Bruin Steve Posted April 6, 2012 #1 Share Posted April 6, 2012 So, who wants to help me out with my options/decisions for our 2013 Summer vacation? (I will likely post this on a couple of different boards since there are different cruise lines involved). Every year, we take our “big” vacation in the summer. My wife works for a school district and the windows for travel are defined by the school calendar. For 2013, it looks like we need to travel between June 13 and be back about one week into August. The typical process is that I come up with some alternatives and ask her which she would like to do. We’ve done quite a few European cruises and we try not to repeat too many ports too often…a little variety is good. This Summer, we’re doing Iceland/Norway…Last Summer, it was Dover to Rome (France, Spain, Morocco)…The Summer before that, it was the Baltic…And the Summer before that, it was Barcelona to Istanbul via Tunisia, Malta, Crete, Egypt, Israel, Cyprus and Ephesus… We usually do about a three week trip, sometimes a little longer, sometimes a little shorter, adding on a few days pre-cruise and a couple of days post-cruise…we, generally, spend about $12-15,000, all told, by the time we’re done…We prefer Balcony cabins, but we’ve cruised in everything from insides to suites…We often don’t mind the inside since we don’t spend much time in the room, especially in a port intensive itinerary…but it all depends on the incremental increases from the inside to the balcony…If it’s a small to reasonable amount, we go with the balcony…if it’s a several thousand dollar difference, it’s a good argument to save the money for something else. Looking at our window for Summer 2013, here is what I have come up with thus far: 1) Celebrity Silhouette—June 26—13 nights $1899 inside, $2499 balcony June 26 Venice, Italy June 27 Venice, Italy 5:00 PM June 28 Koper, Slovenia 8:00 AM 6:00 PM June 29 Ravenna, Italy 7:00 AM 7:00 PM June 30 Split, Croatia 8:00 AM 6:00 PM July 1 Kotor, Montenegro 8:00 AM 6:00 PM July 2 Dubrovnik, Croatia 8:00 AM 6:00 PM July 3 Bari, Italy 8:00 AM 6:00 PM July 4 Corfu, Greece 8:00 AM 6:00 PM July 5 At Sea July 6 Valletta, Malta 8:00 AM 6:00 PM July 7 Catania, Sicily, Italy 7:00 AM 5:00 PM July 8 Naples (Salerno), Italy 7:00 AM 6:30 PM July 9 Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy 4:30 AM We’ve been to most of these places but not to Koper, Ravenna or Split. We didn’t really spend any time in Bari—just passed through 31 years ago…and, when we visited Sicily, we docked in Naxos (Taormina) and only visited Mt. Etna. Been to Venice and Rome multiple times…same with Dubrovnik and Corfu. I love Celebrity—we are “Elite” Captains Club members, so we get lots of perks…The prices are definitely a bargain and I love the Mediterranean… 2) Oceania Riviera—July 25—12 nights $4999 inside, $6599 balcony—includes airfare Jul 25 Istanbul, Turkey 6:00 p.m. Jul 26 Nessebur, Bulgaria 8:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. Jul 27 Constanta, Romania 8:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m. Jul 28 Odessa, Ukraine 8:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. Jul 29 Sevastopol, Ukraine 8:00 a.m. 8:00 p.m. Jul 30 Yalta, Ukraine 8:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. Jul 31 Sochi, Russia 8:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. Aug 1 Trabzon, Turkey 8:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. Aug 2 Sinop, Turkey 8:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. Aug 3 Cruising the Dardanelles & Bosphorus Straits Aug 4 Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey 8:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. Aug 5 Mykonos, Greece 8:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. Aug 6 Athens (Piraeus), Greece 6:00 a.m. We’ve been to Istanbul for extended pre- and post-cruise stays a couple of times and have visited Athens several times as well…and Ephesus (a couple of visits) and Mykonos are repeats as well…But, all of those Black Sea ports are new to us…and our families come from that part of the world (My father’s family is originally from the Ukraine, my wife’s mother’s family from Romania), though we have no relatives left there—still, of some interest due to personal history. I also love Oceania—Great food, elegant upscale cruising. We really enjoyed the Marina—Riviera’s sister ship—this past August…Fares are a little higher than the others, but do include airfare…The timing may be an issue as we don’t yet have the 2013-14 school district calendar, but, based on THIS YEAR’s calendar, she may have to be back to work August 4…maybe August 11, but we may not know until January 2013. 