 Cruise Itinerary | Day | Destination | Arrive | Depart |
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| 1 | Fly from UK Airport | | | | | 1 | Istanbul | 15.00 | | | The Gateway to the East', Istanbul stands on both sides of the Bosphorus, an important natural waterway linking the Black Sea to the Mediterranean and separating Europe from Asia. There are two bridges across the Bosphorus and another is planned. | | 2 | Istanbul | | 18.00 | | The Gateway to the East', Istanbul stands on both sides of the Bosphorus, an important natural waterway linking the Black Sea to the Mediterranean and separating Europe from Asia. There are two bridges across the Bosphorus and another is planned. | | 3 | Lesbos | 10.00 | 18.00 | | The Greek island of Lesbos is separated from the Turkish coast by two shallow channels ranging from 6 to 14 miles in width. Officially named Lesbos, but more often called Mytilini after its principal city, the island is the third largest in Greece. | | 4 | Kusadasi | 08.00 | 18.00 | | Kusadasi is a lively resort town on the central Aegean coast of Turkey, to the south of Izmir. It is also a busy ferry and cruise ship port and you can expect lots of people and persistent street vendors. | | 5 | Heraklion | 08.00 | 18.00 | | Crete is the largest Greek Island, lying at the southern limit of the Aegean Sea. As the most southerly outpost of Europe, Crete is an important link in the chain of islands, which form an arc between southern Greece and Asia Minor. | | 6 | Piraeus | 08.00 | 17.00 | | The port and city of Piraeus lies 7 miles (10km) to the southwest of central Athens and is the main port for the capital and country. The cruise ship and ferry port area has quite a nice city skyline outlook. | | 7 | At sea | | | | A relaxing day cruising the oceans | | 8 | Naples, Italy | 08.00 | 18.00 | | The southern Italian port town of Naples is Italy's third largest city after Rome and Milan. It is magnificently situated on the north side of the Bay of Naples, on the Tyrrhenian Sea. | | 9 | Ajaccio | 13.00 | 20.00 | | Ajaccio is the friendly capital on the west coast of Corsica, whose rugged coastline and flawless beaches enclose a fragrant marquis-carpeteted interior dotted with ancient hill towns. | | 10 | Florence/Pisa | 08.00 | | | From Livorno, travel to historic Florence, capital of the Medici Gran Dukes. Saunter across the River Arno on the medieval Ponte Vecchio before visiting the Uffizi Gallery. In Pisa, meanwhile, a miracle is still at work as the Leaning Tower continues to defy science. | | 11 | Florence/Pisa | | 19.00 | | From Livorno, travel to historic Florence, capital of the Medici Gran Dukes. Saunter across the River Arno on the medieval Ponte Vecchio before visiting the Uffizi Gallery. In Pisa, meanwhile, a miracle is still at work as the Leaning Tower continues to defy science. | | 12 | Civitavecchia (Rome) | 08.00 | | | The dockside berth at Civitavecchia is uninteresting and you will need a taxi to go into the town, but it is the gateway to Rome, Italy's capital and 'Eternal City', a living monument to a 3,000-year history that shaped the civilisation of the West. | | 13 | Civitavecchia (Rome) | | 08.00 | | The dockside berth at Civitavecchia is uninteresting and you will need a taxi to go into the town, but it is the gateway to Rome, Italy's capital and 'Eternal City', a living monument to a 3,000-year history that shaped the civilisation of the West. | | 13 | Return flight to UK Airport | | | |
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Nautica
Nautica
Nautica
Nautica
Berlitz Guide to Cruising
OverviewNautica was formerly one of a series of eight almost identical ships, originally built for the now-defunct Renaissance Cruises, the cruise industry’s first totally non-smoking cruise line. Cruiseinvest (the ship’s present owners) have chartered the ship to Oceania Cruises. The exterior design manages to balance the ship’s high sides by painting the whole ship white (it previously had a dark blue hull), with a large, square white funnel. The addition of teak overlaid decking and teak lounge chairs have greatly improved what was formerly a bland pool deck outdoors. Sister ship: Insignia (formerly Renaissance Cruises’ R One) and Regatta (formerly R Two). While there is no wrap-around promenade deck outdoors, there is a small jogging track around the perimeter of the swimming pool, and port and starboard side decks.
