Odessa (Ukraine)

Odessa is Ukraine's 3rd most populous city (following Kiev, Kharkov, and Dnipro) and among the largest Black Sea ports. The cruise port is located on a small harbor.

After 2014, due to Eastern Europe's instability, most cruise brands removed Black Sea from their cruise itinerary programs. Port Odessa's cruising season is February through December. In 2017, the number of cruise ship visits to Odessa increased to 13 (bringing around 13700 passengers), compared to 2016's 5 ship calls and 1137 passengers. The most popular city tour is a half-day sightseeing excursion starting from Prymorsky Blvd.

In 2019, the port had booked Voyages to Antiquity's ship Aegean Odyssey. In 2020, Azamara Cruises booked 2 calls during 14-day "Black Sea Voyage" itineraries on the ship Azamara Journey. However, most port visits are by (USSR-made) Russian riverboats, and mainly by Viking Cruises ship Viking Sineus. The majority of river cruise passengers are from Western Europe and North America.

Port Odessa

Port Odessa (locode UAODS) is Ukraine's largest seaport and one of the largest Black Sea ports. The port is directly connected to the country's railway system. The port has 2 satellite ports - Chornomorsk and Yuzhne, and is the country's cargo and passenger shipping hub.

The port is at Odessa Bay's western coast and consists of separate harbors divided by jetties. The port is protected from the open sea by long breakwaters.

• The passenger terminal (ferry and cruise) is located at Nova jetty and has the 4-star Hotel Odessa-Kempinski as a landmark. Towards the port's middle area is located the shipyard "Ukraina". In port's northern area are its grain and oil terminals. In the port's southern area are located an oil terminal and containership quays.
• The cargo-logistic terminal was inaugurated in 2005. The facility has a 51,500-m2 storage area, 2 large warehouses (equipped with rack systems and a ramp for 9 vehicles at a time), office complex (30 offices), administration building (housing customs, border patrol squad and other agencies).
• Seaport's oil and gas terminal is the country's biggest - with 6 berths for tanker ships and total storage capacity 0,671 million m3. The terminal can handle oil tankers with capabilities up to 100,000 tons. Fuel products are transferred to reservoirs through pipelines. The fuel depots have direct access to railways. This terminal also has 2 LNG berths (piers 4 and 7) and an LNG reservoir with capacity 6000 m3. Among the products handled jere are crude oil, fuel oil, diesel oil, oil products, condensed gas.
• Port Odessa also has a ballast water treatment plant.

Shipyard Ukraina is the port's shiprepair / maintenance facility. During the USSR times (1944-1991) the factory was the main support base of the Soviet Union's Black Sea Shipping Company. The shipyard has a large wharf with capacity to handle vessels with displacement tonnage up to 30,000 tons. The yard's piers tare with otal length 1230 m (4040 ft). The piers' max depth is 7,1 m (23 ft). The shipyard has 6 cranes (lifting capacity 10 to 30 tons), 2 floating cranes (max lifting capacity 100 tons) and 1 fixed (5 tons) crane.

Port's cruise shipping operations were halted in 2017 and restarted in 2019 with the Amera ship (Phoenix Reisen). The liner (fka "MS Prinsendam" by Holland America Line) visited the port on October 30 as part of a 16-day Black Sea cruise from Nice France to Trieste Italy.

For season 2020, Port Odessa had scheduled 11 cruise ship calls by the companies Phoenix Reisen, Fred Olsen, RSSC-Regent, Azamara, Ponant. Newcomer in 2021 is the premium travel brand Crystal Cruises.

Odessa cruise terminal

Odessa tours, shore excursions, hotels

City Tours and Shore Excursions

• Primorsky Boulevard: right when you exit Odessa cruise port terminal you are at the Potemkin Steps. If you take them, you will be at the Primorsky Boulevard’s northern end, the best place for starting a city walking tour.
• Opera and Ballet house: located 5 km from Odessa cruise port. The building dates from 1887 (restored several times) and is in Viennese style. The most famous artists that performed here include Isadora Duncan, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff.
• Pushkin Museum: located one kilometre and a half from Odessa cruise port terminal. The building is a former hotel. Puskin came here in 1823 after the St. Petersburg’s authorities exiled him.
• Shopping: the most popular places are the 7-Kilometers Bazaar and the Passazh Shopping Mall. 7-Kilometers Bazaar is among the biggest markets outdoor in the world. It is 14 km from Odessa cruise port. Passazh Shopping Mall is located on Deribasovskaya Street, 3 km from Odessa cruise port terminal.
• Beaches: most popular are Lanzheron Beach (6 km from Odessa cruise port terminal) and Arkadia Beach (9 km from Odessa cruise port terminal).
• Cathedrals: visit Odessa Cathedral (3 km from the terminal) or Uspensky Cathedral (4 km from the terminal).