Fabian & Francis cruising the Black Sea

Where in the world... 

Our trip to the Black Sea

Oceania Cruises: Riviera

The brand new Riviera, which debuted in May 2012, is stunning. Designer touches are everywhere, from the magnificent Lalique Grand Staircase and stunning Owner's Suites furnished in Ralph Lauren Home.


Comfortably mid-sized, with a country club casual ambiance and level of personalized service, combined with new amenities, made it an incredible experience…one which were not expecting. As the first ship designed for lovers of fine dining and travel experiences, the 1250 passenger Riviera offers guests multiple dining venues, of which six are open-seating gourmet restaurants with no surcharge.

Accommodations in every category are incredibly spacious, especially with regard to the lavish bathrooms.

 Our 13 day Itinerary

Day	Date	Location
1	Thu, 25 Jul	Istanbul, Turkey
2	Fri, 26 Jul	Nessebar, Bulgaria
3	Sat, 27 Jul	Constanta, Romania
4	Sun, 28 Jul	Odessa, Ukraine
5	Mon, 29 Jul	Sevastopol, Ukraine
6	Tue, 30 Jul	Yalta, Ukraine
7	Wed, 31 Jul	Sochi, Russia
8	Thu, 01 Aug	Trabzon, Turkey
9	Fri, 02 Aug	Sinop, Turkey
10	Sat, 03 Aug	Çengelköy, Turkey
11	Sun, 04 Aug	Kusadasi, Turkey
12	Mon, 05 Aug	Mykonos, Greece
13	Tue, 06 Aug	Piraeus, Greece

Arrival into Istambul, Turkey:

Turkish Airlines

Excellent Business Class as well as Comfort Class (Premium Economy).

With the most amazing tour operator in the world, Nurdan from Nurdan's United Travel Services, Turkey.

Istanbul, Turkey

MUST SEE:

Dolmabache Palacio

Mezquita azul

Iglesia Sofia

Grand Bazaar

MUST EAT & DRINK

Sur Balak (5mins from Four Season)
Kebabs’  
Doner Kebaps (like Mexican Tacos)

Black tea and Apple tea

Turkish Coffee

Nessebar, Bulgaria

Nessebar, Bulgaria...an ancient town and one of the major seaside resorts on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast!

MUST EAT AND DRINK: 
Pork (not a lot of options)
Local Wines

Constanta, Romania

Constanta - the oldest extant city in Romania. It was founded around 600 BC 

MUST EAT AND DRINK:

Local Wines
** 1 dollar = 3.3 Lei

Odessa, Ucrania 

The port of Odessa, where they arrived, is one of the most important seaports in Ukraine which is located on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea.

MUST SEE:

        Potemkin Steps y Odessa City Hall 

       Opera House

       Fine Arts Museum 

       Primoski Boulevard

MUST EAT & DRINK :

Pork and vegetable dumplings 

Pork   Borsch (onion and egg soup)
Vodka : Horilka 
Cold fruit tea
 

Sevastopol, Ukraine
Sevastopol is one of two cities with special status in Ukraine (the other being the capital, Kiev). A strategically important naval point, it is also a popular seaside resort and tourist destination.

MUST SEE:

Khan Palace in Bakhchisaray (1hra del puerto)

Yalta, Ukraine

YALTA, a resort city in Crimea, southern Ukraine, on the north coast of the Black Sea. The city is located on the site of an ancient Greek colony, said to have been founded by Greek sailors who were looking for a safe shore on which to land.

MUST SEE:

Museum: Chekhov
Alexander Nevsky Cathedra;

MUST EAT AND DRINK:

Beer: Lvivske
BBQ Pork

Sochi, Russia

Situated on the Black Sea coast near the border of Georgia, Sochi is one of Russia's largest resort cities. A lot is going on here in the next few years. Sochi will host the XXII Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games next year as well as the Russian Formula 1 Grand Prix. It is also one of the host cities for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Basic info:

* "Spasibo" = Thank you
* 1 Dolar = 30 Rubles

Trabzon, Turkey

Trabzon played a key role in both the Silk Road and the Ottoman period because of the importance of its port.

MUST SEE:

Monasterio Sumela (1 hr from port)  CANT MISS

MUST EAT AND DRINK:
Kebabs

Kusadasi, Turkey

A resort town on Turkey's Aegean, its primary industry is tourism given it is so close to Ephesus.

MUST SEE:

Ephesus: Old Roman Town-  CANT MISS

MUST EAT AND DRINK:

Kebabs