Istanbul. I Shall Report Back.

[HLGW60]

Such actions simply play into the terrorists' hands. Sad.

Maybe so but who wants to be vacationing a potential war zone? Izmir Air Base, Turkey is one of the strategic military installations run by the US Air Force in Europe. It is almost 400 km away from Istanbul.

[dabear]

Maybe so but who wants to be vacationing a potential war zone? Izmir Air Base, Turkey is one of the strategic military installations run by the US Air Force in Europe. It is almost 400 km away from Istanbul.

 

And the Syrian border is 800 miles away from Istanbul. Israel borders Syria but most visitors don't consider it in a war zone (yes there is risk there as well as Bangkok, Paris, Barcelona, New York,etc).

 

Also my corrected post implied that Carnival owned those 3 cruise lines plus fyi others.

Edited August 21, 2015 by dabear

[LocoLoco1]

With anything nowadays involving Safe Travel...things can change within weeks or even days. I honestly wouldn't use MY impressions of Istanbul or anywhere else from 6/mo ago as particularly valid as regards the street scene. I am adventurous but aware. That's just the way it is. Locomotiveman Tom

[HLGW60]

The overwhelming number of migrants/refugees? flooding Europe and washing ashore dead on the Greek isles is of more immediate concern right now. It was heartbreaking seeing that young child dead on the beach. The more important question just now is exactly how much joy can you get from a vacation when there is so much misery and death surrounding you?

[singlegrandma2]

Celebrity has cancelled overnights in Istanbul. If you have been there you know the security is a problem there... The ship docks in the river right downtown. No way to protect the ship or passengers.

[lemonjelly]

we are on constellation docking in istanbul 18th of this month us and many other passengers have asked celebrity for an update they said the situation is constantly being reviewed but at present there is no itinery change planned ,us like a large number of passengers have a few days in istanbul booked also to enjoy the wonderful city!i see no greater risk than on the streets of any other town or city on this planet of ours

[peteukmcr]

Just arrived home to the UK after spending 2 days in Istanbul after disembarking Celebrity Constellation on 18th Sept.

 

Celebrity Captains Club rep stated that Celebrity had liaised with their local security staff and the decision to cancel all overnight stays at the start of sailings from Istanbul was to prevent large numbers of guests from western countries being together in groups on shore excursions as this where they believe the terrorist threat is aims at.

 

Having said that we spent 2 days in the city and didn't feel threatened at all other than prepare yourself for people everywhere, and I mean everywhere! The city is very, very busy. You will be constantly harangued for carpets, restaurants, drinks, boat tours, 'English guides' etc, so if that bothers you, then try and stick to quieter places.

 

Turkish lira is a must for public transport (the tram system is good and frequent and costs 4 Turkish lira per trip, no matter how long or short). You need to purchase a token from a machine located near each tram stop. Some machines are broken and so don't take notes, just coins or vice versa. Your hotel staff will give you all the info.

 

If you are flying home from Istanbul main airport (Ataturk) then here's some insight.

 

We're based in Manchester, UK and just arrived home after an early start in Istanbul. Even the airport is busy. Security scanning of all your bags (checked and carry on) before you even get to the check in desks, once in line for check in your passport is checked, and once you've checked in, you then pass through passport control and a 2nd security scan of your carry on bags, and then when you reach the gate your passport is checked again before you board.

 

So if you are departing on an international flight from Istanbul, give yourself plenty of time for the security checks.

[LocoLoco1]

My less recent experience was similar. We zipped around with a 'local' and had a great time. That would be the way to go methinks considering the recent events. Ataturk Airport. You heard it here first-hand folks....get ready for lotsa Security and lines, and more lines. Locomotiveman Tom

[movin12]

My less recent experience was similar. We zipped around with a 'local' and had a great time. That would be the way to go methinks considering the recent events. Ataturk Airport. You heard it here first-hand folks....get ready for lotsa Security and lines, and more lines. Locomotiveman

 

Hi,

Arranging private transport from the ship to the airport for a 1:00pm flight. Can you tell me what time we should we arrange for pickup and how long it takes to get off the ship and through the lines.

Edited September 22, 2015 by movin12

[peteukmcr]

My less recent experience was similar. We zipped around with a 'local' and had a great time. That would be the way to go methinks considering the recent events. Ataturk Airport. You heard it here first-hand folks....get ready for lotsa Security and lines, and more lines. Locomotiveman

 

Hi,

Arranging private transport from the ship to the airport for a 1:00pm flight. Can you tell me what time we should we arrange for pickup and how long it takes to get off the ship and through the lines.

