - a Romanian Nurse who lived in Constanta for 23 years until last year & she never mentioned these Ruins - think they need a huge marketing campaign - we would have gone if there had been an opportunity to hear about them! Everybody knows about Pompeii & Herculaneum but I am guessing that not many people have heard about these Roman Ruins in Romania! ;)

It's why I do my own research. ;)

Really, though, it was pretty easy to pull this up:

http://www.brasovtravelguide.ro/en/romania/black-sea/black-sea-sightseeing.php

It's why I do my own research. ;)

 

Really, though, it was pretty easy to pull this up:

 

http://www.brasovtravelguide.ro/en/romania/black-sea/black-sea-sightseeing.php

Me too - looked on here & online & asked People who live there & got books out of the library - but was never recommended these places! We enjoyed our day out cycling where we actually covered 18 miles so we didn't just "walk around a few streets" & saw bits that most tourists wouldn't see; just wouldn't rush back there!!

Just saying that Romania should promote their own country a bit better ;)

julessmiles

"This was the review I did when we went - I didn't post it in this section before so hope you don't mind me adding it to yours - at least it might help others"

nice addition, glad you did it. I must have had a Freudian slip--never made any notes about Constanta, but if I recall correctly, the cruise terminal had free wifi, which we put to good use. I never heard about roman ruins either!! Not sure it would have made a difference to us...

ML

julessmiles

 

"This was the review I did when we went - I didn't post it in this section before so hope you don't mind me adding it to yours - at least it might help others"

 

nice addition, glad you did it. I must have had a Freudian slip--never made any notes about Constanta, but if I recall correctly, the cruise terminal had free wifi, which we put to good use. I never heard about roman ruins either!! Not sure it would have made a difference to us...

 

ML

Lol! ;) it was a really smart cruise terminal with a nice shop too :).

Looking at CruiseMom's notes, I see the ruins are 62km from Constanta - having see the public transport & experienced the roads on bicycle & seen photos of a bus that previous cruise passengers had been on from Constanta, I really would not have been too keen personally on using public transport over there. If there had been a cruise excursion going there with a tour guide, would have maybe tried it but my family enjoy cycling which is why we went for that option - just a shame they didn't take us to prettier places although seeing where the Romanian's live & the BBq's on the side of the main roads was an experience in itself. The people were all very friendly & we did see one beautiful church & an interesting monument en route. I think the Romanians thought we were mad - a group of 20+ cyclists on the busy roads in the heat of August!!!!!!

julessmiles

Ahh, now that makes more sense! No way we were going that far to see more ruins--we saw plenty at the other ports :)

Yes, the cruise terminal was quite modern and there were people setting up little shops while we checked our email.

I seriously doubt the Romanians thought you were any crazier than other tourists--they see us all the time!!;) I think it's kind of fun to let them observe what others do when on vacation. I really liked the idea of cycling at the ports--it never occurred to me. I used to ride my bike to work (when I worked), about 10 miles each way. It is the only thing I miss about working-I used to love riding my bike, especially in the summer. I would leave the house at about 4:15 in the morning. It was especially pretty when there was a full moon.

ML

julessmiles

 

Ahh, now that makes more sense! No way we were going that far to see more ruins--we saw plenty at the other ports :)

 

Yes, the cruise terminal was quite modern and there were people setting up little shops while we checked our email.

 

I seriously doubt the Romanians thought you were any crazier than other tourists--they see us all the time!!;) I think it's kind of fun to let them observe what others do when on vacation. I really liked the idea of cycling at the ports--it never occurred to me. I used to ride my bike to work (when I worked), about 10 miles each way. It is the only thing I miss about working-I used to love riding my bike, especially in the summer. I would leave the house at about 4:15 in the morning. It was especially pretty when there was a full moon.

 

ML

The cruise line we travel on always offer cycle tours at every port - they have a cycle guide & bicycles onboard with them! They are great fun & for all ages & abilities; we have done some great rides & you get to see more than just walking & keep fit at the same time ;). My husband did a lovely trip from Piraeus into Athens last year on bike which we passed by as I thought it might be a bit too busy but he felt very safe. :)

julessmiles

 

Ahh, now that makes more sense! No way we were going that far to see more ruins--we saw plenty at the other ports :)

 

 

 

ML

I wasn't suggesting everyone had to visit the ruins; rather, I was providing an answer to the OP suggesting there was "no other reason for going there."

(62 km is only about 38 miles. I think I lot of cruises offer a full-day tour to Bucharest from Constanta, which is 138 miles!)

I wasn't suggesting everyone had to visit the ruins; rather, I was providing an answer to the OP suggesting there was "no other reason for going there."

 

 

(62 km is only about 38 miles. I think I lot of cruises offer a full-day tour to Bucharest from Constanta, which is 138 miles!)

