Do I need a VISA for Med. cruise??

[repeater]

I'm going on the Spirit, to Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, and France. Do I need a visa for this trip? I'm concerned about Turkey, in particular. If I do, how do I begin the process? First time to Europe, so please skip the "that's a stupid question" responses. Thanks!!

[rocklinmom]

I am also going on the Spirit Mediterranean cruise this year, and no you don't need to worry about getting a Visa. Just a passport. We are going to apply for our passports this weekend. :)

[garycarla]

I'm going on the Spirit, to Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, and France. Do I need a visa for this trip? I'm concerned about Turkey, in particular. If I do, how do I begin the process? First time to Europe, so please skip the "that's a stupid question" responses. Thanks!!

 

First off, it is very, very rare someone says a question is stupid. Posting something that somebody else asked a hour ago... another story. Or questions without the real question. Or asking something with no information to help someone answer it.

 

In any event, a very good question.

 

The answer is you do not need to do anything other than have a passport. Nothing. (I assume you are a U.S. Citizen).

 

Also, visit your roll call as everyone else on your cruise may have the same question.

Edited February 5, 2014 by garycarla

[repeater]

First off, it is very, very rare someone says a question is stupid. Posting something that somebody else asked a hour ago... another story. Or questions without the real question. Or asking something with no information to help someone answer it.

 

In any event, a very good question.

 

The answer is you do not need to do anything other than have a passport. Nothing. (I assume you are a U.S. Citizen).

 

Also, visit your roll call as everyone else on your cruise may have the same question.

 

 

Thanks for your kind words. I forgot to say I am a USA citizen. Our roll call is kinda flat...good people, but just a handful. Sigh.

[4774Papa]

I'm going on the Spirit, to Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, and France. Do I need a visa for this trip? I'm concerned about Turkey, in particular. If I do, how do I begin the process? First time to Europe, so please skip the "that's a stupid question" responses. Thanks!!

You only need a visa for Turkey if your are staying overnight. If you are flying in to Istanbul, you should get a visa. It is not expensive. You can buy online or at the airport.

 

If you are on a cruise that stops in Turkey and want to take an excursion for the day, you don't need a visa.

[repeater]

You only need a visa for Turkey if your are staying overnight. If you are flying in to Istanbul, you should get a visa. It is not expensive. You can buy online or at the airport.

 

If you are on a cruise that stops in Turkey and want to take an excursion for the day, you don't need a visa.

 

 

Ah, that makes sense, just for overnights. Thanks. Have you been to Turkey? Would you suggest a tour over wandering by ourselves?

[AttilaTheFun]

Note that the ship may collect your passport a couple days before you stop in Turkey though, as they have to present them to the authorities. NCL may keep your passport for another couples days after you leave Turkey, so be sure to photocopy your passport!

 

This is from experience doing a Mediterranean cruise with Princess in 2012 that stopped in Istanbul (no overnight though), but I don't think the practice has changed since then.

[DISNEY1975]

Note that the ship may collect your passport a couple days before you stop in Turkey though, as they have to present them to the authorities. NCL may keep your passport for another couples days after you leave Turkey, so be sure to photocopy your passport!

 

This is from experience doing a Mediterranean cruise with Princess in 2012 that stopped in Istanbul (no overnight though), but I don't think the practice has changed since then.

 

For a small fee, you can get a passport card too. Best to have both in case NCL does collect the passport books.

[Fishbait17]

Ah, that makes sense, just for overnights. Thanks. Have you been to Turkey? Would you suggest a tour over wandering by ourselves?

 

Which port in Turkey? Each is different with different highlights.

 

Robin

[rocklinmom]

Disney1975, we are applying for our passports this weekend for our June Mediterranean cruise - and I had been wondering about the passport card option. I know that we need the passport books for international travel, and the card is for border travel only -- can you tell me what the card looks like? I love your idea of having both and being able to keep the card when NCL collects our passport books in Greece/Turkey. I had wondered if the extra cost of getting both would be worth it?

[4774Papa]

Ah, that makes sense, just for overnights. Thanks. Have you been to Turkey? Would you suggest a tour over wandering by ourselves?

We did four days in Istanbul pre-cruise. Loved the city. You don't need to take a tour. It is walkable.

90% of the key sites are in the old part of the city.

