Anyone back from the Black Sea?

[jhp]

There was a thread on the old board with questions from about three different people planning to go to the Black sea. Is anyone back yet who can give us a port report?

[Aussie Gal]

Hi I was one of the respondents to that posting and we are not going until October.

 

On the HAL Board a review was posted about two weeks ago and hopefully I can direct you there!

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=32893&highlight=prinsendam

 

This may help you with some of the ports.

 

Jennie

[jhp]

Thank you Aussie Gal, That was a great review, I will agree, but I am just looking for a little more information about the ports, since I am on a different ship. Trying to decide whether to take the ships tours, or book independently as I often do, with either pre-arranged private tours or just getting a taxi off the ship. Eager to hear what returning passengers have to say. Thank you!

[Aussie Gal]

jhp,

 

We are doing our own thing in Kusadasi, Istanbul and Santorini but in Nessebur, Odessa and Yalta we are going with the ship. In Odessa and Yalta it is easier for us to do a ship's excursion as the visa cost is prohibitive for us and not worth the money. If we do a ship's tour we do not need the visa. In Nessebur I feel happier if we use the ship again, as I don't think their tourist infrastructure is up to much. Perhaps you may have other information.

 

In Split and Dubrovnik we will probably again do it on our own. When is your trip and what do you have in mind?

 

Jennie

[jhp]

Jennie, we are on the Radisson Diamond August 2-9. A person who just returned is posting some good info about the tours, but so far she has only done Yalta and Nessebur so far. You can find her review at http://www.luxurycruisetalk.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=000059 I am leaning toward a private guide or taxi in Yalta because of her experience with the ship's tour. I really want to go to the same places, but I don't like being regimented. My concern is that we are only in Yalta for about 4-5 hours, and I don't relish the idea of missing the ship!

[Aussie Gal]

jhp,

 

Thanks for that link. I think Wendy was one of the original posters on this Board regarding the Black Sea.

 

I have printed her review out and will have a good read of it in a minute. As I mentioned above we have to pay nearly $100 each for a visa if we do not do the ship's excursions and stay with them whilst in the Ukraine. We have about 12 hours or more in both Yalta and Odessa and as the full day excursions sound excellent we have decided do both in each city.

 

When you return I would love to hear what you have done. We are not going until October, so have quite awhile to wait.

 

Jennie

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Hi, this is Wendy. Yes, I just returned, and am posting to another board.

 

But, when I'm done, I'll paste everything relevant here. Probably this weekend.

[Aussie Gal]

Thanks so much Wendy, I look forward to reading it.

 

Jennie

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Okay, here are the bits I wrote about the Black Sea ports (I am writing about Istanbul and Athens elsewhere):

 

Part 1:

 

Day 1, Bosporus cruising

 

Well, I'm too tired to think any more, so maybe I'll start....with the Bosporus transit, day 1. I'll have general impressions of the ship later.

 

This cruise started in Athens, and went straight through the Bosporus to Nessebur, in Bulgaria.

 

That meant that our first day was a sea day, culminating in an evening cruise through the Bosporus.

 

It was my first ever sea day. I liked it quite alot, in fact, I could find it addictive. Since it was the first day, everyone was excited, and there were lots of special events to keep us busy, plus ship exploration for us, first time Diamond cruisers.

 

But the highlight of the day was our transit through the Bosporus. We had gone through the Dardanelles in the morning, and the Sea of Marmara later.

 

Everyone requested window seats at dinner that night, and we kept glancing out the windows waiting for the show. At about 9 p.m., we caught our first glimpse of a dome, and along with most of the other passengers, we hustled up to the deck to watch. That passage was magnificent at night. Later, after we passed the Golden Horn, we went up to our balcony, which was starboard, and watched the mansions go by on the Asian side. So, from that point of view, a port side balcony would be better, but you'd better get room service if you don't want to miss dessert!

 

Day 2, Nessebur: Let me point out first of all that this was an exciting cruise for the crew and staff of the ship, since it was brand new. That's how it was pitched to us, the 290-odd passengers who were pioneers. And that's how it turned out--there were experiments, I'm sure, in planning the ports, and getting the scheduling right. But no major glitches.

 

The old town of Nessebur is a wonder to behold. From the start, several things were obvious: the architecture of this medieval place was more startling than expected; there were lots of other tourists there (more on that later).

 

We also started as we were to go on--with lots of hawkers trying to sell us things, and with oodles of merchandise for sale in stalls and markets. I did not buy a thing at that point until we got to Istanbul, so I can't comment too much on particulars.

 

I should also point out my personal bias about guided tours, which will become evident below, especially in the former land of "intourist" guides--I don't like group tours.

