Istanbul to Venice: Mediterranean Cruise

Susan Ryan 29 August 2016
The idea of a cruise always intrigued me but I never took the plunge as I thought it was the type of holiday that was reserved for older couples and retired people. How wrong I was! When I got the opportunity to go on a 2 night trip to Istanbul and a 3 night cruise from Istanbul to Venice I jumped at the chance. After a very comfortable flight with Turkish Airlines we landed in Istanbul late one Monday evening. The Pera Marmara was to be our home for the next two nights – a fabulous 4*hotel in the centre of Istanbul with beautiful rooms and magnificent views over the city. As dawn broke over Istanbul we were treated to a tour along the Bosphorous Strait, the famed stretch of water that separates Asia and Europe. After that we went to see the Aga Sofia and Blue Mosque.

The next day was the moment we had been waiting for. All aboard the MSC Divina! What a ship! Any thoughts I had of a cruise being for retired, older people were quickly dispelled when I saw the age range on board and the amount of activities the ship had to offer. There was duty free shopping, spa, gym, swimming pools, Jacuzzis, theatre, 4D cinema and various different bars and restaurants. I wondered how I was going to fit everything in over the next few days! As the MSC Divina set sale Andrea Bocelli’s “Time to Say Goodbye” echoed through the tannoy while we waved goodbye to Istanbul and its beautiful skyline of Mosques.

This was a full day at sea so I used the time to explore the ship. On special offer at the spa was a candle massage which I had to try – very relaxing! There was a Michael Jackson Tribute Show that evening which was brilliant. Then it was back to the restaurant for dinner before dancing the night away in the nightclub. The next day we docked in the beautiful Croatian City of Dubrovnik. My colleague and I didn’t pre book a tour so we got a taxi from the port to the centre of the old town. The taxi wasn’t very expensive €10 one way so if you have 4 people travelling together it only works out at €2.50 per person. We wandered through the old town and took the cable car to the top of the mountain overlooking the city. This is definitely a must do when visiting Dubrovnik as the views are incredible.

We then sailed to Venice & when we docked at 9am it was very straightforward as our bags had been collected from outside our rooms the night before. I had decided to spend the night in Venice and explore the city so I waved goodbye to the rest of the group as they went straight to the airport and I walked to my hotel. The best way to explore Venice is by foot – getting lost and finding all sorts of quirky little cafes and shops along the way, or by boat – taking a gondola or water taxi through the many waterways of the city. The views are incredible whichever way you look! Venice is such a beautiful city and a tourist attraction in itself. It has to be experienced once in a lifetime at least. I have been there 3 times and counting!

If you have any queries about cruising, Istanbul, Croatia or Venice please send me an email susan.ryan@travelcounsellors.com or pick up the phone 067-64823 or 087-0568729 and I would be delighted to help you create the perfect itinerary! Looking forward to hearing from you.