Athens to Istanbul Review

[themutis]

We were on the Windstar Athen to Istanbul cruise in September. Here is our review - Hope you enjoy it.

 

Athens - Day 1 - The review and picture are also at:

 

http://mutiwindstar.shutterfly.com/pictures

 

Eileen

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Day 1

 

Athens

 

If you are from the NY area you will not believe this... We left our house in Morris County NJ at noon and were sitting in the Delta Sky Club at JFK before 2pm. We even stopped at the duty free shop! The flight was a little late arriving in Athens due to an hour of taxiing at JFK but we were through Athens customs by 10:30am on Friday morning.

 

We wanted to take the metro, as they say... When in Athens... It was easy to find the metro and the signage while on the metro was good. We took the blue line from the airport to Syntagma and switched to the red line for the Acropolis station. Walking out of the metro station the first thing I saw was the acropolis - it really took my breath away. It really is an amazing sight. We found our hotel (Airotel Parthenon) which was only about a block away. We were thinking that we would just drop our bags off since it was before noon, but our room was ready so we checked in and freshened up.

 

Airotel Parthenon Hotel: The staff was extremely helpful, the room clean and functional, the breakfast had many options, and they offered free wifi. It's location can not be beat. If you are looking for a 4-star experience (pampering, spa, luxury), than this isn't the place for you. But it location can not be beat and it was more than adequate for our one night stay. I would definitely stay here again.

 

We headed to the Acropolis Museum which is really a beautiful place. We ate lunch on the second floor which has commanding views of the acropolis. DH had the greek salad, pasta with fresh tomato and basil and I had the zucchini balls. All good. Some photos on the balcony and then we hit the museum We had read Rick Steve's tour guidelines for the museum which really enhanced the tour.

 

We headed back to the hotel for a power nap and then headed to the acropolis around 4:30. If you have the opportunity to go at this time of day, I recommend it. It was warm walking up, but once up at the acropolis the breeze kept us cool and the setting sun on the ruins was truly spectacular. We listened to Rick Steve's audio tour which, again, really enhanced the experience. There we musicians warming up at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus... More of that story later.

 

On the way back to the hotel to freshen up for dinner, we bought some pistachios from a nice Greek gentleman.

 

I had made reservation at Strofi's on their rooftop terrace. We walked to Strofi's and had a really wonderful dinner. They start you off with a complimentary dish of bread, feta, tomatoes, and some sort of alcohol. We ordered zucchini balls (again) and meatballs as starters. My husband is Italian and we both agreed they were the best meatballs we ever had. Next was a greek salad followed by veal in a pot and lamb wrapped in vines. Dino, our waiter, was wonderful and gave us a recommendation for a restaurant in Santorini. A slice of milk pie with some raki, also complimentary, finished our meal. To be eating dinner as the sun goes down on the Acropolis was magical. Then to hear the beautiful music coming from the Odeon of Herodes Atticus.... well I really can't describe it.

 

After dinner we strolled over towards the Acropolis where Tenor Mario Frangoulis was performing. We stood outside the theatre and listened to the beautiful music with thousands of locals. The streets were filled with with families all enjoying the concert. It was the most crowded street I have ever been on (think New Years Eve, Time Square) However, the atmosphere was calm and friendly and we enjoyed it very much.

 

Time for bed

[themutis]

Athens - Day 2 - The review and picture are also at:

 

http://mutiwindstar.shutterfly.com/athensday2

 

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Day 2

 

Athens

 

After a good sleep and nice breakfast at the Airotel Parthenon in Athens, we headed out. I had really wanted to see the changing of the guards so we headed to Syntagma square. A couple of wrong turns but we made it there eventually and watched the ceremony.

 

We walked back through the National Gardens (very nice) and saw the Parliament and Congress buildings. We stopped at the Temple of Zeus for a look around and then headed back towards the hotel for lunch at a street taverna near our hotel. We are loving the Greek food.

 

We checked out around 1:00 and hung out in the lobby using the wifi for about a hour.

