Two days in Turkey, can we get Lira on ship?

[Da-Painter]

We are doing the 12 Day Grand Med Cruise in April, and visiting Istanbul & Ephesus. Will be exchanging into Euros before leaving home, but we will need $100-200 worth of Turkish Lira while there for spending.

Someone mentioned I can get this small amount of Lira on the ship, and also can sell back any I have remaining after I return to the ship. We are on the Spirit.

I see there are also ATM's at the cruise terminals.

From those just there, what is your recommendation?

Thanks, :)

Tony.

[groinky]

We are doing the 12 Day Grand Med Cruise in April, and visiting Istanbul & Ephesus. Will be exchanging into Euros before leaving home, but we will need $100-200 worth of Turkish Lira while there for spending.

Someone mentioned I can get this small amount of Lira on the ship, and also can sell back any I have remaining after I return to the ship. We are on the Spirit.

I see there are also ATM's at the cruise terminals.

From those just there, what is your recommendation?

Thanks, :)

Tony.

 

When we were in Istanbul & Ephesus we had no problem at all using US money.

Even as a Canadian I never travel without my American currency!

[umpy10]

We're doing the same cruise in July, Barcelona -Venice on the Spirit and we plan on getting all of our currencies needed changed over before we leave.

We also plan on spending 5 nights in London pre-cruise so we will need British Pounds also. I think it would be cheaper to do the exchange before you leave, at least it seems that way for us. I've not read anywhere here that you can change currencies while on board.

Personally, I wouldn't trust any ATM's overseas, not worth the chance getting your card scammed by a fake reader.

 

cheers...the Ump...:D

[Crusin6]

I was in Turkey in 2012...and please do not get Lira..they do not want it....and btw..everything will be priced in Euro, Lira or US$.

 

 

The only time you will need Lira I am told is if you take the tram from the port into the city as the machines want that...or so I am told.

 

Just an FYI..the ship's tour was wonderful and since we were in port on a Tuesday when the Topkapi is closed, the ship's tour got us a special uncrowded entry.

 

also, I priced out private tours and when you add in all the extra charges such as museum entry and lunch, the ship tour we took on the Ruby Princess was cheaper for our family of 6 and showed us everything we wanted plus more (Topkapi)

 

Some people don't want to do the carpet demonstration but fwiw it was a magnificent 20 minutes with refreshments served.

 

They showed us how they weave the carpets and even how they "fly" the carpets. When it was all over, there was no pressure to buy and I would say 90% of the group just left and walked to the overcrowded, overheated, overzealous proprietor laced, Grand Bazaar.

 

The traffic in Istanbul is horrible and yep, we were very late in returning...and it was a pleasure to know that our guide was on the phone with the powers that be and telling them we were late returning.

 

I love Istanbul btw and was thrilled to show it to my family. I was there in 1976 and always wanted to return.

[Crusin6]

We're doing the same cruise in July, Barcelona -Venice on the Spirit and we plan on getting all of our currencies needed changed over before we leave.

We also plan on spending 5 nights in London pre-cruise so we will need British Pounds also. I think it would be cheaper to do the exchange before you leave, at least it seems that way for us. I've not read anywhere here that you can change currencies while on board.

Personally, I wouldn't trust any ATM's overseas, not worth the chance getting your card scammed by a fake reader.

 

cheers...the Ump...:D

 

as far as the ATMs are concerned...while everyone will say they are 100% safe...DO NOT BELIEVE it...I used mine in Rome and a few days later when I used it in Venice they were apparantly able to connect the dots so to speak from both transactions and get my pin and steal $650 from my account.

 

good thing I caught it via computer from our Venice hotel and called the bank and blocked the account...because if I hadn't, I would not have known a thing for the next 2 weeks.

 

They play on cruise port atms as they know you will be out of wifi range and may not find out until it is too late.

 

Funny thing is...I am ultra security aware and know how to thwart it at an ATM....but not this time and they got one over on me. I didn't really even need the cash either but just took some out as a contigency.

 

so..get the cash from home...use credit cards as much as possible and most of all always have a backup account to draw from. Also, fund a seperate travel account if you must use the ATMs..not your regular bill paying account.

