Sea cruises from Istanbul or Venice or Haifa — page 8

We recommend flying in the day before the cruise begins.

• Arrive at the port 2–3 hours before departure.
• When booking an airport–port transfer, allow at least 5 hours between landing and the scheduled sailing.

Cruise Center lists 240 cruises departing from Istanbul. The starting price is €939 for 7 nights on Costa Fortuna with calls at Izmir, Mykonos, Santorini and Volos. The MSC Yacht Club Fantasia premium segment costs from €4,009 for 9 nights. All itineraries refresh through a direct API integration with the cruise lines.

The main destinations are the Eastern Mediterranean (Kuşadası, Izmir, Rhodes, Kos, Santorini, Mykonos), the Greek Islands (Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes, Crete), the Adriatic and Italy (Corfu, Bari, Trieste, Venice), repositioning sailings into the Black Sea, Israel (Haifa) and Egypt (Alexandria). Typical itineraries last 7–10 nights.

The main cruise port is Galataport in the Karaköy district on the European side, opened in 2021. It hosts all large ships from MSC, Costa, NCL and MSC Yacht Club. Galataport sits 1 km from Taksim and 50 km from Istanbul IST airport, a 1-hour taxi ride. Alternative terminals: Sarayburnu in Eminönü for luxury yachts and Kadıköy on the Asian side.

The peak season is May–September: maximum routes, all lines, higher prices. The low season is November–March: limited choice, mainly MSC and Costa, but prices 30–40 % below summer. April and October are shoulder months — comfortable weather and average prices, the best price-to-quality balance.

Ukrainian, Polish, Moldovan, Romanian, Hungarian and Israeli nationals do not need a visa for Türkiye — visa-free entry for 90 days. For most cruises calling at Greek ports Ukrainian nationals need a Schengen C visa; EU nationals including Poles do not. Passport validity must be at least 6 months on the date of entry.

There are no direct flights from Kyiv in 2026. Alternatives — connecting flights via Chișinău (FlyOne), Bucharest (Wizz Air, Turkish Airlines) or Warsaw (LOT). By bus from Odesa — 24 hours via Chișinău (Metro Turizm, Truva Tourism), from Lviv — 30 hours via Bulgaria. By car from Lviv — 1,800 km, 24–28 hours with two overnight stops.

The starting price for a 7-night cruise from Istanbul is €939 per person, double occupancy, inside cabin (Costa Fortuna). A balcony cabin typically costs €200–€400 more. 9-night MSC Fantasia routes start from €1,189. The MSC Yacht Club Fantasia premium segment runs from €4,009 for 9 nights with premium service.

These are two distinct products. A Bosphorus cruise is a 1.5–3 hour sightseeing trip on a local boat along the European and Asian shores of Istanbul, priced at €15–€50. A multi-day cruise from Istanbul is 7–10 nights on an MSC, Costa or NCL ship with calls at 4–7 ports across the Eastern Mediterranean, priced from €939. Cruise Center lists the multi-day ocean cruises, not the Bosphorus tours.