Cruise ship in port at Golden Horn in Istanbul
Celebrity Cruises has dropped overnight stays at Istanbul for the rest of the cruise season, affecting eight cruises. The line had already skipped overnights twice in recent weeks, citing concerns about possible violence in the area.
Since an attack at the U.S. consulate in Istanbul early last month, and in light of the continuing wars in neighboring countries, there have been a number of cancellations. Costa last month cancelled its remaining port calls for this year. Last week, the U.S. State Department issued a Travel Warning for Turkey, warning citizens living or traveling in Turkey to be "alert to the potential for violence."
The latest Celebrity itinerary changes do not skip Istanbul altogether, but rearrange itineraries so all port calls and tours are daytime. The ships will not overnight in the city. CruiseCritic has the details HERE. On its comment boards, a number of people have raised the question of what arrangements will be made for passengers with pre- or post-cruise days in Istanbul.
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