The interior decor is stunning and elegant, a throwback to ship decor of the ocean liners of the 1920s and ’30s, with dark woods and warm colors, all carried out in fine taste (but a bit faux in places). This includes detailed ceiling cornices, both real and faux wrought-iron staircase railings, leather-paneled walls, trompe l’oeil ceilings, rich carpeting in hallways with an Oriental rug-look center section, and many other interesting (and expensive-looking) decorative touches. It feels like an old-world country club.
The public rooms are spread over three decks. The reception hall (lobby) has a staircase with intricate wrought-iron railings. A large observation lounge, called the Horizon Bar, is located high atop ship.
There are plenty of bars – including one in each of the restaurant entrances. Perhaps the nicest is the casino bar/ lounge, a beautiful room reminiscent of London’s grand hotels and includes a martini bar. It has an inviting marble fireplace, comfortable sofas and individual chairs.
The Library is a grand Regency-style room, with a fireplace, a high, indented, trompe l’oeil ceiling, and excellent selection of books, plus very comfortable wingback chairs with footstools, and sofas you could sleep on. Oceania@Sea is the ship’s internet connect center.
The dress code is “smart casual.” The onboard currency is the US dollar. Gratuities are added at $10.50 per person, per day (accommodation designated as suites have an extra $3 per person charge for the butler). A 15% gratuity is added to bar and spa accounts.
Stairways, though carpeted, are tinny. Oceania Cruises is a young company with a refreshing vision and desire to provide an extremely high level of food and service in an informal setting that is at once elegant yet comfortable, and that is exactly what it has achieved
Berlitz Guide © Apa Publishing 2008 Ship FactsMid-Size Ship: 30,277 tons
Lifestyle: Premium
Cruise Line: Oceania Cruises
Former Names: R?Five
Builder: Chantiers de l’Atlantique Original Cost: £150 million
Entered Service: Dec1998/Nov 2005
Registry: Marshall Islands
Length (ft/m): 593.7/181.0
Beam (ft/m): 83.5/25.5
Draft (ft/m): 19.5/6.0
Propulsion/Propellers: diesel (18,600 kW)/2
Passenger Decks: 9
Total Crew: 386
Passengers
(lower beds/all berths): 684/824
Passenger Space Ratio
(lower beds/all berths): 44.2/36.7
Crew/Passenger Ratio
(lower beds/all berths): 1.7/2.1
Navigation Officers: European Cabins (total): 342
Size Range (sq ft/m): 145.3–968.7/13.5–90.0
Cabins (outside view): 317
Cabins (interior/no view): 25
Cabins (for one person): 0
Cabins (with private balcony): 232
Cabins (wheelchair accessible): 3
Cabin Current: 110/220 volts
Elevators: 4
Casino (gaming tables): Yes
Slot Machines: Yes
Swimming Pools (outdoors): 1
Swimming Pools (indoors): 0
Whirlpools: 2 (+1 thalassotherapy)
Self-Service Launderette: Yes
Dedicated Cinema/Seats: No
Library: Yes
Classification Society: Bureau Veritas
OVERALL SCORE: 1,575 (OUT OF A POSSIBLE 2,000 POINTS)
Berlitz Guide © Apa Publishing 2008
| BERLITZ'S RATING |
| |
Possible |
Achieved |
| |
| Ship |
500 |
418 |
| Accommodation |
200 |
160 |
| Food |
400 |
312 |
| Service |
400 |
295 |
| Entertainment |
100 |
77 |
| Cruise |
400 |
313 |
| |
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