Black Sea cruising in focus

It’s true to say that cruise holidays to the Black Sea have been a steady rather than massive market in recent years, in part because the key cruise passengers for this itinerary seem to be older people who are interested in the history of the region.

Cruises are most often available for early or late summer dates or in the autumn, when temperatures are more appropriate for sightseeing. Odessa is a cosmopolitan city, featuring in most cruises, with an air that is quite Parisian. Other popular ports of call are Yalta in the Ukraine which has long be a resort of choice for the region, it has steep mountains as a backdrop to a very pretty port, which was the favourite summer location for the Romanovs. And, of course, it was where the treaty that divided Europe at the end of the Second World War was agreed. Many cruises are now also calling at Sochi which will be hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics and is the port from which you can make an excursion to Stalin’s dacha.

The Black Sea is a good choice if you’re interested in history, culture and scenery and don’t like having to push your way through hordes of other cruise ship passengers as can happen in more popular Mediterranean and Caribbean ports – the weather can be a little more changeable, so don’t necessarily expect to return with a smashing tan, but the beauty of the area and the friendliness of local people more than make up for this.