 

Topkapi palace 25TL (u12s free), + another 15TL for the Harem

 

Hagia Sophia

Entry cost 25 TL

 

For both of these you can buy tickets in advance (except for the Harem, which you get from the box office once inside the Topkapi palace) from http://www.muze.gov.tr/hagiasophia This worked out well as we went straight in past the long lines. You print out an email with a QR code for each ticket and remember to take it with you

 

For u12s (free) you don't need a ticket. Our youngster was obviously under 12 and the official at the turnstile waved her through, but we had her passport with us anyway.

 

The only downside with buying your ticket in advance is that the website makes it clear it is non-refundable so if you don't use it, it's lost. But as 25TL is not a fortune I'd say getting it this way is well worth it - just double check you get the date right.

 

Blue Mosque

Entry is free and they provide clothing if your shorts don't cover your knees. You can't go in at prayer times, so as the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque are almost next to each other go to the mosque first and check your possible entry times (i.e. outside of the 5 prayer periods). That way you will know when to go there and not waste precious time. If you get lucky and can go in straight away, do so and go to the Hagia Sophia afterwards - your ticket there is for the day and does not specify a time. Once inside the mosque we spent about 15 minutes looking round. The tiles are stunning and I would have liked longer here but was mindful of our schedule.

 

Basilica Cistern

You can't buy your (10 TL) ticket in advance but the queue moves quickly. There are over 50 steps down to the cistern floor. I think this is another 'must-see' as there can't be too much else like it anywhere. It's a one trick pony but a great one, and we spent 15 minutes down there.

 

Grand Bazaar, Galata Tower (12 TL) & Spice Bazaar

 

Obviously going to Sultanahmet by taxi is easiest way but the tram is simple and less susceptible to traffic delays. As you leave the port turn right, walk about 200 yards and you'll see the stop. But before you do that ask someone where the nearest machine is to buy the tram tokens (red plastic discs which you use to open the platform gates). Each ride cost 2 TL pp so you'll need 4 pp to go there and back. If you want to go the Grand Bazaar after Sultanahmet you could walk (about a mile) or tram it, in which case you'll need another disc. There is a token machine at Sultanahmet (probably more than one) if you need to top up.

 

Here is an excerpt from a former post on cc.

 

The principal reason is that Istanbul is a city of great architecture, which D-K's cut-away diagrams ideally showcase. You can quickly determine where you are within a building and which features you have not yet seen.

 

For us, the most enjoyable attraction in Istanbul was the ferry ride up the Bosphorus, which ends at a charming village near the Black Sea with excellent restaurants where you have lunch before returning. There are commercial tourist boats that make this trip, but we much preferred the public ferry that cost approx. $10 round-trip -- one of the great travel bargains of the world. The discussion about it in this guide is quite good.

 

Some things not covered in the book:

 

* When we asked the concierge at our hotel for the best place to change money, he said "The Grand Bazaar, no question." Indeed. In addition to a narrow spread between buy and sell, there is no commission (other commercial money-lenders not only charge a large spread, but usually tack on a 4% commission). The local merchants all use the money-changers there, and according to the concierge, exchange rates for the entire country are set there. Alternatively, you can use ATMs, which appear to be ubiquitous.

 

* Among the best bargains in the Grand Bazaar are gold and silver, which are sold by weight with a reasonable mark-up, as opposed to the 400% markups commonly charged by American jewelers. Each jeweler has a gram scale where he weighs any given piece, and then prices it accordingly, based upon the price of gold that morning. The gold, by the way, appears to universally be 22 karat, worked in India. Because Indian workers are paid $15 per month, labor is not a material element in the price. A jeweler I spoke with priced a bracelet (pre-bargaining) at $650, when the price of the gold alone was $525. He was highly competent and straightforward in answering my questions, as were most of the merchants I dealt with. Similar savings seem to be available on diamond jewelry, although I did not consider myself competent to judge the quality of the stones and thus, did not buy anything.

 

* Rug merchants appear to be somewhat less reputable and certainly more insistent (one becomes tired of hearing their ubiquitous "hallo"). If they ask which hotel you're staying in or when you're leaving, simply respond "Why do you want to know?" One rug merchant, who is married to an American woman and is himself quite americanized told me that many of the merchants import rugs from China and then represent them as being from Turkey or Iran. As with diamonds, it pays to know what you're buying.

 

* Cab drivers are often dishonest. Know how much you should pay for a given trip and carry a lot of small bills and coins, so that you can pay exactly. Do not expect change. You may receive old lira (the Turkish lira was steeply devalued several years ago). Make sure the driver starts the meter when you get into the cab. The rate after midnight is 50% greater than before. The meters state fares in Turkish lira, but drivers may try to charge you in dollars or Euros; state clearly that you will pay them in lira when you get into the cab and demand that they turn on the meter. Still, the (honest) rates are quite reasonable, especially since tips are not expected.

