12-night Crimean & Aegean Coasts Cruise Europe Cheap Cruise

Cruise Itinerary for 12-night Crimean & Aegean Coasts Cruise Europe

Athens (Piraeus)

7/31/2009

7/31/2009 8:00:00 PM

Piraeus is the seaport for Athens, the capital of western civilization, which boasts a fantastic mix of classical ruins and vivacious modern life. Climb the hill of Acropolis to wonder at the Parthenon, join the lively Athenians in Constitution Square, and find a welcoming taverna for spirited bizouki music, plenty of ouzo to drink, and energetic Greek dancing. Piraeus is the largest harbor in the country. The white chapel of St. George at its summi has a theater bearing the same name. The hill of Nymphs is the site of a planetarium, which is located above magnificent Thesseio temple. Among all of these hills, Acropolis is the one that glorified Athens and the whole Greek world and became the symbol of the western civilization. Bays and small rocky or sandy coves dot the area and during the summer are filled with Athenians and foreigners enjoying their beauty.

12-night Crimean & Aegean Coasts Cruise Europe Cheap Cruise aboard the Princess Royal Princess®

Volos (Meteora)

8/1/2009 9:00:00 AM

8/1/2009 6:00:00 PM

Volos is a commercial and industrial city; it is Greece’s third-largest port. The location in the gulf of the same name and near scenic Mount Pelion ensures this town an attractive setting. Interesting sites in the surrounding areas include imposing monasteries perched atop craggy mountains and a fine Archaeological Museum. Remains of Mycenaen buildings have been discovered near the river, where a palace stood around 1400 B.C. The main reason visitors come to Volos is to depart on excursions to the monasteries of Meteora.

12-night Crimean & Aegean Coasts Cruise Europe Cheap Cruise aboard the Princess Royal Princess®

At Sea

8/2/2009

8/2/2009

Every day at sea is packed with activities...from deck games to entertainment. Indulge yourself in a relaxing massage. Exercise. Shop at onboard boutiques. Take a dip in the pool. The day is yours. Indulge!

12-night Crimean & Aegean Coasts Cruise Europe Cheap Cruise aboard the Princess Royal Princess®

Varna

8/3/2009 8:00:00 AM

8/3/2009 5:00:00 PM

Varna has a cosmopolitan atmosphere where visitors can mingle with uniformed sailors as they promenade along shady boulevards lined by 19th and early 20th century buildings. Attractions include the 19th century Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin; the 2nd century thermae, the remains of the largest Roman public building in Bulgaria; the granite monument commemorating the 1444 Battle of Varna. The Varna Museum is full of historical treasures of interest. Other museums include Ethnographic Museum, with interesting displays of costumes, masks, and jewellery, and Natural History Museum of coastal flora and fauna. The chief attraction is Botanical Garden, which surrounds the small summer palace of the Romanian Queen Marie. Euxinograd Palace, a royal summer residence built in 1882, and its wonderfully kept formal gardens resemble a French chateau set in beautiful wooded parkland which reaches down to a fine sandy beach.

12-night Crimean & Aegean Coasts Cruise Europe Cheap Cruise aboard the Princess Royal Princess®

Odessa

8/4/2009 9:00:00 AM

8/4/2009 5:00:00 PM

Cosmopolitan Odessa is an area thriving with beaches, special saline baths and mild climate. This city continues as a major cultural center, and Odessa’s citizens are proud of their heritage and culture stemming from a multiethnic mix including Ottoman Turks, Greeks, Bulgarians and Jews. Under Catherine the Great, Odessa became capital of New Russia. In recognition of the inhabitants’ valiant stand in World War II, Odessa was proclaimed the Hero City. Many 19th century French-style buildings reminiscent of St. Petersburg survived, adding greatly to the city’s numerous attractions, including Vorontsov Palace, the remains of the Turks' fortress Enu Dunia, and the former Stock Exchange. The pride and glory is the neo-classical Opera House that saw musical events conducted by Tchaikovsky and Anna Pavlova ballets. Thanks to temperate climate and prime beaches, Odessa and its surrounding resort areas attract scores of visitors who are pampered in seaside spas and visit opulent palaces, or engage interested residents in a conversation to learn about the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

12-night Crimean & Aegean Coasts Cruise Europe Cheap Cruise aboard the Princess Royal Princess®

Yalta

8/5/2009 7:00:00 AM

8/5/2009 4:00:00 PM

Ukraine’s most important resort is Yalta, which has catered to pleasure lovers and health seekers for more than a century. Here at the Golden Riviera Russian aristocracy built elegant summer palaces and palatial villas rivaling those of Nice and Cannes. Livadia became the summer residence of tsars and famous as the site of the 1945 Yalta Conference. Following the 1917 Revolution, most opulent mansions were converted to sanitariums where Soviet citizens came to recuperate. Restoration of many palaces has reinstated them to former glory, and they present a desirable attraction. Historic sites such as Livadia, the impressive Vorontsov Palace, the interesting Chekhov Museum, and the spectacular scenery makes this a Black Sea playground. Chekhov House-Museum stands where famous Russian writer Anton Chekhov spent his last years. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the largest Orthodox church in Yalta, houses beautiful icons and prides itself in fine altar woodwork. Nikitsky Botanical Gardens, located on a hilltop above the sea, features a vast collection of ornamental plants.

