We are taking a Mediterranean cruise next October.

Regarding the Istanbul stop:

Should we take the cruise ship - offerred shore excursion or go elsewhere?

Are you daft? Of course you should see Istanbul, silly rabbit. If you don't have much time, you should head straight to Sultanahmet to see the BIG 3: Topkapi Palas, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque. If you have extra time, you should visit the Grand Bazaar or Spice Bazaar. If it is warm enough, have lunch in the garden of Yesil Ev.

Have you read my trip report on Istanbul <Turkey in the Straw: Thingorjus sleeps in Istanbul>? It is required reading here at Fodors.

I wasn't clear. I meant should we get a shore excursion other than that offerrd by the cruise line.

Well, darling, what are the specifics? You aren't giving me much info. How much time do you have? Because this is your biggest problem--standing in line waiting to get tickets. If you have a lot of time, you can take a cab from your ship to Sultanahmet and see the sites on your own. There is a line to get tickets for Topkapi. After standing in line for a ticket, you enter the grounds and have TO STAND IN ANOTHER LINE to get a ticket to the Harem (which is worth the wait).

The line to get tickets to Hagia Sophia is shorter than Topkapi. There is really no line to get into the Blue Mosque as you enter gratis.

So, if you have a lot of time, in my opinion, you can do Istanbul on your own. If you are short on time and the ship excursion will bypass standing in line, you should take that option.

Taxis are cheap and easy to take in Istanbul. Don't be afraid to do this trip on your own. Just make sure you have the address of the ship dock written in Turkish so you can get back to the ship via taxi. There are ATM kiosks behind the Blue Mosque so you can get Turkish currency.

We took a similar cruise a few years ago. You will see MORE in a shorter period of time if you take the ship's excursion. You would be foolish to try to see everything on your own. There is too much to see in Istanbul in one day!

Hi

Cruise excursions are expensive. It would be cheaper tracking down a reputable guide for Istanbul. Try a separate posting at Fodors for this or refer www.cruiseaddicts.com. Or if DIY swat up at this excellent site - http://www.virtourist.com/europe/istanbul/index.html

Cheers

Thanks everyone for your advice.

I think we will take the ship's excursion this time.

The reason I asked was that earlier this year we took the ship's excursion in St. Petersburg. Later, after comparing notes with other passengers that used Russian travel agencies such as Red October, we wished we had done the same. It pays to get advice beforehand.

Thanks again.