 

* The food is excellent, good ingredients and wonderful spices. Explore or ask your concierge. The best place we found, on the advice of our concierge, was the Magnaura Cafe Restaurant at Akbiyik No. 27 in Sultanhamet, tel: (0212)518 76 22, three blocks from the Haja Sofia. UPDATE 3/09: Better yet, just across the street the Albura Kathisma Cafe, Yeni Akbiyik Cad. No. 26 Sultanhamet. This street is full of good, reasonably priced, restaurants.

 

* Be prepared to awaken at 6:00 am with the Call to Prayer, which is blasted from loudspeakers on the minarets of the mosques. It doesn't last long, but it will awaken you. I was not able to sleep through it, a problem that I rarely encounter. A video of the Call to Prayer, taken from the park between Aya Sofia and the Blue Mosque, is included in this review (Be sure to turn up the sound).

 

* Three must-sees that we regret having missed: (1) the Chora Church, (2) the Palace Cistern, and (3) the old city walls.

 

UPDATE [3/09] On a second trip we visited all three; well worth the effort. Additional recommendations: (1) the Spice Market (2) Sokollu Mehmet Pasha Mosque, a lovely smaller mosque near the Blue Mosque with beautiful tiles, and (3) the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus (aka the Little Hagia Sofiya), now a mosque and one of the most calming places of worship I've ever been in.

 

All things considered, it's a great city.

[sdmike]

Disney1975, we are applying for our passports this weekend for our June Mediterranean cruise - and I had been wondering about the passport card option. I know that we need the passport books for international travel, and the card is for border travel only -- can you tell me what the card looks like? I love your idea of having both and being able to keep the card when NCL collects our passport books in Greece/Turkey. I had wondered if the extra cost of getting both would be worth it?

 

I'm not sure why one would go through the expense/effort for this. It's just as good as a copy of your passport for getting on a plane, which is to say worthless. Some will say it helps identify you in the event that you lose your passport or get it stolen, but the copy does just a good of a job when you contact the local consulate to get an expedited replacement. With the copy they also get your passport number, etc. to make things easier. So I'm not really sure the car adds ANY value unless you sneak out of Turkey to Mexico and want to cross the border using the card :D

[AttilaTheFun]

I've posted some tips and pictures for Istanbul on this thread, hope it helps! Istanbul was one of our favorite stops and is a beautiful, historic city.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1687095

[AttilaTheFun]

One other tip - read Dan Brown's Inferno, he's the same author that wrote The Da Vinci Code. Without giving too much away, it covers several cities from a typical Mediterranean cruise and provides interesting historic tidbits about popular tourist destinations in those cities. It's a bit silly and extremely unrealistic, but the historic context was fun to learn about.

[repeater]

Which port in Turkey? Each is different with different highlights.

 

Robin

 

 

Ephesus and Istanbul...both are the most foreign foreign places I've visited, so I'm feeling a little unsure.

 

Passport cards are a great idea! I'd feel safer with a back up on shore.

[repeater]

We did four days in Istanbul pre-cruise. Loved the city. You don't need to take a tour. It is walkable.

90% of the key sites are in the old part of the city.

 

 

Topkapi palace 25TL (u12s free), + another 15TL for the Harem

 

Hagia Sophia

Entry cost 25 TL

 

For both of these you can buy tickets in advance (except for the Harem, which you get from the box office once inside the Topkapi palace) from http://www.muze.gov.tr/hagiasophia This worked out well as we went straight in past the long lines. You print out an email with a QR code for each ticket and remember to take it with you

 

For u12s (free) you don't need a ticket. Our youngster was obviously under 12 and the official at the turnstile waved her through, but we had her passport with us anyway.

 

The only downside with buying your ticket in advance is that the website makes it clear it is non-refundable so if you don't use it, it's lost. But as 25TL is not a fortune I'd say getting it this way is well worth it - just double check you get the date right.

 

Blue Mosque

Entry is free and they provide clothing if your shorts don't cover your knees. You can't go in at prayer times, so as the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque are almost next to each other go to the mosque first and check your possible entry times (i.e. outside of the 5 prayer periods). That way you will know when to go there and not waste precious time. If you get lucky and can go in straight away, do so and go to the Hagia Sophia afterwards - your ticket there is for the day and does not specify a time. Once inside the mosque we spent about 15 minutes looking round. The tiles are stunning and I would have liked longer here but was mindful of our schedule.

