Crystal Serenity from Istanbul to Venice

I sailed on the award-winning Crystal Serenity this fall from Istanbul to Venice. The ship holds 1080 passengers but our sailing was small with only 700 passengers. We were met in Istanbul by Berna Uzer with Nurdan’s United Travel Service (our on site in Turkey.) She was great and before we knew it we were checking in at the harbor after a great drive from the airport. She met us again the next day for a private tour of Istanbul.

I also visited the newly opened Park Hyatt Istanbul which is a wonderful small hotel in the tradition of Park Hyatt’s format of using existing historical buildings to reflect a taste of the city. The rooms were very contemporary and comfortable with great baths. The roof offered great views of the city and the Bosporus. I had stayed at the Kempinski Cirigan Palace and Ritz Carlton on a previous trip and had visited the Four Seasons Istanbul. All offer a different feeling of Istanbul.

It was great to stay overnight in Istanbul on board the ship. We were able to unpack for the whole cruise and relax knowing that the next day we would not have to worry about checking out of a hotel and getting to the ship on time.

The highlights of the trip for me were Kusadasi which I had not visited before. We had another guide from Nurdan who was very engaging and knowledgeable about the local history and stories. He came with us to visit the historic home of Mary (mother of Jesus) and then on to Ephesus, an ancient Roman and Greek city on the west coast of Anatolia near Selçuk, one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek period.

This city was famous as the site of the Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World before it was destroyed in 401 AD by a mob led by St. John Chrysostom. It is also the site of a large gladiators' graveyard. The restoration of Ephesus has been undertaken since 1885 by the Austrian Archaeological Institute and continues to this day.

In Athens, we visited the newly opened (June 2009) Acropolis Museum. It was designed by Bernard Tschum. It has an on site archaeological dig which is covered by flooring which allows you to view the excavation as you walk over it. Inside are all these wonderful artifacts from the Acropolis and the Parthenon which are very accessible to the public. The staff is friendly and eager to answer questions. The rooftop restaurant looks over the Acropolis and is a wonderful place to relax in a peaceful environment. The museum entrance fee is only 1 Euro through next spring.

The cruise ended with a mid day sail into Venice. Belinis were abundant, the decks were packed and we saw Venice unfold before us as we entered the city. We spent the night in Venice which gave everyone an opportunity to visit when the crowds were gone.We choose to have a private small group tour of St. Marks Basilica after it was closed for the day to the public and visited the rooms under the Nave where intimate weddings are sometimes performed. From its opulent design based on the Greek cross to the gilded Byzantine mosaic domes, it has surely earned its 11th century nickname Chiesa d'Oro (Church of gold).

After two languid days at sea, it was time to say goodbye to our table mates from England and Canada. The group tours ashore were wonderful and informative but the ship itself was also its own destination. The lectures, movies, spa and pool were more than enough to keep our attention while aboard, not to mention the fabulous meals in the main restaurant and the two optional restaurants, NOBU and Prego.

Our cruise ended with British Airways flights to London and on to Chicago with a stop-over at the wonderful First Class lounge in Terminal Five and last minute shopping at the myriad of shops below. All in all, it was a wonderful end to a fascinating and relaxed cruise. Call me at extension 210 and I would be glad to set you up on a similar cruise.

Judy Pusch - Travel Consultant