Dover to Black sea

[CentaurTheFirst]

Hi, we are travelling on the MSC Opera 10/09/10 (birthday & Anniversary) for 3 weeks from Dover to The Black Sea and disembarking in Venice and wondered if anyone has been on this cruise to give us tips etc about excusions especially in Istanbul, Yalta & Odessa. I have also read a bit about the disembarkation at Venice being a nightmare and have to concentrate hard as my husband has a disability and uses a walking stick. so any tips here would also be helpful.If anyone else is going on this cruise I would love to hear from you.:o

[Essiesmom]

Welcome to Cruise Critic. There are two places to go here for information:

1. Roll call for your sailing. It appears so far there are two of you...join in an get excited!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1142362

2. Lower down on the 'Boards' page is an area called Ports of Call. that is where you can find all sorts of information about your ports, tours, ask questions...

EM

[soccerref]

We loved our Black Sea cruise last August but sailed from Athens. Here is the part of my revies that pertains to our ports of call.

Ports:

We did ship’s tours in all ports except Venice. This was a conscious decision because we were visiting unfamiliar places and have no knowledge of the languages and writing. I also like the security of knowing that the ship will wait for us in the event of delays. This happened to one tour group (not ours fortunately) who were involved in a long delay due to a traffic accident and so we left Varna 1 hour late.

Day 1 - Volos – Meteora Monastery tour.

We docked close to the centre of Volos which is quite a large port. People we talked to who walked around the town were somewhat disappointed that it was so industrialised and not a pretty Greek seaside resort.

Our tour was a full day trip and I was a bit apprehensive about whether it was the right choice – monasteries are not high on my list of interests –but it turned out to be a major highlight. The 2 hour journey was long and through a wide agricultural valley so there wasn’t a huge amount to see. In fact, I ended up sleeping for most of the time so caught up on what we had missed the day before.

The tour stopped for a 25 minute toilet/coffee break in a small town close to the mountains and there was a Lidl supermarket 100m down the road. My DH popped along and got a couple of litres of wine to drink in the cabin. This was really his only opportunity so I’m glad he had the foresight to get it!

The bus carried on for a few more kms and then these huge, towering rocky outcrops suddenly appeared in the distance rising straight up out of the flat valley floor. WOW!

As the bus got nearer and began to climb the foothills we could see these buildings perched right on top of the rocks. It was an amazing sight which got even more breathtaking as the bus drove further up. There are 6 separate monasteries, each balanced on top of its own individual sheer rock tower, and we visited 2 of them – one before lunch and one after. Fortunately the busses are able to get quite close but then there is a walk over a bridge and up several sets of steps to get to the actual monastery. We had time to explore each one and they were well worth it. The paintings and carvings were beautiful, the views were awe-inspiring and the little gift shops had some pretty objects and replicas at reasonable prices. Our guide told us that we were extremely lucky with the weather because it was clear and not too hot so there was no cloud or heat haze.

Our lunch was in a small Greek taverna at the bottom of the mountains and consisted of a set 3 course meal of Greek food plus water and wine.

TIP - Everyone needs to have shoulders and knees covered. Females must wear a skirt – you can borrow a sarong at the entrance.

Get to the tour meeting place early so you are on the 1st bus. We were on the last bus and had to wait for stragglers before we could leave the ship so we had less time at the venues than the people on the other 3 busses.

Day 2 – A sea Day:

We were grateful for a rest after the long travelling day and then the full day trip so we just relaxed and enjoyed the sun. During the morning the ship sailed through the Dardanelles and it was possible to see several of the war memorials belonging to the different countries which were involved in the battles during WW1. We also sailed through the Bosphorus with the 2 parts of Istanbul lining each bank. This gave us an idea of the vast size of the city and a taster of the fabulous sights which we would see on our return.

I think this experience ranks highly alongside the passages through the Panama and Kiel canals.

Day 3 – Varna – Bulgaria - Varna Highlights.

The ship docked very close to a lovely beach and park with the town centre being a 20 minute walk away.

Our choice here was a half day tour which took us to the archaeological museum first, followed by a trip to the resort area of Golden Sands for a traditional snack (wine, water and tasty Bulgarian nibbles) and folk dance demonstration and then on to the cathedral. I actually enjoyed the museum and especially the small choir which performed traditional Orthodox chants so beautifully. Golden Sands is a busy and vibrant holiday destination with a long sandy beach. We were stuck in a traffic jam on our way so didn’t get as much shopping time as I’d have liked. The Cathedral was impressive with wonderfully vibrant wall paintings and icons. The town centre didn’t seem too interesting so we asked to be dropped off at the park and strolled back to the ship via the beach.