 

We thoroughly enjoyed Athens. We loved the people, food, and culture. We were never harassed and we never felt threatened. It's a city I would return to in a heartbeat.

 

Time to head to the port on the Metro. We took the red line from Acropolis to Omonia and then switched to the green line to Piraeus. The entire trip cost 2.80EU for both of us. Upon existing the station at Piraeus we could see the Windstar ship and we could also see how far away it was. The ships are not close to the Metro, and with our luggage (even though it was carry on), we opted for a taxi to the ship. There were taxis waiting at the Metro and the cost was 5EU.

 

Boarding Windstar is like coming home for the holidays...We walked up to the port and a Windstar representative was waiting, he checked us off the list and through security we went. We walked to the ship, walked up the gangway and were welcomed with cool clothes and a champagne cocktail. A couple of minutes of paper work and we were in our rooms. We changed into bathing suits and headed to the pool area. So nice to be back. So many of the staff from our last cruise were on this one, and it was great catching up with them.

 

For dinner we opted to sit with another couple and met a lovely couple from england who also had four children about the same ages as ours... What a coincidence.

 

I had the Veal Carpaccio and NY sirloin (which was a nice piece of meat). Art had the seafood pasta. Everyone enjoyed their meal.

 

Seas were rough and the boat was rocking a bit that night, but we had been taking ginger and neither of us felt sick... the rocking may have helped us sleep better.

[themutis]

Mykonos - Day 3 - The review and picture are also at:

 

http://mutiwindstar.shutterfly.com/mykonos3

 

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Day 3

 

Mykonos

 

When I woke up and looked out my port hole, I was looking at a dock. That let me know it was too windy to tender and we were at the dock outside of town. No problem - Windstar arranged everything and a complimentary shuttle to town was waiting for us!

 

For breakfast I had the strawberry banana smoothie(yum), an omelet with some bacon, and some beautiful fruit. The omelet was huge so tomorrow I will ask for a much smaller portion.

 

We headed into Mykonos and wandered the town. Through Little Venice, seeing Petros the Pelican (curled up, sound asleep, after a hard night I presume). We strolled the interesting and narrow streets finally making it up the the five windmills for some photos.

 

Time for some real adventure... We headed back into town and rented a scooter from Babulas rentals. The greek gentleman who rented us the scooter told us we had to go see the monestary given to them by Peter the Great from Russia 1000 years ago... His wife corrected him and then he said, with his tail between his legs, that maybe it was only 500 years ago, but that we should go anyway.... So we did

 

We drove toward the Panagia Tourliani Ano Mera. It was a Sunday and the church area was busy with Greeks - market, tavernas and old woman in their church clothes. The chapel was old and ornate with a genuine ancient priest sitting outside. He waved for us to come in, asking if we were from Italy (he was obviously looking at my husband). I told him no, that we were from the US and he acknowledge with an "Americano". The church was beautiful and I was glad we made the trip.

 

Now off to the beach... We headed to Agios Ioannis, a quiet stretch of beach where we set up camp in front of the Hippie Fish taverna. There were nice sun beds with cushions and umbrella. We told the attendant we would be eating lunch and the sun beds were free of charge. After an hour in the sun and a swim in the clearest blues water I have ever seen, we headed up to lunch. I had the zucchini balls and Art had the Greek salad and seafood spaghetti. As we were waiting we saw two of the chefs run down to the water and pull some traps out of the water - we wondered if this was for Arts Lunch :). We enjoyed a couple more hours in the sun and then headed back. We arrived back around 6:00 and headed for our cabins to shower and dress for dinner.

 

We attended the evening info session and headed to dinner with our new found british friends from the night before. Appetizer was the medley of crostini and Osso Busso for everyone (all very good) . No salad, no dessert. Already too much food. A very nice bottle of red from Seghisio rounded it out. A night cap on deck and then we headed to bed.

