Istanbul

[duquephart]

We are staring to get serious about researching excursions, etc. for our "Ancient Adriatic Treasures" cruise next spring. The description of "Day 1" of the Istanbul extension reads: "Disembark your ship for a visit to the striking Blue Mosque, stepping inside to admire its ornate interior. Continue to the Underground Cistern to glimpse its illuminated interior, a space supported by 336 columns. Then, set out on a scenic cruise along the Bosphorus Strait while savoring a tasty Turkish-style lunch. Back on land, visit the Grand Bazaar for a presentation on Turkish carpets, as well as time to browse the many stalls. The rest of the day is yours to explore at your leisure." Can someone here interpret this Viking Speak for us? What does "stepping inside" mean? What does "glimpse its illuminated interior" mean? What is a presentation? Is this all a thinly veiled "keep them busy" type waste of time between disembarkation and hotel check-in? Please help.

[Jammy Bun]

The presentation on Turkish carpets is (IMHO) a total waste of your time.  They're trying to sell you an overpriced carpet or rug while you sip an apple tea.  Purely for the tourists.  We got trapped once, but on subsequent visits to Istanbul gave it a miss.  Istanbul is easy to do on your own, the main sites are fairly close to each other and the HoHo buses are excellent.  The spice market is amazing.

We've not been there with Viking, so I can't say what the brochure wording means!

 

[Mitina]

22 minutes ago, duquephart said:

 Is this all a thinly veiled "keep them busy" type waste of time between disembarkation and hotel check-in?

It is.  And the Turkish rug demo is a high pressure sales pitch.

 

[duquephart]

36 minutes ago, Mitina said:

It is.  And the Turkish rug demo is a high pressure sales pitch.

 

 

I was thinking it would be. Why would Viking stoop to such a thing?

[Mich3554]

The Blue Mosque is set up such that if they say you step inside, it’s not just sticking your head in the entrance, it’s utterly amazing to see the inside of this (unfortunately, last time I was in it was in 2019, where they were renovating it so there was scaffolding up.  The renovations were completed this year, but it wasn’t open to the public as it was the end of Ramadan).  The underground Cistern is interesting to see for its architecture.  
When we have been offered the opportunity to do the carpets, we told them ‘been, there, done that, have carpets’ and went off and did our own thing.  We do have carpets, but bought from a dealer not in the tourist area (my Turkish friend took us to one the locals buy from….and she negotiated for us).  Watching the carpets made is interesting though.   
 

[Azulann]

Your post extension day sounds great. Been to all the sites you will be seeing. I read the description that you will go into the Blue Mosque. The tilework , rugs and hanging lights make it a spectacular space. The guide will give you a detailed background on this historic building. Wear socks because you will have to take your shoes off. Women should have a scarf they can put over their heads . But they do have some for women to wear. The cistern is the huge underground space beneath or next to the Haiga Sofia. You walk along a network of raised platforms . It is illuminated space  The famous iconic pillars are there with the head of Medusa at the base of some pillars. There is lots of signage , but if you have a guide even better . It is definitely something to see and explore. Did not do a cruise with lunch , but Turkish food is wonderful . I bought a carpet in the grand Baazar with an appointment  I made from home. Do go and wander around . You could probably just duck out of the carpet presentation and “ sales “. By then tour bus will take you to hotel  and your room will be ready for check in. I think Viking  does a really good job on their extensions. Hope you take a tour of the Tokapi palace site which is a full day of exploring the various buildings , but get a guide which are cheap and well worth it 

[duquephart]

25 minutes ago, Azulann said:

Your post extension day sounds great. Been to all the sites you will be seeing. I read the description that you will go into the Blue Mosque. The tilework , rugs and hanging lights make it a spectacular space. The guide will give you a detailed background on this historic building. Wear socks because you will have to take your shoes off. Women should have a scarf they can put over their heads . But they do have some for women to wear. The cistern is the huge underground space beneath or next to the Haiga Sofia. You walk along a network of raised platforms . It is illuminated space  The famous iconic pillars are there with the head of Medusa at the base of some pillars. There is lots of signage , but if you have a guide even better . It is definitely something to see and explore. Did not do a cruise with lunch , but Turkish food is wonderful . I bought a carpet in the grand Baazar with an appointment  I made from home. Do go and wander around . You could probably just duck out of the carpet presentation and “ sales “. By then tour bus will take you to hotel  and your room will be ready for check in. I think Viking  does a really good job on their extensions. Hope you take a tour of the Tokapi palace site which is a full day of exploring the various buildings , but get a guide which are cheap and well worth it 

