12-night Black Sea Serenade Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise

Cruise Itinerary for 12-night Black Sea Serenade Cruise Greece

Athens (Piraeus)

8/28/2009

8/28/2009 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 Black Sea Serenade Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Oceania Nautica

Santorini

8/29/2009 8:00:00 AM

8/29/2009 6:00:00 PM

Santorini is everything that has made the Greek islands legendary. The world famous island of Santorini is the southern most island of the Cycladic group in the Aegean Sea, and is located north of Crete. Its population is distributed among thirteen villages and just exceeds nine thousand. The marvelous dry climate and unbroken sunshine create year around conditions which are perfect for observation, photographs and videos under an extraordinary variety of natural lights and colors.

12-night Black Sea Serenade Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Oceania Nautica

Kusadasi

8/30/2009 8:00:00 AM

8/30/2009 4:00:00 PM

Visitors come to Kusadasi for beaches and nearby ruins of Ephesus. The major attraction is the archaeological site of ancient Ephesus, considered to be most important in Turkey. The history of this ancient city dates back to 10th century BC; many remarkable structures seen today are result of an excavation and restoration program. Along a white marble road grooved by ancient chariot wheels, the two-story Library of Celsus presents a striking sight. There are temples, houses of noblemen, and community buildings lining ancient streets. Nestled in the mountainside is a 25,000-seat amphitheater, still used for performances during Festival of Culture and Art. Bible buffs may know Ephesus as inspiration for St. Paul’s Epistle to Ephesians and the site of one of the first seven churches of Asia Minor. Treasures are kept in the Seljuk Archaeological Museum. Among the better-known ancient sites near Kusadasi are ancient Miletus and Dydima. Remains include a well-preserved Roman theater at Miletus and Dydima's sacred temple of Apollo.

12-night Black Sea Serenade Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Oceania Nautica

At Sea

8/31/2009

8/31/2009

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 Black Sea Serenade Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Oceania Nautica

Yalta

9/1/2009 9:00:00 AM

9/1/2009 5:00:00 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 Black Sea Serenade Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Oceania Nautica

Sochi

9/2/2009 9:00:00 AM

9/2/2009 6:00:00 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 Black Sea Serenade Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Oceania Nautica

At Sea

9/3/2009

9/3/2009

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 Black Sea Serenade Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Oceania Nautica

Sevastopol

9/4/2009

9/4/2009

Nestled between the sea and beautiful green valleys, Sevastopol, meaning “majestic city” in Greek, sits on hills forming a natural amphitheater overlooking magnificent Bakhtiarsky Bay. This city is laden with bays of astonishing beauty, impressive architectural ensembles, unique museums, charming gardens and attractive squares and boulevards. At Malakhov Kurgan, the command post of the first defense of Sevastopol, are remains of bastions which protected the city during its 200-year old history. An eternal flame burns in honor of Crimean and Soviet naval heroes. The city has a great military and naval history, and its people are proud of the title of Hero City earned for their valiant stand against Nazis during World War II. The State Historical and Archaeological Museum houses the heritage of a 2,500-year-old civilization, with relics of the city’s past. Among numerous other attractions is Balaklava, scene of long and bitter clashes in the Crimean War. Sevastopol Aquarium displays a vast array of fish and marine life from the waters of the Black Sea.

12-night Black Sea Serenade Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Oceania Nautica

Odessa

9/5/2009

9/5/2009

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 Black Sea Serenade Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Oceania Nautica

Constanta

9/6/2009 8:00:00 AM

9/6/2009 7:00:00 PM

Romania's second largest city, Constanta attracts by the harmony between ebulient business world and intense cultural life.
Developed upon the ancient ruins of the Greek stronghold Tomis, Constanta has always been a centre of ethnic and spiritual diversity, a pole of economic exchanges in the Black Sea region and in South-Eastern Europe

12-night Black Sea Serenade Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Oceania Nautica

Nessebur

9/7/2009

9/7/2009

Today, residents of Nesebur live mostly from fishing and tourism. Nesebur sits on a small rocky peninsula connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. Remnants of the 2nd century city walls rise above the town and the winding, cobblestone streets are lined with stone and timber houses with wooden stairways and jutting first floors. Another characteristic of Nesebur architecture are horizontal strips of white stone and red brick offset by striped blind arches resting on vertical pilasters, the facades highlighted by ceramic discs and rosettes. Other sights include the Museum of Archaeology - a new museum housing a fascinating collection of some 5,000 relics and finds that have been salvaged from archaeological sites of the ancient town of Nesebur.

12-night Black Sea Serenade Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Oceania Nautica

Istanbul

9/8/2009 8:00:00 AM

9/8/2009

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 Black Sea Serenade Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Oceania Nautica

Istanbul

9/9/2009

9/9/2009

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 Black Sea Serenade Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Oceania Nautica