If you are departing on an international flight, as I mentioned earlier, you need to arrive at least 2 hours before departure due to the security checks. Our flight departed at 8 am, and we arrived at 5:45 am and the airport was very busy then, so you may need to consider what day of the week you are travelling (we flew on a Sunday) as it maybe even busier.

 

As for getting from the port to the airport, I would allow at least 1 hour as traffic in Istanbul is horrendous, and again we were travelling early in the morning, the later in the day, the busier it will be.

 

As an example when we left the ship it took our driver over 30 minutes to get from the port to our hotel in the old city area and the airport at least another 40 minutes from there.

 

As for getting off the ship, the immigration lines get longer after 8:30 am. Please ensure you have your e-visa printed with your passport. However, the lines do move fairly quickly, but again this could depend on the number of passengers disembarking. We were called at around 8:40 and exited the terminal at 9 am, so not too long, but the lines war growing behind us at this time.

 

Hope this helps.

[lemonjelly]

hi folks peters advice is spot on ! i was on the same cruise as him ,istanbul is now rivalling hong kong as my favorite city ! i loved it .we stayed on the asian side in kadikoy at the doubletree by hilton moda (great hotel ) we were 5 mins walk from the ferry port to the old town and many other places ,the nostalgic tram ran right outside our hotel lobby ,kadikoy is a wonderful friendly area full of markets bars and retaurants which becomes a people watchers heaven at night ,sitting with friends sipping a cold efes and sharing a table full of meze litening to the sound of chatter and music mixed is bliss! folk are so friendly and i didnt fint them as eager to get you in their establishment as on the old town side, prices were also certainly cheaper in kadikoy/moda area beer food and clothing especialy WHEN we go back next year for at least 5 days we will stay in the same area no question ,moda next door to kadikoy is a more upmarket area and the shops and restaurants reflect that but funnily not the prices ! they are still cheap.i will be recomending a few restaurants on TA.we also visited the fenerbache football stadium which is very impressive and theres a street nearby which has nothing but wedding shops for those fool enuff to try getting married haha airport and port transfers we used istanbulairporttaxis.com booked by email and they gave us sugested pick up times they were more than helpful and efficient too, port to hotel took 45 mins in rush hour 60 euros for 4 passengers and luggage, transfer to airport for a 8.30 am flight was pick up 5 am took less than 45 mins and was 50 euros for 2 passengers ,bro n sis in law had later flight so were picked up 8.30 am everything went well .:)

Edited September 22, 2015 by lemonjelly

[movin12]

Thank you for your responses on how much time needed to get to the airport on time for a flight. :)

[Mercruiser]

hi folks peters advice is spot on ! i was on the same cruise as him ,istanbul is now rivalling hong kong as my favorite city ! i loved it .we stayed on the asian side in kadikoy at the doubletree by hilton moda (great hotel ) we were 5 mins walk from the ferry port to the old town and many other places ,the nostalgic tram ran right outside our hotel lobby ,kadikoy is a wonderful friendly area full of markets bars and retaurants which becomes a people watchers heaven at night ,sitting with friends sipping a cold efes and sharing a table full of meze litening to the sound of chatter and music mixed is bliss! folk are so friendly and i didnt fint them as eager to get you in their establishment as on the old town side, prices were also certainly cheaper in kadikoy/moda area beer food and clothing especialy WHEN we go back next year for at least 5 days we will stay in the same area no question ,moda next door to kadikoy is a more upmarket area and the shops and restaurants reflect that but funnily not the prices ! they are still cheap.i will be recomending a few restaurants on TA.we also visited the fenerbache football stadium which is very impressive and theres a street nearby which has nothing but wedding shops for those fool enuff to try getting married haha airport and port transfers we used istanbulairporttaxis.com booked by email and they gave us sugested pick up times they were more than helpful and efficient too, port to hotel took 45 mins in rush hour 60 euros for 4 passengers and luggage, transfer to airport for a 8.30 am flight was pick up 5 am took less than 45 mins and was 50 euros for 2 passengers ,bro n sis in law had later flight so were picked up 8.30 am everything went well .:)

 

I agree with your advice on Kadikoy and the Moda hotel. I stayed at the Doubletree Moda last week on a business trip. I also stayed at the Doubletree Old Town. The Moda is one of the best Doubletree I've ever stayed in. I liked the hotel and the Kadikoy area so much that I changed my pre-cruise hotel next year from Old Town to Moda. I will be staying five nights on Hilton points.

