Viking oceans hotels in istanbul

Does anyone know the names of the hotel/s used by Viking in Istanbul & how far they are from the docking location of Viking Star? My query relates to hotel/s used for the pre/post extension to Troy & Gallipoli, particularly if the hotel/s are different from those used by passengers doing the ocean cruise only.

Surely SOMEBODY is staying in a Viking organised hotel in Istanbul.....?????

I'm not positive about this because I'm not doing the Viking pre- or post-cruise, but it was my understanding that you would be picked up at the airport and transferred to the hotel in Troy/Gallipoli, and you would not be staying at a hotel in Istanbul at all. Those of us staying at hotels who are NOT doing the pre or post tours are making our own Istanbul hotel arrangements. The reason you may not be getting any response is that there are no Viking hotels in Istanbul. We are staying at the Hilton Bosphorus which is a short taxi ride to the pier but definitely too far to walk with luggage. We made the reservations on our own, and getting there the day before. Hope this helps.

Sorry, I'm staying on my own in Istanbul post-cruise, and didn't pay any attention to the pre and post extensions, so I have no clue what hotels Viking is using. You might have to call Viking about hotels, as there aren't too many of us using the boards here for Viking Star... yet, anyway!

Here's at least a little information on Istanbul:

There are two very different places where people generally stay in Istanbul. One is the old, historic area of Sultanahmet, and the other is the newer Taksim area. A tram connects the two areas, and I think it's about a 10 minute trip on the tram from one area to the other. The tram is apparently well-used by cruisers. Of course, there are cabs, too!

Almost all cruise ships dock in the same place in Istanbul, which is closer to the Taksim area.

I'm not positive about this because I'm not doing the Viking pre- or post-cruise, but it was my understanding that you would be picked up at the airport and transferred to the hotel in Troy/Gallipoli, and you would not be staying at a hotel in Istanbul at all. Those of us staying at hotels who are NOT doing the pre or post tours are making our own Istanbul hotel arrangements. The reason you may not be getting any response is that there are no Viking hotels in Istanbul. We are staying at the Hilton Bosphorus which is a short taxi ride to the pier but definitely too far to walk with luggage. We made the reservations on our own, and getting there the day before. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the quick response. My need to book an hotel in Istanbul arises from the fact the I'll be flying in from Australia and unfortunately there is no direct flight so it is a process which necessitates at least two legs, if not more. From personal experience, things do go wrong - flight delays & missing connections etc. - hence the need to be arriving in Istanbul at least 24 hours before the pre cruise extension & the need for an hotel close to where the Star will be berthed (intend to leave some of my luggage at the hotel while I do the pre cruise tour)

Are you doing the pre or post extension? Sounds like you are doing the pre cruise. If so, you might want to look a hotel near the airport. To get the Viking transfer from the airport to Troy / Gallipoli you might have to be AT the airport. I'd call Viking with these questions as I'm not sure any of us will have the answer to your specific questions.

Even though we are not coming nearly as far as you, we too are coming in 24 hours early just in case something goes wrong and to also try to get over our jet lag.

I looked at the pre-cruise and transfer in Istanbul offered by Viking and it was way over priced in my opinion....We booked a hotel in the Karakoy section of Istanbul and have hired a transport form the airport. We are arriving 2 days before.

Kathy