sounds a good cruise

[timespliters]

cruise with a difference, on a rather different scale, takes place in the Black Sea during September. Passengers on the Silver Wind will be travelling in the company of former Spciet president Mikhail Gorbachev, ex-US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and the always-fascinating internet guru Vint Cerf.

The World Leaders Symposium, on the rather grand, and somewhat dated topic of "Global Challenges in a Post-Perestroika World" kicks off with three nights in Moscow before flying to Istanbul to board the 296-passenger ship to visit Georgia, Sochi (venue for the Winter Olympics in four years' time), Yalta, Sevastopol and Odessa.

The calls at the Ukrainian ports might be particularly poignant for Mr Gorbachev - when he was president, the country was part of the Soviet Union. It has been independent since the early '90s, and is now hoping to become a member of the European Union.

Passengers wanting to rub shoulders with these once-powerful politicians, who also include former US Secretary of Defence, William J Perry, and astrophysicist Michael Shara, will have to be well-heeled themselves. They start at $23,990 per person.

[TLCOhio]

cruise with a difference, on a rather different scale, takes place in the Black Sea during September. Passengers on the Silver Wind will be travelling in the company of former Spciet president Mikhail Gorbachev, ex-US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and the always-fascinating internet guru Vint Cerf.

The World Leaders Symposium, on the rather grand, and somewhat dated topic of "Global Challenges in a Post-Perestroika World" kicks off with three nights in Moscow before flying to Istanbul to board the 296-passenger ship to visit Georgia, Sochi (venue for the Winter Olympics in four years' time), Yalta, Sevastopol and Odessa.

The calls at the Ukrainian ports might be particularly poignant for Mr Gorbachev - when he was president, the country was part of the Soviet Union. It has been independent since the early '90s, and is now hoping to become a member of the European Union.

Passengers wanting to rub shoulders with these once-powerful politicians, who also include former US Secretary of Defence, William J Perry, and astrophysicist Michael Shara, will have to be well-heeled themselves. They start at $23,990 per person.

 

The pricing and speakers on this cruise did seem way, way above what "normal" cruises would be, even for Silversea. Nothing shows for this cruise on the Silversea website. In checking further, it seems to be a private charter only offered through Harvard University targeted for its alumni. Don't know if you have to have that magic Harvard degree to sign up. It looks like a super great program, but it's just a little out of my budget range. For added info, contact Harvard alumni association at 800.422.1636, 617.496.0806 or via email at haatravels@harvard.edu.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio