My VERY late review of our Eastern Mediterranean cruise onboard the Navigator!

[mskaufman]

Already figured not to use this tour company this summer.

[Melozone]

Oh, come on......Tell us!!!!!! :)

 

We booked with AboutEphesus.

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Oh, come on......Tell us!!!!!! :)

 

We booked with AboutEphesus.

 

If I were you, I would stick with AboutEphesus!

 

Sorry! Unfortunately, my real job gets in the way of things that I really want to be doing! More tonight!

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Already figured not to use this tour company this summer.

 

I agree, but John was really very knowledgeable. It is ashamed he didn't have the social skills to go along with it!

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Sign of a great story teller - leave them wanting more ;)

 

Curse you (we need a dramatic fist shaking smilie)

 

Wow! Cursed on CC. I must be getting pretty good at this! 😉

[mskaufman]

I agree, but John was really very knowledgeable. It is ashamed he didn't have the social skills to go along with it!

 

My DW is nervous about Turkey, so we'll probably take a ship tour there (and suffer through the rug factory).

[kruzinkel]

This was one of my favorite ports in the Med. I was amazed by Ephesus. I hope your tour guide did not ruin it completely for you

[k9trix]

I don't wanna sound creepy or anything, but I totally wanna go on vacation with you guys!! You all look like you are having a great time and you have the best mishaps!

Trixie :D

[Ireallyneedavacation]

My DW is nervous about Turkey, so we'll probably take a ship tour there (and suffer through the rug factory).

 

 

I would be more nervous getting stuck with a cruise tour in a rug factory than going with an independent tour company!;) Really, there is nothing to be nervous about! If I could do it over, I would only choose a half day tour with a different company and go before lunch. We did the majority of our sightseeing before lunch. We spent at least 3 hours at the weaving school. I would go back to the ship, have lunch and then get off an walk around that area.

[Ireallyneedavacation]

This was one of my favorite ports in the Med. I was amazed by Ephesus. I hope your tour guide did not ruin it completely for you

 

He didn't ruin it completely. It eventually started getting funny. Ephesus was amazing.....pressure at the weaving school, not so much (well, not in a good way)!

[Ireallyneedavacation]

I don't wanna sound creepy or anything, but I totally wanna go on vacation with you guys!! You all look like you are having a great time and you have the best mishaps!

 

Trixie :D

 

You don't sound creepy! Come on and join us!:D We did have a great time, even with all of our mishaps! Those are the things we laugh about the most now!

[Melozone]

Why so long at the school/rug factory? I thought my granddaughters might enjoy seeing how they are made???

 

I forgot to mention, I love your poppie picture.....it's perfect!

Edited March 6, 2013 by Melozone

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Ok, where did I leave you? Oh, yeah, things then got a little more uncomfortable.....

 

Well, after going through the Ancient City of Ephesus, a few of us had to go to the restroom, but John told us the public restrooms weren't good enough for us. He had some "special" restrooms we needed to use. BUT FIRST he made us stop at a vedor tent to get a sample of moonshine....not kidding and some Turkish Delite. He also pushed us to buy the one and only book on Ephesus that we needed (which I did, but I do like it). He assured us that we could trust these people, and they would give us the best price, because he brought us there. So, here comes the one cup of moonshine with one straw. He says, pass it around! We all looked at each other with a look of shock....I think more because it was a cup of moonshine than because there was only one straw! The moonshine was a shockingly color of orange. Here is Katie taking the first sip....Yes, she was brave!

 

 

After our little stop, we finally got to our special restrooms. It was like a mobile home with a line of bathrooms down the hall. It wasn't very special!

 

Here, you can see that no one ever took the cup away from Katie. Don't worry! She dumped it out on the ground!

 

 

So, John gathered us all around to wait for the van to come pick us up. In the meantime Corrie decides she wants to PAY to pet this camel....yes, it looks like it has the mange!

 

 

I think this is as close as she got!

 

 

After we left the acient city, we were on our way to The Temple of Artemis....

 

St. John's Church is in the background...

 

 

[Ireallyneedavacation]

 

 

So, from here we were on our way to the weaving school, where, yes, things got a little more uncomfortable....

 

 

Ok, this is where the weaving process starts....

 

 

We were trapped in a world of rug pushing....while they prepared the only safe food to eat in Turkey....

 

 

They did offer you a drink while pushing you to buy carpets. I guess they try to liquor you up to make an easier sale! Me, I opted for the tea. They also pushed you to take off your shoes and feel their carpets.

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Why so long at the school/rug factory? I thought my granddaughters might enjoy seeing how they are made???

 

I forgot to mention, I love your poppie picture.....it's perfect!

 

Watching how they make the carpets doesn't take long. The sales pitch and waiting for lunch is what takes so long.

Thanks, I like the poppie picture too!

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Katie's and Corrie's faces say it all!