 

 

 

Sent from my Nexus 7

[lemonjelly]

i have already given our transfer timings etc from the wonderful kadikoy/moda area on the asian side to ataturk airport ,here are my bro n sis inlaws timings as they had a later pick up .their pick up from the hotel was 8.30 am for a 12.30 flight ,as this was right in the rush hour the taxi driver took them over from kadikoy to the other side on the car ferry to avoid traffic around the bridge and then on to the airport whole transfer time was 90 mins getting them to the airport at 10.am

[garf1108]

Hi

 

Can anyone recommend a reasonable hotel in the Sutanahmet area for a pre cruise stay for a few days?

 

Thanks

Garf1108

[cruisemom42]

Hi

 

Can anyone recommend a reasonable hotel in the Sutanahmet area for a pre cruise stay for a few days?

 

Thanks

Garf1108

 

For a mid-range hotel, I really enjoyed my stay at the well-reviewed Osmanhan Hotel, just about 3 blocks from the Blue Mosque:

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g293974-d1181320-Reviews-Osmanhan_Hotel-Istanbul.html

 

I have also stayed at Sirkeci Konak hotel, and it is more deluxe (very nice though) and just slightly less well-located for the main sites of Sultanahmet.

[imacruizer]

Hi

 

Can anyone recommend a reasonable hotel in the Sutanahmet area for a pre cruise stay for a few days?

 

Thanks

Garf1108

 

I can highly recommend the Amira Hotel. We stayed there for four nights earlier this year. It is a moderately priced hotel. It had the best service we have ever received at any hotel. The included breakfast and afternoon tea were delicious. Check out the reviews on Tripadvisor. Enjoy your stay in Istanbul.

[LocoLoco1]

Dersaadet was great little Hotel. Behind (SW) of Blue Mosque. Great view of Sea of Marmara from Rooftop Terrace. Locomotiveman Tom

[gmadvm]

we just spent nine nights at the Romantic Hotel Istanbul. About 2 blocks behind the blue mosque and right near a lot of great restaurants. It was a great trip and we felt totally safe.

[lemonjelly]

we spent 3 nights at the doubletree by hilton moda on the asian side in kadikoy ,loved every second the area is great for bars shops and restaurants and getting over to the main tourist area is easy peasy ferry a great way to see the sights from the river was 15 mins, subway 15/20 taxi 30 mins we found food and drink prices to be cheaper on our side :)

[garf1108]

Thanks everyone for their advice.

 

Thanks

[cruisingbarb]

We just recently stayed at the Hotel Basileus and highly recommend them. It gets great reviews on Tripadvisor. The owner and staff bend over backwards to make you feel welcome. It's walking distance to all the major tourist sites,

[roothy123]

We stayed at Hotel Alilass, very modest but in a great location. Staff was incredibly wonderful and helpful. People in Turkey (plus the food) = amazing. Absolutely loved Istanbul.

[LocoLoco1]

We stayed at Hotel Alilass, very modest but in a great location. Staff was incredibly wonderful and helpful. People in Turkey (plus the food) = amazing. Absolutely loved Istanbul.

HI. So Istanbul 'snooping around' went well? Locomotiveman Tom

[roothy123]

HI. So Istanbul 'snooping around' went well? Locomotiveman Tom

 

Hi. Yes, had a great time! Did our own touring, and while I'm sure we didn't see as much as you did, we saw plenty and had a wonderful time just riding trams and soaking up the atmosphere. I'm drowning in pictures, but hope to have the Kusadasi and Istanbul ones posted on my http://www.pbase.com/roothy123 site in a few days. (Other places on cruise were wonderful, too.) I'll try to remember to email you or post a link on here when I'm done.

 

It's crazy how many little hotels there were in that same area south of the Blue Mosque. We found it to be a great location, and while Alilass was modest, it suited us well. Ended up spending the second night near the airport, due to a 5:50 AM first flight home. Getting to or through the airport was at least civil at 4 in the morning! Airport area was interesting - local area buzzing with lots of local flavor.

 

Thanks for your help. Saw Kiz Kulesi, painted steps, but no painted cones. Took note of the lunch place you liked near Sultanahmet stop but weren't near there for lunch, so didn't make it. Found food to be wonderful; people too. First time for me with calls to prayer - those were intense! So yes, for both my husband and myself, Istanbul definitely exceeded my expectations!