Disembarking at Istanbul where best to get visa

[hapicruisin]

I am thinking of booking Accent on Antiquities Riveria cruise in 2013. The cruise calls in at another Turkish port (Kusadasi) prior to 1 sea day then overnight in Istanbul. Then disembarking and flying back to UK. Which has different visa requirements than if one was just calling at Istanbul and cruising on to a different country. Have any other British Passport holders been able to get a Visa stamp in Kusadasi, and if so where, and how easy is it to obtain?

 

Alternately, can one get a visa when one disembarks the ship but before going through customs, etc. and how easy is that?

 

Would really appreciate any advice - it may be possible to get Oceania to obtain the visa for me but if it is not difficult to do myself I would prefer to just pay the 10 GBP than the cost Oceania may ask.

 

I have tried the roll call but none has been started yet.

[LHT28]

I have heard that people have gotten the VISA at Kusadasi but do not know all the details

Hopefully someone will post here

Check the Med ports of call forum also

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=603

 

There was a roll call started but I guess they lost interest ...it happens

Click here if you want to revive it just post or start a new one

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1692436

[sitraveler]

Visas were not available in Kasadasi or the port of Istanbul when we disembarked in August. O requires you have the visa prior to embarking.

Check with the UK's Turkish consulate for an authoritative answer.

[Rickey 88]

I realize you are a UK citizen, and some of what follows is mostly for US citizens, but may apply to you as well.

 

1. You will need to have a Turkish visa stuck in your passport before you will be allowed to board. In the times we have docked in Istanbul, no Turkish immigration official was on the pier to sell visas as passengers disembarked. Thus - get one first.

 

2. Oceania does offer a service to obtain a Turkish visa in advance, but I cannot say that this service also applies to the UK. Check with their London office.

 

3. As an alternative, you may be able to buy these stamps in the UK from the Turkish embassy. I say this as some have done it here in the US - it is a very simple process, and not very expensive.

 

Getting a visa IF you are arriving in Istanbul by air is quite simple - a line is open at passport control - get in line, pay your fee - and away you go. However, a first arrival by sea is a bit different.....

 

Have a great trip!

[Mura]

Further to the above, on our first trip to Istanbul (February 2000, arriving on board a Renaissance ship) we got our own visas -- we are in NYC, U.S. citizens. It was very easy and far cheaper than buying the visas through Renaissance. (For U.S. citizens, Oceania does not charge an outrageous amount so last time we just used them ... it was worth it to us not to have to bother with getting up to the consulate here.)

 

I agree that you should check out procedures in the U.K. It was not at all difficult here in NYC back then. At the time I think a visa through the consulate cost $45 but Renaissance was charging on the order of $100. Nowadays Oceania charges U.S. citizens $49, I think, but it's more like $20 as I recall if you arrive by air.

 

I know a number of people who have arrived in Istanbul by air and it was a snap (and VERY cheap) to get visas at the airport. But, yes, it's different when you arrive by sea.

 

Mura

[Glenndale]

We have just booked this cruise.

I found this http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/europe/turkey See entry requirements.

Kusadasi does not require a visa but Istanbul might as we are overnighting on board.

Thanks for raising this issue, it is something we will need to look into

[hapicruisin]

Hi All,

 

Thank you for your help. My specific query is that UK passport holders need a visa for overnighting and then disembarking the ship at Istanbul, Turkey. I wanted to know whether any UK passport holder had obtained a visa at the Turkish port of Kusadasi (one of the Ports a few days before disembarkation) and how easy was it to obtain it, (possibly a small office in the port), as a visa is needed because of overnighting then disembarking in Istanbul on this cruise.

 

I also wondered if UK passport holders have obtained a visa after disembarking but before going through passport control etc in Istanbul.

 

I am only asking this because I need my passport for other trips, so I do not want to send my passport away and I am a long way from London.

 

Please help if you can.

[petcoke]

You can get one in kusadasi, as you enter customs hall from ship look to left you will see office with visa on it, cost £10 you might have to look for staff/ we did

[hapicruisin]

You can get one in kusadasi, as you enter customs hall from ship look to left you will see office with visa on it, cost £10 you might have to look for staff/ we did

 

Hi petcoke,

 

Many thanks. We will be on 15th May Riveria cruise Ath - Ist. and have decided to buy the visa at Kushadasi either before or after our tour/s. If the visa office is not open we will then ask Oceania for our visas.

 

Problem solved, thanks to all.

[Glenndale]

Hi petcoke,

 

Many thanks. We will be on 15th May Riveria cruise Ath - Ist. and have decided to buy the visa at Kushadasi either before or after our tour/s. If the visa office is not open we will then ask Oceania for our visas.

 

Problem solved, thanks to all.

Glad you asked the question.

I've joined the roll call, looking forward to seeing you on board.

[JimandStan]

Glad you asked the question.

I've joined the roll call, looking forward to seeing you on board.

 

I don't believe that you will have that option so late in the day.

 

Our experience has been that Oceania requires that all passengers be in possession of the Turkish Visa BEFORE BOARDING THE SHIP.

 

We've sailed the Turkish Riviera twice with Oceania.

[hapicruisin]

I don't believe that you will have that option so late in the day.

 

Our experience has been that Oceania requires that all passengers be in possession of the Turkish Visa BEFORE BOARDING THE SHIP.

