Black Sea Cruises

Introduction

A cruise through the Black Sea offers passengers a chance to marvel at the mystical and fascinating land surrounding it. Palaces, architectural masterpieces and ancient treasures are all likely to be seen on a cruise through the Black Sea. There are numerous companies offering cruises to the Black Sea, all at varying prices with different options available on each.

Oceania Cruises

One of ‘Oceania Cruises’ increasingly popular cruises is ‘the Black Sea serenade’; a twelve day cruise from Athens, Greece to Istanbul, Turkey. After departing from Athens stops include Mykonos, Ephesus, a cruise down the Dardanelles strait, Sinop, Trabzon, Sochi, Yalta, Sevastopol, Odessa, Constanta and Nessebur before arriving in Istanbul on the twelfth day. ‘Oceania Cruises’ offer numerous excursions including a trip to the elegant summer palaces of the tsars in Yalta, Ukraine, a trip to see the ruins of ancient Histria in Constanta, Romania and a trip to see a fortified ancient Greek colony in Sinop, Turkey. Prices including airfare from selected United States airports start at $4499 per person for an interior room, ranging to $7699 for a penthouse suite. All cruises are aboard the ‘Nautical’ - the newest of the Oceania Cruises fleet, she has a huge assortment of dining and entertainment options onboard.

Holland America Cruises

‘Holland America’ offer numerous cruises through the Black Sea and surrounding areas. The most extravagant yet increasingly popular cruise is the ‘Grand Mediterranean and Black Sea Voyage’; a 62 day cruise round trip from Florida. Countries included on this cruise are Madeira, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, Malta, Turkey, Romania, The Ukraine, Greece, Albania, Croatia, Italy, France and Morocco. The cruise is aboard the ship ‘MS Prinsendam’, an intimate ship accommodating just 832 passengers. The ship has a large amount of different dining options and entertainment facilities to keep anyone and everyone occupied whilst at sea. Prices range from $10,499 per person for an interior room, to $51,999 per person for a deluxe verandah suite. Cheaper voyages are available for passengers who fly into Europe before boarding the ship.

Silversea Cruises

‘Silversea Cruises’ have a good selection of Mediterranean and Black Sea cruises with a choice of seven or ten nights aboard either the ‘Silver Spirit’ or the ‘Silver Wind’. A seven night cruise aboard the ‘Silver Wind’ departs from Istanbul with stops including Constanta in Romania, Odessa, Sevastopol and Yalta in The Ukraine and Mykonos in Greece before embarking at Athens. Prices vary throughout the year and passengers are advised to contact ‘Silversea’ directly for prices rather than booking through a travel agent.

Conclusion

Cruises through the Black Sea are a popular cruise destination due to all the history the surrounding countries have to offer. Most of the stops are now increasing in popularity and therefore the towns and cities are growing to accommodate for more tourists. There are numerous tours depending on how long you want to go on vacation for, how much you are willing to spend, and the variety of shore excursions you may want to go on. With over thirty cruise companies now offering cruises through the Black Sea, there are options for everyone.