3) Pacific Princess—July 14—12 nights $2699 inside, $3499 balcony July 14 Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy 6:00 PM July 15 Sorrento, Italy (for Capri & Pompeii) 7:00 AM 6:00 PM July 16At Sea July 17At Sea July 18 Istanbul, Turkey 7:00 AM Overnight Stay July 19 Istanbul, Turkey 4:00 PM July 20 Nessebar, Bulgaria 8:00 AM 6:00 PM July 21 Constanta, Romania 6:00 AM 7:00 PM July 22 Odessa, Ukraine 8:00 AM 6:00 PM July 23 Yalta, Ukraine 8:00 AM 5:00 PM July 24At Sea July 25 Volos, Greece 7:00 AM 5:00 PM July 26 Athens (Piraeus), Greece 6:00 AM This is Princess’ version of the Black Sea cruise. I am not that big a Princess fan, but it is one of the 700-passenger former Renaissance ships. Unfortunately, it really has only four Black Sea ports—as opposed to eight on Oceania…Two days in Istanbul would be nice—if we hadn’t already covered Istanbul so well in the past. But, the dates are better…The prices, once one figures in the airfare, really aren’t any better than Oceania…I think I will show this to my wife—but, if we can’t do the Black Sea on the Oceania cruise, this may be the best argument to leave this region until another year… 4) Viking River Cruises—China—late June—5 night river cruise, rest in hotels. Including Air, starting at $5788 per person Day 1 Beijing Day 2 Beijing Day 3 Beijing Day 4 Beijing & Xian Day 5 Xian & Chongqing—board ship Day 6 Shibaozhai Day 7 Three Gorges & Lesser Three Gorges Day 8 Three Gorges Dam & Three Gorges Day 9 Jingzhou Day 10 Wuhan & Shanghai--disembark Day 11 Shanghai Day 12 Shanghai Day 13 Giulin Day 14 Hong Kong Day 15 Hong Kong Day 16 Hong Kong We’ve always had China on our “Bucket List”…luckily, we’ve probably got many years to worry about completing it…The major problem here is that summer time window…I have heard the summer in China is oppressively hot and muggy. This would be Viking’s standard 12 day China tour with the 4 night Hong Kong add-on, including air from Los Angeles…a little pricey, seemingly, but, remember, this includes all of the excursions…On the other options, we’d have to figure in a $2000-2500 budget for that. We’ve never done one of these sorts of tours…I am not sure if it will feel too regimented…It certainly isn’t the same as our typical cruise ship vacation… How do these sound? Or does anyone have any other recommendations that might fit our parameters? Thanks to everyone… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksps cruise fan Posted April 6, 2012 #2 Share Posted April 6, 2012 So, who wants to help me out with my options/decisions for our 2013 Summer vacation? (I will likely post this on a couple of different boards since there are different cruise lines involved). 4) Viking River Cruises—China—late June—5 night river cruise, rest in hotels. Including Air, starting at $5788 per person Day 1 Beijing Day 2 Beijing Day 3 Beijing Day 4 Beijing & Xian Day 5 Xian & Chongqing—board ship Day 6 Shibaozhai Day 7 Three Gorges & Lesser Three Gorges Day 8 Three Gorges Dam & Three Gorges Day 9 Jingzhou Day 10 Wuhan & Shanghai--disembark Day 11 Shanghai Day 12 Shanghai Day 13 Giulin Day 14 Hong Kong Day 15 Hong Kong Day 16 Hong Kong We’ve always had China on our “Bucket List”…luckily, we’ve probably got many years to worry about completing it…The major problem here is that summer time window…I have heard the summer in China is oppressively hot and muggy. This would be Viking’s standard 12 day China tour with the 4 night Hong Kong add-on, including air from Los Angeles…a little pricey, seemingly, but, remember, this includes all of the excursions…On the other options, we’d have to figure in a $2000-2500 budget for that. We’ve never done one of these sorts of tours…I am not sure if it will feel too regimented…It certainly isn’t the same as our typical cruise ship vacation… How do these sound? Or does anyone have any other recommendations that might fit our parameters? Thanks to everyone… I'd be reluctant to spend that much time on the Yangtze River. The highlight of the cruise would be locking through the dam at Three Gorges/visiting the dam itself and a high speed small boat ride up the tributaries of the lesser gorges. Otherwise, the scenery and the port calls isn't significant enough to devote so many days to the cruise. My husband and I took a combination land and river cruise the last year before the dam was completed so we assumed our five night/four days on the river, sailing upstream, was necessitated by the current. (The same cruise downstream lasted four days) Three days would have been enough for us to get a flavor of the area; we were getting restless by the end of the third day. My understanding is that the dam has created a lake and essentially wiped out the current so the downstream sailing should be the same length as the upstream sailing. Therefore, I'm suprised to see any cruises lasting as long as yours does. Do you really stay on the river all the way to Shanghai? If so, that explains the extra time; we actually boarded at Wuhan and left the ship at Chongqing. I'd keep looking for a package that spends less time on the Yangtze, but I enthusiastically recommend a trip to China. Since that original trip, we've made a second visit there. If you want the services of private guides for fascinating walking tours during your add-on time in Hong Kong, just ask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbie21 Posted April 6, 2012 #3 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Steve, I don't want to be seen as a smart ass but have you considered getting