 

I'm seriously considering getting a private tour for the last full day aboard ship (arrive 7 am and disembark the next day). I'd want to tailor the tour to do things other than those "covered" (as above) the following day. Hard to know what will be covered well enough though. Last full day of extension is on our own. Any bright ideas as to other "must see" and/or private/small group tour guides? Thans for everything so far!

[dd57]

7 minutes ago, duquephart said:

 

I'm seriously considering getting a private tour for the last full day aboard ship (arrive 7 am and disembark the next day). I'd want to tailor the tour to do things other than those "covered" (as above) the following day. Hard to know what will be covered well enough though. Last full day of extension is on our own. Any bright ideas as to other "must see" and/or private/small group tour guides? Thans for everything so far!

We used Ephesus Shuttle when we were there in 2015.  Despite the name, they do Istanbul tours as well as Ephesus.  We had private tours with them and were able to tailor what we saw, even on the day of.  I would recommend doing a tram-based tour rather than a car based one so you don't waste time stuck in traffic.

 

https://www.ephesusshuttle.com/

[Jim Avery]

Hi Duque,

Another one to check would be Memphis Tours.  We have used them three times, not in Istanbul though but in Egypt and Jordan.  If they are anything like the tours we have had in those places I highly recommend Memphis Tours for a two person private tour.  The link below is for Istanbul but they will make it however you want, just ask them.  Hope you have a grand time and will report back on Cruise Critic.

 

https://www.memphistours.com/Turkey/turkey-excursion/Istanbul-Day-Tours/istanbul-city-tour

[LindaS272]

Can’t help you with the Viking verbiage, but I’d agree with Azulann and presume you will get an actual tour of the Blue Mosque. We did a DIY trip to Istanbul many moons ago (decades, actually) and did not buy carpets because too intimidated by the rug dealers in the bazaar. On another DIY trip in Morocco a few years before, however, we went to a government-run/regulated rug demonstration where they gave us fair prices and we didn’t have to haggle. Bought three rugs which adorn our floors to this day—nearly 40 years later! So if it were me and I was interested in getting a “Turkey” carpet, I’d check it out. Personally not into the very high-pressured sales tactics in the bazaars!

[MikeyB]

5 hours ago, duquephart said:

 

I was thinking it would be. Why would Viking stoop to such a thing?

Because Turkey mandates it.  Rugs were nice, but way out of my budget.

[duquephart]

 "Disembark your ship for a visit to the striking Blue Mosque, stepping inside to admire its ornate interior. Continue to the Underground Cistern to glimpse its illuminated interior, a space supported by 336 columns. Then, set out on a scenic cruise along the Bosphorus Strait while savoring a tasty Turkish-style lunch. Back on land, visit the Grand Bazaar for a presentation on Turkish carpets, as well as time to browse the many stalls. The rest of the day is yours to explore at your leisure."

 

Sorry, but another question for those that may have been on theis extension: How do we get to the hotel?

[Jim Avery]

4 hours ago, duquephart said:

 "Disembark your ship for a visit to the striking Blue Mosque, stepping inside to admire its ornate interior. Continue to the Underground Cistern to glimpse its illuminated interior, a space supported by 336 columns. Then, set out on a scenic cruise along the Bosphorus Strait while savoring a tasty Turkish-style lunch. Back on land, visit the Grand Bazaar for a presentation on Turkish carpets, as well as time to browse the many stalls. The rest of the day is yours to explore at your leisure."

 

Sorry, but another question for those that may have been on theis extension: How do we get to the hotel?

“at your leisure “. Ok just kidding. It does sound like you get dumped off in town. And baggage?