 

We've sailed the Turkish Riviera twice with Oceania.

 

Thanks JimandStan,

 

Will contact Oceania to find out what I should do - I think there may be different "rules" for UK passport holders - but I will attempt to clarify.

[hapicruisin]

Glad you asked the question.

I've joined the roll call, looking forward to seeing you on board.

 

Hi Glenndale,

 

Thank you, we look forward to seeing you, also.

[LHT28]

There were some posts on the Med for (I posted the link above)

They stated that they could obtain their VISA in Kusadasi but check with Oceania because if you do not have one they will charge you for it

 

here is the discussion

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1694039

[petcoke]

I don't believe that you will have that option so late in the day.

 

Our experience has been that Oceania requires that all passengers be in possession of the Turkish Visa BEFORE BOARDING THE SHIP.

 

We've sailed the Turkish Riviera twice with Oceania.

not so we sailed with oceania when we purchased visa in kusadasi we are also on 15th may cruise

[hapicruisin]

not so we sailed with oceania when we purchased visa in kusadasi we are also on 15th may cruise

 

Many thanks for getting back to me - I had been in touch with Oceania and they had said some guests had been successful with getting visas at Kusadasi but that the office may not always be open and there may be a problem. So it seems probable that Turkey has different restrictions/rules regarding the visas for guests living in different countries and that is the reason for the conflicting advice.

 

Look forward to seeing you onboard.

[hapicruisin]

There were some posts on the Med for (I posted the link above)

They stated that they could obtain their VISA in Kusadasi but check with Oceania because if you do not have one they will charge you for it

 

here is the discussion

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1694039

 

Many thanks LHT28,

 

The link has been very interesting and informative.

 

How helpful everyone has been.

[JimandStan]

not so we sailed with oceania when we purchased visa in kusadasi we are also on 15th may cruise

 

How can you possibly say that our experience was "not so"? :confused:

 

I'm telling you that when we boarded in Barcelona (and later in Venice) they would not accept our passports at the gangway unless the Visa was inserted.

 

Luckily, those who didn't have a Visa already had the option (at that time) of buying one from Oceania at the embarkation port, but who knows if that is ALWAYS true?

 

For us, the risk of being turned away from the ship FAR outweighs the additional cost of buying the silly visa through Oceania, but I won't spend anyone else's money.

[petcoke]

How can you possibly say that our experience was "not so"? :confused:

 

I'm telling you that when we boarded in Barcelona (and later in Venice) they would not accept our passports at the gangway unless the Visa was inserted.

 

Luckily, those who didn't have a Visa already had the option (at that time) of buying one from Oceania at the embarkation port, but who knows if that is ALWAYS true?

 

For us, the risk of being turned away from the ship FAR outweighs the additional cost of buying the silly visa through Oceania, but I won't spend anyone else's money.

not so/ refers to oceania requires all passengers to be in possession of a turkish visa before boarding

not to your experiance

i tryed to answer a question by a uk passenger as best i can

if someone wonts to pay $49 for a £10 visa thats up to them

i know you put alot of input in to this site, and it is much welcomed

[nana541]

I am a Regent cruiser and when we docked in Kasadasi and went ashore there is a booth to get a Visa but it was NEVER open the 2 days we were in Port!

 

When we embarked in Barcelona the first thing they asked when checking in and BEFORE boarding was whether we had our Turkish Visa and where was it!

 

IMO, I imagine that that Both Oceania and Regent follow the same guidelines as they are operated by PCH...

[LEESRE]

Awaiting a reply from my TA on this one. Seems that Oceania have different views.

[LEESRE]

I have had the following reply from someone who lives in Istanbul. Seems as though you can get your own visa once in the port. All we need to do is to get Oceania to give us our passports so that we can get the visa stamped into them at the port.

 

 

Here is the reply:-

 

 

 

CelebrityFan, When you leave the cruise ship for the airport, you need a visa. You sure can get it. You do not have to let the cruise co. get your visa for you. Simply depart the ship and as British citizens, all you need is your passports to get a visa at the port. You will see the visa office before you go thru passport control.

 

 

You can get a visa at either Kusadasi or at Istanbul. If you get one at Kusadasi, you do not need another visa again at Istanbul because that visa would be good for 90 days and is multiple entry.

 

 

 

good luck,

[hapicruisin]

I have had the following reply from someone who lives in Istanbul. Seems as though you can get your own visa once in the port. All we need to do is to get Oceania to give us our passports so that we can get the visa stamped into them at the port.

 

 

Here is the reply:-

 

 

 

CelebrityFan, When you leave the cruise ship for the airport, you need a visa. You sure can get it. You do not have to let the cruise co. get your visa for you. Simply depart the ship and as British citizens, all you need is your passports to get a visa at the port. You will see the visa office before you go thru passport control.

 

 

You can get a visa at either Kusadasi or at Istanbul. If you get one at Kusadasi, you do not need another visa again at Istanbul because that visa would be good for 90 days and is multiple entry.

 

 

 

 

good luck,

 

I contacted customer care in UK and they told me that guests just have to ask Guest relations a few days before Kusadasi that they want their passport to get a visa and they will be given their passport. Someone on this thread said that one can just ask for a visa at the port and it will be given to them for a fee (10 GBP/$15) and a passport is not necessary - just make sure it is not stamped.