 

 

Others will disagree with me.......but I am well traveled and talk to lots of people on the ship and every single one of them had a foreign ATM horror story. and yes, I know a US ATM is foreign to some people, just like a european ATM is foreign to me. and I know cybercrime is worldwide..but Venice is a prime target due to the transient cruiser population. The front desk at the hotel told me they NEVER use ATMs in Venice..they only deal with humans during banking hours. That tells me something.

 

It took me 2 months to get my bank to make good on the fraud btw.

[Da-Painter]

as far as the ATMs are concerned...while everyone will say they are 100% safe...DO NOT BELIEVE it...I used mine in Rome and a few days later when I used it in Venice they were apparantly able to connect the dots so to speak from both transactions and get my pin and steal $650 from my account.

 

so..get the cash from home...use credit cards as much as possible and most of all always have a backup account to draw from. Also, fund a seperate travel account if you must use the ATMs..not your regular bill paying account.

 

.

 

Thanks for the update, our bank here at home will bring in Euros for us, so we were not planning to use ATM's while away. The last time we used the ATM's was at the airport in Amsterdam, but it limited the amount we could take out.

We are doing the ships excursions. For two of us, its not worth it to save $20 with a local tour company. We were on a ship excursion in Costa Rica, coming back, the traffic came to a stop. They called the ship to let them know we were on our way. We arrived back to the ship about 45 minutes late. They drove us up to the ship, we hopped on, the gangplank was pulled up and the ship took off. Yes it may be more, but for my first time in Rome, I am not about to try to get to the Acropolis and back. DW would worry to death if we missed the ship. And she would leave me in Europe. (May, or may not be a bad thing).;)

Thanks, Tony.

[blair66]

You do need Lira if you go to any government run sites such as the topaki (sp) palace in Istanbul or if you plan on using public transit. If you are going as a part of a tour you are fine as it includes your ticket, but if you are going on your own you can buy a few Lira from any of the official souvenir shops at the sites. Im not sure how great the exchange rates are but is served my purpose. I believe that i was able to get 55 Lira for 20 euros.

[Aladdin1968]

as far as the ATMs are concerned...while everyone will say they are 100% safe...DO NOT BELIEVE it...I used mine in Rome and a few days later when I used it in Venice they were apparantly able to connect the dots so to speak from both transactions and get my pin and steal $650 from my account.

 

good thing I caught it via computer from our Venice hotel and called the bank and blocked the account...because if I hadn't, I would not have known a thing for the next 2 weeks.

 

They play on cruise port atms as they know you will be out of wifi range and may not find out until it is too late.

 

Funny thing is...I am ultra security aware and know how to thwart it at an ATM....but not this time and they got one over on me. I didn't really even need the cash either but just took some out as a contigency.

 

so..get the cash from home...use credit cards as much as possible and most of all always have a backup account to draw from. Also, fund a seperate travel account if you must use the ATMs..not your regular bill paying account.

 

 

Others will disagree with me.......but I am well traveled and talk to lots of people on the ship and every single one of them had a foreign ATM horror story. and yes, I know a US ATM is foreign to some people, just like a european ATM is foreign to me. and I know cybercrime is worldwide..but Venice is a prime target due to the transient cruiser population. The front desk at the hotel told me they NEVER use ATMs in Venice..they only deal with humans during banking hours. That tells me something.

 

It took me 2 months to get my bank to make good on the fraud btw.

 

Do not not forget in Venice and Rome every tourist is a prime target of the local thieves. Cash, credit card, ATM, waiters, taxis, shops, hotels and the list is endless. Guess you just have to be super careful over there. Which reminds me of the fact that I once got skimmed in NYC and also my credit cards were used for fraud at least 10 times in the good old US and just only once in Europe and only once in Asia. So I guess it also has to do with perspective. I think ATM's are safe everywhere where the location is safe. In general. No reason to fear monger.

 

On topic: beware of the exchange rate shops use when you do not pay in local currency. And haggle in Turkey. Talking up to 80 percent off sometimes is doable.

