More Cruise Lines Avoid Ukraine

by Theresa Norton
Last updated: 4:38 PM ET, Fri May 16, 2014

Photo courtesy of Thinkstock

As the Ukraine/Russia stand-off shows few signs of coming to a peaceful resolution soon, more cruise lines are cancelling or modifying Black Sea itineraries, especially those that call at Ukrainian ports.

One of the latest lines to route away from Ukraine is Silversea Cruises. Others that have done so include Azamara Club Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Holland America Line, Swan Hellenic and Voyages of Discovery. Viking River Cruises cancelled more than three months of departures of its "Footsteps of the Cossacks" voyages, which sailed exclusively in Ukraine; the year's first departure scheduled for now is Aug. 25.

"The safety and well-being of our guests is always our top priority," said Kristian Anderson, Silversea's senior vice president and general manager for the Americas. "These new itineraries eliminate the uncertainty surrounding Ukraine, while providing our guests with peace of mind and attractive destinations for their ultra-luxury cruise vacation."

Silversea has modified the itineraries for four Black Sea voyages originally scheduled to call in the Ukrainian ports of Yalta, Sevastopol or Odessa this year. The Silver Spirit's July 21 seven-day round-trip from Istanbul will remain an entirely Black Sea itinerary, but the call at Odessa will be replaced with Trabzon, Turkey. Plus, the line replaced three cruises - the Silver Spirit's Aug. 20 and Sept. 29 departures and the Silver Cloud's Oct. 13 sailing - with new nine-day voyages to Greece and Turkey, although they will retain the original Black Sea ports of Constanza, Romania, and Nessebur, Bulgaria.

Guests on those new voyages can participate in an added perk - a complimentary day-long Silversea Experience in Bucharest, Romania, that includes a ride through the countryside, a Romanian-style lunch and tours of Palace of Parliament, Patriarchal Hill, open-air Village Museum and Revolution Square. Alternatively, guests can choose a $200 onboard credit.

Here are other Black Sea modifications.

Celebrity Constellation, which was originally scheduled to visit Yalta, Sevastopol and Odessa on cruises departing Sept. 20, Oct. 2 and Oct. 14 now will visit alternate Black Sea ports or Greek Islands. New ports of call include Varna, Bulgaria; Constanta; and Trabzon and Sinop, Turkey.
The Azamara Quest's June 12 sailing, which was scheduled to visit three Ukrainian ports, instead will call at Bartin (Amazra/Safranbolu), Turkey, and Volos (Meteora) and Nafplion (Mycenae), Greece.
Holland America Line's "Black Sea Explorer" cruise, departing Oct. 5 on the Prinsendam replaced calls at Odessa and Sevastopol with visits to Batumi in Georgia, as well as Trabzon and Sinop. Booked guests and their travel agents have been notified.
Viking cancelled 10 departures from May through Aug. 25 of the 12-day "Footsteps of the Cossacks" cruise, which sails between Odessa and Kiev with calls at Sevastopol and Yalta. At this point, five departures are still scheduled through mid-October.
Voyages of Discovery originally revised its Oct. 8 Black Sea itinerary to keep Odessa but after May 2 removed that city as well. The new itinerary still cruises in the Black Sea, but with no calls at Ukraine. The voyage from Athens to Istanbul will visit places such as Canakkale (Gallipoli), Sinop and Trabzon, Turkey; Batumi; Sochi and Novorossiysk, Russia; Constanta; Varna; and Nessebur.
Swan Hellenic's Minerva will operate an identical itinerary as that of sister company Voyages of Discovery on its Aug. 27 15-day "Black Sea Panorama."
It's well over a year away, but Crystal revised the itinerary of the Crystal Serenity's "Vistas of the Aegean Sea" cruise departing Istanbul on Sept. 13, 2015. The line cancelled scheduled calls to Yalta, Odessa, Constanta and Burgas, Bulgaria. The revised itinerary includes Kusadasi, Turkey; and Rhodes, Santorini and Mykonos, Greece.