 

Basilica Cistern

You can't buy your (10 TL) ticket in advance but the queue moves quickly. There are over 50 steps down to the cistern floor. I think this is another 'must-see' as there can't be too much else like it anywhere. It's a one trick pony but a great one, and we spent 15 minutes down there.

 

Grand Bazaar, Galata Tower (12 TL) & Spice Bazaar

 

Obviously going to Sultanahmet by taxi is easiest way but the tram is simple and less susceptible to traffic delays. As you leave the port turn right, walk about 200 yards and you'll see the stop. But before you do that ask someone where the nearest machine is to buy the tram tokens (red plastic discs which you use to open the platform gates). Each ride cost 2 TL pp so you'll need 4 pp to go there and back. If you want to go the Grand Bazaar after Sultanahmet you could walk (about a mile) or tram it, in which case you'll need another disc. There is a token machine at Sultanahmet (probably more than one) if you need to top up.

 

Here is an excerpt from a former post on cc.

 

 

The principal reason is that Istanbul is a city of great architecture, which D-K's cut-away diagrams ideally showcase. You can quickly determine where you are within a building and which features you have not yet seen.

 

For us, the most enjoyable attraction in Istanbul was the ferry ride up the Bosphorus, which ends at a charming village near the Black Sea with excellent restaurants where you have lunch before returning. There are commercial tourist boats that make this trip, but we much preferred the public ferry that cost approx. $10 round-trip -- one of the great travel bargains of the world. The discussion about it in this guide is quite good.

 

Some things not covered in the book:

 

* When we asked the concierge at our hotel for the best place to change money, he said "The Grand Bazaar, no question." Indeed. In addition to a narrow spread between buy and sell, there is no commission (other commercial money-lenders not only charge a large spread, but usually tack on a 4% commission). The local merchants all use the money-changers there, and according to the concierge, exchange rates for the entire country are set there. Alternatively, you can use ATMs, which appear to be ubiquitous.

 

* Among the best bargains in the Grand Bazaar are gold and silver, which are sold by weight with a reasonable mark-up, as opposed to the 400% markups commonly charged by American jewelers. Each jeweler has a gram scale where he weighs any given piece, and then prices it accordingly, based upon the price of gold that morning. The gold, by the way, appears to universally be 22 karat, worked in India. Because Indian workers are paid $15 per month, labor is not a material element in the price. A jeweler I spoke with priced a bracelet (pre-bargaining) at $650, when the price of the gold alone was $525. He was highly competent and straightforward in answering my questions, as were most of the merchants I dealt with. Similar savings seem to be available on diamond jewelry, although I did not consider myself competent to judge the quality of the stones and thus, did not buy anything.

 

* Rug merchants appear to be somewhat less reputable and certainly more insistent (one becomes tired of hearing their ubiquitous "hallo"). If they ask which hotel you're staying in or when you're leaving, simply respond "Why do you want to know?" One rug merchant, who is married to an American woman and is himself quite americanized told me that many of the merchants import rugs from China and then represent them as being from Turkey or Iran. As with diamonds, it pays to know what you're buying.

 

* Cab drivers are often dishonest. Know how much you should pay for a given trip and carry a lot of small bills and coins, so that you can pay exactly. Do not expect change. You may receive old lira (the Turkish lira was steeply devalued several years ago). Make sure the driver starts the meter when you get into the cab. The rate after midnight is 50% greater than before. The meters state fares in Turkish lira, but drivers may try to charge you in dollars or Euros; state clearly that you will pay them in lira when you get into the cab and demand that they turn on the meter. Still, the (honest) rates are quite reasonable, especially since tips are not expected.

 

* The food is excellent, good ingredients and wonderful spices. Explore or ask your concierge. The best place we found, on the advice of our concierge, was the Magnaura Cafe Restaurant at Akbiyik No. 27 in Sultanhamet, tel: (0212)518 76 22, three blocks from the Haja Sofia. UPDATE 3/09: Better yet, just across the street the Albura Kathisma Cafe, Yeni Akbiyik Cad. No. 26 Sultanhamet. This street is full of good, reasonably priced, restaurants.

 

* Be prepared to awaken at 6:00 am with the Call to Prayer, which is blasted from loudspeakers on the minarets of the mosques. It doesn't last long, but it will awaken you. I was not able to sleep through it, a problem that I rarely encounter. A video of the Call to Prayer, taken from the park between Aya Sofia and the Blue Mosque, is included in this review (Be sure to turn up the sound).

