Honeymooners looking for help (nautica 10-24-06)

[mgrayar]

My fiance and I, although very excited, are a little nervous about being prepared for our first ever cruise! We were looking for a little advice. I want to try to eliminate as much of the UNPREPARED stress as I can in order to make our honeymoon as relaxing as possibel. Any advice you can give on the below questions will be greatly appreciated!

- We are trying to decide if we should hire a private guide or ship excursion in the folloing ports: Istanbul, Ephesus, Katakolon, Athens. We are very open to sharing a tour with others (I promise we will not be the anoying newlyweds you would expect).

- We were thinking of renting a car on Santorini. Is this a good idea? Any other islands that this is a good idea for?

- Anything that we might not know to bring, that will prove to be essential and costly to purchase after we board?

I appreiate your help with this, and any other bits of knowledge you would like to share!

Thanks,

-Mike

[brian_uk]

We certainly arranged our own Tours in Istanbul....Nejat Indocene.....
Ephesus.....Nejat Tek and
Athens.......Spiros (see notes elsewhere about him switching).

What we liked was our independence....leaving when it suited us best...switching destinations and NOT being taken to tacky tourist shops.

Brian

[Miata6]

Welcome aboard! While many will suggest private tours, if you want to eliminate, rather than reduce, stress, take the cruise tours. Yes, it may be on a larger conveyance, but it is a "no-brainer". We did that last year and enjoyed ourselves a great deal. It also helped us meet new people on board the ship. I notice that Oceania has, in recent days, expanded the number of tours they offer in Istanbul, but read the fine print (on their website) regarding itinerary changes due to Ramadan. See you on board!

[Miata6]

I forgot to mention that we have hired a driver to take us to the 'Argolis', west of Athens, for a visit to Mycenae (Agamemnon's tomb), Ancient Corinth, and Epidaurus. This is for all day Sat, Nov 4, after docking in Piraeus. The cost for the day is 250E, not including lunch, site admissions, or driver tip, and would be split between the two couples. Oceania apparently doesn't have an excursion going to that area. If you're interested, let me know and I can provide more detail on the itinerary. Jon

[conan]

Brian I see that you had Nejat Incedogan's associate, Nejat Tek for guidance in Kusadasi/Ephesus. As we also have engaged him on Nejat I's recommendation, we're hoping you can enlighten us further on your experience with him.
Thanks,
Conan

[drwong]

Getting around Santorini is easy enough via public transportation - a lot of cruisers have told stories about bad experiences with the rental car agencies on the island. See the Europe board for more specific postings on the situation there.

I'd second Miata6's advice to avoid booking independent tours if you want to avoid stress. I've taken enough cruises where port calls were switched at the last minute or the ship arrives much later than scheduled, and if you booked a private excursion, you're going to be paying the driver for the full day, since your suddenly-changed itinerary wasn't his fault. And good luck getting a refunds once you've given him your credit card number!

If you booked a ship's excursion, on the other hand, the cruise line is pretty good about rebooking and/or issuing refunds if there are any problems making a port call.

[ClaudiaF]

[quote=drwong] wrote in part:
..."if you booked a private excursion, you're going to be paying the driver for the full day, since your suddenly-changed itinerary wasn't his fault. And good luck getting a refunds once you've given him your credit card number![/quote

while I would agree that for your first cruise to Europe you may find it easier to just go with ship tours..one thing NOT to do is pre-pay any tour operators should you decide to hire on your own..

:D
in answer to private tour operators for Europe, a great driver we had in Rhodes ( Nickolas) has a website where he has compiled a list of many different drivers in many countries..who they would refer their clients to..it may help you choose a private company for tours should you choose to do that
the website link:
http://www.rhodesprivatetours.com/link_partners.htm

[mgrayar]

Thank you for your help, this has been very beneficial!