 

 

We sat there adamant that we were not buying a rug. I guess Toni and Chris were not as adamant, because they swept them away to another room. They did the same with Steve and Steve!

 

We finally just told them that we were going to wait outside....where Katie then somehow got roped into buying a purse! Finally, everyone was free to come outside, and we just waited for lunch.

 

 

Finally, lunch was ready....and John added this little tidbit to our lunch conversation....We started talking about Turkish Delite, and this reminded him of a story that he just had to tell us! John was not circumcised as a child. They waited and did not use any anaesthesia. Instead they stuffed his mouth with Turkish Delite. So, now every time I hear Turkish Delite , I immediately think of John's circumcision!

 

 

Next, he took us to some little village. I am not sure why we went there. But, this is where John started making the suggestion that we all should go to a Turkish Bath. "It is only $20." "Some of you have the wrong idea of what a Turkish Bath is." "How about we go to a Turkish Bath?"

 

 

Steve and Steve did buy lots of these hats as gifts for friends back home!

 

 

[Ireallyneedavacation]

After the village, we ended up at the Isabey Mosque. I am not sure why as this was not ever mentioned in our tour description. On the way to the mosque, he still tried to push us to go to a Turkish bath.

 

 

 

 

 

We walked in a small distance, but I didn't stay long. There were people saying their prayers, and I felt like I shouldn't be watching.

 

After the mosque, we got another pitch to go to the Turkish Bath. We said no, again. So, his next pitch was for a ceramic store, then a leather store. Finally, he gave up, and this is what he said, "I ask you to go to Turkish bath. You say,'no'! I ask you to go to ceramic store. You say, 'no'! I ask you to go to leather store. You say, 'no'! So, I take you back to ship!!" Yay!! Finally!! On the way to the ship, he said that he was coming to the U.S. to give speeches and wanted our phone numbers so that we could come listen to him. He specifically asked me how far from Jacksonville I lived because he was going to be there. I told him 6 hours. He then asked about Tampa. I told him 6 hours. He was telling us of all of the places in the U.S. he was coming. Thankfully, he did not know that I live 10 miles from the Alabama line, because he was coming to Mobile, one hour away!

 

The final awkward moment. We had agreed on a price before the tour. I told each person what they owed, and it was up to them to pay him and give him a tip or not. So, as each person got off the bus, they handed him their portion. When it got to me, he told me that I needed to pay for the entire tour! I almost fell out! Thankfully, everyone came to my defense and told him that he had already gotten their portions. Did he actually think they were tipping him that much???

 

NOS in port....

 

 

[Ireallyneedavacation]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Umm, I don't think I need to sum up what I though about this tour company.

[Ireallyneedavacation]

That night we decided to just get a table for ourselves. During the week, we had the best wait staff, but one stood out more than the others. He would always make fun of us, because we would eat all of our butter.

 

 

That night we went to the wedding game. We were trying to get Toni and Chris on stage for the newlywed couple, but unfortunately, they were not chosen. It was still entertaining!

 

 

We then all went back to Steve and Steve's suite and had a little get together, because y'all know we had been together enough that week!

 

Next port stop, Souda, Crete on Corrie's birthday!

[hansolosmom]

Omg I totally love your review. We're going to the Med this summer, also leaving out of Rome. We're also planning a few days in Venice and Florence - I guess great minds think alike :)

 

Thank you for sharing all your info. I'm sure I'll be back tomorrow writing down the tour company names so I know which ones to do & not to do :eek:

[dln929]

Joanna! Still hopelessly hooked on the tales, travails, and adventures of these three Alabama girls. If we have half as much fun this October as y'all did, we'll count ourselves blessed. :D

[redned09]

Thank goodness we havent chosen your tour company. We are using the Best of Ephesus tour group. We have been adamant that we do not wish to do the Rug factories......hope that includes weaving as well LOL!!!

Hanging out for the next installment.

What nights were the Formal nights?

[wnycruisefam66]

Thanks for letting me know which tour company not to use next year! Still enjoying the review!

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Omg I totally love your review. We're going to the Med this summer, also leaving out of Rome. We're also planning a few days in Venice and Florence - I guess great minds think alike :)

 

Thank you for sharing all your info. I'm sure I'll be back tomorrow writing down the tour company names so I know which ones to do & not to do :eek:

 

Thank you! You are going to have a great time! If you haven't booked a hotel yet in Florence, check out the one we stayed in. We loved it!

 

The Ephesus tour company was the only one I wouldn't use again!

[Ireallyneedavacation]

Joanna! Still hopelessly hooked on the tales, travails, and adventures of these three Alabama girls. If we have half as much fun this October as y'all did, we'll count ourselves blessed. :D

 

Oh, I hope you have as much fun as we did too! Get on your roll call and form some relationships! Toni, Chris, Steve, Steve, Cheryl & Mike played a major part in why we had so much fun!