Early embarkation or Baggage drop off Istanbul

[Justgottago]

We arrive at Istanbul airport at 9:00 am and our embarkation time is 3:00 pm. Does anyone know whether Oceania either processes early arrivals ahead of the stated time or alternately have a facility to receive and store baggage? While we would be quite happy to explore until 3:00 pm, I don't really see us doing that while toting our bags.

[JimandStan]

We arrive at Istanbul airport at 9:00 am and our embarkation time is 3:00 pm. Does anyone know whether Oceania either processes early arrivals ahead of the stated time or alternately have a facility to receive and store baggage? While we would be quite happy to explore until 3:00 pm, I don't really see us doing that while toting our bags.

Justgottago,

 

Frankly, I can't see you having any time to "explore".

 

Even if the plane lands at 9, you can't count on having your luggage before 10:30 (11 would be a safer bet!).

 

Then you have to go through Customs (at least 45 minutes) (11:45)

If you're using Oceanias transfer, it will take another 45 minutes to fill the bus (12:30), and about an hour to get to the ship from the airport.(1:30) Which does not count ANY traffic

 

By the time you re-gather your luggage and find a porter they will be getting onboard.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Why does it take so long to get your bags in Istanbul? Seemed like a decently-run airport when we there 4 years ago, although we were on our way home at that point. Take a cab, fairly cheap.

[JimandStan]

Wendy-

 

JGTG's bags may be the first ones off the plane, who knows? If he is using the Oceania Transfer (which is what he was asking about), he has to wait until EVERYBODY gets their bags, goes through customs, and gets on the bus.

 

I guess my point is that a 9AM arrival for passengers hoping to board the ship at 3PM does not allow a lot of time for sightseeing, even in the best of all possible worlds.

 

My motto on "airport days" is: "If you want to hear God laugh, just make plans".

[phillipahain]

We were on Istanbul to Venice last year and we were able to board Oceania independantly at 1pm

 

Since they disembark everyone before 8.30 AM i am at a loss to see why they give passengers a 3pm boarding time

[phillipahain]

We were on Istanbul to Venice last year and we were able to board Oceania Nautica independantly at 1pm

we also did not experience any delay in baggage arrival etc at the airport

Since they disembark everyone before 8.30 AM i am at a loss to see why they give passengers a 3pm boarding time

[merryecho]

On one of our Oceania trips (forget which) we had an early hotel check out and the ship wasn't ready for boarding. They still took our bags though, we just dropped them at the curb and they were whisked away, and we went off to sight see for a while before returning to board. We didn't use O transfers, just a taxi.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Wendy-

 

JGTG's bags may be the first ones off the plane, who knows? If he is using the Oceania Transfer (which is what he was asking about), he has to wait until EVERYBODY gets their bags, goes through customs, and gets on the bus.

 

I guess my point is that a 9AM arrival for passengers hoping to board the ship at 3PM does not allow a lot of time for sightseeing, even in the best of all possible worlds.

 

My motto on "airport days" is: "If you want to hear God laugh, just make plans".

 

Right. Understood. But as I said, "Take a cab". At least that aggravation goes away, you don't have to wait around for everybody else. Cabs are reasonably priced in Istanbul.

[JimandStan]

Since they disembark everyone before 8.30 AM i am at a loss to see why they give passengers a 3pm boarding time

 

Phillip-

First of all, I assure you that everyone is NOT disembarked before 8:30AM!

 

Just as you arrived at the ship thinking "I paid for this cruise and I am going to get into my cabin as soon as I can"; there are others who are thinking "I paid for this cruise and I'm going to stay in my cabin as long as I can". Don't flame me here, I know that they ASK everyone to disembark, but there ARE rebels among us....and the sick, and the lame and the aged.

 

As the guests leave, the rooms have to be cleaned, maintainance performed if necessary, inspected and finally released.

 

All this by a staff who not only just finished with the last cruise, but must start a new cruise TODAY!

 

Those crews work incredibly hard for incredibly long hours; I think that it is a miracle that they can guarantee 3pm! Have a heart!

[phillipahain]

Well O sure disembarked everyone by 8.30am on both the Med cruise we were on last year and the Bangkok to Beijing this year

 

You used to be able to disembark when you liked on Princess but they too now pretty much have it organised so everyone is off early

[Justgottago]

everyone is NOT disembarked before 8:30AM! .......there ARE rebels among us....

 

JimandStan - You may well be disembarking from Nautica in Istanbul on May 20 as we wait on the quayside to embark!

 

Sorry - I did not give all the relevant details. We are travelling in Turkey before the cruise and are flying in from Cappadochia (another Turkish city) and have an individual transfer arranged by a local tour company so most of the potential problems you raise don't apply to us (except that our bags are NEVER the first ones off the plane).

 

 

Philip and Wendy thank you for the information, it really helped us.

Derek aka JGTG

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Oh, and you won't have to go through customs! Sounds like a wonderful trip, I'm very jealous.

[Justgottago]

DW has solved our problem by lateral thinking! She has found a Turkish cooking class online and we can go there from the airport with our bags, fill in the morning learning how to prepare traditional Turkish food, eat our handiwork and then get a cab to the ship after lunch.

Wendy we are on a SKI holiday (spend kids' inheritance). They (who are both better travelled than their parents) did suggest that we should get on and do any arduous travel while we are still relatively fit and healthy! So we are away 8 weeks starting this Saturday, and hopefully afterwards will feel that we have experienced all we want of Greece and Turkey. (After all there is so much of the world still left to explore!

[Justgottago]

Duplicate sorry

[SKIHoliday]

Hey JustGottaGo - Hi fellow Aucklanders! - nice to see we are not the only AKL Kiwis on Nautica ex Instanbul on May 20th! Look forward to meeting up some time on board

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Wendy we are on a SKI holiday (spend kids' inheritance). They (who are both better travelled than their parents) did suggest that we should get on and do any arduous travel while we are still relatively fit and healthy! So we are away 8 weeks starting this Saturday, and hopefully afterwards will feel that we have experienced all we want of Greece and Turkey. (After all there is so much of the world still left to explore!

 

Wow, that's great, 8 weeks! So you're continuing the tradition of long holidays by the Aussies and Kiwis. I would love to do an extended ramble like that some day.

 

Unfortunately when I spend time in a place like that, I always want to go back--the curse of travel, the desire never ends. But 8 weeks should satiate you for a while!

[Penzance]

Hello SKIHoliday - come and join us on the Roll Call forum for the Nautica May20th sailing. See you aboard.

[Leonid]

You omitted one category of those disembarking - the idiots who have somehow not paid their bill; how I don't know, but it happened to us in Miami in 02/2005. Took an hour to locate the fool.

 

Another category are those who exceed the duty free limit and seem to forget that they have to pay the piper. The Customs people have all day and don't care if you miss your flight.