off the cruise ship and taking a land tour? After several European cruises we did two Rick Steves tours in France last year, back to back. It was a very different experience in a lot of ways. Striking differences include staying at most stops 2 or 3 nights, time to simply wander around (both day and night) and learning to eat with the locals. And, of course you get to places you would never be able to see from a cruise.:D I personally enjoyed these tours more than I expected. They were very well organized and had ample free time mixed with organized activities. For example, about half of our dinners were on our own (of with others from the group) with our guide available to make suggestions. Often there was a moring tour or walk with the afternoons free to explore. Think about it - it looks like you are reaching the point where you have visited every port in Europe :) Robbie P.S. I concur that Asia can be pretty humid and uncomfortable in the summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted April 6, 2012 #4 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Just a slightly different view of the Viking China cruise. We did this in May 2008 (avoiding the summer heat) and thought that Viking did an excellent job. And we didn't feel that the length of the cruise itself was too long. We would have liked more time in Shanghai, however. We were broken up into groups of about 30 for the touring (in a bus), and it didn't feel regimented at all. All of the guides were fabulous. Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruin Steve Posted April 6, 2012 Author #5 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Steve, I don't want to be seen as a smart ass but have you considered getting off the cruise ship and taking a land tour? I just love cruises!!! Of course, we also "get off the ship", usually scheduling extended "land" tours around our cruises...This summer, before we board the eclipse, we are renting a car at Heathrow and spending five nights in Cardiff, Wales followed by two in Southampton...then three nights in London post-cruise... This past August, before boarding Marina at Dover, we spent four nights in Canterbury, then spent a couple of nights post-cruise in Rome... Summer before that, we spent nine nights touring Cornwall, Devon and Dorset before boarding the ship in Southampton... So, we manage to get in a bit of time each summer enjoying the local ambiance, night life, cuisine, etc. Now, my wife has come up with another option...one that does not involve a cruise and I am not really that much into... The other half of my wife's family is originally from Lithuania...and her older sister is very much into geneology...and she wants to do this one (whatever version they are having in 2013) and wants us to come along: http://www.litvaktrip.peggyspage.org/ I'm not all that thrilled with hanging with a bunch of geneology fans, searching through archives, etc. in a country where I have no personal background... I may tell her to do that one herself... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted April 6, 2012 #6 Share Posted April 6, 2012 What itinerary are you most drawn to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbb Posted April 6, 2012 #7 Share Posted April 6, 2012 steve, fwiw....very good friends of ours are taking their children and grands to the little Irish village that his ancestors came from. They are renting cars and will also drive to an area towards Northern Ireland where her people came from. They have been writing to people at the genealogy sites that know those areas and they have told him the various inns to stay in, and more importantly, the pubs to visit. Seems a 2nd cousin is behind one of the bars most nights. As the couple says, this is one of those once in a lifetime trips and even one set of kids who is totally bored with genealogy can't wait to go to Ireland. They all plan to spend some time in Dublin at the beginning and the end of the trip and some days some subset of kids are striking off on their own so they don't have to spend the day in the graveyard! Lithuania could be a very cool place to strike out on your own and then meet back with "the family" for dinner....just a thought. c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fetchpeople Posted April 6, 2012 #8 Share Posted April 6, 2012 I have done a China tour that included a Viking cruise up river and another trip that included Thailand and Western China (Kunming, Dali, Lijiang). And I've also been on an O cruise to the Black Sea.Both China and the Black Sea are trips I would be wary of in the heat of summer, depending on your tolerance for high temperatures and humidity. As such, I just might be of help to you in sorting out and prioritizing your various options. If you agree, just post how I can reach out and you can start the debriefing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benita Posted April 6, 2012 #9 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Steve, we have done all the cruises you mention, except in China, we did mainly a land tour with only three days on the river