How dies Azamara handle 'meet and greet',transfers etc

[welshfamily]

We have a complete package booked with Azamara for our August cruise however we don't seem to have any information on what happens when we first arrive. Although the hotel is on our booking details we have no booking ref number or a voucher.

We are flying into Istanbul the day before the cruise arriving at 4.20pm having left home around 3am in the morning. The nights hotel is complementary due to flight times/and the ships departure.

The hotel provided runs a shuttle service once an hour from the airport to the hotel.

 

Does Azamara have staff at the airport who direct guests?

Obviously we would prefer to use a taxi if there is a long wait for the hotel shuttle bus and the shuttle could be full. If this is the case will the hotel have a list of names and estimated times of arrival or should our TA be confirming our arrival directly with the hotel.

 

We would like to firm up some details as our only experience of a cruise line arranging the hotel was with Celebrity and Miami, absolute chaos, a 10 seater mini bus for at least 300 passengers and queues outside the hotel lobby for checking in. We were lucky enough to be familiar with Miami airport and hot footed it to a taxi.

 

Thank you.

[Lottie A]

Azamara arranges transfers well. You will get a printable transfer voucher and a hotel voucher in your cruise details pack, which you will find in your personalised cruise reservation on the AZ website. It is usually available about a month to so before you sail. There will be an Azamara person holding up a board at the airport and you will all be led to your coach, luggage loaded and then off to your hotel. This could be a coach provided by AZ or your free hotel shuttle. You could get a taxi of course, but Istanbul is a huge city and it may cost a lot. Not all Istanbul taxi drivers are completely honest about the quickest way to your hotel!

 

There will either be printed information or sometimes an Azamara rep at your hotel to give you info about the transfer to the pier the next day. We have never had a problem with AZ transfers, they are always well organised.

 

I hope you get to see some of Istanbul, one of my favourite cities in the world.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[excitedofharpenden]

Hi Welshfamily. First off you will have vouchers to print when your cruise documents are ready. This is normally four to six weeks before your trip, available either through your travel agent if you use one or directly via the website if you DIY. If the latter you should get an email letting you know when they are ready. You can print them off and take them with you and they'll include flight, transfer to hotel from airport, hotel voucher, transfer to ship on the morning of the cruise and from ship to airport at the end. To be honest I rarely ever get asked for them!

 

Once you have collected your luggage there will be an agent in the terminal holding an Azamara sign ready to direct you to the transport. It's always been very straightforward and having had experience of Celebrity too it's not such a bun fight. Less passengers means it has always worked well.

 

There should be a note for you at the hotel letting you know the meeting time in the lobby the morning of the cruise.

 

Phil

 

Oops, Lottie replied too whilst I was typing.

Edited June 8, 2015 by excitedofharpenden

[excitedofharpenden]

Lottie, meant to say I have always wanted to go to Istanbul and will have the chance on Azamara in August doing an overnight and then again in September, start and finish on Celebrity. It never rains, but it pours! Looking forward to seeing this amazing place:cool:

 

Hope you are ok.

 

Phil

Edited June 8, 2015 by excitedofharpenden

[Lottie A]

Hi Phil,

I'm fine, thank you. Hope you are too. Hazel and I are looking forward to our HAL Zuiderdam cruise in a few weeks....we may just possibly be doing some shopping, drinking and eating!:D

We are thinking of booking Quest in September but I expect you will be on Celebrity then? You still owe me that drink! :D

 

Istanbul is magical and I don't think weeks there would be enough to see it all. I think you must be on Journey for your August cruise? Please say Hi to Captain Johannes if he's the master, Max of course and a hug to Ness from Lottie and Hazel.

 

Sorry to hijack your thread welshfamily.

[excitedofharpenden]

Will do!

 

Phil

[welshfamily]

Thank you both. It is reassuring to know Azamara handle these things well. We rarely take flights or hotels with companies preferring to handle these things ourselves however on this occasion both flights, transfers and hotel came free in a promotion and I do love a good deal.

We have been to Istanbul before. We have been fortunate enough to be shown around by a work colleague of my husbands and therefore didn't experience Taxis etc. so thanks for the heads up Lottie.

Phil,

I can recommend almost everything,we used the tram from the port very handy for all the historical sites. Try not to miss the underground cistern, the Basilica. We found this unlike anything else and beautifully cool in mid August.

[N&PJ]

Lottie A, Can I please jump onto this thread and ask you about Istanbul? We are on the same cruise as Welshfamily and our return flight home from Istanbul is late in the evening (20.30pm). The Azamara debarkation tour of the city would get us to the airport at about 3pm, meaning we will be stuck in the airport for 7 or more hours. From what I have heard it is not one of the best airports to be stuck in - is that your experience?

We are looking at other options for the dekarkation day in Istanbul which may involve us transferring to the airport under our own steam - in the past have you used taxis to the airport, or the metro, or the airport bus service? if so which do you prefer.

