Docking in Istanbul

[cruzadict]

We are on the Riviera in October and the cruise finishes in Isanbul. Can anyone tell me where the ship will dock and how ar is it to the Old City. Will taxis be readily available or should I arrange with the hotel to e picked up? We are staying at Hotel Amira. Thanks for your help.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

You'll need a cab, but I don't think it's worth arranging one in advance. Just make sure to have the hotel name and address printed so you can show it to the driver, and if you get a sense that he doesn't know the location, find another cab (ours got lost, but our hotel was newly-opened at the time--our karma seems to be to get cab drivers like this--happened again this spring in Lisbon.)

 

Your hotel looks like a great location--very close to where we stayed a few years back.

[Mura]

I would disagree with Wendy. When we docked on Marina in November '11 it was a zoo. There were lots of cabs but finding one that would take us where we wanted to go (in Sultanahmet) was extremely time consuming.

 

As a result, when we docked there last August (on Regatta) we pre-ordered a cab through our hotel. I think it was actually cheaper than the cab we'd used a year earlier.

 

If you're on one of the "R" ships it is probably easier to get a cab than it was with Marina.

 

But there will be LOTS of cabs there, yes.

 

Mura

[nana541]

We Pre-arranged for a private tour on disembarkation day and just had the tour company pick us and our luggage up. Sometime during the day our bags were delivered to our hotel while we were with our guide.

 

On the dock that last morning, It was a bit of a mad house and the peace of mind knowing this was all taken care of was worth it to us. Nothing like a driver and a sign with your name on it to start the day off right!

 

My best Istanbul tip - take the public ferry up the Bosphorus from the embarkation point at the Goleta bridge. If my memory is correct it was 10 Euros and we loved the approx 1 1/2 hr round trip on the upper deck. It was a beautiful Saturday and extended families and their children were out for nice weather outings. Be sure and try the "Tea" sold on the ferry, by a crew member carrying large trays. Lots of younger people speak English and wanted to talk with us....lots of fun!

 

Also the call to prayer in the wee hours of the morning was a memory I will never forget... Beautiful