Turkey Civil Unrest

[Antonintassie]

Greetings All

 

I spend a significant amount of time per year in this part of the world ,do not get to stressed about it all be aware but as they sat "DONT PANIC" and please do not try and apply the rationale of your own polictical system to somebody elses .

 

All The Best Anton

[4774Papa]

We are booked on the 25 September Celebrity Constellation cruise of the Black Sea and Greek Isles. The cruise starts and ends in Istanbul. Our airline tickets are paid for and we arrive 21 Sept. If the cruise is cancelled, I don't think the trip insurance will cover the airfare. The cruise is sold out.

[didicruiser]

I just returned yesterday from 12 day land trip to Turkey. I decided to keep my hotel reservation at a hotel on Taksim square for June 7th. The square is now closed to cars and there are barricades at the entrance streets. The park has tents on the grassy areas. Graffiti on some storefronts.

However, the atmosphere was very festive. I never felt unsafe, the stores were all open. People still as friendly as ever. Too bad I can't read turkish; I would have like to know what the signs said. I was back to the hotel at 11:00pm. There weren't any police. As of now, I wouldn't hesitate going to Istanbul. BTW, the Sultanahmet area where the sites are, is across the sea and totally uninvolved.

Seeing and learning so much of turkish history and then living Turkish history;amazing.

[paul929207]

We are also sailing on the Ruby in late September with planned stops in both Kusadasi and Istanbul. I think we will book our excursions through Princess since the threat of cancellation would at least be handled with less hassle. I will be disappointed of course, but would rather be safe. What a shame! I could do with another day at sea since this is a very port intensive cruise. When traveling anywhere we should all be prepared for change!

I don't understand why there is less hassle with cancelling Princess tours than private ones. Princess will charge your account when you board for their tours. Our private tour in Kusadasi last October was paid for in cash at the end of the tour. If we canceled for any reason, we did not pay anything.

[cruisemom42]

We are also sailing on the Ruby in late September with planned stops in both Kusadasi and Istanbul. I think we will book our excursions through Princess since the threat of cancellation would at least be handled with less hassle. I will be disappointed of course, but would rather be safe. What a shame! I could do with another day at sea since this is a very port intensive cruise. When traveling anywhere we should all be prepared for change!

 

I have read about, and traveled in, this part of the world for years. Events such as this tend to flare up and settle down, and late September is a long time off. I wouldn't rule out private tours just yet. In fact, I wouldn't rule out doing Istanbul on your own just yet....

[brianwood]

We are booked on the Celebrity Reflection departing from Rome June 17th. We have a day and a 1/2 in Istanbul and a day in Kusadasi. Has anyone heard anything regarding cancelling these ports? Perhaps going other Greek Islands such as Crete or Rhodes? It would be a very upsetting not going to Turkey as this is why we booked the cruise - but safety is the first priority.:confused:

[susaninhouston]

We are also on Reflection June 17th, and we have tours booked in Istanbul and Kusadasi. I have read a couple of rumors about changing itinerary, but nothing from Celebrity. Everything that I've been reading says that cruise lines are monitoring the situation, and that ships are still docking in Turkey. I guess we will just have to wait and see. We have been to these ports before, but we are definitely looking forward to a return visit! We hope it works out.

 

Susan

[mazdeb]

I have read about, and traveled in, this part of the world for years. Events such as this tend to flare up and settle down, and late September is a long time off. I wouldn't rule out private tours just yet. In fact, I wouldn't rule out doing Istanbul on your own just yet....

 

Hi Cruisemom; We are in Istanbul overnight on June cruise on Reflection . I had made dinner reservatons at Pasazade restaurant ( in Erboy hotel) due to the great reviews on tripadvisor. Wondering if you know if this restaruant is located anywhere near Takism square? We were planning on taking the tram from cruise port to Gulhane station and restaurant is apparently a short walk from there. Wondering if we should cancel our reservation and have dinner somewhere near the port and avoid taking the tram in the evening? Thanks again for all your helpful feedback on Turkey ports

[Cash123]

Hello. Istanbul local here. The civil unrest has certainly come to an end in the city. As a matter of fact, you would be lucky if you were visiting the city in these days since the Park and surrounding protest areas are a wonderful tourist attraction. Free yoga, community kitchen, interesting banners from various groups from homosexual rights to communists, excessive graffiti everywhere (ie. penguins wearing gas masks in protest of CNNTurk who ignored the issue in their broadcasts). I'd be happy to answer your questions.

 

Not if you had been watching SKY News this morning, the police using water cannons, tear gas and even the SKY reporting was wearing a mask as the gas was affecting her reporting, it ceertainly has not come to an end.

[BratDet]

Paul, ships tours you can cancel on ship. A private tour wants advance notice of course- but unless you have free Internet minutes or a cell phone that works in Europe- it just is more hassle to cancel....and pay per minute to email and then recheck for a response.