 

* Three must-sees that we regret having missed: (1) the Chora Church, (2) the Palace Cistern, and (3) the old city walls.

 

UPDATE [3/09] On a second trip we visited all three; well worth the effort. Additional recommendations: (1) the Spice Market (2) Sokollu Mehmet Pasha Mosque, a lovely smaller mosque near the Blue Mosque with beautiful tiles, and (3) the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus (aka the Little Hagia Sofiya), now a mosque and one of the most calming places of worship I've ever been in.

 

All things considered, it's a great city.

 

 

WOW! Thanks so much for taking time to research!! I'll check out the book, and the links too. Glad I asked!

Edited February 5, 2014 by repeater

[Fishbait17]

Ephesus and Istanbul...both are the most foreign foreign places I've visited, so I'm feeling a little unsure.

 

Passport cards are a great idea! I'd feel safer with a back up on shore.

 

For Ephesus, I am assuming you are using the port of Izmir? We have visited Ephesus twice and once just walked around Izmir (and also Kusadasi, another port for Ephesus). For this port, I would definitely plan on taking a tour of Ephesus, either thru the ship or on your own, it's a spectacular place located a decent drive from the port. We toured Ephesus twice with private drivers and guides, also taking in the House of the Virgin Mary, Temple of Artemis, and Basilica of St. John. I highly recommend these spectacular sights over simply walking around Izmir, which we did on out third visit as we had done the other twice already -it was "eh". The Ports of Call board can help you find a private guide if you wish, or you can put together a larger group private tour on your Roll Call - or you can simply just book thru NCL if you are more comfortable.

 

Robin

[garycarla]

For a small fee, you can get a passport card too. Best to have both in case NCL does collect the passport books.

 

Passport cards are not a substitute for passports overseas.

 

A good Id to help deal with things, yes.

 

As to making a copy. Here are two other ideas to have something available if you run into trouble.

 

1 - Take a picture and store it on your phone.

 

2 Take a picture and email it to yourself for retrieval when needed.

 

 

Yea, yea, yea... I know a copy is not the original. But, it will help get things moving forward if you need a new one in an emergency. And, some local authorities might take take that for id... better than a library card or your Captain Avenger membership card.

[4774Papa]

Passport cards are not a substitute for passports overseas.

 

A good Id to help deal with things, yes.

 

As to making a copy. Here are two other ideas to have something available if you run into trouble.

 

1 - Take a picture and store it on your phone.

 

2 Take a picture and email it to yourself for retrieval when needed.

 

 

Yea, yea, yea... I know a copy is not the original. But, it will help get things moving forward if you need a new one in an emergency. And, some local authorities might take take that for id... better than a library card or your Captain Avenger membership card.

Perhaps storing a copy of your passport in your phone is great for easy access, but if someone steal your phone, you just gave someone private information that someone could steal your identity.

 

The email storage would probably be more secure. I am not a computer expert by any means.

[rocklinmom]

I'm liking the idea of having both passport book and card for each of us, especially for when NCL takes our passport books in Greece and Turkey. Plus the card will be a form of photo ID for my kids (who don't have any photo ID). Not to mention I would rather show the card as photo ID when using credit cards ashore, instead of my driver's license with our address on it. Then when we get the passport books back we have the option of leaving those in our cabin safe and taking the cards with us off the ship. I will also have photocopies of the passport books anyway.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[sweet ladybug]

I'm going on the Spirit, to Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, and France. Do I need a visa for this trip? I'm concerned about Turkey, in particular. If I do, how do I begin the process? First time to Europe, so please skip the "that's a stupid question" responses. Thanks!!

 

I was told that if your an American Citizen you need a visa for Turkey.

[Sauer-kraut]

I was told that if your an American Citizen you need a visa for Turkey.

 

Cruise ship passengers are considered "In Transit" and therefore not overnighting in Turkey so no visa is needed. IF you were to stay for a visit of more than a day, yes of course you'd need to apply for the visa.

[ttnc4me]

I was told that if your an American Citizen you need a visa for Turkey.

 

If you told them it was for a cruise, then whomever told you that was mistaken. You are not spending the night. The ship will simply keep your passport when you check in to board & return it the day after you visit Turkey.

[4774Papa]

I was told that if your an American Citizen you need a visa for Turkey.

Didn't you read post $5?

[garycarla]

Didn't you read post $5?

 

Actually, post #3, #5 an #7 indicated you do not need to get one.

 

(I hope I got my numbers right, it is late)

 

Trust the people here that have actually cruised to Turkey. They know.