Istanbul stop cancelled.

[govanguy]

4 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Yes, it's a lovely sail-in (done it twice) but Kotor has nothing like the kind of history and sights of an Istanbul or Ephesus.  Just another scenic medieval town.

 

 

[Hambagahle]

4 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Yes, it's a lovely sail-in (done it twice) but Kotor has nothing like the kind of history and sights of an Istanbul or Ephesus.  Just another scenic medieval town.

 

I agree.  But that is not what I was saying.  The beauty of that fjord (the southernmost fjord in Europe) is incredible.   I have been to both Istanbul and Ephesus.  The latter on a cruise as a sightseeing trip.  The former - just ordinary tourists trying to learn about the city.  WOW!  Still there are far more lovely cities here in Switzerland (Bern for example).  without the cacophony that is Istanbul.  Still - I loved being there and would have loved to go back.  It "ain't gonna happen" as the Americans would say.

[ORV]

20 hours ago, Tsunami74 said:

I agree with this!

One of the best ports we have been to.

Be on deck sailing in - so beautiful.

If you're semi fit and haven't done it before I would recommend taking the trek up the top of the hill to the fort in Kotor. Views are fabulous from up there. My legs were sore for days. 

[WildWanderers]

Hello All,

I'm not sure if it has been mentioned in this thread, but Oceania posted on its media page yesterday a release entitled:

Oceania Cruises Releases New 2024 Itineraries, Highlighting Many of the Mediterranean’s Best-Loved Ports

Our July from Athens to Istanbul in August on the Vista appears to be unaffected.  Phew!

I'm not sure how many of the itineraries are brand new vs rejigged.

Cheers,

Greg from the WildWanderers.

[osandomir]

1 hour ago, ORV said:

If you're semi fit and haven't done it before I would recommend taking the trek up the top of the hill to the fort in Kotor. Views are fabulous from up there. My legs were sore for days. 

…or book a tour that includes driving to the rest stop at the highest view point.

[Harry Lake]

On 11/2/2023 at 10:06 AM, cricketlover said:

Just received an e-mail from Oceania regarding our cruise on The Vista departing Malta on 21st April 2024.  Our two days in Istanbul and stop in Ephesus have been cancelled and we are now stopping in Heraklion, Santorini and Kotor.

 

APRIL????

[ORV]

1 hour ago, osandomir said:

…or book a tour that includes driving to the rest stop at the highest view point.

Not an option there, you walk to the top, or you don't get the view. 

[Jockocruiser]

20 hours ago, pinotlover said:

We took a different option. We traveled inland from Split and saw some fabulous countryside, then ventured on to Dubrovnik and overnighted there. The cruise ships, and their crowds, had cleared out. We had an absolutely wonderful dinner in town, then strolling the streets, with the locals. After a great day of sightseeing in the area, we returned to the ship in time for sail away. Experiencing the town after the departure of the cruise ships was well worth the costs of a hotel room! 👌🍷

@pinotloverPresume you advised ship personnel in advance that you were overnighting? 🧐

We did the Dalmatian islands a couple of years ago on a 45’ sailcat for a week. Fascinating at true sea level.

Edited November 4, 2023 by Jockocruiser

[pinotlover]

1 hour ago, Jockocruiser said:

@pinotloverPresume you advised ship personnel in advance that you were overnighting? 🧐

We did the Dalmatian islands a couple of years ago on a 45’ sailcat for a week. Fascinating at true sea level.

Your presumption is correct. Even gave the ship our hotel and guide information. Dubrovnik at night is enchanting.

[Hambagahle]

18 hours ago, govanguy said:

 

And here is a photo from Riviera when sailing into a misty Bay of Kotor.  It is magic that place !

Edited November 4, 2023 by Hambagahle

[Psoque]

On 11/3/2023 at 12:28 PM, cruisemom42 said:

 

Yes, it's a lovely sail-in (done it twice) but Kotor has nothing like the kind of history and sights of an Istanbul or Ephesus.  Just another scenic medieval town.

 

We visited Kotor when we took a Dalmatian Coast cruise on Crystal Espirit.  We really enjoyed the visit.  The small but picturesque downtown area was within walking distance from our boat.  We also took an excursion up the mountain to the Mauseleum of Petar II Ptrovic-Njegos.  I personally think Kotor is an outstanding port of call.

