Turkish Ports At Risk

TC,

We just spent 4 days in Istanbul and it was fine. Nothing negative at all. My first time here and I loved it! Little hazy and muggy but that will probably be gone by the 16th.

Just checked the government website again and the strongest warnings seem to be for travel to Bangkok or Chang Mai, Thailand, followed by Cairo, the West Bank and Gaza in Israel (which may affect our cruise next month that goes both to Cairo and has some excursions in and near Gaza). The site makes note of what has been happening in Istanbul but there do not seem to be any warning that I could see recommending against travel to that area.

Which site are you checking? Currently, I don't see those warnings on the U.S. State Dept. site. Perhaps I'm missing something and/or things have changed substantially since your post of 8/22.

Which site are you checking? Currently, I don't see those warnings on the U.S. State Dept. site. Perhaps I'm missing something and/or things have changed substantially since your post of 8/22.

The site is a bit quirky. Here is a link to the site. The first link I tried didn't work so I'm trying another. http://travel.state.gov/content/travel/english.html You will see a place on the page where you can enter a country (under "Learn about your Destination". Then, under "Embassy Messages", there is a link to click (IMO that was the quirky part). It still shows the same warnings as before. You need to look up each country individually.

Hope you can find it:)

Rachel-- Your comments were not unsympathetic. They obviously hit some nerves for some people, which happens sometimes when there's no ill intent at all. Don't let it bother you. Pax.

The Captain announced that the Mariner will not stop at Lesbos today, saying the number of refugees has increased causing problems on such a small island. Sea day today.

Also, we toured Istanbul with a private guide for two days and thoroughly enjoyed our visit. It was warmer and more crowded than we would have preferred, but what an amazing place. So glad we were able to make it.

Well said, Travelcat2.

I agree! We look forward to a day at sea, we fly SFO-AMS-IST next Saturday, arriving the evening of the thirteenth. Very early transfer to the airport, and onwards to Capaddocia. Fifteen hours later back to hotel.

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islandshalls: Thank you so much for the Lesbos update. Enjoy the rest of your cruise!

Bigdogwon: You will love Capaddocia - it is a wonderful destination:)

I'm hoping that Regent finds a substitute port since Lesbos is unfortunately in turmoil. The alternative is sailing in circles or going very slowly from Istanbul to Jerusalem.

The Captain announced that the Mariner will not stop at Lesbos today, saying the number of refugees has increased causing problems on such a small island. Sea day today.

 

Also, we toured Istanbul with a private guide for two days and thoroughly enjoyed our visit. It was warmer and more crowded than we would have preferred, but what an amazing place. So glad we were able to make it.

So glad you invested with a private guide in Istanbul -- who was s/he? Obviously, you would recommend him/her, yes?

The Captain announced that the Mariner will not stop at Lesbos today, saying the number of refugees has increased causing problems on such a small island. Sea day today.

 

Also, we toured Istanbul with a private guide for two days and thoroughly enjoyed our visit. It was warmer and more crowded than we would have preferred, but what an amazing place. So glad we were able to make it.

BBC News tonight has reported that the number of refugees on Lesbos now exceeds 20,000, and an estimated 4,000 per day continue to arrive.

There are over 1.9 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, and 1.1 million in Lebanon where they now constitute over 25% of the population.

Rachel-- Your comments were not unsympathetic. They obviously hit some nerves for some people, which happens sometimes when there's no ill intent at all. Don't let it bother you. Pax.

I am afraid that I did find the description of war refugees being ".....rioting, rock throwing trouble makers and potential terrorists....." a trifle unsympathetic but then maybe I am too sensitive.

I am afraid that I did find the description of war refugees being ".....rioting, rock throwing trouble makers and potential terrorists....." a trifle unsympathetic but then maybe I am too sensitive.

I was actually quoting the newspaper.

How about giving it a break? That was not a description of "war refugees"; it was a description of a " not insignificant MINORITY" of war refugees. Anyway, flossie, at least you're calling it a "trifle" unsympathetic (and I'm going to try to believe that you weren't being sarcastic). The person who shot back at Rachel was, imo, excessive in the criticism. To be called unsympathetic can really hurt, which it obviously did; that's why I stepped in-- to try to ease the situation.