[themutis]

Santorini - Day 4 - The review and picture are also at:

 

http://mutiwindstar.shutterfly.com/santorini

 

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Day 4

 

Santorini

 

The first thing we saw was the amazing cliff below Fira... very beautiful. We caught the second tender at 9:00 am. I had really wanted to ride the donkeys up but when we arrived the smell really got to me so I opted for the cable car. With limited time in port this also made sense time wise. We were the only ship in port and the cable cars were quick and easy.

 

Once up top we walked around and found a scooter rental place. They would not rent us a scooter since my husband no longer had his motorcycle license so we rented an ATV. 30 Euro later, with helmets on, and we were on our way to Oia. We took the lower road by mistake, which was longer, but very scenic. We wound up at Amorandi Bay and walked around. It was really pretty with tavernas, fishing boats, and crystal clear water. We headed up to Oia, parked, and walked around the town for an hour or so. The side walks were marble, the buildings were white and the domes were blue. Very beautiful.

 

Our next stop was on the other side of the island, Red Beach. We took the upper road back and the trip was much faster. The drive was very scenic. When we arrived at Red Beach the parking lot was very crowded but we found a parking spot and hiked up over the ridge... We were rewarded with a beautiful view of red beach. It almost looks moon-like. A sheer cliff of red rock and the deep blue crystal clear water... Everything I had hoped it would be.

 

Time for lunch so we headed back towards Fira and ate at Panarama. Panarama had an amazing view of the cliffs of Santorini. The food was great. We had local favorites of Fava, fried tomato balls, and a Greek salad.

 

After lunch we headed to Santo Winery, which is perched on a cliff with amazing views as well. We sampled four wines, all of which we enjoyed.

 

Since the last tender was at 3:50 we headed back to Fira, returned the ATV, and headed into town. With a little time to spare we grabbed a beer and wine at one of the restaurants by the cable car. When we arrived at the bottom, Windstar had an umbrella and staff waiting for us. We tendered back to our home away from home and watched Santorini fade away as we sailed towards Rhodes.

 

Tonight we dined alone (date night :), it was another great dining experience on the Windstar.

[themutis]

Rhodes - Day 5 - The review and picture are also at:

 

http://mutiwindstar.shutterfly.com/rhodes

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Day 5

 

Rhodes

 

Today was our down day... Or so I thought. We slept till 9:30 and raced to catch breakfast where the staff was very accommodating. We dressed and headed into Rhodes with no particular plan. As we entered the walled city, we fell in love with it. We meandered the ancient streets, soaking in the history. A truly beautiful place.

 

We went to the Palace of Grand Master of Knights. I'm sure there is some great significance to this historical sight, but without the proper background or narrative, we did not get much from this site. The signage was almost nonexistent and the rooms were pretty scarce. Well... we can check that off our list. I'm sure there is a lot more to it, but without the proper narrative it was lost on us.

 

We headed back out, wandering these ancient streets filled with shops, restaurants, and houses - a labryth of history. We had lunch at a great little place that had a roof of wines for shade and a nice breeze. We explored some more, getting lost a few times, before heading back to the ship. We passed a small beach at the entrance to the walled city and decided we would return for a quick swim. While not the nicest beach on the island, the sand was clean and the water crystal clear. We felt like locals swimming there with local families as the tourist passed by.

 

Back to the ship to shower and so we could return to the walled city for dinner. Gonzalos, our recreation manager, recommended Alexis Four Seasons so we were heading there. We also received a second recommendation for Alexis from a local shop where we had purchased some jewelry earlier. When we arrived at the restaurant it was booked with a Doctors convention and we were directed to Alexis tavern. At first we were concerned, but once there and settled into their garden room, all was right. This is a unique, special place. After you at settled with a drink, you are asked to come inside up to the counter and pick out your meal. We choose a plate of carpassio (aka sushi) of salmon, tuna, herring, and caviar. A nice house salad followed, then Art had three of the largest oysters I have ever seen. A lobster to share, then a fresh cooked grouper with a plate of veggies. Two complementary shots of raki and we both agreed it was an amazing meal. We were also joined by a little kitten, who sat by my feet for the entire meal :)

 

Back to the ship for a night cap on deck and then to bed.