Edited November 4, 2023 by Psoque

[Hambagahle]

12 hours ago, Psoque said:

We visited Kotor when we took a Dalmatian Coast cruise on Crystal Espirit.  We really enjoyed the visit.  The small but picturesque downtown area was within walking distance from our boat.  We also took an excursion up the mountain to the Mauseleum of Petar II Ptrovic-Njegos.  I personally think Kotor is an outstanding port of call.

So do we.  Love the atmosphere, the mountain behind, the walls up the mountain - and we had a very decent cappucino there too.  Living cheek by jowl with Roman ruins (architects here pray that a new building's excavation won't show any trace of them!) I suppose unless it is something like the colosseum in Pula they don't overwhelm me!  Kotor is a lovey place.  The islands are fun to visit too...and the Venetian architecture wonderful.

[rmglhorne]

We are on Riviera Barcelona to Athens 11th September. Just been advised Istanbul and another port in Turkey have been cancelled and have been substituted to Crete and Mykonos.  Not happy as we have been to these ports before.

[dock]

@rmglhorne, when did you find out?
Our cruise is earlier in the summer with 6 Turkish ports and an overnite in Istanbul and we haven’t been notified of any changes as yet. 

Makes planning a little difficult and our air , some tours and trip to Cappadoccia are already booked as well. 

I’m assuming the route is going to change to more of an Eastern Med itinerary, but I do hope we are informed in a timely manner. 
 

 

 

[Harry Lake]

On 11/3/2023 at 7:40 AM, susiesan said:

You may not love Dubrovnik if you re there on a day when there are 10,000 other people from cruise ships. It has become a crowded place to visit and is very different than when it was part of Yugoslavia.

I loathed Dubrovnik for that reason! I heard that UNESCO was threatening to withdraw their heritage status if they didn't do something about it. And that maybe they'll reduce the number of ships that can come.

[Vineyard View]

In 2018 the Mayor of Dubrovnik implemented a maximum of 2 cruise ships, carrying a total of 5,000 pax per day. I am not sure of that is still in play, but I sincerely hope so. It is such a beautiful place.
When we visited Venice this year, it was lovely to be able to see the Lagoon without all the mega ships blocking the view. We stayed several days pre-cruise. The shop owners, restaurants, as well as our hotel were very happy with the decision. In spite of that, the only time to really explore Venice was mornings and late afternoons/evenings due to the crowds, and that was during May. 

Edited November 12, 2023 by Vineyard View

[Tjoolder]

Our 06/27/2024 cruise on Riviera lost 5 Turkish port. Embarkation has been changed from Istanbul to Trieste.

The itinary now also includes Rijeka and Zadar (Croatia), Kotor, Santorini and Mykonos.

 

[Hambagahle]

20 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

In 2018 the Mayor of Dubrovnik implemented a maximum of 2 cruise ships, carrying a total of 5,000 pax per day. I am not sure of that is still in play, but I sincerely hope so. It is such a beautiful place.
When we visited Venice this year, it was lovely to be able to see the Lagoon without all the mega ships blocking the view. We stayed several days pre-cruise. The shop owners, restaurants, as well as our hotel were very happy with the decision. In spite of that, the only time to really explore Venice was mornings and late afternoons/evenings due to the crowds, and that was during May. 

I have been to Venice many times - it is only 5 1/2 hours by train from where I live - and I have never once seen a mega ship that blocked any view I had of the lagoon.  Only once when I was walking around the Giudeca did I see a ship - a mammoth MSC one which sailed by.   Normally when I am in Venice I go to Torcello, which I love.  You can see lots of the lagoon from there - even stuck my feet in it on a hot day - and never a ship.  Not even from the Vaporetto going there.

 

However I do agree that the mega ships were a danger to the foundations of buildings in Venice.  But Oceania and Regent do not have mega ships.

 

Anyway I am on the same cruise as CricketLover and I am really annoyed about our two Turkish ports being removed.  Turkey is a long way from Gaza and Israel but it seems the "powers-that-be" in Miami don't have a map!

Edited November 13, 2023 by Hambagahle

[Pandazoo]

Turkey is next to Syria which is attacking American forces.  The powers that be are protecting thee…

[susiesan]

9 hours ago, Tjoolder said:

Our 06/27/2024 cruise on Riviera lost 5 Turkish port. Embarkation has been changed from Istanbul to Trieste.

