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Black Sea Cruises Week, October 8-14, 2012 / BSNews Review / Photo Report

Andrei KLIMENKO, BlackSeaNews

We should immediately remark that the past cruises week - October 8-14, 2012 - was quite an unusual one.

The big cruise of Princess Daphne did not take place due to the ship’s arrest in Crete, but our, so to say, «plan of cruise calls» was fulfilled by 2 expeditionary research ships - Greek yacht Harmony G and English ship Island Sky as they had visited larger number of ports than it was featured in all kinds of schedules ...

In the published below final schedule of calls of cruise ships, the actual visits to the ports of ships, which were not initially listed due to the lack of information, are marked with this color... Visits by cruise ships that did not occur are marked with this color...

Surprises started from the first day of the last week.

On October 8, 2012 British expedition ship ISLAND SKY could not enter the port of Varna (Bulgaria). Ship arrived in Varna from Odessa, but the strong north-western wind with 12-14 m / s gusts did not allow her to enter the port. Security reasons prompted the captain to continue the journey to Istanbul without visiting Varna. On board there were 116 passengers, mostly from Scandinavian countries.

As for the British mega-liner QUEEN ELIZABETH, then wind, apparently, did not terrify her at all or it was not as strong as in Varna. The cruise liner, as all the big cruise ships in Nessebar, remained off the harbor, delivering passengers ashore by the ship’s tenders.

QUEEN ELIZABETH first time in Nessebar, October, 8 , 2012, photo by Vladimir Haltakov Jr.

On the same day, October 8, 2012, it became clear that the planned big cruise of the Greek cruise liner PRINCESS DAPHNE is to be cancelled -ship was arrested in the Port of Souda, Crete, due to the debts of Greek shipowner Classic International Cruises.

PRINCESS DAPHNE became the 4th of 5 company’s liners, which were arrested during the last month. The ship was to make six visits to the Black Sea. And if the shipowner is not able to sort out the debt problems, then we might never see this ship at sea once again - hardly anyone will buy 57 year old ship built in 1955 ... So, we can show photo depicting this liner in Yalta two years ago:

PRINCESS DAPHNE in Yalta, September, 27, 2009, photo by Alex Kostin

On October 8, 2012 the Greek cruise yach HARMONY G arrived in Kerch from Sevastopol. The same evening, the ship left Kerch and after sailing for nearly 24 hours in the Kerch Strait came to Kerch back in the evening of October 9, 2012, and next morning after the overnight stay in Kerch left for Yalta.

HARMONY G in Kerch, photo from website mtu.gov.ua

HARMONY G in Kerch, photo from website mtu.gov.ua

HARMONY G in Kerch, photo from website mtu.gov.ua

The cruise yacht was on visit to Yalta from 21:00 (LT) of October 10 till 23:00 (LT) of October 11, 2012. Next day HARMONY G was again in Sevastopol, and on October 13 for the second time called Odessa, which she had already visited a week earlier -on October 5. There she was on October 14, 2012.

HARMONY G in Yalta,photo by Alex Kostin

On October, 8, 2012 the British-Norwegian BLACK WATCH arrived in Sevastopol from Odessa and Varna, the next day – October 9, 2012 – the ship visited Yalta to crown her Black Sea cruise. This elegant liner can be justly attributed to the 1970s shipbuilding classics.

BLACK WATCH in Odessa on October 7, 2012, Photo of Vladimir Trofimov, specially for BSNews

Apparently, in comparison with the modern mega-liners this classic ship really seems to be the eyes' delight – otherwise how one can explain that the BLACK WATCH has become namely the favorite of theBlack Sea marine photographers?

BLACK WATCH in Odessa on October 7, 2012, Photo of Vladimir Trofimov, specially for BSNews

Besides, well-known to our readers, marine photographer Vladimir Trofimov from Odessa liked also the way how boldly this ship turned singlehandedly in the narrow harbor of the port of Odessa. Well, he managed to capture this in his photo report.

BLACK WATCH in Odessa on October 7, 2012, Photo of Vladimir Trofimov, specially for BSNews

BLACK WATCH in Odessa on October 7, 2012, Photo of Vladimir Trofimov, specially for BSNews

BLACK WATCH in Odessa on October 7, 2012, Photo of Vladimir Trofimov, specially for BSNews

BLACK WATCH in Odessa on October 7, 2012, Photo of Vladimir Trofimov, specially for BSNews

While Sevastopol resident Andrey Zaytsev and resident of Yalta Alex Kostin managed to capture BLACK WATCH in absolutly incredible colors...

