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 |
 |
Famous mega-liner QUEEN ELIZABETH in Yalta / Exclusive photo report of Yalta marine photographers - 09.10.2012 |
|||||
| 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 |
 |
||||||
| 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 |
|||||
| 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 |
? |
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Editorial Board of BlackSeaNews expresses gratitude to all the marine photographers, whose photos made this Report possible.
* * *
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