The itinary now also includes Rijeka and Zadar (Croatia), Kotor, Santorini and Mykonos.

 

Wow, that's a lot of changes, especially to a different embarkation port. Are you still going to take the cruise? Were you offered any compensation in the form of a discount so as not to cancel?

[oskidunker]

I could not find another cruise line that has cancelled Istanbul.According to Rick Steves, many are using it as a replacement for Haifa. Why did Oceania cancel?

[Vineyard View]

2 hours ago, Hambagahle said:

I have been to Venice many times - it is only 5 1/2 hours by train from where I live - and I have never once seen a mega ship that blocked any view I had of the lagoon.  Only once when I was walking around the Giudeca did I see a ship - a mammoth MSC one which sailed by.   Normally when I am in Venice I go to Torcello, which I love.  You can see lots of the lagoon from there - even stuck my feet in it on a hot day - and never a ship.  Not even from the Vaporetto going there.

 

However I do agree that the mega ships were a danger to the foundations of buildings in Venice.  But Oceania and Regent do not have mega ships.

 

Anyway I am on the same cruise as CricketLover and I am really annoyed about our two Turkish ports being removed.  Turkey is a long way from Gaza and Israel but it seems the "powers-that-be" in Miami don't have a map!

Thank you for clarifying your experiences. The only other time I was in Venice was 10 years ago. Our ship (large for the time) sailed in and out of the lagoon. It was beautiful. I distinctly remember being in St Marks Square and wondering what the lagoon looked like without cruise ships. Maybe they weren’t docked, but they sure did occupy the space. I could very well be wrong on the docking statement. 
The 2021 changes sure made for a better view this year. And I also agree that there were very good reasons for those changes. 

[Hambagahle]

I have sailed into or out of Venice 3 times now.  First time was in 1970 on the Italian Line.  We docked at the Riva degli Schiavoni - right in front of the Doge's Palace.  This was not a cruise ship, it was a trans-Atlantic vessel (at the time our preferred way to get from the US to Switzerland in fact).  Then once on Regent's Mariner maybe 10 years ago.  We ended our cruise with an overnight in Venice and were docked at San Basilio, (not at the Cruise Terminal), near the Piazzale Roma.  It was dense fog.  We could hear children playing soccer on the quai but could not see them!  We heard disembarkation announcements from a Silversea ship moored ahead of us, and could not see it!   Last time we sailed from Venice on Oceania's Riviera.  And that was from the Cruise Port.  Again the weather was awful - heavy rain!  but at least we could see a bit of what we were passing.

 

I think it a shame that the smaller ships cannot dock at least at the Cruise Port.  But on our next cruise - Oceania Vista - we end in Trieste instead of in Venice...  not the same and logistically difficult.

[RD64]

4 hours ago, Hambagahle said:

I have sailed into or out of Venice 3 times now.  First time was in 1970 on the Italian Line.  We docked at the Riva degli Schiavoni - right in front of the Doge's Palace.  This was not a cruise ship, it was a trans-Atlantic vessel (at the time our preferred way to get from the US to Switzerland in fact).  Then once on Regent's Mariner maybe 10 years ago.  We ended our cruise with an overnight in Venice and were docked at San Basilio, (not at the Cruise Terminal), near the Piazzale Roma.  It was dense fog.  We could hear children playing soccer on the quai but could not see them!  We heard disembarkation announcements from a Silversea ship moored ahead of us, and could not see it!   Last time we sailed from Venice on Oceania's Riviera.  And that was from the Cruise Port.  Again the weather was awful - heavy rain!  but at least we could see a bit of what we were passing.

 

I think it a shame that the smaller ships cannot dock at least at the Cruise Port.  But on our next cruise - Oceania Vista - we end in Trieste instead of in Venice...  not the same and logistically difficult.

Yes that would have been on the Colombo to Venice. Ironically Trieste was the final port - or the starting port - depending on the direction of travel.

[Hambagahle]

12 minutes ago, RD64 said:

Yes that would have been on the Colombo to Venice. Ironically Trieste was the final port - or the starting port - depending on the direction of travel.

Colombo?  Sri Lanka ?  Maybe not...  But if you mean the Cristoforo Colombo of the Italian Line - it was !  And we got off in Venice.  (Previous TA on the Italian line was on the Raffaello to Cannes).