Cruise Description

9 Night Cruise sailing from Athens to Istanbul aboard Azamara Journey.

From ancient Athens set sail to Patmos, a peaceful isle of lovely beaches where St. John is believed to have written Revelations. Don’t miss the 12th century frescoes and rare religious icons at St. John Monastery, or a walk through the narrow streets of Chora town. The following day is all about scenic cruising: first the Dardanelles, and then the Bosphorus after sunset with Istanbul’s skyline ablaze in lights. You’ll sail the Bosphorus again in daylight later in your voyage. Black Sea highlights include the Middle Ages old town of Nessebar, Bucharest (nicknamed “Little Paris” for its lovely architecture), Odessa’s fabled Opera and Ballet Theater, the naval stronghold of Sevastopol, and the historic resort town of Yalta. From Odessa you can also opt to visit Kiev, one of Eastern Europe’s oldest and most fascinating cities.

Highlights of this cruise:

Piraeus (Athens), Greece
Athens has quite a reputation to live up to. Named for Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, the city is credited with being the cradle of European civilization and birthplace of democracy. Ruins and relics of its glory days are scattered throughout the modern city, popping up where you least expect them. Its crowning glory is the Acropolis, perched atop a hillside, and covered in carved and columned temples of varying degrees of antiquity. Not quite so old is the Plaka, an appealing neighborhood for a stroll down cobblestone streets, past old mansions and a plethora of outdoor tavernas ideal for watching the world go by, while munching tasty Greek snacks.

Patmos, Greece
There is no missing the Monastery of St. John, a massive dark fortress atop a hill, standing out against the traditional white houses of the village of Hora that surround it. It was constructed in the late 11th century to honor St. John the Divine, who is said to have had his apocalyptic vision while in Patmos, leading him to write the Book of Revelation. The monastery is a warren of interconnecting courtyards, arcades, galleries, and roof terraces. There are lovely chapels, some with 12th century frescoes; the treasury exhibits an impressive array of art; and the library contains a wealth of historic texts.

Odessa, Ukraine
Relatively new as European cities go, Odessa was founded in 1794 by Catherine the Great, and became an important commercial and cultural center, and the Black Sea’s greatest seaport. Two famous sites claim the interests of most visitors: The neo-baroque Odessa Opera and Ballet Theater is considered one of the world’s finest opera houses, with unique acoustics in its luxurious rococo hall, that allow even a whisper from the stage to be heard in every corner. The Odessa Steps were the set for an iconic scene in motion picture history, in a scene from the Battleship Potemkin, where hundreds of citizens were killed on the great stone steps.

Sevastopol, Ukraine
Sevastopol’s status as a strategic naval stronghold has contributed to its fascinating history, but has not been kind to the city itself. Under siege for 11 months during the Crimean War, the formerly glorious city was left in ruins. Reconstructed, it was then besieged again by Germans in WWII, reduced to rubble, and rebuilt once again. During Soviet times a closed city, Sevastopol opened to the outside world only in 1995, and not until 1997 did Russia and the Ukraine sign a peace and friendship treaty, ruling out Moscow’s claims, and making Ukraine a sovereign nation.

Yalta, Ukraine
They say a visit to Yalta is good for your health, and it is only because the Russian aristocracy believed that, that the city became more than a backwater. In the mid 19th century, its mild climate was deemed beneficial for recovering from various ailments, and once the tsar bought property there, the race to wellness was on. The elite built neo-gothic chateaux, as did the tsar, whose Livadia Palace eventually hosted Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt for the Yalta Conference at the end of WWII. In the Soviet era dutiful comrades were rewarded with rest trips, though in somewhat less luxurious facilities.

Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul is supremely exotic, warmly welcoming, and quite unique – after all, where else can you tour Europe and Asia on the very same afternoon? Must sees include Haghia Sophia, decorated in 30 million tiny mosaic tiles, the greatest church in Christendom for 1000 years, then a mosque and now a museum; and Topkapi, palace of sultans, complete with harem quarters. And of course shopping in the Grand Bazaar, a medieval version of a mall, for unusual gifts to take home, stopping along the way in a café for a cup of Turkish coffee or mint tea.