cruise with a company called Pacific Delight. They have a "gold package" which limits the group to 16 and stays in phenomenal hotels like the Peninsula in Hong Kong. That said, June is probably too hot and humid for most of China - we went in early October and other than Beijing, it was still pretty hot. I loved the Oceania Black Sea cruise. My family is from the Galicia area, which was Poland and is now part of the Ukraine, although it is nowhere near the Black Sea. However, Odessa, Yalta, and especially Sevastopol are really interesting ports. My husband played pool in Stalin's place in Sochi. Nessebar is charming. It was one of my favorite itineraries, ever and I do love Oceania. The Princess cruise looks good as well, although if you have to add the airfare, it is not a huge savings and Princess is not one of my favorite lines. The Celebrity itinerary is good, but probably pretty redundant. Can't beat the prices and I love Celebrity. I would try for an Aquaclass cabin, which entitles you to eat in Blu, which is almost as good as the main dining room on Oceania. Just to confuse you further, we are going on the Paul Gauguin next May to Tahiti. In June, they have a ten and an eleven day sailing, which you can extend with pre or post cruise nights in Moorea or Bora Bora. It is a little more pricy than Oceania, but only 322 passengers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruin Steve Posted April 6, 2012 Author #10 Share Posted April 6, 2012 What itinerary are you most drawn to? If it's ME, it's one of two...either the Riviera in the Black Sea or the Silhouette in the Adriatic... The Black Sea is sort of an unknown to me as I am not that familiar with the area or ports...The Adriatic is more known...Obvioulsy, I've been to Venice, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Corfu...and I love them all. Both appear to be great itineraries--though only one At Sea day on each (I sort of wish they were both 14 night cruises and added an At Sea day or two)... A little note on "visiting the old country" and why it may be a little different for us than for some of you: I know a few Irishmen that have gone back to Ireland and Italians that have visited Italy...and so on...The experience can really be special. Sometimes you see distant or long-lost relatives, visit the places your parents or grandparents grew up in, meet people who knew your family, etc. It is quite a bit different for us in some of these countries from which our ancestors came...We're Jewish...In Central and Eastern Europe, in the 30s and 40s, the N azis came into power and proceeded to systematically kill off our families. They were exceedingly successful in certain countries where the local populations were very complicit due to a longstanding cultural anti-Semitism. In Poland, for example, they succeeded in killing off over 90% of the Jewish population. I was lucky in that my immediate forebears saw fit to leave these countries in 1900-1920 and move to America. My family that was left...in the Ukraine and in Poland...was pretty much wiped out in the Holocaust. All that remained after WWII were three cousins in the Ukraine--who all immediately emigrated, one to Israel, the other two to Melbourne, Australia. (We had the extreme pleasure, during our recent Australia/New Zealand cruise, to celebrate my father's first cousin's 74th birthday with her in Melbourne). Whatever property my family owned in the Ukraine and in Poland was confiscated from them by the N azis and later taken by the Marxist regimes in those countries post-war. Whatever was there of their lives--their villages, their synagogues, their shops, their homes, their culture--is gone...destroyed...plowed under, covered over...70+ years of wiping out most traces of their existence. I am guessing my wife's family's story is pretty much the same...One half of her family was in Romania/Moldava, the other half in Lithuania. The Jewish population of Lithuania today is less than one-half of one percent. The Lithuanians, for the most part, were allies of the Germans in WWII (out of their dislike of the Soviets)...My wife has zero relatives that we know of anywhere in Eastern Europe...I don't know if there would be any luck in finding any geneological records...But, even locating towns and villages can be futile. I am guessing that when my great-grandparents packed up and left about 100 years ago, they did not leave with a tear in their eye...They did not look back fondly on the old country...They did not say to themselves, "Someday my great-grandson will come back here!" They were pretty much persecuted in these places and they were ecstatic to get out...and to start a new life in America. Yes, it would be nice to go back and visit home towns and distant relatives...and to see people who look and sound like my grandparents...and to experience my old world culture...IF IT ONLY EXISTED!