 

The tour I took was "Nessebur Walking Tour and Folklore Show", which I see is also on the list for August. I'm torn about this--the ship is only in Nessebur for about 4 hours, and I could have spent that entire time just walking around by myself. David felt the same way. The tour guide concentrated on the beautiful old churches, but as with most of our guides on this trip, she insisted on giving endless detail instead of a higher-level view of what we were seeing.

 

On the other hand, the folklore show was really excellent, and we got a chance to try Bulgarian wine and cheese. The bus ride to the restaurant also gave us a view of the countryside outside the old city, including the beach resort area called, "Sunny Beach". It is a truly appalling looking place, full of chockablock hotels, swimming pools and water parks. That's why the old city was full of tourists. Mostly Germans, I think, but they get alot of Brits as well.

 

I could see spending some time in this place, a day or two perhaps. I would love to go back to Bulgaria and see more. The economic "ambience" seemed typical to eastern europe at the time, although that view was tempered later by experiences in the other countries--lots of merchandise, mostly for the tourists; obviously there is poverty, although it is hidden from the tourists in a place like that, but a vibrant, colourful society.

 

We were tendered at Nessebur, the only time we were. The ship steamed off shortly after 5. On to Yalta the next day, another long haul.

 

Day 3, Yalta

 

This is the destination that I thought would be one of the highlights, since it's so famous both politically, and for being a place of natural beauty.

 

I think overall it was disappointing, and this view was shared by others that I talked to. There is no doubt that Yalta is incredibly beautiful. It rivals the Italian or French Riviera, which it resembles.

 

But, it is a long-time tourist spot, through the Soviet era, and as such has been spoiled I think. And the hotels and spas from that era, the ones I saw, looked very shabby. New construction was going on apace, and also looked cheap and tacky. There was an impression of a crumbling infrastructure. Nice climate, though!

 

We took the "Romanovs in the Crimea" tour, which encompassed Livadia palace and Massandra palace, plus a scenic lookout stop to view Swallow's Nest.

 

I thought the "scenic" part could have been done better. Here is where the old soviet mentality kicks in, mixed with a resort town where the size swells by hundreds of thousands in summer. The stop on the road where you can see Swallow's Nest is unashamedly tacky and touristy. When I get my pictures done, you will see the fluorescent plastic palm trees in front of the row of cafes and souvenir shops lining the road. Ugh.

 

Our guide was trained by Intourist. Most of Yalta is ethnically Russian, not Ukrainian, so most of the city seems to operate in that language.

 

The trip to Livadia, the palace where the Tsars lived, and where the Yalta meetings were held was very regimented. We wore cloth booties tied over our shoes to protect the floors and carpets. The tour patter was interiminable. The tour was "room by room, please stick to your group", with another tour always close behind. The tour group was too big, about 25 people.

 

The palace itself was very interesting, but again, too much detail, too much time spent in front of photographs of the tsars. No time to walk around the grounds. Opportunities for shopping among the stalls on the way in, and gift shops within. One fellow cruiser bought a goat's wool shawl that look really neat for 10 bucks.

 

Massandra was better. It is up in the hills. Note that most of the bus travel was on switchbacks, so if you have motion sickness, sit in the front! We got smart at Massandra, and stayed outside during the tour, and just walked around the grounds. Very bucolic and serene. Krushchev used this place, and the Tsars built it for picnics (David claimed they actually built it to visit their mistresses, who knows!) There are sequoias there, planted by the tsars!!!

 

All in all, very tiring, but informative. Next time I would just go into town and wander around. Or maybe hire a private guide. As it turned out, the other cities in the Ukraine were more interesting! As you will see later.

 

Oh, I forgot to mention that our docking in Yalta was greeted by a brass band. This phenomenon continued throughout the Ukraine! They were usually playing as we left port as well. Made us feel very welcome.

 

Our passports had been stamped with a Ukrainian visa, after we had filled out a questionnaire stating how much currency we would take ashore with us, as well as listing jewellery and watches. This was weird. We then carried our passports for the next three days, and they were checked by passport control every day, coming and going. Nobody ever asked us about anything else, including our jewellery and watches.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Black Sea ports, Part 2:

 

Day 4, Sevastopol

 

This port was a real surprise. On board we had an expert on the Crimean War, an American. One of those lucky people who gets to cruise for free in return for lectures and tour participation.

 

He did a series on the war, before we reached this port.

 

When we got there, we did the "Sevastopol's Military History Tour". The guide was another Russian Ukrainian, and she was very good, and quite charming. Our lecturer (sorry, the name is still in my luggage), also accompanied us, and he and the guide frequently had their heads together comparing notes. We toured sites from the Crimean War, and saw the remarkable "Panorama" Museum, which was way better than a diarama depicting a particular battle of the war. We travelled by bus to see where the Charge of the Light Brigade happened, and on to the town of Balaklava. The tour was great, and so was the city.

