Istanbul, early (4:15AM) transfer from ship to airport

[arkaira]

Istanbul will be our last port of call (overnight stay) on Celebrity Constellation cruise (September 2014). We are going to book early 7:40 AM flight on the last day of cruise (second day in Istanbul). Have several questions:

1. Do you see any problems to leave the ship at 4:15 AM? We will carry our entire luggage by ourselves

2. Can we go by immigration and custom service so early (4:30AM)? I know Istanbul port operates 24hrs/7days. How about the immigration and custom?

3. Where Celebrity Ships are usually docking at port? I have learned it can be Yolcu Salonu or Salipazari.

4. We are going to booked private transfer. Where they pick up the passengers? Is it outside terminal or outside port gate?

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

It will be our first stop at this port.

[John Bull]

1 & 2 - no worries, you're not the first to disembark at daft o'clock in the morning.

3 - It's kinda the same place. A very long quay which runs from the northern end of the Galata Bridge toward the Bosphorus, almost to Findiki Park. Room for up to five cruise ships in line astern. But with at least a couple of port exits.

4 - Where you berth (which even your captain may not know until a few days ahead) determines where you exit the port - that may not be via the cruise terminal. Your car service will know where to find you, they'll probably be just beyond immigration & baggage reclaim. That's roadside if you exit through the terminal, inside the port gate if you exit through the shed. You only need tell them the name of your ship.

 

Be aware that you will need a Turkish visa, the visa-free concession is only for those who arrive & leave by cruise ship. Your cruise line may fix the visa for you, but your early departure might foul that up.

Check with Celebrity, if you can't get a sensible answer, best to buy a visa ahead on-line and show it at Guest Relations during your cruise so that they don't duplicate the application - and the cost.

 

Shame not to maximise your time in Istanbul, wonderfully interesting city. But when needs must......

 

JB :)

Edited January 2, 2014 by John Bull

[arkaira]

1 & 2 - no worries, you're not the first to disembark at daft o'clock in the morning.

3 - It's kinda the same place. A very long quay which runs from the northern end of the Galata Bridge toward the Bosphorus, almost to Findiki Park. Room for up to five cruise ships in line astern. But with at least a couple of port exits.

4 - Where you berth (which even your captain may not know until a few days ahead) determines where you exit the port - that may not be via the cruise terminal. Your car service will know where to find you, they'll probably be just beyond immigration & baggage reclaim. That's roadside if you exit through the terminal, inside the port gate if you exit through the shed. You only need tell them the name of your ship.

 

Be aware that you will need a Turkish visa, the visa-free concession is only for those who arrive & leave by cruise ship. Your cruise line may fix the visa for you, but your early departure might foul that up.

Check with Celebrity, if you can't get a sensible answer, best to buy a visa ahead on-line and show it at Guest Relations during your cruise so that they don't duplicate the application - and the cost.

 

Shame not to maximise your time in Istanbul, wonderfully interesting city. But when needs must......

 

JB :)

 

Thank you much for your promt response. Actually we will fly to our native Ukraine for one week. On our way back to San Francisco we will stay three nights in Instanbul. It will reduce numbers of stops from two to one. It is just less worry.

 

Thanks again.

 

ArkaIra