[themutis]

Bodrum - Day 6 - The review and picture are also at:

 

http://mutiwindstar.shutterfly.com/bodrum

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Day 6

 

Bodrum

 

Today was the only tour I booked through Windstar...Bodrum castle and gulet cruise. The tour was run by the tour company Sea Song. We really enjoyed our day. There were 18 people from Windstar that were split into a group of 8 and 10. A small air conditioned bus picked our group of 10 up at the port and took us on the 10 minute ride to the castle. Our tour guide was pleasant, informative, and had over 20 years of experience. The museum was interesting and there was a ship wreck that had been reconstructed. As a side note, it appears that the museum has stopped taking credit cards or euros recently - so if you go independently, stop and get some Turkish lira first

 

From the museum, we walked and boarded our gulet. It was a beautiful ship with mahogany masts. We motored over to a quiet cove where we swam in the crystal clear waters before lunch. Lunch was fresh fish with various eggplant sides, yogurt and watercress dip, rice pilaf, and bread. All freshly prepared. After lunch we motored to another cove and were able to swim again in this amazing water. Dessert was Turkish baklava, which I was told differed from Greek in that it is made with sugar, lemon and pistachios instead of honey and walnuts. Yum. A nice leisurely motor back to port and our day was complete

 

Tendered back to the ship and Art grabbed his laptop and headed back to the terminal in search of wifi. I headed to the lecture Windstar had arranged with a Turkish expert. He was very informative. Art returned without any luck - out of the five people from the ship in the terminal only two were able to connect. Windstar had also arranged for a Turkish dance show before dinner. We both watched the Turkish group and the belly dancer. She was really pretty good and this probably saved Art from getting dragged to a dance show in Istanbul.

 

Dinner tonight was a deck BBQ, including lobster, which everyone enjoyed. The staff talent show followed which has some high and not so high notes, but is done with the best of intentions and I enjoyed. The staff is so caring that by this point in the cruise I felt like they are family.

[themutis]

Ephesus - Day 7 - The review and picture are also at:

 

http://mutiwindstar.shutterfly.com/ephesus

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Day 7

 

Ephesus

 

Usual breakfast of the smoothie of the day, eggs, bacon, fruit and coffee

 

I had arranged a private tour with Ephesus Deluxe (Ephesus, Terrace houses, The Virgin Mary house and Artemus). Upon leaving the ship we did not find the promised guide holding a sheet with our name on it. We spoke to the string of guides waiting and one very helpful gentleman called Ephesus Deluxe and directed us to one of their guides. It turns out our reservation was lost but they would add us to another group that had one couple. They reduced the price 10.00 per couple and would cover our liquor purchases at lunch....At this point what options did we have. The other couple were two doctors from Italy and completely lovely. Our guide and driver were also wonderful and our fears melted away.

 

First stop was the Virgin Mary's house. Being in a small group it was easy to avoid the masses. The guide told interesting stories of how the house was discovered, how the Popes had visited, and other interesting tidbits. I found it all fascinating. The house is a small brick building. There is a well that has been blessed as holy water and they sell empty bottles that you can fill with this water to bring home. You may also drink the water. There is a wishing wall where you can tie your wish scrawled on a piece of paper and it is supposed to come true.

 

When we were done the driver was waiting and off the Ephesus we went. We entered at the top and made our way down to the Terrace houses with great narrative from our guide. It really is an amazing site. You can envision people living there. The Terrace houses are, in my opinion, a must. It was amazing to see these houses or possibly a castle as our guide hypothesized. The engineering for the time was sophisticated, with central heat and air, bathrooms with sewage canals, and clean water. The living areas were beautiful with mosaic floors and beautiful wall paintings. After the Terrace houses was the library and concert hall, then some shops at the end.

 

Next stop was the the Temple of Artemus and from there you can see where St John was buried and where the church of St John was later constructed.

