REVIEW/diary Istanbul - Athens on Nautica

[stingraynz]

Hi

 

I have finally finished my review that actually turned out to be more of diary of my trip June 20 Nautica sailing. Ancient Turquoise Seas 12 day from Istanbul to Athens.

 

It is hard to write during the summer months, so I wrote it little by little and it turned into a monster. So get yourself a refreshment and I hope you enjoy it.

 

I posted it to the CC EUROPE board so here is the link (I hope this works)

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=405999

[Cheesi]

Don't know how I missed your review on the Europe board, but I somehow did. Great review! Anyone planning an upcoming cruise to these ports will find a lot of helpful information.

[Ed and Jim]

Wonderful review. It will help us out a lot. Thank you!

[emmalbrent]

Four of us are on the Nov 27, Nautica Istanbul/Singapore cruise. Staying at one of small hotels in Sultanhamet area; near Four Season. Printing out your inf to take with us.

[Boopsie]

Thanks for the wonderful information. We will be in Athens on the 17th for our Athens to Rome cruise and I booked the King George 11 after reading your great review on the hotel. I had booked the GB but the King George will save us $445 and sounds wonderful. Thanks for taking the time to share with everyone.:)

[foreverr]

Thanks for the review we plan on going on the same itinerary. What airline were you booked on to Istabul and what was your departure city. I am trying to book my own and trying to get the least amount of stops. Thanks.

[peggyann]

Hello! This is Peggy from our Miami-Miami Regatta last year. Tho the passengers were a bit older for you, I'm happy that you are sailing again with Oceania. We did a TA last Nov on Regatta, and are booked for LA - Miami on Jan 28. Hope you are well, and have a great cruise, looks like a great itinerary.

[rreett]

Delta has a direct (nonstop) JFK to Istanbul

 

also nonstop Athens to JFK

[conan]

Awesome review! Many thanks for sharing your experiences and insights! They are most useful for our tour departing next week. Was especially grateful for your statement of admission prices to such things as the Galata Tower and for the location of convenience stores for sundries. It's back to the currency exchange for me. Will look up your buddies under the Galata Bridge at the Acura Cafe. I'm curious though, why did you use two guides (who are among the best)?

[stingraynz]

I guess I should have wrote this in the report.

 

Even though I booked guides in the fall for the following summer, I could not get one guide for the entire time. They book up pretty fast. Levent contacted me first so I booked him right up front for Ephesus. He was booked for some of the other days. Kagan replied very soon after and offered a perfect itinerary for us. I knew he was the one! We were going to leave the last two days to be on our own. Then Nejat got in touch with me again months later and said he had a cancellation booking for the 20th and would we be inetrested in a booking. We thought that would be great. In a weird way I thought "now I get to try them all". I was very up front with them as I knew they probably knew of each other, and they did.

 

They were all so good and so different in their own way. I really tried to point this out in the review. It could not have worked out better. We just happened to have the greatest guide for each day and Istanbul will always have a great spot in our hearts.