Travel-Learn Program

When: September 09, 2012 - September 17, 2012 (iCal)

Description

Explore the dynamic countries surrounding the Black Sea aboard the Six-Star, all-suite M.V. SILVER WIND during the best season of the year to visit Istanbul, Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine. This program offers free air* and a host of features aboard ship. Choose from a wide selection of optional shore excursions, including tours of the town of Nessebur, a UNESCO World Heritage site; Livadia Palace; the 16th century Khan’s Palace in Bakhchysaray on the Crimean Peninsula; Odessa’s Opera House and the Potemkin Steps; and the architectural treasures of Constanta, Romania. We can extend our stay with an Istanbul Pre-Cruise Option or the Cappadocia Post-Cruise Option.

Activity level: Moderately Active

*Free Air and Low Air Add-Ons have limited availability and are not guaranteed.

Download the program brochure.

For Early Booking Incentive, your choice of cabin category, & to avoid disappointment of a sold out program, register now!

Cost

From $5,148 per person, double occupancy, if booked by May 15, 2012.

Contact

For more information,contact Usha Nand Sellers Ed. D., Director Tufts Travel-Learn Program, at usha.sellers@tufts.edu or 617-627-5323.

Itinerary

Day 1 & 2 - U.S./Istanbul, Turkey

Depart for Istanbul, Turkey. Upon arrival, transfer to the M.V. SILVER WIND and set sail for Yalta. Later, we will join the Captain’s welcome reception, followed by dinner.

Day 3 - At Sea

Our day is at leisure aboard the ship as we cruise the Black Sea.

Day 4 - Yalta, Ukraine

We arrive in Yalta, a favorite seaside retreat for both czars and commissars. During the late 19th century, the region’s sunshine and invigorating sea air attracted the Russian Nobility. We will visit Livadia Palace, built in 1911 by Czar Nicholas II as a summer residence for his family. This site later achieved international renown when it provided the stage for the historic Yalta Conference, where Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin determined the post-World War II status of Germany and Eastern Europe.

Day 5 - Sevastopol

Our port of call today is Sevastopol, built in tiers upon hills overlooking a magnificent natural harbor. The headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet under the czars and the Soviets, it remained closed to the outside world until 1990. We begin our morning with a visit to nearby Khersones, the excavated ruins of a Greek trading settlement established in 421 B.C., complete with a museum showcasing site’s artifacts. Nearby is Bakhchisarai—Garden Palace—the opulent seat of the Tatar Khans who ruled Crimea from 1427 to 1783. The Khan’s Palace is noted for its harmonious blend of diverse architectural elements, and the Fountain of Tears, inspiration for one of Aleksandr Pushkin’s greatest poems.

Day 6 - Odessa

We arrive in Odessa this morning. Founded by Catherine the Great in 1789 to guard the southern approaches to her empire, it is a graceful city of tree-lined avenues and Franco-Italian architecture; the Potemkin Stairs extend from the harbor to the city center and were immortalized in The Battleship Potemkin. Today choose to stroll through the city’s lively commercial heart, relax in a café in the glass-vaulted Passazh Corridor, or visit the ornate Odessa Opera House and Ballet.

Day 7-Constanta, Romania

Today we visit Constanta, Romania’s principal seaport. Established by the Greeks in the sixth century B.C., it has a long and colorful history. Later ruled by Romans, Byzantines and Ottoman Turks, the relics of Constanta’s past are collected in the Archaeological and Natural History Museum. Just outside the museum, Roman archaeological fragments can be found, including notable mosaic pieces that may have been part of the nearby Roman baths.

Day 8 - Nessebur, Bulgaria

Today we have the option of exploring the small port of Nessebur, a sixth-century B.C. Greek-founded town and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Despite its small size, Nessebur is home to many architectural sites. In the center of Old Nessebur, not far from the Byzantine town gate, are the ruins of St. Sofia Church, built in the late fifth and early sixth centuries. The 14th-century stone and red brick Pantokrator Church, now a gallery selling local artwork, is the town’s loveliest and best preserved. This evening, we cruise to Istanbul.

Day 9 - Istanbul, Turkey/U.S.

Disembark the ship and either continue on the Cappadocia and Istanbul Post-Cruise Option, or transfer to the airport for homebound flight.

Price and Itinerary are tentative and subject to change.

617-627-5323|usha.sellers@tufts.edu