 

Many thanks for your help

 

Neil

[excitedofharpenden]

Phil,

I can recommend almost everything,we used the tram from the port very handy for all the historical sites. Try not to miss the underground cistern, the Basilica. We found this unlike anything else and beautifully cool in mid August.

Thanks for the information. Cool is good! I get off as you get on. Enjoy!

 

Phil

[Lottie A]

Hi Neil,

I would agree that Kemal Ataturk airport in Istanbul is not a place I would want to spend any more hours than absolutely necessary in. It's chaotic....and just wait until you see the baggage security checks! Been to Istanbul a few times now and trust me, the best way to arrive and depart is by ship! :D

 

We stayed on in Istanbul after our AZ cruise last September and we used taxi's to get us to the hotel and then to the airport after our stay. Our hotel advised us that a taxi would be cheaper than booking the hotel shuttle. I think we were overcharged for the taxi from the pier to our hotel, but the charge from our hotel to the airport seemed pretty reasonable. We had an early morning flight so the traffic was OK. Other people have said that the trams are very convenient to get around the city if you are staying there. I have never used the metro in Istanbul...and I'm by no means a cautious traveller, but I wouldn't do it.

 

Maybe AZ will do an early transfer to the airport and then I think there would be a shuttle bus from the airport into the city and there must be a "Left Luggage" facility for your cases. You won't be able to book in for your flight until about 2 hours before take off. If AZ doesn't do the early transfer for you then I would think your best option would be to get a taxi early morning from the dock straight to the airport, leave your cases in the LL facility and then shuttle bus it into the city and back to the airport for your late flight. Just remember that busy Istanbul traffic and leave plenty of time to catch your flight!

Istanbul is a great city and if I only had limited time there I would choose to visit The Cisterns and The Grand Bazaar or Hagia Sophia.

[welshfamily]

Lottie,

Why would you not use the metro?

We had planned to drop off our luggage at our hotel, ( it is a Wyndham airport hotel) and go back to the airport to use the metro into a more 'tourist' area simply to avoid the traffic.

We have safely used the Metro in Athens and parts of France with no problems.

Grateful for any tips.

 

Phil,

On the 16th of August you will be excited and we will be sad.

Enjoy Istanbul and can I also recommend the restaurant in the palace for the views of the Bosphorus and Asian side of Istanbul. The sherbet was delicious.

[Lottie A]

Lottie,

Why would you not use the metro?

We had planned to drop off our luggage at our hotel, ( it is a Wyndham airport hotel) and go back to the airport to use the metro into a more 'tourist' area simply to avoid the traffic.

We have safely used the Metro in Athens and parts of France with no problems.

Grateful for any tips.

 

Sorry welshfamily, I didn't mean to imply the Istanbul metro is very unsafe, but just as in many cities and I include my favourite Barcelona as well, the metro is rife with pickpockets. So I don't use it. If there are a few of you then be vigilant and just don't take anything with you that would cause you huge problems if you were to lose it. Like your passport! :eek:

 

Have a great cruise.

From also Welsh Lottie. :)

[welshfamily]

Thanks Lottie, wise words.

 

I believe you have to be vigilant anywhere these days. I had forgotten that we used the metro in Barcelona.

We tend to carry valuables very carefully on holiday, a friend lost his wallet on our very first cruise.

Lesson learnt.

 

We usually just take cash spread out amongst the 4 of us.

[N&PJ]

Hi Neil,

I would agree that Kemal Ataturk airport in Istanbul is not a place I would want to spend any more hours than absolutely necessary in. It's chaotic....and just wait until you see the baggage security checks! Been to Istanbul a few times now and trust me, the best way to arrive and depart is by ship! :D

 

We stayed on in Istanbul after our AZ cruise last September and we used taxi's to get us to the hotel and then to the airport after our stay. Our hotel advised us that a taxi would be cheaper than booking the hotel shuttle. I think we were overcharged for the taxi from the pier to our hotel, but the charge from our hotel to the airport seemed pretty reasonable. We had an early morning flight so the traffic was OK. Other people have said that the trams are very convenient to get around the city if you are staying there. I have never used the metro in Istanbul...and I'm by no means a cautious traveller, but I wouldn't do it.

 

Maybe AZ will do an early transfer to the airport and then I think there would be a shuttle bus from the airport into the city and there must be a "Left Luggage" facility for your cases. You won't be able to book in for your flight until about 2 hours before take off. If AZ doesn't do the early transfer for you then I would think your best option would be to get a taxi early morning from the dock straight to the airport, leave your cases in the LL facility and then shuttle bus it into the city and back to the airport for your late flight. Just remember that busy Istanbul traffic and leave plenty of time to catch your flight!

Istanbul is a great city and if I only had limited time there I would choose to visit The Cisterns and The Grand Bazaar or Hagia Sophia.

 

Many thanks for this Lottie.

 

Neil