[jdvmd]

We are doing the 12 Day Grand Med Cruise in April, and visiting Istanbul & Ephesus. Will be exchanging into Euros before leaving home, but we will need $100-200 worth of Turkish Lira while there for spending.

Someone mentioned I can get this small amount of Lira on the ship, and also can sell back any I have remaining after I return to the ship. We are on the Spirit.

I see there are also ATM's at the cruise terminals.

From those just there, what is your recommendation?

Thanks, :)

Tony.

 

You will be able to get some on the ship but be warned the exchange rate is not great and there will be a service charge to buy or to sell back.

[robins11]

We are doing the 12 Day Grand Med Cruise in April, and visiting Istanbul & Ephesus. Will be exchanging into Euros before leaving home, but we will need $100-200 worth of Turkish Lira while there for spending.

Someone mentioned I can get this small amount of Lira on the ship, and also can sell back any I have remaining after I return to the ship. We are on the Spirit.

I see there are also ATM's at the cruise terminals.

From those just there, what is your recommendation?

Thanks, :)

Tony.

 

Hi We were on Spirit last October same itinerary from Venice to Barcelona. In Istanbul we simply walked off the ship through the port gate onto the main road. Turn left and you can walk or catch a tram into the historic part of Istanbul. Anyway opposite the port gates on the other side of the road are several banks with ATMs. Withdrew Lira here, just enough for incidentals. ATMs were easy to understand, instructions in English. No problem at all. A little bit of Lira did prove to be useful in cafes, tips, taxis, etc Was only left with a little change at the end.

Have a great trip its an amazing itinerary

 

John

[luvtheships]

if you do the ship's excursion all will be included and the guide will be happy to take US $ as a tip...so will the Bazaar vendors...they will also take Euro even though Turkey is not on the system.

 

If you do a private tour the driver will want Us$ and you will be responsible for entrance fees. ask your private tour guide via email before you leave how that will be handled. will they pay and then just charge you or will you just pay yourself? If the latter is true, then ask the private guide in advance from home what currency is required. I would think the sites website could answer that question as well.

 

I loved our ruby princess excursion as if was a group of 28 and we got into the topkapi on a tuesday, when it is closed to the public.

 

 

of course you can always buy something with cash and ask for lira as change if you want.

 

the exchange was simple but i dont recall exactly what it was but it is easy to NOT get ripped off.

[blindrid]

I was in Turkey in 2012...and please do not get Lira..they do not want it....and btw..everything will be priced in Euro, Lira or US$.

 

Totally correct - don't bother as I took Lira and never used it. My private guides that I hired would not take anything but USD.

[ElephantRed]

Tony,

 

Don't change money on the ship - very expensive. Your best bet is to use an ATM - they give you the exact exchange rate. Our bank at home will waive all the ATM fees so you might want to check with your bank before you leave.

 

Also, I just got back Saturday and took a private tour. We used http://www.constantinopleguide.com. Their vans were new and in impeccable condition. The guides were polite, punctual and neat. Our guide in Ephesus, Turul, was very well educated (master's degree and working on a second one). For travelers like us who really want to learn the history of the areas where we travel, he was perfect. You could also tell how much he loved what he was doing.t He brought us to a local coop for a fabulous lunch but it was attached to a rug store that did the "hard sell." Our guide in Istanbul, Abdul, was fantastic. He even brought a stroller for my young son without us having to ask! He was VERY knowledgeable and patient. Traveling and touring with children can be challenging but he made it very easy. He was very sweet with my children and patiently answered all of their questions. He also realized that my son, as with most boys, likes swords and helmets, etc. but my son had fallen asleep so he moved that part of the tour until after he woke up - again without us asking. He also kindly made many adjustments to the schedule to accommodate our interests. When traveling with children especially, these small things really do make the trip. The rate was reasonable and their responsiveness to my e-mails was very quick. We had NO surprises and felt very prepared and stress-free when meeting with our guide. We 100% would use them again.

[blindrid]

We also did the private tour with another website. I don't think you can pick a bad one as they subcontract with the tour guides and must be fluent in english, etc. as part of their contact and/or licensing.

 

I, too, was amazed at their responsiveness and willingness to please.