BLACK WATCH in Sevastopol, October 8, 2012, photo by Andrey Zaytsev

BLACK WATCH is getting ready to perform the stern first entry into the harbor waters of the Yalta sea port, October 9, 2012, photo by Alex Kostin

BLACK WATCH inYalta, October 9, 2012, photo by Alex Kostin

BLACK WATCH inYalta, October 9, 2012, photo by Alex Kostin

BLACK WATCH visit to Yalta coincided with the call of our old friend - PACIFIC PRINCESS, which due to quite clear reasons did not enter the port, but stayed in the roads with tourists being brought ashore by the tenders.This, however, helped Yalta marine photographers to get great shots:))

BLACK WATCH and PACIFIC PRINCESS in Yalta on October 9, 2012, photo by Tatyana Guchakova, BSNews

BLACK WATCH and PACIFIC PRINCESS in Yalta on October 9, 2012, photo by Tatyana Guchakova, BSNews

PACIFIC PRINCESS collects her passengers before departure from Yalta on October 9, 2012, photo by Alex Kostin

BLACK WATCH leaves Yalta on October 9, 2012, photo by Ilya Zhyrnov, Yalta, specially for BSNews

BLACK WATCH leaves Yalta on October 9, 2012, photo by Ilya Zhyrnov, Yalta, specially for BSNews

ISLAND SKY has launched its new big circular cruise around the Black Sea on October 10, 2012. For some reason cruises of this ship are not always mentioned in the popular cruise calendars. And how wrong it is – this expeditionary ship visits ports, which the other cruise companies do not place their focus on.

ISLAND SKY in Istanbul on October 9, 2012 before departure for the Black Sea cruise

ISLAND SKY in the port of Bartin (Turkey), October 10, 2012

We were able to trace her calls' schedule - Bartin, Samsun, Trabzon, Batumi, Sochi (next week- Yalta, Sevastopol, Odessa, Nessebar) only thanks to automatic information system.

ISLAND SKY (to the right) in the port of Bartin (Turkey), October 10, 2012

And together with ISLAND SKY and HARMONY G – the old acquaintance of us MSC OPERA is here to bring this week of the Black Sea cruises to the conclusion. This liner, by the way, already for the third time in this season makes a partial rotation of the passengers in the port of Odessa, taking aboard 150 passengers from the CIS.

MSC OPERA arrived in Yalta October 13 at around 07:15 (LT)–on the overcast and already quite dark morning, which produced quite peculiar color effect of the photographs of Yalta resident ilya Zhyrnov:

MSC OPERA arrives in Yalta on the early morning of October 13, 2012, Photo by Ilya Zhyrnov, Yalta, specially for BSNews

MSC OPERA arrives in Yalta on the early morning of October 13, 2012, Photo by Ilya Zhyrnov, Yalta, specially for BSNews

MSC OPERA arrives in Yalta on the early morning of October 13, 2012, Photo by Ilya Zhyrnov, Yalta, specially for BSNews

MSC OPERA arrives in Yalta on the early morning of October 13, 2012, Photo by Ilya Zhyrnov, Yalta, specially for BSNews

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Date Week day Ship Passengers capacity Country Port Arrival Departure
Ship parameters     BlackSeaNews' posts on the ship
       
08 Oct Monday Island Sky 114 BG VARNA ?

19:00

ISLAND SKY
Year Built: 1992
Length x Breadth: 90 X 15 m. Tonnage: 4200, Speed : 12.8 / 10.6 kn.
Flag: Bahamas [BS]
IMO: 8802894, MMSI: 311743000
 

Weather conditios prevented the call- Island Sky, could not enter the port of Varna due to the strong wind - 08.10.2012

British expeditionary cruise ship ISLAND SKY arrived in Odessa from Sevastopol/ 07.10.2012

08 Oct Monday Harmony G 44 UA KERCH 11:30

19:00?

HARMONY G
Year Built: 2001
Length x Breadth: 53 X 7 m. Tonnage: 498,
Speed: 9.4 / 8.6 knots
Flag: Greece [GR]
IMO: 8984989, MMSI: 239780000
 

Greek cruise yacht HARMONY G stayed in Yevpatoria till 2 p.m. and arrived in Sevastopol in the morning of October 7 - 07.10.2012

08 Oct Monday Queen Elizabeth 2100 BG NESEBAR

9:00

18:00
QUEEN ELIZABETH
Year Built: 2010
Length x Breadth: 294 X 36 m. Tonnage: 90901,
Speed: 21.3 / 18.9 kn/s
Flag: Bermuda [BM]
IMO: 9477438, MMSI: 310625000
 