Yes, I understood that. BTW, I am the OP and never said "no reason to go there"--that was added by another poster. But, I sort of agree. I think the Roman ruins would be a nice trip but my hubby and I realized during this cruise that we really prefer tours/ports where we can do more active things (snorkel, take a sailboat, etc) rather than viewing ruins, or churches, or other stuff like that. I am glad we got to see the Acropolis, and all the touristy stuff in Istanbul but we have both had it with churches now LOL!! After seeing every church in Central America on our Panama Canal cruise, and now, mosques, cave monasteries and churches around the Black Sea, we have had our fill. I think what you like depends on your interests and we learned a lot about our preferences after this cruise--that will be helpful for our future planning.

And I think you are right about the tours to Bucharest. It seems to me that I read that a new highway was being built and that would make it easier to get to Bucharest. And I also thought I read about a train but that was discouraged due to the time it took and the schedule?? I might have that wrong.

I have to say I was disappointed that we missed Nessebur. We were looking forward to walking around there and had already marked some sights to see on our GPS. it is still a fairly exotic area of the world and I'm glad we went but we may stick to cruise departing the US from now on--we hate that long flight to Europe! or maybe a TA--I even have DH interested in one of those now. But we would still need to get there or back. Such decisions--nice to have!!

ML

We did a Black Sea cruise in July (Pacific Princess) and did one of the ship's tours in Constanta--a day trip visiting the Museum of National History (excellent), the Ethnographic Museum (good) and the Roman ruins of the Roman Edifice (fascinating, especially since there were archaeologists working onsite while we were there). Yes, the town was very torn up but, as our guide explained, they are trying to improve the city for future visitors. We just happened to visit too early to see the results of their efforts.

I was pleased with our tour of Constanta, including the touristy, but very fun, Zamfira Wedding Show.

Thank you for taking the time to put this together.

Keith

I just came back from the Celebrity Constellation on our Black Sea Cruise and did private tours for most of the ports.

Bourgas, Bulgaria: We docked at the brand new terminal and had a private tour with 16 people. We visited Nessebar, St. George Monastery and Salt Mine near in Pomorie as well as the Thracian Beehive tomb nearby. I've used the service of Alexsander Shopov. He was fantastic. Highly recommend him.

Athens, Greece: We had a group of 14 and used PK Travel to visit Corinth, Mycenae and Napflion since we have all visited Athens previously.

Kusadasi, Turkey: Our group of 4 used a taxi driver, Erkan Ozcetin, that was recommended to visit Priene, Miletus and Didyma.

Yalta & Sevastopol, Ukraine: In both ports, we used the service of sergey-private-guide.com service. We had wonderful guides at each city. For Yalta, we visited Alupka Palace, Swallows nest, St. Michael Church, Livadia Palace. For Sevastopol, we had the Assumption Cave Monastery, Khan's Palace, Inkerman Cave Monastery, Balaclava Submarine and the Panorama Museum on our itinerary.

All in all, we had great tours.

What a great thread - very helpful - thank you so much for starting it and your wonderful post and comments

Yes, I understood that. BTW, I am the OP and never said "no reason to go there"--that was added by another poster.

 

ML

A late clarification, but by "OP" I meant "other poster" not "original poster"....sorry for the confusion.

BTW, I am looking at a land tour of Romania in either 2014 or 2015 to visit some of these lesser known Roman sites. One man's drink is another man's poison, as they say. :D I am just back from spending 2 weeks in Tunisia visiting their very beautiful and well-preserved ruins.

A late clarification, but by "OP" I meant "other poster" not "original poster"....sorry for the confusion.

 

BTW, I am looking at a land tour of Romania in either 2014 or 2015 to visit some of these lesser known Roman sites. One man's drink is another man's poison, as they say. :D I am just back from spending 2 weeks in Tunisia visiting their very beautiful and well-preserved ruins.

Ahhh, now it makes more sense--thanks for that note. i will have to remember OP can mean either. I think if seeing ruins is your interest, you are picking some great places to see them. I saw a cruise that is called Roman Empire (I think) that HAL offers that you might like (you've probably seen all the places already). It was just on the Noordam this year (Oct 20 sailing?). We have some friends who are looking at this for next year.

ML

Thanks to all the posters on this thread - just what I need as we will be on the Prinsedam this coming October doing the Black Sea cruise.

Will be back again to read, digest and make notes

Thanks again

Cathy

I really appreciate all the information gained from the reviews and comments of posters on this thread. We are also on the Prinsendam this October and looking forward to all the varied Black Sea ports they have scheduled for us.

We're following that cruise up with the Holy Land cruise beginning Oct. 21. So many new ports for us!