The three day journey on a large “roll on/roll off” ferry from Batumi, Georgia to Odessa, Ukraine is a great opportunity to do nothing and relax while still travelling. The size of the Black Sea is impressive when seen from the ship, and the port city of Batumi is itself a nice place to visit, with plenty of Russian tourists. Here is what you can expect from this trip.
Getting Tickets
The UKR Ferry company has the most regular sailings from Batumi to Odessa (Chornomorsk is the port about 15 km from Odessa). Schedules are available on their website, and tickets can also be reserved through the online booking portal. You will still need to pick up the tickets at the UKR Ferry office in Batumi prior to departure. One ticket in a shared two person berth with bathroom will cost 3800 Hryvnia, approximately 150 USD. I suggest using the online booking option since it allows you to pay with card, and it is less hassle to go to the office with the payment already done.
A couple of days before your scheduled sailing, you should go to the office in Batumi with your booking confirmation. The office is located at 32 Gogebashvili Street, across from the Argo Cable Car. It is open from 10:00 to 18:00 with a break between 13:00 and 14:00 for lunch. The person at the office will give you a stamped page which is your ticket, and information about when to go to the port and how to get there. The port is a 20 minute walk from the centre of Batumi.
Getting on the Ship
You should go to the port at the suggested time, but do not expect a quick procedure to get on the ship. Generally speaking, passengers will board once most of the cars and trucks have been loaded. At some point officials will decide to let the passengers on and everyone will go through the procedure together. You will show your ticket to the staff, and then crowd up to two windows to get stamped out of Georgia. Follow the other foot passengers, you will be able to tell the difference as the car passengers will carry a folder with all their car documents. Once boarding starts you can expect the stamping out process to take about 1-2 hours.
You will board through the vehicle deck of the ship, realizing how massive this ship is that they can fit multiple trains onto it, and go up to the reception desk. The reception area will look much like a low budget hotel. Reception will take your passport, and give you a room key. Your passport will be returned at the end of the journey. Reception will also tell you your shift and table number for meals. Go to your cabin and get some rest, since the ship will not leave for a while yet. For example, my boarding time was at 23:00, we got on the ship around 01:00, and it did not leave until 06:00.
Life on Board
Each of the ships in the UKR fleet appear a little different, so your experience may vary. On the Kanaus the main facilities were a restaurant (only open for mealtimes), a bar with very limited drink supply, and a relatively cheap duty free shop. Alcohol can be purchased from the bar, or much more cheaply from the duty free. Although bar and duty free prices are quoted in Euros, only Dollars, Lari, Hryvnia, and Rubles are accepted. Your change will be given in Ukrainian Hryvnias, which can be quite useful for having a bit of local money when you arrive in Ukraine.
Three full meals per day are provided on board at fixed times, and you will probably find your tablemates are truckers or families driving back to Russia or Ukraine. Expect very little English conversation (but the potential for much hilarity). Cabins are utilitarian but comfortable, with bathrooms and powerful showers. There are many spots on the decks to sit and relax, although the sun during the middle of the day can be quite strong.
Arrival in Odessa
Once the ship arrives in port, there will be an announcement instructing you to go down to reception and trade your cabin key for your passport. Staff will also start to clean the cabins, so there will not be many places to hang out. Ukrainian border officials will set up shop in the bar. Although there is no announcement made, passengers are actually processed first, since they have no additional documents and can get off the ship easily. So push, and I mean push, push some more, past all the people crowding the hallway holding the familiar car paper folders. Say you are a foot passenger and push past, the border officials are actually fairly grumpy about all the car people in the way. Once you are stamped into Ukraine, you are free to leave the ship the same way you entered. You will be taken by shuttle bus to the Ukrainian Customs where your bags will be scanned and you will be asked if you have any alcohol. Having consumed all your alcohol while on the ship, you will say no.
Getting to Odessa can be a bit of a journey in itself. You can try to see if there are any taxis at the port, but there probably won’t be. One of the most reliable ways to get in town during the day is to take the streetcar. The closest streetcar and bus stops are about 2-3 kilometres from the port, and you can catch tram number 27 into the centre of town. The cost is 5 Hryvnia payable to the attendant on board – you can use some of your change from the ship. The tram terminates at the main transportation center in town, from here you can take onward buses or trains to anywhere in Ukraine and nearby countries.
Happy sailing!