[ClaudiaF]

:D I forgot to mention it and since no one else did either, for Santorini , after or before you hang out in the village itself, take time to go to see the amazing site of the lost city of Atlantis..Akrotiri..check out the Akrotiri website below, to see if it is open on date you will be there..that is NOT to be missed.
http://www.culture.gr/2/21/211/21121a/e211ua08.html

[drwong]

:D I forgot to mention it and since no one else did either, for Santorini , after or before you hang out in the village itself, take time to go to see the amazing site of the lost city of Atlantis..Akrotiri..check out the Akrotiri website below, to see if it is open on date you will be there..that is NOT to be missed.
http://www.culture.gr/2/21/211/21121a/e211ua08.html

When we were there last month, a guide warned us that the archeological excavation would be closed through 2007 - apparently a tourist fell into one of the excavation pits or something like that. And the Archeological Museum in Thira was closed on Tuesdays and the ship's shore excursion to the active part of the volcano was cancelled due to a lack of signups, so we ended up taking the local bus to Oia. It was a fun and exciting adventure, leaving us with $200 extra that we didn't waste on a fruitless shore excursion.

As far as tours in Athens and Istanbul are concerned, you may want to sign up for a ship's tour, just to orient yourselves. If you're staying over a few days, both cities are pretty easy to tour on your own once you've gotten your bearings, as most of the historic sites are within a easy walk of each other (apparently the locals didn't have the benefit of automobiles back then).

[Benjzmom]

I'll throw my 2 cents in. Hiring a guide as opposed to doing things on your own really depends on how much preparation you want to do before you go (meaning reading up on the places you'll be seeing).

We were on the June 20 Nautica Istanbul/Athens cruise and booked only two Oceania tours for convenience - Ephesus and the Terrace Houses (a must in my opinion), and Olympia (Katakalon) - both of them were more than satisfactory, predictable, and affordable. Every other port we did on our own, and had no regrets because we loved the freedom we had to explore at our own pace.

We stayed in Istanbul, in the Sultanhamet for 6 days before the ship left port. And, it wasn't enough! We toured entirely on our own, using the DK book on Istanbul. Easy city to get around in, particularly if you outsmart those eager to cheat taxi drivers. Staying in the Sultanhamet (we stayed at Hotel Dersaadet - and loved it!) is convenient, inexpensive and safe. Everything is within a healthy walking distance, or a short taxi or light-rail ride. Honestly, if you are adventurous and physically able, and don't mind doing a little reading each evening, you might enjoy the freedom to explore more than hiring a private guide. Istanbul is a fantastic city in which to explore.

Santorini is very easy to see on your own -- just take the cable car up to the town, and walk toward your right and downhill to the central bus station. Take a bus to OIA, stay for a few hours, and then take the bus back. You'll have plenty of time to see the important things on your own, have a nice lunch, and get back to the ship for a few hours of sun. Others from our group (see Toranut97's review) took a bus tour, stopped at a winery and bought jewelry. But, the beauty of Santorini won't be missed if you do this on your own. I believe that the archeaological site is closed, as Dr. Wong mentioned.

Athens is little different, depending on how long you are there. You can easily take the metro (a short bus or taxi ride from the dock) for about 1 Euro to the center of town, and from there go into the Plaka, and climb up to the Acropolis. Or just pay a taxi driver to take you there. From there, you can walk down to the plaka, and catch the Metro back to the ship from Syntagma Squre. You don't need to pay a taxi driver hundreds of Euro's for a visit of Athens. Wandering on your own is half the charm of the city of Athens. On the other hand, that was our last port and we stayed two days more. I hired a private taxi driver (George the Taxi Driver - you can find him by searching Google - who sent a fantastic driver named "Tom" - great guide and safe driver!) - he drove us for the day to Argos - Mycenae, Corinth (Old Corinth, and the Canal), and Naupflion. We paid about 280 Euro and split with another couple. Worth every penny - particularly because we had a massive, and unexpected rain storm with thunder and lightening, and he drove us safely back to our hotel. If you are there long enough, you can also book a day tour to Delphi for about 100 Euros/person, including lunch, which we did. The problem with taxi drivers is that many of them don't speak English all that well, and only drive, but don't give you any background. If you are planning to hire a taxi driver, use the recommendations that you get from this Board.