Tip:

Probably the best place to spend time on the beach.

Day 4 – Odessa – Ukraine - Odessa Highlights

Once again we docked very close to town and it is easily walkable although you do need to climb the 192 Potemkin steps, or get the funicular which runs beside them, to get to the promenade which leads to the town centre. There is a lovely cafe with a real 1930’s feel just at the top of the steps and they accept $US.

This half day tour involved a lot more walking. Our first stop was the art gallery and our guide was very passionate about the exhibits so, I felt we ended up spending too much time there. We then travelled across the city to the cathedral which is in the process of being rebuilt. We had some time here to visit the small park where there are souvenir stalls. I buy a trinket for our Christmas tree from each port and found some nice hand painted bells here. I paid in $US and got change in $.

Our tour ended with a longish walk along the promenade and then up to the beautiful Opera house. My DH and I left the tour there as they were going back to the ship. We wandered around the nearby streets and squares for a little while before having coffee in the promenade cafe and then walking back to the ship via the Potemkin steps.

We both thought that Odessa is a beautiful and elegant city with a bright future.

Tip:

check that shops will take $/Euros – some will but others won’t.

Day 5 – Yalta – Ukraine - Historic Sevastopol

I was really looking forward to this day as we have learned a lot about the Crimean War in our school history lessons and I wasn’t disappointed. The ship docked, once again, very close to the centre of Yalta and is in walking distance for anyone who just wants to walk around. The streets are very narrow, hilly and picturesque.

We were up very early as our tour was another full day affair and left at 07.00. We travelled through Yalta and saw some of the historic buildings where Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt met. We then had a long drive along the pretty coastal mountain highway to get to Balaklava. This is a very small inlet where one of the Crimean war battles happened but which, more recently, housed a secret Soviet submarine base. We toured the tunnels which was quite an eerie experience before travelling on to the ‘Panorama’ at Sebastopol. I thought this was very impressive. It is an enormous painting/3D model of the Battle of Sebastopol housed in a circular building and it gave an insight into the conditions suffered by all sides in the conflict. Once again there was a little ‘shopping time’ at the stalls by the building.

The next part of the tour took us into Sebastopol town itself which is now an upmarket holiday resort with good hotels. We had lunch at a pleasant restaurant right on the sea front before starting back to Yalta via ‘The Valley of Death’ where the Charge of the Light Brigade took place but it all looks so peaceful now. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a memorial that we could visit.

I just felt so privileged to have had the opportunity to be at these historic sites.

Tip: The toilet facilities left a lot to be desired – mainly the ‘hole in the ground’ type. Take some toilet paper and hand sanitizers with you. The restaurant ones were OK.

Day 6 – Sochi – Russia - Botanical Gardens & Tree Of Friendship

This was an interesting day in many ways. We were docked, as before, close to the city which looked green and modern. We were also prepared for the slow and bureaucratic ‘Russian way’ as we had been to St. Petersburg on a previous cruise. It took a long time for the ship to be cleared by the Russian Authorities and then there were long queues to get through the passport control area so our tour started 45 minutes later than expected.

All the tour busses looked extremely old and when we boarded ours, it was dirty and the air conditioning didn’t work. This set the tone for the rest of the tour. Our guide eventually told us that Royal Princess was the first ‘western’ cruise ship to dock in Sochi so all the guides were doing the job for the first time and many had been recruited only because they spoke English reasonably well. I think we were quite lucky with our guide as she was a teacher and had lived in the U.S. so she was ‘in tune’ with our needs a bit more than some of the other guides that we heard about.

We had chosen this tour because we wanted a change from churches and museums and, as such, it did the job. There was a lot of walking involved (more than necessary because the guide got lost a couple of times) and it was very hot so we suffered a bit but still enjoyed seeing the gardens and this helped us to understand why Sochi is a city where Russian people come to recuperate from illnesses. It has a lovely climate and is relatively clean, green and, by Russian standards, pollution free!

We talked to many unhappy people when we got back to the ship and there were a lot of complaints made about the quality and nature of the tours. I really don’t think there is a lot to see in Sochi so we have marked it as ‘an experience’ to be enjoyed in context.

TIP: be prepared for long waits and poor facilities. Take some toilet paper and hand sanitizers with you.

Day 7 – Sea Day

We had a spectacular thunderstorm early on but it cleared by 10.00 and the rest of the day was hot and sunny. We just lazed and recharged our batteries after the previous 4 hectic days.

