Turkey has always been a popular cruise destination, and for many different reasons. From amazing history and culture to out of this world bazaars and cuisine offerings, it’s a place that offers something for everyone. Today, we’re taking a closer look at what deals are available and which cruise line to visit with. Let’s go and discover Turkey on a cruise ship…
Hagia Sophia, Istanbul
Costa Cruises sails from Turkey this Summer
Costa Venezia offers a variety of sailings that visit Turkey, in fact, the ship sails from Istanbul, so you have ample time to explore this fantastic city! You’ll also make a stop in Kusadasi before visiting Greece and soaking up the delights that are on offer.
Example itinerary: Sail from Istanbul (including an overnight), Kusadasi (including an overnight too!), Crete, Rhodes, ending in Istanbul.
Bosphorus, Turkey
MSC Cruises from Athens
Another fine offering of itinerary comes from MSC Cruises, as MSC Lirica offers up a selection of sailings that include calls to Kusadasi. Her 7-night cruises also stop in Israel, Cyprus, and Greece, and are ideal for those unable to take 2-weeks off work.
Example itinerary: Sail from Athens to visit Kusadasi, Haifa (Israel), Limassol (Cyprus), Rhodes, Santorini, ending in Athens.
Norwegian Jade Eastern Mediterranean
Sailing from Piraeus, Norwegian Jade also offers numerous 7-night sailings that include several stops in Greece, but her itineraries also offer the delights of Kusadasi and Istanbul, making her an ideal choice for those that want to add a little more Turkish delight to their holiday.
Example itinerary: Sail from Athens to visit Kusadasi, Istanbul, Volos, Mykonos, Rhodes, Santorini, ending in Athens.
Regal Princess special itineraries
One of the largest ships within the Princess Cruises fleet, Regal Princess’ offers a selection of 7-night cruises that are an ideal choice for many. Sailing from Civitavecchia and including stops in Italy, Greece, and Turkey. Like NCL, these itineraries feature Istanbul and Kusadasi.
Example itinerary: Sailing from Civitavecchia (Rome), visiting Naples (Italy), Heraklion (Crete), Kusadasi (Turkey), Istanbul, Mykonos, ending in Athens (Piraeus).
Top places to visit in Istanbul
Istanbul is one of the largest cities in Europe and without a doubt is one of the most recognisable for cruise passengers. There’s so much to see and do, one visit would never be enough, but we’ll help you narrow down the options with our quick list below.
- Hagia Sophia
- Grand Bazaar
- The Blue Mosque
- Topkapi Palace Museum
- Galata Tower
- Maiden’s Tower
- Istanbul Archaeological Museum
- Basilica Cistern
These are just a few places that we would recommend you Google and find out more about. After all, this city is huge and incredibly unique. Your cruise line will offer many organised excursions and we would recommend you see what’s on offer and maybe even combine several options.
Check our cruises sailing from Istanbul.
And what has Kusadasi to offer you?
Kusadasi, Turkey
Kusadasi is a beach town on Turkey’s western Aegean coast. It’s a beautiful place to visit, but a lot of cruise ships stop here to allow their guests to visit the ancient ruins at Ephesus.
Ephesus is the most important Greek city in the Ionian Asia Minor and it’s always a popular place for tourists. Some don’t know that the Temple of Artemis (to which Ephesus owes much of its fame to) was probably seaboard when it was founded – the coastline has moved further west since 600 BCE.
If you’ve visited before and want to do something new, or maybe history is not for you, then there are a ton of other things to enjoy. Kusadasi is FANTASTIC for shopping and offers some wonderful restaurants. There are also boat trips, aqua parks, jeep safari, scuba diving and much more!
Find out more about our cruises to Turkey.
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