You don't need a tour guide in Rodos or to take the ship's tour -- the old city is so charming you can spend most of your time walking around and exploring on your own. We walked from the ship along the waterfront over to the new part of the city, about a 20 minute walk - to across from where the Colossus allegedly stood, and took a very enjoyable "miniature train" ride for 3 Euros around the city. It was a great way to see the view and get a quick tour. Lindos is on the other side of the island, requires a hefty climb up stairs to see the view, and you can really see an equally beautiful view by climbing the clock tower inside the Old City of Rhodes.

Get the DK book on Athens (Top 10) and the one on the Greek Islands, and you'll be set for Athens and the Islands! It is fun to be a little adventurous, and none of the ports (except for Olympia and Ephesus) are far from the main sites or difficult to navigate on your own. And, you can stop and go as you please.

As for "essentials" -- you might want to buy bottled water in six packs while you are in Istanbul (is that your first port?) - it's very cheap, and we refilled the bottles daily right from the ship, which had very clean "tap" water. Bottles of water are available, but can get pricey compared to Istanbul. I think they were about $3 if you bought them when you left the ship for the day. We really didn't find the need to buy anything else as a necessity (although I packed every possible contingency medication imaginable) - if you get sick the ship's doctor has everything from Gatorade to heavy duty medicines. (I can tell you that from personal experience). The staterooms have plenty of electrical outlets (both USA and European - bring some little converter plugs).

You'll love the cruise - it's a perfect setting for a honeymoon. Hope this helps!

[mgrayar]

Thank you Benjzmom, this helps quite a bit, and was exactly what I was looking for. I think we will take your advice, I typically am a study and tour on my own kind of guy, but having a tour at Ephesus and Olympia sounds like a good plan. We only have two extra days in Istanbul, so we will have to make them count.

Let me throw one more scenerio at you. I was planning on using some free nights to stay at the Conrad Hilton. Supposedly a great hotel with good reviews, but is not "walking" close to anything. We were going to use the saved funds for Spa money. Would you recommend canceling this and paying money to be in the Sultanhamet area for the charm and accessibility?

I was already considering this, but you may help me make up my mind!

Thank you for you help!

[drwong]

We stayed in the Conrad Istanbul (burning off those HHonors points) and found it very walkable. Not to Sultanhamet, of course, but to restaurants, a Tarsus supermarket, a fresh fruit market, many banks, and a 7-11 directly across Barbaros Blvd from the hotel. And to get to Sultanhamet, it's only a 10 Lira ($6-7, roughly) taxi ride. The Executive Lounge at the Conrad, surprisingly, is not as generous as the one at the Istanbul Hilton. The only food service is during breakfast, and no complimentary drinks in the afternoons and evenings - all they offer is a 20% discount, and even that isn't advertised unless you ask.

One GREAT advantage of the Conrad is that they have a pool of certified taxi drivers with "CONRAD" emblazoned on their door. They charge you the actual metered rate to take you to your destination, and one actually saved us from being ripped off by a non-Conrad taxi driver. After our visit to the Naval Museum (which is maybe a half-mile walk downhill from the Conrad), we grabbed a cab and asked the cabbie to drive us to Topkapi Palace.

Instead of taking us to Sultanhament, he drives us to the Topkapi NEIGHBORHOOD (near the Byzantine walls at the periphery of the Old City) and acts confused about where we wanted to go. He pulls up to a hotel and says something in Turkish to the doorman, who then tells us that we were not specific in our instructions to the driver, and that there are TWO Topkapis - the Palace and the neighborhood (as if two tourists wanted to see the neighborhood). Of course, the meter is running the entire time.

The driver finally starts heading towards Sultanhamet, and we're stuck in rushhour traffic, when I spot a Conrad taxi in the next lane. I whisper to my wife to get ready to jump cabs, because this driver is literally taking us for a ride. We get out and run to the Conrad cab. Our driver stops his cab in the middle of a traffic lane and starts chasing us down the highway! He has a long and animated argument with the Conrad cab driver, who finally takes a five lira note out of his wallet and gives it to the other cabbie, telling him to effectively "GET LOST!"

