Is it safe to travel to Istanbul?

I am going on a Med cruise with a friend and he is a little nervous about stopping in Istanbul. I have searched and searched and cannot find any warnings or cruiseships not going to port. Our travel date is Nov 20th out of Athens.

Is there any reason for concern? I told him the ship would not stop there if they felt it was unsafe.

Thanks!

First off, welcome to Cruise Critic!

I also actively participate daily on the Istanbul forum of sister website tripadvisor and that question has been coming up quite a lot the last few weeks.

Cruise ship companies are very conservative, and they would cancel any port which they deemed unsafe for their clientele.

Istanbul is very safe. Protests usually take place around Taksim Square, which is far from the historic sites in the Sultanahmet area across the Golden Horn. If you are staying in Istanbul, just be sure you hotel is not near Taksim Square. I recently read on the Azamara forum about a visitor who suffered from tear gas effects because the hotel she was at was very near Taksim Square.

You will not have any issues visiting and enjoying the historic area. Relax and enjoy this special place. It is a beautiful city with welcoming people.

Pam thank you for the Welcome and for taking the time to respond. Great information and hopefully it will help my friend feel a little better about going to that region. I did see something online about Taksim Square so good know about staying away from that area.

Thanks again!

I'll be in Istanbul for 2.5 days next week before boarding a cruise. I'm not worried; not planning on going near Taksim Square where the demonstrations occur.

I'll be going there soon, too. The cruise ship terminal is actually quite close to Taksim. Tourists heading over the bridge to Sultanahmet will not go through that area, but for people whose ships have an overnight in Istanbul, I usually do recommend walking up the hill to Istiklal Avenue (which goes down to Taksim Square). This is not the best idea at the moment, at least not in the evening.

Things are very volatile in Turkey at the moment, so no one can say with any certainty what the situation will be a month and a half from now. If they have to, they will just skip Istanbul on your cruise, maybe find another port to replace it. For cruises that start/stop in Istanbul, this is a lot tricker… Hopefully, none of this will be necessary.

We were in Istanbul for an overnight earlier this year and will be there for a one day port stop in Sept 2015. Both times we have had Ekol waiting for us with a van and guide just outside the port gates and have avoided Taksim Square and that area. This is what I would recommend as they will ensure that you are taking the safest route, not getting lost etc. Watch the State Dept website as they will update re safety. It's a fluid situation right now, but don't forget that the cruise ships will not stop where it is not safe. If you are further concerned, take a ship excursion instead. It is a beautiful city and I hope you enjoy your visit as much as we did!

Appreciate this excellent question and very substantive/solid comments shared by Pam, cruisemom42, etc. Personally, we super loved Istanbul and the two Turkish coast locations where we stopped in 2006. Turkey, as a nation, is fairly close to the challenges of Syria, Iraq, etc. We will all hope for the best with Istanbul. Look forward to hearing more after these travelers visit there during the coming weeks.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 186,023 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

We've just returned(September 21) from Istanbul, over nighting there after a Celebrity Cruise.

This was our third visit there and we found the people and places there to be as wonderful, exciting and safe as on all of our previous trips.

Like any big city, you have to be aware of your surroundings, but we walked and trammed everywhere and didn't have any concerns.

We just returned from Istanbul on Oct 7. We loved Istanbul. Even though CNN was reporting riots etc we saw nothing out of the ordinary. We had a private guide who took us everywhere. He was Kurdish so we felt we understood what was happening. The weekend we were there was EID followed by a National holiday. Everything was open but the Grand Bazaar and the Spice market. Thousands of people in Istanbul for the holiday.

I think too many people believe everything they read in the media. Protests can break out anywhere, anytime and turn ugly fast. Just be aware of your surroundings.

We had a wonderful time in Istanbul!!!!!

It is very safe to travel to Istanbul.

It is a fascinating city.

Keith

While no one here (or anywhere else for that matter) can accurately predict where or when political unrest may appear, your best source to satisfy your friend's concerns is the U.S. Department of State.

They have far more (and much more accurate) sources than any of us...

just use common sense

My husband and I are senior citizens who spent 3 days in Istanbul in August. Everytime I got on the public tram, at least several people jumped up to offer me a seat. Try to see that happen in the USA. We loved Istanbul.