PAX-- and may suffering and pain be eased around the world.

Rachel: As I was submitting my post, I noticed your own post.

Please let this go. FYI - those of us on the next cruise with Lesbos on the itinerary leaves a week from today. We are discussing the situation on that thread.

We have recently returned from a cruise with another company istanbul roundtrip and we stopped at lesbos. There were quite a few migrants around the harbour after we got off the tender but they didn't cause any trouble. Istanbul was ok too. Hope this helps.

Some of the concern and uncertainty being expressed about the stop in Lesbos brings back unpleasant memories of our planned stop in Dakar, Senegal during the Ebola crisis. Hopefully Regent will clarify their decision for all concerned.

Oh my....... please let's not go there again. IMO, Regent has always made the correct decisions for their passengers and crew. The odds are quite strong that we will not visit Lesbos next week. Should they decide to do so, we simply will stay on the ship. Those of us on the September 16th sailing (which is scheduled to stop in Lesbos on the 17th) are calmly waiting to see what will happen (also waiting to see what, if anything, will change with Egypt). It really would not help if we got upset, alarmed, etc. My DH and I remain excited about the cruise.

So glad you invested with a private guide in Istanbul -- who was s/he? Obviously, you would recommend him/her, yes?

I would, let me contact her to see if she would like her contact information shared on a public forum.

I would, let me contact her to see if she would like her contact information shared on a public forum.

Our guide's name was Sergül and I explained CruiseCritic.com to her and she said that the guests from the Regent ships are alway very nice and said it was OK to share her information. Sergül Dayioglu email: sergul_99@yahoo.com

I just flew home from Istanbul on Monday from Europa 2 and all was quiet. True, I just flew home and didn't travel the city anywhere beyond the route from the ship to the airport but everything seemed quiet. Security at the airport's a bitch but that's a good thing,

I just flew home from Istanbul on Monday from Europa 2 and all was quiet. True, I just flew home and didn't travel the city anywhere beyond the route from the ship to the airport but everything seemed quiet. Security at the airport's a bitch but that's a good thing,

I was also on the Europa 2, and was part of a group who had signed up for the ship's whole day excursion in Istanbul.

Everywhere we went, even the underground cisterns, had an air of normality, with people walking around chatting, laughing, and taking photographs.

Antalya, and Kusadasi, were also Ports of Call on our cruise.

The cancellation of Turkish Ports of Call by some Cruise Lines is, for me, an over reaction.

I was also on the Europa 2, and was part of a group who had signed up for the ship's whole day excursion in Istanbul.

 

Everywhere we went, even the underground cisterns, had an air of normality, with people walking around chatting, laughing, and taking photographs.

 

Antalya, and Kusadasi, were also Ports of Call on our cruise.

 

The cancellation of Turkish Ports of Call by some Cruise Lines is, for me, an over reaction.

Agree with you 100%! We were there last week and, other than heightened security at the airport, everything was very normal.

The cancellation of Turkish Ports of Call by some Cruise Lines is, for me, an over reaction.

Well, then, it appears that Regent is now officially overreacting...we were just notified by our TA that our Navigator cruise scheduled to finish up in Istanbul next July has been rerouted. Significantly, I might add. We're now finishing up our cruise in Haifa as opposed to Istanbul, which is something of an 'out of the frying pan and into the fire' situation as far as I'm concerned. I'd expect any other Regent itineraries that include Turkish ports to also be affected.

I wanted to cruise to or from Istanbul; however, I am not at all pleased at what was has been a headline in the news today: numerous loud Turkish soccer fans in Istanbul did not observe a moment moment of silence for Paris victims, but rather booed and shouted "Allahu Akbar", turning the moment of silence observation instead into something very ugly.

We'll hopefully make it to Istanbul some day in the future; however, this is not the time I'd like to go and spend money there.

I, myself, will wait to judge....the actions of a few do not speak for a country or a city. We found Istanbul - only a few weeks ago - to be lovely and quite safe. I was happy to spend my tourist dollars there.

I just hope the world doesn't judge the US by the actions of a few of us - and I mean in the last few days.

Not sure what you are referring to.