Bernadette

 

 

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[cruisemom42]

Hi Cruisemom; We are in Istanbul overnight on June cruise on Reflection . I had made dinner reservatons at Pasazade restaurant ( in Erboy hotel) due to the great reviews on tripadvisor. Wondering if you know if this restaruant is located anywhere near Takism square? We were planning on taking the tram from cruise port to Gulhane station and restaurant is apparently a short walk from there. Wondering if we should cancel our reservation and have dinner somewhere near the port and avoid taking the tram in the evening? Thanks again for all your helpful feedback on Turkey ports

 

Gulhane stop on the tram is near Gulhane Park in Sultanahmet, the old part of Istanbul. This is where most of the tourist sites are located and isn't near Taksim Square at all.

 

Assuming things stay the same, you should be fine traveling there for dinner and back. Be sure to walk around a bit and see the beautiful lights on Haghia Sophia and the Blue Mosque at night before you go back to the ship.

[Keel Haul]

Not if you had been watching SKY News this morning, the police using water cannons, tear gas and even the SKY reporting was wearing a mask as the gas was affecting her reporting, it ceertainly has not come to an end.

BBC reporting the same,its very sad but these brave people were objecting to the erosion of their civil liberties.

[tothemall&beyond]

BBC reporting the same,its very sad but these brave people were objecting to the erosion of their civil liberties.

 

Molotov cocktails now being thrown by protesters, too. Just saw a live report by Richard Engel and there was thick black smoke everywhere behind him.

[Keel Haul]

Molotov cocktails now being thrown by protesters, too. Just saw a live report by Richard Engel and there was thick black smoke everywhere behind him.

Dont know who Engel is.I just watched the BBC news at 18.00, their correspondent was with the protesters, there was no mention of Molotov's.

[zennor]

We have just returned from a fabulous cruise which started in Istanbul & stopped at Canakkale and Kusadasi. We stayed in Istanbul for 3 nights pre-cruise. The protests had just started when we were there and they did not stop our enjoyment of this wonderful city and country at all. We hadn't visited Turkey before and ae now very keen to return.

 

Do be aware that Istanbul is a massive city (13.8 million people). Taksim square and its surroundings is just one area and away from Sultanahmet the old city with most of the tourist sites. We were fortunate to stay in Sultanahmet in the Ibrahim Pasha. In that area you wouldn't even know about the protests - we read about them on the internet. We had 2 excellent days of private tours with Lale of KSG Tours. The first day was a walking tour in the Old City - Lale sometimes changed the order of the itinerary to fit in with other cruise ships & not the protests! On the second day she had a driver and a couple of times they changed the route and missed out Taksim square so we did a Bosphorous cruise instead. It was wonderful. The stops at Canakkale & Kusadasi were not at all affected by the unrest. However every tour guide that we met supported the protests. All of them think it is time for this dicatorial Prime Minister to stand down. They are very proud of their modern, secular country and do not want to have Islam imposed upon them. It's very sad so do support Turkey and carry on visiting.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Thanks all posters who have visited for updates. We are sticking with ships tour in Istanbul, private tour in Kusadisi (pay after tour).

[Steviewonder1]

I am tracking this for our Cruise Group and have registered with STEP which sends me direct info from the US Embassy in Istanbul with what is going on there. Yes, I can read and see the news reports, but when and if the Embassy says things are HOT, I will not question that. No HOT news yet other than bulldozers, tear gas and rubber bullets being used.

[tothemall&beyond]

Dont know who Engel is.I just watched the BBC news at 18.00, their correspondent was with the protesters, there was no mention of Molotov's.

 

Richard Engel is NBC's award-winning Chief Foreign Correspondent, and an expert on the Middle East who speaks Arabic fluently. He and his crew were kidnapped in Syria back in December an were held hostage at gunpoint for about a week before escaping.

[Keel Haul]

Richard Engel is NBC's award-winning Chief Foreign Correspondent, and an expert on the Middle East who speaks Arabic fluently. He and his crew were kidnapped in Syria back in December an were held hostage at gunpoint for about a week before escaping.

Good job the BBC correspondent could speak Turkish fluently.Check out article 42 of the Turkish constitution.

[Waihekean]

Is there any current news anyone?

 

All recent footage from U-tube has dissappeared here in N.Z.

[lanceholt]

Richard Engel is one of the best, and a straight talker too. When he is in a situation, you know it is serious as they don't send him otherwise.

[Waihekean]

Glad to say that we are getting some current news through Google, however it only shows USA Today.

 

Yesterday managed to get some internet info from Amnesty International, but once I watched video footage, screen went to "error occurred'. So blocked again.

[zennor]

Have you tried Al Jazeera? See http://blogs.aljazeera.com/liveblog/topic/turkey-protests-20176 We followed them on Twitter when we were in Istanbul. Or just search #Turkey on Twitter.

 

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[iancal]

We tend to prefer the BBC reports to the CNN reports...more facts, less entertainment.

 

This is an opportunity for anyone wishing to go this summer/fall. Cruise prices appear to be falling. We have done Med cruises, a Turkey and a Greek land tour in each of the past two years. Great prices and no issues whatsoever. We were also able to get very good air pricing 30-60 days out.

[Waihekean]

Have you tried Al Jazeera? See http://blogs.aljazeera.com/liveblog/topic/turkey-protests-20176 We followed them on Twitter when we were in Istanbul. Or just search #Turkey on Twitter.

 

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