08 Oct Monday Black Watch 775 UA SEVASTOPOL

08:00

23:30
BLACK WATCH
Year Built: 1972
Length x Breadth: 205 X 25 m. Tonnage: 28613.
Speed: 18.8 / 12.6 kn.
Flag: Bahamas [BS]
IMO: 7108930, MMSI: 311166000
 

Black Watch in the Black Sea: в Одессу из Варны прибыл британско-норвежский лайнер British-Norwegian liner BLACK WATCH arrived in Odessa from Varna MAP/PHOTO/SCHEDULE - 07.10.2012

08 Oct Monday Pacific Princess 824 UA ODESSA

08:00

17:30

PACIFIC PRINCESS:
Year Built: 1999. Length x Breadth: 180 х 33 m. Tonnage: 30277. Speed: 18.4 / 15.1 knots. Flag: Bermuda [BM] . IMO: 9187887,
MMSI: 310504000
  Seeing off the ship - BSNews photo project: PACIFIC PRINCESSleaves Yalta for Istanbul - 09.07.2012
Of 675 passengers of PACIFIC PRINCESS - 379 from USA, 123 from Britain and 53 from Canada - 08.07.2012
Of 377 PACIFIC PRINCESS crew members - /sup /sup 9 Romanians, 8 Ukrainians and 6 Bulgarians, 154 Philipino and 51 Hindu - 07.07.2012
08 Oct Monday Princess Daphne 420 TR TRABZON 10:00

22:00

PRINCESS DAPHNE
Year Built: 1955
Length x Breadth: 161 X 22 m. Tonnage: 15833.
Speed: 13.5 / 12.2 kn.
Flag: Portugal [PT]
IMO: 5282627, MMSI: 255718000
   
               
09 Oct Tuesday Black Watch 775 UA YALTA 6:30

17:30

09 Oct Tuesday Pacific Princess 824 UA YALTA 7:00

16:00

09 Oct Tuesday Princess Daphne 420 GEO BATUMI 8:30

19:00

09 Oct Tuesday Harmony G 44 UA YALTA 9:00

-

09 Oct Tuesday Harmony G 44 UA KERCH 16:00

-

               
10 Oct Wednesday Harmony G 44 UA KERCH -

6:40

10 Oct Wednesday Harmony G 44 UA YALTA 21:00

-

10 Oct Wednesday Island Sky 114 TR BARTIN

?

?

       
10 Oct Wednesday Princess Daphne 420 RUS SOCHI 8:00

16:00

10 Oct Wednesday Pacific Princess 824 BG NESEBAR

12:00

19:00

               
11 Oct Thursday Island Sky 114 TR SAMSUN 8:00

?

11 Oct Thursday Harmony G 44 UA YALTA -

23:00

11 Oct Thursday Princess Daphne 420 UA YALTA 9:30

17:00

               
12 Oct Friday Island Sky 114 TR TRABZON 8:00

?

12 Oct Friday Harmony G 44 UA SEVASTOPOL 7:00

18:00

12 Oct Friday Princess Daphne 420 UA ODESSA 9:30

18:30

               
13 Oct Saturday Harmony G 44 UA ODESSA 9:30

?

13 Oct Saturday MSC Opera 2100 UA YALTA 8:00

16:00

MSC OPERA:
Year Built: 2004.
Length x Breadth: 250 х 32 m. Tonnage: 59058 t. Speed: 20.5 / 19.8 kn. Flag: Panama [PA].
IMO: 9250464,
MMSI: 357627000
 

Cruise liner MSC OPERA arrives in Istanbul from Yalta / MAPS/ PHOTO REPORT - 23.09.2012
Cruise liner MSC OPERA arrived in Yalta from Odessa and then left for Istanbul / MAP / PHOTO REPORT ODESSA _YALTA - 22.09.2012
One of the best standard classs liners MSC Opera in Yalta - 13.10.2011

13 Oct Saturday Princess Daphne 420 RO CONSTANTA 9:30

17:00

13 Oct Saturday Island Sky 114 GEO BATUMI 6:30

17:00

               
14 Oct Sunday MSC Opera 2100 UA ODESSA 7:00

12:30

14 Oct Sunday Island Sky 114 RUS SOCHI 9:00

?

===

Editorial Board of BlackSeaNews expresses gratitude to all the marine photographers, whose photos made this Report possible.

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The data from websites: blacksea.sytes.net,
marinetraffic.com, shipspotting.com were used by BSNews
preparing matters for the «Now at the Black and Azov Seas ports» Project