12-night Crimean & Aegean Coasts Cruise Europe Cheap Cruise aboard the Princess Royal Princess®

Sochi

8/6/2009 9:00:00 AM

8/6/2009 5:00:00 PM

With the Caucasus Mountains as its backdrop, the Black Sea town of Sochi is the jewel of the Russian Riviera. Sand and pebble beaches stretch nearly 20 miles along the Black Sea coast. With its subtropical climate, warm seas and adjoining trendy resort complex of Dagomys, the resort has long attracted heads of state, foreign tourists, and Russians alike. Botanical Gardens, therapeutic pools, and the dachas (country houses) of the powerful and famous are all local landmarks. Historical and architectural monuments, unique flora and fauna, magnificent panoramas, mysterious canyons and caves, and dramatic waterfalls are all found in Sochi.

12-night Crimean & Aegean Coasts Cruise Europe Cheap Cruise aboard the Princess Royal Princess®

At Sea

8/7/2009

8/7/2009

Every day at sea is packed with activities...from deck games to entertainment. Indulge yourself in a relaxing massage. Exercise. Shop at onboard boutiques. Take a dip in the pool. The day is yours. Indulge!

12-night Crimean & Aegean Coasts Cruise Europe Cheap Cruise aboard the Princess Royal Princess®

Istanbul

8/8/2009 7:00:00 AM

8/8/2009 5:00:00 PM

This exotic capital guards the slender waterway between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, and is the doorway between the West and the East. The Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and Topkapi Sarai await-as does the Grand Bazaar, laden with carpets, beaten brass and spices from far-off lands. A walk down any backstreet gives the feeling of entering a completely different environment. Traders with handcarts, stevedores carrying burdens twice their size, limbless beggars and shoeshine boys all frequent the streets around the city center. Men monopolize public bars and teahouses, while many women cover their heads, their gaze downcast. In summer, dust tracks take the place of pavements, giving way in winter to a slurry of mud. Where there are pavements, they are punctuated at intervals with unmarked pits large enough to swallow you without trace. And this is before you even begin to cross any bridges into Asia.

12-night Crimean & Aegean Coasts Cruise Europe Cheap Cruise aboard the Princess Royal Princess®

At Sea

8/9/2009

8/9/2009

Every day at sea is packed with activities...from deck games to entertainment. Indulge yourself in a relaxing massage. Exercise. Shop at onboard boutiques. Take a dip in the pool. The day is yours. Indulge!

12-night Crimean & Aegean Coasts Cruise Europe Cheap Cruise aboard the Princess Royal Princess®

At Sea

8/10/2009

8/10/2009

Every day at sea is packed with activities...from deck games to entertainment. Indulge yourself in a relaxing massage. Exercise. Shop at onboard boutiques. Take a dip in the pool. The day is yours. Indulge!

12-night Crimean & Aegean Coasts Cruise Europe Cheap Cruise aboard the Princess Royal Princess®

Venice

8/11/2009 12:00:00 PM

8/11/2009

With a great historic past and incomparable art treasures, Venice is renowned as one of the world’s great cities. Its 118 islands are separated by more than 150 canals and spanned by 400 bridges. During Venice's artistic golden age many magnificent structures were erected to create world-famous masterpieces. One of the best sightseeing routes is along Grand Canal, with many palaces lining the famous waterway. St. Mark’s Square offers access to some of Venice’s most famed attractions - St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace. From Piazza San Marco, a maze of narrow streets are lined with shops, cafés and restaurants. A popular pastime is sitting at an outdoor café facing the square while people-watching and letting the whole marvelous scenario unfold. Venice’s Murano, Burano and Torcello Islands comprise an area famous as home of Venice’s glass-blowing industry and known for their charm, skilled lace-making and medieval monuments. Relax on a gondola ride, see art treasures in museums, churches and palaces, and have a sumptuous meal - all in this incomparable city.

12-night Crimean & Aegean Coasts Cruise Europe Cheap Cruise aboard the Princess Royal Princess®

Venice

8/12/2009

8/12/2009

With a great historic past and incomparable art treasures, Venice is renowned as one of the world’s great cities. Its 118 islands are separated by more than 150 canals and spanned by 400 bridges. During Venice's artistic golden age many magnificent structures were erected to create world-famous masterpieces. One of the best sightseeing routes is along Grand Canal, with many palaces lining the famous waterway. St. Mark’s Square offers access to some of Venice’s most famed attractions - St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace. From Piazza San Marco, a maze of narrow streets are lined with shops, cafés and restaurants. A popular pastime is sitting at an outdoor café facing the square while people-watching and letting the whole marvelous scenario unfold. Venice’s Murano, Burano and Torcello Islands comprise an area famous as home of Venice’s glass-blowing industry and known for their charm, skilled lace-making and medieval monuments. Relax on a gondola ride, see art treasures in museums, churches and palaces, and have a sumptuous meal - all in this incomparable city.

12-night Crimean & Aegean Coasts Cruise Europe Cheap Cruise aboard the Princess Royal Princess®