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted April 6, 2012 #11 Share Posted April 6, 2012 If it's ME, it's one of two...either the Riviera in the Black Sea or the Silhouette in the Adriatic...The Black Sea is sort of an unknown to me as I am not that familiar with the area or ports... Then that is the one you should do :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benita Posted April 6, 2012 #12 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Steve, there is a movie called "Everything is Illuminated" about a Jewish man (played by Elijah Wood) going to the Ukraine to search out his family roots. As you said, there is nothing really left there anymore, but mass graves hidden by forests. However, my father's cousin, made it through the camps - the rest of the family who had not immigrated was wiped out. His grandson did an "Everything is Illuminated" type pilgrimage and found the house his grandfather grew up in, still intact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacmom Posted April 6, 2012 #13 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Steve, We will be doing 2 of your options this summer and fall. Black Sea in Aug. and Viking's China in late Oct. For your schedule both will be in the heat. June and July are very hot in both places according to people who have lived there. Boyj of these are on our bucket lists. On the Black Sea trip we will get to meet Mura. If you chose this one we will be able to give your the name of tour guides.that one of our roll call members has organized. There is a wonderful thread on Viking China on the Other Cruises board--lots of good info there. Personally, I would avoid China in the summer--have a feeling the heat is worse than on our mutual trip on Marina last year. Good luck making the decision. Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbb Posted April 6, 2012 #14 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Steve, thanks so much for sharing your family history. I used to share stories like yours with my students; unbelievable what humans will do to others. To answer your question--I think you should go on the Black Sea cruise so that you can come back and share your experiences so that I will know what to expect in Sept, 2013!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juli2020 Posted April 6, 2012 #15 Share Posted April 6, 2012 If it's ME, it's one of two...either the Riviera in the Black Sea or the Silhouette in the Adriatic...The Black Sea is sort of an unknown to me as I am not that familiar with the area or ports...The Adriatic is more known...Obvioulsy, I've been to Venice, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Corfu...and I love them all. Both appear to be great itineraries--though only one At Sea day on each (I sort of wish they were both 14 night cruises and added an At Sea day or two)... A little note on "visiting the old country" and why it may be a little different for us than for some of you: I know a few Irishmen that have gone back to Ireland and Italians that have visited Italy...and so on...The experience can really be special. Sometimes you see distant or long-lost relatives, visit the places your parents or grandparents grew up in, meet people who knew your family, etc. It is quite a bit different for us in some of these countries from which our ancestors came...We're Jewish...In Central and Eastern Europe, in the 30s and 40s, the N azis came into power and proceeded to systematically kill off our families. They were exceedingly successful in certain countries where the local populations were very complicit due to a longstanding cultural anti-Semitism. In Poland, for example, they succeeded in killing off over 90% of the Jewish population. I was lucky in that my immediate forebears saw fit to leave these countries in 1900-1920 and move to America. My family that was left...in the Ukraine and in Poland...was pretty much wiped out in the Holocaust. All that remained after WWII were three cousins in the Ukraine--who all immediately emigrated, one to Israel, the other two to Melbourne, Australia. (We had the extreme pleasure, during our recent Australia/New Zealand cruise, to celebrate my father's first cousin's 74th birthday with her in Melbourne). Whatever property my family owned in the Ukraine and in Poland was confiscated from them by the N azis and later taken by the Marxist regimes in those countries post-war. Whatever was there of their lives--their villages, their synagogues, their shops, their homes, their culture--is gone...destroyed...plowed under, covered over...70+ years of wiping out most traces of their existence. I am guessing my wife's family's story is pretty much the same...One half of her family was in Romania/Moldava, the other half in Lithuania. The Jewish population of Lithuania today is less than one-half of one percent. The Lithuanians, for the most part, were allies of the Germans in WWII (out of their dislike of the Soviets)...My wife has zero relatives that we know of anywhere in Eastern Europe...I don't know if there would be any luck in finding any geneological records...But, even locating towns and villages can be futile. I am guessing that when my great-grandparents packed up and left about 100 years ago, they did not leave with a tear in their eye...They did not look back