[dd57]

I agree that the description leads to a whole lot of questions.  While I haven't been on this extension, I have been on 5 other Viking extensions and can't imagine this one would be significantly different (ok, other than that "when you assume" saying).  The tour described will be done before taking you to the hotel. The phrase "the rest of the day is yours to explore" has always meant after arriving at the hotel.  Sometimes your luggage travels with you in the belly of the bus, but it could also be sent separately.

 

It sounds like a great way to use up time before you can check in at the hotel. We did a similar guided tour in Istanbul and those listed sights are wonderful.

 

 

[Peregrina651]

15 hours ago, duquephart said:

 "Disembark your ship for a visit to the striking Blue Mosque, stepping inside to admire its ornate interior. Continue to the Underground Cistern to glimpse its illuminated interior, a space supported by 336 columns. Then, set out on a scenic cruise along the Bosphorus Strait while savoring a tasty Turkish-style lunch. Back on land, visit the Grand Bazaar for a presentation on Turkish carpets, as well as time to browse the many stalls. The rest of the day is yours to explore at your leisure."

 

Sorry, but another question for those that may have been on theis extension: How do we get to the hotel?

 

I've never done an extension where they didn't take us to the hotel and get us checked in. They aren't going to get you to the hotel before 3 pm. They want to be sure that all of the rooms are ready. They will keep you busy

 

We landed in Istanbul on a snowy January day. The snow was still on the ground when we headed to the Blue Mosque (our first visit to a mosque). It was strangely eerie -- in a nice way.

 

We were traveling with my parents and one of the things they wanted to see was the mosaics at the Chora church. Istanbul is earthquake prone. The only reason that the mosaics on the walls survived was because the Muslims plastered over them when the church was turned into a mosque. Glad we went.I still have the souvenir book on my shelf.

 

Dinner on your own? Try a restaurant that overlooks the Bosporus. No suggestions because we were there 25 years ago.

[duquephart]

I will attend the "presentation" because I'm interested. I've been researching and think I have some reasonable expectations. The reason there are so many dealers and "opportunities" is that there are so many carpets purchased. And the dealers/salesmen are reputed to be very good at what they do. Makes me wonder how many folks buy a rug who had no intention of doing so beforehand.

[OneSixtyToOne]

25 minutes ago, duquephart said:

Makes me wonder how many folks buy a rug who had no intention of doing so beforehand

Guilty 

 

Our rug (I do love it)

 

Rugs galore

 

 

 

 

[Azulann]

10 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

wanted to see was the mosaics at the Chora church. Istanbul is earthquake prone. The only reason that the mosaics on the walls survived was because the Muslims plastered over them when the church was turned into a mosque. Glad we went.I still have the souvenir book on my shelf.

I had a private guide take us to the church of Chora. He gave us a wonderful explanation of the mosaics, and the history of  church I found it fascinating. I bought a book there too of the mosaics . I treasure that book . We also went to a lovely restaurant with our guide  . We bought him lunch . It was a great day . 

[auntieS]

We did Istanbul pre cruise extension so logistics slightly different but you get guided tour inside Blue Mosque, skip the line access and guided tour inside Basilica Cistern, Bosporus cruise with lunch nicely relaxing and tasty, rug demo interesting but will need to escape when salesmen swarm your group at the end of demo ( we didn’t, but if you’re actually in the market for rug, prices seemed reasonable and of course negotiable). You have time after for Grand Bazaar on your own. Our tour regrouped for late afternoon/early evening tour of Hagia Sophia, which doesn’t sound like it’s included in your tour. Pros of later visit to HS:  less crowded (still crowded but less). If long line is waiting for mosque to reopen after prayers, the line moves pretty quickly once it does (do not waste time detouring to the bathrooms as you near the entrance!).  Cons of late visit:  shorter time between prayers and they aggressively shoo women out of the main space once prayers start (our guide was good in standing our ground until we were able to get a quick look around and pictures), light (or lack of) made pictures of dome difficult. We were at the Conrad hotel which was really nice (great breakfast buffet included, great weekend dinner buffet not included, nice rooftop restaurant with views) but far from Sultanahmet area and no convenient public transportation. We always ate at hotel but there is park “in front “ of hotel ( area quite hilly) and neighborhood street with shops and restaurants beyond the park. Yes, mosques have loaner head coverings but better to bring your own—depending on your cruise itinerary you could buy one at an earlier port visit (my sister bought hers afterwards in Rhodes where she could pay in euros and didn’t have to haggle 😄 ). Our guide gave us bags so we could carry our shoes in the mosques, instead of leaving them at the entrance (we had packed our own just in case).  Our included port excursion “Istanbul Majestic Waterway “ was not exactly the same but similar to the extension day, so we skipped the excursion (walked around Galataport a bit). 

