Unique Black Sea Voyage Aboard SeaDream

I don't usually discuss specific cruise itineraries unless I'm writing a review, but here's a new offering from SeaDream that's a bit out of the ordinary. While there are many, many Western Mediterranean offerings, SeaDream I's voyage #1835 sailing from Istanbul, Turkey on August 23, 2008 will focus on the Black Sea.

Ports of call include:

Nessebar, Bulgaria—A UNESCO World Heritage site, the well-preserved city is known for its medieval architecture including many churches.
Constanta, Romania—Here, in this prominent Black Sea port-of-call, the history of winemaking dates back to the 4th century.
Odessa, Ukraine—Founded in 1783 by Russia’s Catherine the Great, this prosperous, cosmopolitan city is home to Count Leo Tolstoy’s elaborate mansion.
Sevastopol, Ukraine—Where Count Tolstoy began his career, Sevastopol is a popular Medieval-style seaside resort referred to as the “Gem of the Crimean Riviera.”
Yalta, Ukraine—Summer residence of the Russian Czars, Yalta was the site of the 1945 historic World War II meeting of Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin.

Priced from $5,399 per person, based on double occupancy of staterooms, the voyage (as do all SeaDream voyages) includes all meals, complimentary wines with luncheon and dinner, an open bar, and use of “water toys” from the yacht’s stern Marina and gratuities.

If you're interested in doing a back-to-back cruise, you can opt for either a pre or post seven-night Greek Isles sailing. Prices for the combined voyages are from $10,259 per person, double occupancy.

For more information, visit SeaDream's website.

Photo courtesy of SeaDream Yacht Club.

Seabourn Odyssey Website Launched

Have you reserved a cruise during Seabourn Odyssey's inaugural season in 2009? If not, you might want to surf over to http://www.seabournodyssey.com to learn a bit more about this forthcoming 32,000-ton luxury cruise ship.

The site showcases artists' renderings of the ship's exterior, various public rooms, the ship's open-seating restaurant, pool patio, suite accommodations, water sports marina, and more. You can also access documentary-style photos taken at the shipyard in Porto Nogaro, Italy, where the construction of the hull is underway.

If you do wish to sail during Seabourn Odyssey's maiden year, you can find full itineraries and fare information for each voyage at this site. There are 13 categories of ocean-view suites, from a 295-square foot Category A Seabourn Suite to the four, super extravagant Grand Suites incorporating up to 1,182 square feet of indoor space and as many as three private verandas adding another 301 square feet of private space. Depending on voyage and suite category, fares range from $3,387 to $49,247 per person, double occupancy.

In addition, Seabourn Odyssey's inaugural world cruise, set to embark in January of 2010, is outlined in a special section, which displays the complete 108-day itinerary and invites interested travelers to put their names on a waiting list for reservations, which will open on February 1, 2008.

Although considerably larger than her smaller 10,000-ton sister ships, the new vessel will carry just over twice as many guests (450), boasting among the highest space-per-guest ratios (71.1) in the cruise industry and nearly one staff member per guest.

For more information, visit this new website for Seabourn Odyssey.

Illustration courtesy of Seabourn.