fondly on the old country...They did not say to themselves, "Someday my great-grandson will come back here!" They were pretty much persecuted in these places and they were ecstatic to get out...and to start a new life in America. Yes, it would be nice to go back and visit home towns and distant relatives...and to see people who look and sound like my grandparents...and to experience my old world culture...IF IT ONLY EXISTED!!! Steve, If the dates work out for you and your wife...I would do the Black Sea on the Riviera. Doing a land tour in Lithuania might take you out of your comfort zone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubysue Posted April 6, 2012 #16 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Hi Steve - I followed your posts on the Port board and your review for your cruise last year as we are doing a similar cruise this September and I even contacted and booked a couple of private tours based on your experiences. Thank you for sharing your family story. If I had a vote, I would recommend the Oceania Black Sea itinerary. We would love to do this cruise. The history of Europe (and the rest of the world, for that matter) is a mosaic of soaring highs and horrific lows. I think it would be important for you to see this part of the world, given your family story. You can think about what happened and realize that tyrannies destroy history and ancestral connections (a good lesson to observe). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare DOJO466 Posted April 6, 2012 #17 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Hi Steve, Thank you for sharing your story..you write so well. I too am with the others who have suggested the Black Sea. Have not done this route as yet but it's on "the list". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrssbi Posted April 7, 2012 #18 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Steve, we did the Black Sea last year with Oceania and it was fabulous. I found some exceptional guides/tour companies. I wrote a lot of information on last year's roll call for July. I've been to some of the other ports but just an opinion on the Black Sea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacheco18 Posted April 7, 2012 #19 Share Posted April 7, 2012 I will add my two cents From everything I have heard, avoid China in the summer. You may have to wait until your wife retires for that trip. The Black Sea is supposed to be fabulous -- we are doing almost the same itinerary on Azamara in August 2013 -- that sailing it is too late in August for your timetable (I only mention it because your Celebrity status gives you lots of extras on Azamara). Have you been to French Polynesia? I second the recommendation for the PG -- and there are lots of special offers and a huge OBC from most travel agents. There are not enough superlatives to describe the experience on the Paul Gauguin and you can sail in that region 12 months of the year. Trip of a lifetime. Just something else to put in the mix. BTW - my family history is similar to yours (Ukraine, Romania -- family emigrated in late 1800's) . In 2009 I went to Romania for 2 weeks and hired a private guide. I did get help from some organizations trying to find relatives. There are many Jewish organizations that will help you. I visited the town where my material grandmother was born (Foscsani) and spent time with the caretakers in the 1 remaining synagogue there. It was amazing. Even if you do not find relatives, you are in their "aura." It feels good. BTW - if you are thinking of a land trip ever, Romania will blow you away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juli2020 Posted April 7, 2012 #20 Share Posted April 7, 2012 I will add my two cents From everything I have heard, avoid China in the summer. You may have to wait until your wife retires for that trip. The Black Sea is supposed to be fabulous -- we are doing almost the same itinerary on Azamara in August 2013 -- that sailing it is too late in August for your timetable (I only mention it because your Celebrity status gives you lots of extras on Azamara). Have you been to French Polynesia? I second the recommendation for the PG -- and there are lots of special offers and a huge OBC from most travel agents. There are not enough superlatives to describe the experience on the Paul Gauguin and you can sail in that region 12 months of the year. Trip of a lifetime. Just something else to put in the mix. BTW - my family history is similar to yours (Ukraine, Romania -- family emigrated in late 1800's) . In 2009 I went to Romania for 2 weeks and hired a private guide. I did get help from some organizations trying to find relatives. There are many Jewish organizations that will help you. I visited the town where my material grandmother was born (Foscsani) and spent time with the caretakers in the 1 remaining synagogue there. It was amazing. Even if you do not find relatives, you are in their "aura." It feels good. BTW - if you are thinking of a land trip ever, Romania will blow you away! Cruising French Polynesia on the Paul Gauguin was one of our all time