Edited January 27 by auntieS

[SteelCity Cruiser]

Re: rugs.  If you are interested in purchasing one, we were advised by one of our guides in Istanbul to consider carving time to visit a dealer in one of the smaller Turkish ports - prices there are lower than in Istanbul and more willing to haggle prices down.  We purchased ours in Kusadasi for about half of what it would have cost in Istanbul (even with haggling).

[duquephart]

51 minutes ago, SteelCity Cruiser said:

Re: rugs.  If you are interested in purchasing one, we were advised by one of our guides in Istanbul to consider carving time to visit a dealer in one of the smaller Turkish ports - prices there are lower than in Istanbul and more willing to haggle prices down.  We purchased ours in Kusadasi for about half of what it would have cost in Istanbul (even with haggling).

 

Indeed. In Istanbul they instantly have you made as a cruise ship tourist and therefore an idiot. They are waaaaaaaaaaaaay better at selling than you are at buying. But the same goes for any port and the "normal" tourist is only going to be in the areas where he/she is a "marked man" (so to speak).

[duquephart]

On 12/4/2023 at 1:24 PM, Azulann said:

Your post extension day sounds great. Been to all the sites you will be seeing. I read the description that you will go into the Blue Mosque. The tilework , rugs and hanging lights make it a spectacular space. The guide will give you a detailed background on this historic building. Wear socks because you will have to take your shoes off. Women should have a scarf they can put over their heads . But they do have some for women to wear. The cistern is the huge underground space beneath or next to the Haiga Sofia. You walk along a network of raised platforms . It is illuminated space  The famous iconic pillars are there with the head of Medusa at the base of some pillars. There is lots of signage , but if you have a guide even better . It is definitely something to see and explore. Did not do a cruise with lunch , but Turkish food is wonderful . I bought a carpet in the grand Baazar with an appointment  I made from home. Do go and wander around . You could probably just duck out of the carpet presentation and “ sales “. By then tour bus will take you to hotel  and your room will be ready for check in. I think Viking  does a really good job on their extensions. Hope you take a tour of the Tokapi palace site which is a full day of exploring the various buildings , but get a guide which are cheap and well worth it 

 

Are you willing to fill me in on where you had your rug appointment? It appears one has a better chance of shopping wisely if one sticks to reputable dealers. Apparently there are lots of the other kind. Thanks.

[Mich3554]

We went over to the Asian side of Istanbul to buy our rugs.  We also brought my Turkish friend who did the haggling for us.  The place was definitely off the tourist route, it was the dealer my friend also used for herself.  
 

Watching her haggling was an experience.  We had 2 rugs we were interested in, she negotiated for one and we decided to buy both but she had concluded negotiating for one.  We told her tgat we wanted both, so she had to start all over again.  The deal was sealed with tea.

[duquephart]

Going to the worst area (grand bazaar) in the worst city (Istanbul) without knowing what you're doing (or having someone who does with you) = strike three. The internet is riddled with stories of cruise ship tourists attending a "demonstration" and basically getting sucked in.

Edited January 27 by duquephart

[Azulann]

4 hours ago, duquephart said:

 

Are you willing to fill me in on where you had your rug appointment? It appears one has a better chance of shopping wisely if one sticks to reputable dealers. Apparently there are lots of the other kind. Thanks.

Give me a couple of days and I will  talk to my friend  who now lives in AZ. It was her cousin who  lived in Istanbul  as a teacher and they bought  many rugs from this dealer. My other  source I will check out is my neighbor in my condo building. He is from Istanbul and in fact his parents are here visiting. I will also ask him  too for a name.  Stay tuned... 

BTW when is your  Viking cruise?