 

Off to lunch at a co-op that also happen to make carpets... please don't be frightened by the carpet part. The meal was all organic - fresh bead with various yogurt dips, green beans, salad, meatballs and grilled chicken, rice pilaf, and potatoes. Beer and wine compliments of the tour company and fresh watermelon for dessert. Off to the carpet demonstration which I found very interesting - the process to make these carpets was explained from cocoon to finished product. We where then showed carpets without any hard sell. Overall I thought it was worth it.

 

Back to the ship - Art hit the Starbucks in the port to do some work and I hit the pool for a rum punch and the wonderful lemon sorbet (served in lemon peels).

 

We always go to the evening info session and got talking with a couple from Florida. The gentleman's hobby was treasure hunting... there are so many interesting people on this cruise. We headed to Candles for dinner, albeit a bit late, but as usually the staff made us feel right at home. Sitting outside on the deck, eating fresh grilled meats and fish, it's very romantic. I just felt they could have used a little more staff. I felt bad for the bar tender, who was running the entire night.. After dinner we headed to bed - its been a great trip... And we were tired.

[themutis]

Istanbul - Day 9 - The review and picture are also at:

 

http://mutiwindstar.shutterfly.com/istanbul

 

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Day 9

 

Istanbul

 

Yesterday we had a much needed day at sea. To me, this equates to a rainy sunday :) We enjoyed the ship, lounged by the pool, and relaxed.

 

We woke at 7:00, quickly packed our bags and headed to our last breakfast on the Windstar. We like to carry our own bags instead of putting them out the night before. We just aren't organized enough :) We did a sweep of the room, picked up our passports at reception and said goodbye to some of the staff we had gotten to know.

 

Now on to Istanbul. After going through customs and leaving the port, our plan was to take the tram to our hotel (the Osmanhan) located in the Sultanamet district. Upon existing the port, we saw no signage for the port, so we started asking people. Most did not seem to understand English, but then two business men told us to follow the river towards the bridge, and we eventually found it. On the way, we saw a Starbucks and stopped so I couple buy an Istanbul mug for my oldest as a souvenir. The tram is located at the base of the galanga bridge. We bought our token and were headed to Sultanamet.

 

We got off the tram and could see the Blue Mosque, Haya Sophia and a beautiful fountain - all very impressive sights! We cut through the square and wondered a bit, with gentlemen offering to provide directions and then also offering to sell us a carpet. But with their help, we did eventually find our hotel.

 

A word of advice, if you need directions, stop in a hotel if possible. We found they more often spoke English and were not interested in selling you anything.

 

Our room was not ready, but they stored our luggage and told us to help ourselves to breakfast on their roof top terrace. Having major withdrawal from email and Internet, we marched up the four flights to have some coffee and computer time.

 

Around 10:30 we headed to the Blue Mosque, heading through the Artassa Bazaar. Obviouslly still looking lost, a young gentlemen approached and asked if we were looking for the Blue Mosque. He assured us he was not a tour operator and walked us to the mosque, giving us history and even offering to bring us in the first door reserved for Muslims to avoid the long line. It didn't feel right from the start and soon the carpet and tile sales pitch started. We told him we were not interest and that we would just wait on the regular line and thanked him for his help. He was annoyed. Lesson learned by us.

 

We waited in the line which moved quickly and were soon inside. The tile work and stained glass was really amazing. If you are staying anywhere near by, you will hear to call to prayers 5 times per day.

 

Next we headed to the Underground Cistern. We had read a bit of the history and really enjoyed this site.

 

We headed back to our neighborhood, looking for a place to eat when I recognized the name of a restaurant, The Metropolis. We stopped in and got a great streetside table facing out. We ordered this amazing eggplant dish with tomatoes and they had this great flat bread. Lunch was the chicke kebab and chicke crepe...both were wonderful.

 

Back to the hotel to officially check and get directions to the Turkish bath that was recommended by the Turkish expert on the windstar (Cemberlitas Hammam). Again, directionally challenged, we took the long route, but stumbled on The Tombs of the Sultans. We had a look and it was pretty interesting stuff. We found the Hamam and opted for the traditional Turkish bath with an oil massage afterwards. This Hamam had separate areas for men and woman. Personally I found this more appealing then a coed hammam.