My husband and I are senior citizens who spent 3 days in Istanbul in August. Everytime I got on the public tram, at least several people jumped up to offer me a seat. Try to see that happen in the USA. We loved Istanbul.

You probably don't live in the South, were that happens all the time.

We just returned from a two night stay in Istanbul on the Prinsendam. We arrived at 5:00 PM on October 9. The cruise terminal is located on north end of the quay that serves all the cruise ships. We walked out the terminal and walked about 400 metres to the funicular that takes you up the hill to Taskin square. There was a currency desk as we exited so we were able to get some Turkish lira to buy tokens for the funcular. We took the modern funicular to Taskim Square and then took the old tram the length of Istiklal. We then started to walk back up Istiklal. After 400 metres of so, we were tired and wanted to eat. We found a small restaurant off of Istiklal, and had a nice dinner. We decided to walk back down towards Galanta tower. By the tower we found an area of cafes and bars, and had drinks and coffee. Half of our group were tired and caught a taxi back to the ship. The rest of us walked down the hill and back to ship. We were on board by 11:00 PM. We never felt unsafe. There were lots of people on the street, although we stayed on well lit streets with lots of foot traffic. The next night we went back to Taskin square for another nice dinner. We had no problems in Istanbul.

we just returned from a 3 day stay after our cruise. We are 79 and 82 and had 2 grandsons with us who were in their 20's. We felt perfectly safe. Our grandsons went out on their own in the evening, we walked and took the ferry and felt safe. My husband missed a step and fell into the busy street and many people came to help us. They took us to a pharmacy where one of the employees cleaned, put antibiotic ointment on his would and then a bandage. They were so very helpful and kind. Many of the streets in the old city are so very crowded---instanbul has had a huge influx of refugees--that it can be a bit overwhelming. On one of our days we did a food tour of the city and found it to be just terrific.

You probably don't live in the South, were that happens all the time.

You are right, although I grew up in North Carolina, we have lived in the north for 40 years. Glad to hear Southerners are still so polite on public transportation. Here, they not only don't get up, but spread out over two seats instead of just one.

I was in Istanbul for 2 days before my recent cruise. Stayed in a great small hotel in Sultanahmet area and never experienced anything out of the ordinary or different from my other stays in Istanbul over the years.

Just back from cruise which started in Istanbul. It was great ! Recommend the tram into town and back. Many people who used taxi's spent a long time in traffic jams and were charged a great deal.

I just returned from 5 days in Istanbul before a cruise. The city is safer than any large US or European city I know. I am a middle aged woman and was traveling alone and I walked all over Sultanahmet day and night with absolutely no worries. Everything is lit up and there are people everywhere.

I stayed at the Sirkecki Mansion which I would highly recommend as one of the best and most reasonably priced hotels I have ever seen in a large city.

Everything about Istanbul is amazing but be sure to schedule enough time there or you will regret it. I cannot wait to get back!

Three US soldiers were set upon today, bags put over their heads, pelted with rocks. They got away and the US is looking into the situation. Film is on CNN. Just saying those going there should stay abreast of the news and what the US State Dept is saying. We were there for 2 days earlier this year and things were really fine, will be there again in Oct. 2015, but are watching and waiting believe me.

Three US soldiers were set upon today, bags put over their heads, pelted with rocks. They got away and the US is looking into the situation. Film is on CNN. Just saying those going there should stay abreast of the news and what the US State Dept is saying. We were there for 2 days earlier this year and things were really fine, will be there again in Oct. 2015, but are watching and waiting believe me.

I just got back from Istanbul last week, never felt safer. There are sometimes problems over the bridge near Taksim square or by the port, as the soldier attack probably were, but not in the old city. I live in Los angeles and the things that happen here would put that incident to shame. This is not to say people should be reckless, but should not overreact and put things in context.

I just got back from Istanbul last week, never felt safer. There are sometimes problems over the bridge near Taksim square or by the port, as the soldier attack probably were, but not in the old city. I live in Los angeles and the things that happen here would put that incident to shame. This is not to say people should be reckless, but should not overreact and put things in context.

Thank you for your post. I heard this news today and it made me uneasy about our upcoming trip. I appreciate your reassurance.

See my post on cruise safety on other Mediterranean Ports. We an interesting experience in Istanbul last month.

We had wanted to take a cruise next year that started in Istanbul. Debating now due to the political climate...