Ken Greco Posted December 29, 2016 #1 Share Posted December 29, 2016 I am going on a RCCL cruise which stops in Ephesus Turkey in September. Has anyone recently been there? Considering what is going on is the mid east and Syria should there be some concern about cruise ships stopping there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beachammo Posted December 29, 2016 #2 Share Posted December 29, 2016 We are still scheduled to dock there May 10th on our Jewel cruise. I hope it stays on the schedule.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonTowner Posted December 29, 2016 #3 Share Posted December 29, 2016 If a cruise line considers a destination unsafe it will cancel it. Ephesus is nowhere near Syria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merly Posted December 29, 2016 #4 Share Posted December 29, 2016 We were there in October. No issues what so ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voyager70 Posted December 29, 2016 #5 Share Posted December 29, 2016 As far as I know Ephesus (Kusadasi) has not been pulled from any itineraries and is largely considered to be safe from the violence that has plagued other parts of Turkey. I wouldn't be worried (but I understand your concern). We were there several years ago and it was just amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybob57 Posted December 29, 2016 #6 Share Posted December 29, 2016 No problems in that area Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kcjarvis Posted December 29, 2016 #7 Share Posted December 29, 2016 I am going on a RCCL cruise which stops in Ephesus Turkey in September. Has anyone recently been there? Considering what is going on is the mid east and Syria should there be some concern about cruise ships stopping there? It's an amazing place. Enjoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BillOh Posted December 29, 2016 #8 Share Posted December 29, 2016 If a cruise line considers a destination unsafe it will cancel it. Ephesus is nowhere near Syria. Geographically you're correct, but if you have been following the news for the past couple of years and especially this month, there is a real Syria Turkey tie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare John&LaLa Posted December 29, 2016 #9 Share Posted December 29, 2016 I am going on a RCCL cruise which stops in Ephesus Turkey in September. Has anyone recently been there? Considering what is going on is the mid east and Syria should there be some concern about cruise ships stopping there? Jewel went there last month. No issues Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sndral Posted December 29, 2016 #10 Share Posted December 29, 2016 I was there on the Vision OTS in late November. Like you I was concerned about the Kusadasi stop, particularly as other lines had dropped all Turkey stops & the state dept. had evacuated embassy families from Istanbul a week or so before the cruise. That said, I am so glad I had the chance to see Ephesus. I did take a ship excursion (the one that included the terrace houses @ Ephesus.) There was nothing about the stop that was any different than the other ports, other than the regret of the Turkish people that their troubles had reduced the number of visitors to their land. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gagirl7143 Posted December 30, 2016 #11 Share Posted December 30, 2016 There on jewel in mid November and absolutely no problem. I would not hesitate to go ashore. Sent from my iPad using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare vacationlover_mn Posted December 30, 2016 #12 Share Posted December 30, 2016 I haven't been there in years, but when I did, it was amazing! One of our favorite stops :) Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruiserbillyboo Posted December 30, 2016 #13 Share Posted December 30, 2016 Ephesus was the absolute highlight of our Med cruise this past summer. It's such a shame that so many lines are pulling out of this stop. We used "Ephesus Shuttle" for a day-long tour, and it was amazing. Highly recommended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare countess5 Posted December 30, 2016 #14 Share Posted December 30, 2016 Make sure you see Mother Mary's home! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruiserbillyboo Posted December 30, 2016 #15 Share Posted December 30, 2016 We did tour #10: http://www.ephesusshuttle.com/kusadasi-to-ephesus/ Worth every penny. Awesome port and amazing sights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H2Oregon Posted December 30, 2016 #16 Share Posted December 30, 2016 If you do an Ephesus tour make sure it includes the Terrace Houses. They're a not to be missed. Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonsai3s Posted December 31, 2016 #17 Share Posted December 31, 2016 I was there on the Vision OTS in late November. Like you I was concerned about the Kusadasi stop, particularly as other lines had dropped all Turkey stops & the state dept. had evacuated embassy families from Istanbul a week or so before the cruise. That said, I am so glad I had the chance to see Ephesus. I did take a ship excursion (the one that included the terrace houses @ Ephesus.) There was nothing about the stop that was any different than the other ports, other than the regret of the Turkish people that their troubles had reduced the number of visitors to their land. We were also on the Vision. It was our 3rd visit to both Ephesus and the House of the Blessed Virgin Mary. What caught our attention was the crowd...of lack of it. Both sites were nearly empty. On our previous visit to the House of the BVM...it took us over an hour wait just to get to the front of the house. This past November...absolutely no line...incredible. Same thing in Ephesus...we can actually take pictures with no one in the background. On our previous trip to Ephesus, we couldn't walk without bumping into another tourist. Our guide sadly told us that cruise ships no longer stop in Istanbul and the number of ships stopping in Kusadasi was reduced. Happy sailing...hope your ship stops in Kusadasi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celebrity Posted December 31, 2016 #18 Share Posted December 31, 2016 One of my favorite ports of all time. We also used Ephesus Shuttle. So sad that many will miss this opportunity of a lifetime due to ships pulling out or their own fears. I'd go back in a NY minute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPacificbound Posted December 31, 2016 #19 Share Posted December 31, 2016 I also loved Ephesus, and would not hesitate to go. We will be in Turkey next summer again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celebrity Posted January 1, 2017 #20 Share Posted January 1, 2017 I also loved Ephesus, and would not hesitate to go. We will be in Turkey next summer again. Good for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sox59 Posted January 1, 2017 #21 Share Posted January 1, 2017 We used Ephesus Shuttle for two different tours,a few years ago..outstanding! Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPacificbound Posted January 1, 2017 #22 Share Posted January 1, 2017 I highly recommend Ephesus Port Tours for a wonderful experience. http://ephesusporttours.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissaghoti Posted January 1, 2017 #23 Share Posted January 1, 2017 An opportunity to visit Ephesus w/o the crowds shouldn't be missed. Ephesus, like all of Turkey, is wonderful and a long way from Syria. Go and enjoy. You'll cherish the memories! Sent from my iPad using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sox59 Posted January 1, 2017 #24 Share Posted January 1, 2017 An opportunity to visit Ephesus w/o the crowds shouldn't be missed. Ephesus, like all of Turkey, is wonderful and a long way from Syria. Go and enjoy. You'll cherish the memories! Sent from my iPad using Forums Agreed! An incredibly interesting country. While in Ephesus, a visit to the town of Srinci is also a treat. Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Hlitner Posted January 1, 2017 #25 Share Posted January 1, 2017 (edited) I cannot believe the disinformation in some of the posts. We also like Turkey and have been there many times (on both cruises and land vacations). But these days, the country is in some turmoil, has a President with some "issues," and has real issues with terrorism. Several major cruise lines have already canceled all port calls, in Turkey, for the foreseeable future and others will likely follow. Here is a link to a very current report on the issue: http://www.cruiselawnews.com/articles/terrorism-1/ While I am now a big fan of the attorney who wrote the article, his information is generally very accurate. While many cruise lines have already announced port changes, in some cases the cruise schedules (online) still show Turkish ports for future cruises. We suspect within the next month these ports will disappear from schedules and itineraries will be totally revamped to avoid Turkey. Personally, we would still feel comfortable in Kusadasi (Ephesus) but we are somewhat adventurous and have gone to places like Tunesia when many others would not :). DW and I would also go to Istanbul tomorrow....but would also acknowledge that there is some risk associated with that city. But cruise lines have to deal with their insurance carriers, and public perception. The bad publicity for Turkey will cause many cruisers to avoid any cruise to that part of the world...so the cruise lines will follow the best course to enhance their bookings...which means avoiding Turkey for most (if not all) of 2017. .. Hank Edited January 1, 2017 by Hlitner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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