 

I was given a new pair of panties, similar to a bikini bottom, and some kind of mit.. I was pointed in the direction of the woman's area. I was directed into a locker area, given a key, and handed a larger cloth. My guess was that I was supposed to strip down, put the bikini bottom on, covered up with the cloth, lock my stuff on a locker and exit the room... So this is what I did.

 

Again without a word I was ushered into a sauna type room with a large marble area and instructed to lie down. The room was filled with around 10 customers and 4 workers. I spread my cloth on the marble (hence going topless-like all the other customers) and lied on the warm marble. I was there for about 15 minutes when a worker called me over. First she poured water on me and scrubbed me very vigorously with the mitt (a whole body exfoliation). Next came the cleansing with huge amounts of bubbles. In between my toes, in my ears, washing my hair. I'm sure it was the cleanest I've probably ever been. Then she gave me an oil massage and then rinsed me. After that I was taken to a different room for a full body massage. It was really a very relaxing experience, and we both agreed we would do it again if we are ever back.

 

Back to the hotel to shower and get ready for dinner. A couple sitting next to us at lunch had recommended the Tria Elegance Restaurant for dinner, and suggested we make reservation on their rooftop terrace. I'm glad we took their advise, we had a beautiful view of the river and the food was delicious. After dinner we walked around the square a bit and then back to the hotel for bed.

[themutis]

Istanbul - Day 10 - The review and picture are also at:

 

http://mutiwindstar.shutterfly.com/istanbul2

 

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Day 10

 

Istanbul

 

After 11 days of traveling (including the red-eye) we were starting to burn out a bit. We slept late and enjoyed a late breakfast at our hotel, the Osmanhan. Breakfast was coffee, yogurt with granola, juices, hard boiled eggs, and fresh local breads and pastries. We checked email and then headed out.

 

This morning we went to Topaki Palace and wondered through the exhibits. Some interesting clocks, weapons (both swords and rifles) and clothing. The line to get into the hall to see the Spoonmaker's diamond was extremely long, and this being our 11th day of travel, we decided to skip it. The palace grounds are fairy large and we wondered around... enjoying some great views of the Bosporus.

 

The staff at the Osmanhan had recommended two restaurants that they partner with. We would also receive a 10% discount since we were staying at the Osmanhan. Sounded good to us. We headed to the Albura Kathisma restaurant for lunch. We enjoyed a nice meal of whole roasted eggplant with tomatoes, some Turkish filled pastries, and a mezzo plate along with their fresh flat bread. Another great meal!

 

Back to the room for a quick nap and internet fix and then some souvenir shopping. This afternoon we just strolled around the Sultanamet area. We saw two weddings and some young boys celebrating an event.

 

Dinner tonight was at Tourqouise. We ate at street level, but if interested, they also have a terrace on the 4th floor. We started with the spicy tomato dip and Greek salad. Dinner was Tourqouise meatballs and a lamb dish baked in clay. They gave us complimentary Turkish tea after our meal.

 

After dinner we headed up to the square and heard music coming from the Dervish Cafe. We were delighted to catch their whirling dervish performance. We walked around the historic district, enjoying our last night in this interesting city.

[stcruise]

themutis - thanks for such a great review.

 

We're not scheduled for our cruise until next May on the Wind Spirit, Istanbul-Athens. Your review will certainly help me with making some of our plans. I already have a smart car reserved for Santorini!!

 

Again, we will be following in your footsteps although this time it's by months instead of weeks. We were on the Wind Spirit right behind you by a few weeks earlier this year. If I remember correctly it was your description of La Sagesse in Grenada that inspired us to go there for the day. We loved it.

 

Who knows, maybe one of these days we'll end up on the same cruise and get to meet in person.

 

Again, thank you for your posting!

