First SBN cruise, Athens to Istanbul or reverse?

[SLSD]

12 minutes ago, highplanesdrifters said:

Wow, fantastic. Thanks so much.  These types of experiences are the ones we always treasure.

If you have difficulty finding contact info--let me know and I will ask Mr. SLSD to message her through Linked in for an email address.  I have been looking around on the internet and it appears she leads groups in both Turkey and Scandanavia now.  If for some reason she no longer leads small groups (like two or four) you could ask her for a recommendation.  I would be tempted to hire her to lead us on a tour all over Turkey following  (or preceding) a cruise.  I remember her taking us (outside of another port) to a black sand beach.  We had lunch under a tent--some kind of Turkish pancakes that were yummy.  We also went to the mud baths that day and rode in glass bottom boats (the boats and location were used in filming The African Queen movie.  I had only seen that movie on TV as a young child but had a strange feeling of deja vu when seated in the boat.  I asked our guide about it and sure enough--this was the place and these were the boats).  She is very knowledgable about history, mythology, folklore, religious--everything you would want to know.  

Edited October 25, 2022 by SLSD

[shark b8]

11 hours ago, SLSD said:

Seeing Istanbul is one of our most memorable vacation experiences.   

 

For us too.  And after that Med cruise, we did a 4-day Seabourn sponsored post-cruise package, which included all the major sights in Istanbul, as well an overnight trip to Cappadocia, which was just matchless.  Istanbul and environs seems to me to be a place of such enormous and varied culture, history, food, architecture, etc - one could stay there a very long time before exhausting the possibilities.   I'm seeing the post-cruise package on the Seabourn site, if anyone is interested.   https://www.seabourn.com/en_US/pre-post-travel-cruise/seabourn-journeys/seabourn-journey-istanbul.html

[shark b8]

7 hours ago, highplanesdrifters said:

Which lounge delighted you? Thanks.

 

I'll take look at an airport map but I suspect I won't be able to pin down exactly where we were, but presumably their lounges are similar to each other. We were told the airport opened just before the pandemic, but then had to shut down during it - it may be that the "uncrowdedness" we experienced was due to it still not firing on all cylinders, left over pandemic concerns.

[highplanesdrifters]

@shark b8

@SLSD

You two are the jams, thanks. Great info.

[BoilerBill]

On 10/25/2022 at 1:23 PM, SLSD said:

If you have difficulty finding contact info--let me know and I will ask Mr. SLSD to message her through Linked in for an email address.  I have been looking around on the internet and it appears she leads groups in both Turkey and Scandanavia now.  If for some reason she no longer leads small groups (like two or four) you could ask her for a recommendation.  I would be tempted to hire her to lead us on a tour all over Turkey following  (or preceding) a cruise.  I remember her taking us (outside of another port) to a black sand beach.  We had lunch under a tent--some kind of Turkish pancakes that were yummy.  We also went to the mud baths that day and rode in glass bottom boats (the boats and location were used in filming The African Queen movie.  I had only seen that movie on TV as a young child but had a strange feeling of deja vu when seated in the boat.  I asked our guide about it and sure enough--this was the place and these were the boats).  She is very knowledgable about history, mythology, folklore, religious--everything you would want to know.  

Hello SLSD,

 

I was reading your posts about this guide with interest, as my wife and I are on April 2023 Encore from Dubai to Istanbul --- arriving there on April 30, 2023.  I have tried to locate contact info for her (Sebnem Altin), but have not been successful.  If Mr. SLSD would be so kind to share a way I can contact her other than through LinkedIn which seems to require me to join in order to send her a message, we would be extremely grateful!

[SLSD]

52 minutes ago, BoilerBill said:

Hello SLSD,

 

I was reading your posts about this guide with interest, as my wife and I are on April 2023 Encore from Dubai to Istanbul --- arriving there on April 30, 2023.  I have tried to locate contact info for her (Sebnem Altin), but have not been successful.  If Mr. SLSD would be so kind to share a way I can contact her other than through LinkedIn which seems to require me to join in order to send her a message, we would be extremely grateful!

I will ask Mr. SLSD to try and contact her.  It may take a few days as Mr. SLSD is traveling  moment and will be traveling for the next four days or so.    

[Sunviking]

6 hours ago, BoilerBill said:

Hello SLSD,

 

I was reading your posts about this guide with interest, as my wife and I are on April 2023 Encore from Dubai to Istanbul --- arriving there on April 30, 2023.  I have tried to locate contact info for her (Sebnem Altin), but have not been successful.  If Mr. SLSD would be so kind to share a way I can contact her other than through LinkedIn which seems to require me to join in order to send her a message, we would be extremely grateful!

I began a cruise in Istanbul in April of this year and spent a few days there first.  One day I had arranged for a private tour with a guide my husband and I had used years before and I remembered how good he was.  In fact, the first time we had availed ourselves of his services I later saw his name in a Travel & Leisure article as one of the 5 best tour guides in the world.  Anyway, his name is Sinan and I was able to arrange my tour through a company he works with called Sea Song.  Their website is at seasong.com.  The e-mail of the person at Sea Song with whom I made the arrangements was ceren@seasong.com.  That address worked in April of this year.  BTW he was just as good this year as the first time we toured with him.

[JPH814]

On 10/22/2022 at 12:07 AM, CruiseCruiseCruise13 said:

My husband and I are looking to take our first Seabourn sailing next summer. We’ve narrowed it down to Athens to Istanbul, or the reverse as we’d like to visit both Athens and Istanbul.
We’re not really familiar with any of the ports in between. 
Do you have a preference? Is there a port we cannot miss?

You have received a lot of good advice here.  The only two things to add:

 

We had a wonderful guide in Athens.  If you need a guide to consider , let me know.

Are you aware of the "refer a friend" program from Seabourn?  First time cruisers get a $250 on board credit if a current seabourn person "refers" them.  (All it means is filling out a form).  Let me kn ow if you are interested.(Really, it is not a scam)

https://www.seabourn.com/en_US/refer-a-friend.html

 

[highplanesdrifters]

16 hours ago, Sunviking said:

I began a cruise in Istanbul in April of this year and spent a few days there first.  One day I had arranged for a private tour with a guide my husband and I had used years before and I remembered how good he was.  In fact, the first time we had availed ourselves of his services I later saw his name in a Travel & Leisure article as one of the 5 best tour guides in the world.  Anyway, his name is Sinan and I was able to arrange my tour through a company he works with called Sea Song.  Their website is at seasong.com.  The e-mail of the person at Sea Song with whom I made the arrangements was ceren@seasong.com.  That address worked in April of this year.  BTW he was just as good this year as the first time we toured with him.

Thanks for the info, have added it to my files.

[mancunian]

I would have to agree Athens to Istanbul but you need to be up very early last day to not miss the sail in.   

It is however a shame Symi is on the other itinerary as this port is my favourite in Greece.  Really beautiful