The Conrad driver then whips out his cellphone and calls the Taxi Commission so we can file a complaint, and drives us the remaining six blocks to the Palace. He asked us for the 10 Lira we should have originally paid for the ride between the Conrad and Topkapi, plus the 5 Lira he gave to the driver out of his own pocket. At this point, I wasn't about to quibble over such a small amount and happily paid him what he asked for the six-block ride.

Returning to the Conrad was another experience in dealing with dishonest Turkish cab drivers, but I'll save that for another posting. :D

[mgrayar]

Drwong,

Would you recommed the Hiton or Conrad? Sounds like you spent time in both. It really is not that big of difference in points!

[drwong]

Drwong,

Would you recommed the Hiton or Conrad? Sounds like you spent time in both. It really is not that big of difference in points!

Depends on where you want to be, and what kind of hotel you like. The Hilton is very close to Taksim Square, while the Conrad is a block off a busy boulevard and lots of amenities are within an easy walk of both. Both are fairly old hotels (think 1960's), but the Conrad is nicely renovated with a spectacular view from the Executive Lounge. The Hilton's lobby is calm and sedate, while the Conrad's lobby looks like something out of Las Vegas. The Conrad's Exec Level rooms had much better decor than the Conrad's non-EL rooms and the Hilton's, in my opinion.

Both are very secure hotels, with mandatory car inspections and metal detectors at the entrances. If you're an HHonors Gold or Platinum member, you'll probably get a room at either hotel with a great view of the Bosphorus and/or downtown Istanbul.

The Conrad is a highrise (16+ floors), while the Hilton is a mid-rise (9 floors), so if you like elevations, take the Conrad. But if you like to spend time outdoors, the Hilton's main advantage are its balconies, which only come with the end-unit suites at the Conrad. And the Conrad's pool was only second-rate compared to the Hilton's, according to my wife (I'm not a pool and cabana type of guy).

The Hilton seems to be more popular with American travellers, while the Conrad's clientele was largely Asian and European, which may require you to book a room well in advance, since you may be competing against other US HHonors members. (if you had booked prior to June 1st, you could have saved 5,000 HHpoints, as both jumped categories on that date).

If you're staying in Athens, definitely stay at the Athens Hilton. We found it much better than the Conrad. Unfortunately, our favorite GM at the Athens Hilton had moved on, but the new GM left us a nice note upon our arrival along with a complimentary bottle of Greek wine!

[Benjzmom]

We had similar experiences with unscrupulous taxi drivers - including jumping out of the cabs while the driver tried to take off with one leg still hanging!

As for hotels, I'll defer to Dr. Wong on the Hilton issues. For me, staying in Sultanhamet was really a plus - everything is walking distance, and there are plenty of charming little restaurants throughout the area. Several of the boutique hotels charge around $100/night, tax included, and including breakfast, so if you are only staying two extra days, that is the cost of 1 spa treatment on the ship (or probably less!).

It's really a personal decision based on how close you want to be to your hotel while seeing the sights. One nice thing was being able to stop in at our hotel for a short rest in the afternoon (and to dump off the things we had bought) and then head out again in the late afternoon.

If you get a chance, have a taxi driver take you to the Kumkapi fish restaurants for dinner - just inside the gate from the road running along the Bosporus (next gate after Sultanhamet on the road to the airport). The place is alive, and brightly lit and festive, at night. Besides getting a great meal, you will find many of the restaurants (with outdoor seating) have musicians playing "Oriental" music. Our hotel recommended one of the restaurants, and they actually provided us with transportation to and from the hotel for free.

No decision is the wrong one. Just go with the flow.

[aneka]

Mike,
I have arranged a private guide for Katakolon/Olympia. If you and your fiance are interested in joining a tour of about 9-15 people please send me a private email at aneka0925 at aol dot com. Please let me know soon as I need to let the guide know out final numbers.
Thanks,
Annette

[NAS-KARR]

In addition to ck'g this board I suggest you also go to "CRUISE DISCUSSION TOPICS" and in there you'll see "FIRST TIME CRUISERS". Between here and there ALL your queries should be answered.

Happy Sailing e CIAO,