[Strenz]

These are all great stories. Thanks so much for your description we are taking the Istanbul/Athens next fall with 6 friends. The review will be so helpful. That will be our 13th trip with the Windstar Cruises. We love the company, not because we have had the very best times on the ships and we have never been able to make the jump to other cruise ships but for what they did for my father. My father had Alzheimers disease. he had been a great sailer, member of the Cruising Club of America, sailed on all the great river of thr world and oceans. His last sailing journey was with Windstar in his beloved Caribbean, my sister took him, despite his disease and never knowing where his cabin was and my sister never wanting to socialize with him to disturb other people, the crew picked up on this and treated him like a friend. When he got off the ship he was the happiest man alive for he had met "so many friends". They made an old sailers last sailing trip a very happy time, after all this disease is a very lonely time. For that I am forever grateful to Windstar. Susanne

[stcruise]

Susanne - your story brought me to tears. Although we have only sailed twice with them and next year's trip will be our third, your story reconfirms my positive feelings about Windstar. Thank you for sharing.

[themutis]

Glad that everyone is enjoying our review! We had a wonderful time!

 

This was our second Windstar cruise and there were so many of the staff that remembered us from our first cruise. They bend over backwards to make you feel at home and we really felt like we were part of a family. We so enjoyed Gonzolo and his beautiful wife, Munsy!

 

St Cruise - I know you will enjoy your cruise as much as we did! And it would be great to coordinate a cruise in the future!

 

Eileen

[Travelcat2]

Really enjoyed your review. Love the fact that you had a Turkish Bath -- such an incredible experience:-)

[KirkNC]

Thanks for posting a review!

[BABA 7]

Great review...thanks for all the info...

 

Di

[acruisefan]

What a wonderful and detailed review! Thank you so much. I showed it to my husband and he said, "Let's just do everything they did". Some thanks for the game plan!

[Love.II.Cruise]

Thank you so much for taking the time to do a review. We may just have to do a Windstar cruise to Europe in the future.

 

Our first cruise with Windstar is in Jan, but it is in the Caribbean. Can't wait!

[Strenz]

We have done all the Caribbean with Windstar Cruises, the best, we have had many memorable cruises with friends and family. We have also done Europe and the Trans-Atlantics. We have never been able to use another cruise line we like Windstar so much. You will have a dreamy week. Wonderful way to experience the Islands. Really wonderful. Have a wonderful week. Susanne

[mriguySeattle]

Thanks for the great review. Since you stayed in Istanbul several days post-cruise did you need to get a Turkish visa? If so, were you able to get it at the port upon arrival? Euros or lira needed for this?

 

We are also staying at the Osmanhan. Did they help arrange a transfer to the airport? Our flight is at 6:45am -- thanks!

[themutis]

Windstar obtained our Visa in Turkey for us - we did not need to do anything - they do it automatically. So you should be all set.

 

Osmanhan arranged a car to the airport for us - they were on time and we got to the airport fairly quickly! We liked the hotel and location - nice restaurants around the corner, near all the tourist sights! Just be aware there is no elevator and you have to climb the stairs (was not an issue for us).

 

From the port, we walked to the tram station and took the tram to the Sultanamet area and walked to the hotel - we just had carry on, so luggage was not an issue. Osmanhan will arrange a transfer from the port if you need it.

 

Have fun!!!

[Capt. Mike]

Great review, we did the same cruise in reverse a few years ago and I couldn't add much more. We are going to do it again in a year or two with the reverse route we did earlier and you just completed. We found Istanbul to be the most interesting place we had ever been to, I would love to have a week there.

[mriguySeattle]

Hi Eileen, we're less then 4 months out from our cruise and I'm starting to plan port activities. You said you rented scooters in Mykonos but could not in Santorini. So they require a motocycle license in Santorini but not in Mykonos? Thanks.

[themutis]

You said you rented scooters in Mykonos but could not in Santorini. So they require a motocycle license in Santorini but not in Mykonos?

 

Yes that was the difference - in Mykonos they didn't seem to care, but in Santorini they did. DH used to have a motorcycle, so we were comfortable with the moped - didn't enjoy the 4x4 as much... but it served it's purpose.