favorite cruises. They do offer 7, 10, 11 and 14 day cruises. Paul Gauguin is coming out with a new small ship (Tere Moana) that will be doing a Black Sea cruise in June and July 2013. Something else to consider if you want to do a Black Sea Cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted April 7, 2012 #21 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Bruin Steve, Half of my family's history is like yours. My father's parents came from the Odessa area (hence my last name, Kievman). They came to the U.S. around 1908 -- my grandmother told my mother (who is not Jewish) that after the pogroms around 1906-07 they knew they had to leave. So I have no knowledge of my relatives back there, and if anyone survived. I don't even know our real last name. Even so, I'm looking forward to our "Jewish" tour in Odessa on our Black Sea cruise this August. My husband's parents' families came from Poland and Austria-Hungary, and likewise, they came over in the early 1900s. They do know that some of DH's grandparents' families came to Israel from Russia after the war -- we met a cousin there in 2006 and she took us all over Israel, which was great because she is a licensed tour guide. But on both of our sides, most people probably didn't make it out of the war. My mother's family was from Norway, although they came to the U.S. a generation earlier. But I don't doubt that members of that side of my family also perished in the war. You still might find that genealogy trip interesting! So don't judge too hastily. Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triplestar Posted April 7, 2012 #22 Share Posted April 7, 2012 We were on the Black Sea cruise on Nautica June 2010. I would do that cruise again and still be able to see something new & different in each port. The Princess cruise only does half the Black Sea ,Trabzon & Sochi are not to be missed. I have been to China in May and although Beijing was pleasant the southern parts ie Xian & Guilan were hot even then.My daughter worked in China & July is very hot . All the cruises are good , Kotor & Ravenna are lovely. I would say no to the Princess & it may come down to pulling one out that hat from remaining 3. Happy cruising what ever you choose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbie21 Posted April 7, 2012 #23 Share Posted April 7, 2012 I just love cruises!!!Of course, we also "get off the ship", usually scheduling extended "land" tours around our cruises...This summer, before we board the eclipse, we are renting a car at Heathrow and spending five nights in Cardiff, Wales followed by two in Southampton...then three nights in London post-cruise... WOW! this thread has taken off in a couple of very interesting diversions. 1. it looks like the black sea is the one area you have not cruised to. Go for it! 2. We too always spend some time before and after our cruise. I was suggesting you consider a totally land tour as an alternative to cruising. But, if you really love crusing that is what you should do :) 3. Finally, in reference to the geneology and family research issues - Cruising/travel is or should be recreation/fun. It appears that in your particular case investigation of your families background would be frustrating at best and perhaps downright disturbing. So, don't do it. People are always telling me I should visit Viet Nam - that I would find it "healing", etc. I do not wish to be reminded in any way of that unpleasant experience. I have healed enough and do not wish to risk opening old wounds. Robbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacheco18 Posted April 7, 2012 #24 Share Posted April 7, 2012 [quote People are always telling me I should visit Viet Nam - that I would find it "healing", etc. I do not wish to be reminded in any way of that unpleasant experience. I have healed enough and do not wish to risk opening old wounds. Robbie Robbie - when we are on the Nautica together next month, ask my husband Bob about his "return" to Vietnam. He did two tours there as a pilot. I dragged him (also on the Nautica) "kicking and screaming." He loved it. It was not about healing as much as seeing what was the same and what had changed. And he got to see many things that were not on his wartime itinerary. More than that, there were many other veterans (many of them fellow pilots) on the cruise and they frequently got together and shared experiences. One had actually been a prisoner of war with John McCain and oh the stories he told (that was his 5th trip back!). Bob was pleasantly surprised by the whole experience. So don't rule it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbie21 Posted April 7, 2012 #25 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Laraine, We'll talk. I have my reasons. For Steve - I agree with Laraine on French Polynesia. We did 17 days on the Star Clipper before they quit the area. Fabulous sights, best snorkeling ever, interesting history. It was especially fun on a sailing ship. Put Tahiti on you list. Robbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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