 

Sevastopol is home to the Russian Black Sea fleet still, and a majority if inhabitants are Russian citizens living there. The city seemed to be thriving, and was very interesting. I would be happy to go back there. I admit I was expecting it to be rather drab and uninteresting.

 

When we pulled out of port, again there was a band playing, and lots of people came down to see us off, as the port was just off the main square of town, which was bustling with activity that day.

 

Day 5, Odessa:

 

Odessa was a surprise. I had few expectations for this port, since I had not had time to really study up.

 

My husband was not in the mood for touring that day, so I went by myself, and did the Mansions tour. Very nice. Since the theme of the cruise was a Spotlight on classical music, this tour included a concert by conservatory music students. The former Soviet system of chanelling gifted children may be gradually failing, but it is still doing just fine in Odessa. These kids were marvelous musicians. They were a troop of violinists ranging in age from 9 to 17. If you have ever heard a group of 9-year olds playing violin, it was *nothing* like that. Entirely musical, all.

 

The architecture of the city is a mix of styles, which I guess you would call neo-classical. Very well laid out, and opulent in some cases.

 

Among the sights I saw was a pianoforte that was played by Liszt. The concert was held in a hall where Liszt had played! This was in an amazing mansion that was built primarily to host balls!

 

I can easily imagine spending several days in this city, and just wandering around. I would definitely try to do that next time.

 

There are beggars and hawkers, as everywhere, and a feeling of austerity, definitely. But a vibrant city, for sure.

 

Our tour guide was very vivacious and full of fun. The other guide seemed a bit dour and more serious. Many of the guides were teachers, ours worked as an educational psychologist.

 

Day 6, Constanta, Romania:

 

We chugged into Constanta on Sunday (no brass band!) This is a gigantic industrial port, largely manmade. Keep in mind that there is oil in the Black Sea. There are lots of off-shore rigs, although I failed to spot one (they are fantastic at night to see from a ship--I hoped to see one.) So, there are oil tankers in Constanta, and just alot of port facilities of all kinds. There was a cargo ship on the next queue with a shipment (going or coming?) of identical yellow cars lined up in rows, probably 100 at least. The Diamond was docked quite far out one of the queues, and driving in we went past huge piles of rusty scrap metal. In the distance rows of cranes resembling creatures from the War of the Worlds. You get the idea. Not lots of actual activity that I saw in the port.

 

Didn't see much of Constanta itself, except to drive through. We took the "Ancient Histria" tour, and were very happy we did. It's quite far outside of Constanta, so you get to see lots of the countryside. Since it's on the Danube Delta, there is some very lush farmland and protected wetlands full of wildlife. Parts of the delta are protected by Unesco as a Biosphere Reserve. We saw pelicans, which apparently nest in the delta, and other shore birds. (This after we passed the gigantic oil refinery which locals consider a terrible blight, but I'm sure provides jobs.)

 

There was the mandatory beach resort too, on the way out of town, with rows of hotels which looked quite plausible--the whole impression of the beach was not nearly as tacky as Nessebur--there is a beach transfer available for those who want to do this. Lots of construction going on in this district.

 

The site of Histria itself is in the midst of a lush wetland, right on the coast of the sea. Sublime location. We toured the museum full of Greek artifacts, then traipsed around the ruins.

 

The highlight of the whole tour was the stork's nest on top of a telephone pole as we walked into the ruins. There were 4 baby storks, almost ready to fledge, crowding the nest. We all wanted to see the parents come back to feed the babies, but they did not appear--we saw the putative parents marching around a swamp as we pulled out in the bus.

 

The ruins are beautiful and interesting, don't get me wrong, but the site itself is so nicely situated to see the wildlife and flora of this region, that several of us agreed we would have preferred perhaps a wildlife tour. Perhaps time to go ogle the pelicans and storks, or hike around and spot interesting wildflowers (of which there was a profuse collection). I saw lizards, and a small marmot-like creature as well. Maybe Radisson should consider adding more tours like this--or maybe a "Spotlight on Wildlife" cruise!

 

Oh, and bring some bugspray if bug bites bother you. No one bit me, but others reported mosquitoes, and, perhaps more importantly TICKS! We all checked our ankles afterwards. Oh, and the sun does beat down, so bring a hat and sunscreen--I hid inside my husband's white dress shirt, after formal night!

 

The other neat part of the bus trip was just seeing the local way of life: haying being done by hand, with pitchforks; herds of goats and sheep, cows tied to the side of the road to graze; donkey and poney carts sharing the highway. We drove through a village where almost every house had a donkey and cart parked outside, and where many houses were constructed from adobe brick.

 

So, for someone with a bent for anthropology and who loves the outdoors and the natural world, this tour was perfect.

[Aussie Gal]

Wendy,

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to write us that great review.

I have printed it out and will be referring back to it for quite some time. Time is marching on but will not come quickly enough for us

until we leave here for Athens.

 

Jennie