Day 8 – Istanbul - Best Of Istanbul

We were up early to enjoy the sail into Istanbul and were dismayed to find that the thundery weather had followed us and it was pouring down! Our tour guide reckoned that it would rain all day but, fortunately, he was wrong and it cleared up by 09.30. Rain doesn’t bother us too much as we are used to it in the UK but sunny conditions do make for better photos and we got some wonderful ones here!

The ship docked close to the Galata Bridge which, once crossed, is close to the main sites.

Our tour started early so we were the first tour group at the Blue Mosque. This was fantastic because we were able to admire the vast beauty of the building without the huge crowds spoiling the silence.

Our guide was very knowledgeable and the use of the headphone receivers made it really easy to hear all the information as we walked along. This is a great idea and I wish more guides had the chance to use the system.

Our next stop was the ‘carpet experience’. We gave this a miss and headed to the nearby Grand Bazaar. I have to say that I loved the place and, because it was still quite early, there were very few shoppers about. It is huge with hundreds of colourful stalls selling virtually everything you could possibly need. The best part for me, though, was the lack of hassle from the stall keepers. I have had fun in the souks of Tunis and Egypt but much preferred the chance to wander and browse without the constant pestering that happens in other places. It was even better when I discovered that the shop keepers bartered with humour and patience. I didn’t buy a lot but could happily have spent a lot longer in there. Even my ‘shopaphobic’ DH enjoyed the colours, sights and exotic smells!

From the Grand Bazaar we took the short drive to the Topkapi Palace. This covers a large area which requires quite a lot of walking and, also, by this time, it was getting crowded. We saw the treasure house and Sultans’ robes exhibitions and had to queue for each one. We had a ‘set’ Turkish style lunch with water and a soft drink included at the restaurant in the Palace grounds. This had a fabulous view over the Bosphorus.

Our afternoon started with a tour of the Topkapi Harem building. This was fascinating and our guide really brought things to life for us. I was staggered by the size and ornateness of the building and its decoration.

A shortish walk then took us to the St. Sophia building which is now a museum but was originally a church and then a mosque. The inside is much more impressive than the outside.

A 20 minute coach ride got us back to the ship for 3.45p.m after a long, intensive but exhilarating tour.

It was lovely to sail out of Istanbul as the sun was setting and then to pass through the Dardanelles as it got dark so we could see the lights of the villages along the coast.

TIP:

All the main sites are very close together so easy to do independently. I would definitely use public transport next time.

The Grand Bazaar is a great place to buy gifts. Do barter though... it is expected.

Day 9 – Sea Day

We were glad of the sea day after such a long and hectic day in Istanbul and it gave us a chance to relax and reflect on the amazing sights we had seen.

Day 10 – Sea Day

I did most of our packing and then relaxed in the beautiful weather.

Day 11 – Venice.

We sailed into Venice at 1;00p.m. along the Canale Dell Guidecca which take the ship past St. Mark’s Square and many of the familiar sites of Venice. This must be one of the world’s most spectacular entrances to a port so it is a shame that the ship docked in the least attractive position of the whole cruise!

We have been to Venice several times before so didn’t bother with a trip here. We did make the mistake of using the ship’s shuttle water bus which cost is $15pp. We could easily have caught the Vaporetta that runs up and down the Grand Canal and has a stop just a short walk out of the port area. This would have cost very little in comparison.

We walked, sat, gazed and walked again for several hours just taking in the scenery and enjoying the picturesque canals, shops, little streets and cafes before returning, tired but happy, to the ship about 8.00p.m.

TIP:

Use the Vaporetta along the Grand Canal. It’s much cheaper than the ship’s shuttle.

Public toilets are clean and fairly plentiful but cost 1.50 Euros into the machine. Signs are painted onto the pavements.

Day 12 – Venice - Padua With Airport Transfer – home.

We chose to do the ship’s tour because our flight did not leave Venice until 5;15p.m. so we didn’t want to be sitting in the airport or having to worry about our luggage.

Padua turned out to have a lovely, typically Italian town centre and an interesting Medieval Cathedral. I would have liked longer there to explore a bit more so it has gone on our list of places to revisit.

Our flights home were uneventful and we were back in our house by 11.30p.m.

Overview:

[CentaurTheFirst]

Wow!!! I am going to have to read it again, fantastic insight and overview, thank you so much!! I am new to Cruise Critic and it is great to get such a response. I hope to follow if your footsteps and hopefully will also give a low down on our trip, many thanks again

[CentaurTheFirst]

Hi Essiesmom

 

I have copied and pasted part of your travel info that is relevant to us and will put this together with our other lists of shore excusions. also wanted to find out did you also sail on the MSC Opera? if so what were the costs of the excusions and do you have any other tips on board? any info gratefully accepted. Thanks:)