Senkron Day Tours

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3 Hour Ottoman Dinner Cruise in Istanbul

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Lunch Cruise in Bosphorus

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SENKRON DAY TOURS - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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Senkron tours - half day afternoon tour, istanbul, istanbul, turkey.

Senkron Tours is a travel agency located in the Arasta Bazaar . There was a representative outside (who spoke English) who told us they were offering half day cruise tours.

The representative told us his tour was better than the other ones we had seen because it had two cruises. He gave us an informational pamphlet (shown here) which outlined the two cruises, and the rest of the days itinerary. We were quite disappointed to find out that the tour only had one cruise. Although it was a fairly long cruise, we still felt the literature was misleading. When confronting the sales representative about this after the tour, he said the two cruises were on the same boat - two different parts of the same cruise.

Tour Itinerary

We were told that the tour left at 1:30pm, and we should be there 15 minutes early. We arrived just before that so we could pay for the tour (since we didn't decide if we were going or not until just before the tour). There was another tour that left at 2:00pm from just across the street, so we weren't worried about not being able to get a tour at the last minute.

The tour bus stopped near the travel agency at 1:40pm. Six people boarded the bus for the half-day afternoon tour. The bus already had 18 people on it that had taken the full-day tour.

The bus drove us to a dock on the Great Horn, where we boarded a boat at 2:00pm. The boat was a two-level boat - the lower level was inside, and the upper level was just the top of the boat with a canvas cover. The boat was quite old, but it didn't sink, so it couldn't have been too bad. There was a bathroom on the boat, but it was quite dirty and did not have running water. There was also a bar on the boat and a waiter came around serving hot tea during the cruise. I thought it was interesting that they didn't tell people the tea cost money until after they drank it.

The boat cruise lasted almost two hours. We sailed out the Bosphorus along the European side (so we could see all the sites there). Our tour guide gave us some descriptions about the sites and other history about Istanbul over a loud speaker on the boat. The boat turned around at 3:00pm, and then sailed back along the Asian side of the Bosphorus. The trip back was faster, since we were moving with the current.

It was interesting to see more of Istanbul from the cruise boat since we stayed in the main downtown area of Istanbul during our short visit. I think we would have enjoyed the cruise more if the weather had been a bit better. It was a bit of a chilly day, and most people ended up going down to the lower level where it was inside and warm. As well, the water was very choppy and our small boat rocked quite a bit on the way. I was very glad I had taken an anti-motion sickness pill beforehand.

When we arrived back at the dock, we boarded the bus at 4:00pm. The bus drove us up a hill where there was a nice view of the city. There was also a cafe and restaurant at the top. We had about 15 minutes to take pictures, then we took a cable car ride down the hill. The cable car cost 1.30 YTL, but that cost was included in the tour. The tour guide purchased tokens, and gave each of us a token so we could move through the turnstile.

We boarded the bus again at the bottom of the hill, and it made a couple stops near the old city where we could hop off the bus to finish the tour.

We payed 45 YTL per person for the tour. The pamphlet advertised the cost as being 25 euro.

Estimated Tour Time

The tour lasts approximately three and a half hours.

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Is it better to book a cruise through a travel agent? We say yes

Fran Golden

Going online to book an airline ticket or hotel stay is a familiar and fairly easy transaction. When you book a cruise, however — particularly your first cruise — you might want to reconsider the impulse to handle the transaction yourself through a cruise line website or an online advertiser with cheap prices. This DIY approach might not be the best way to find your dream vacation at sea.

In reality, it's not that simple to book a cruise. You will likely run into a lot of questions to which you have no ready answer.

That's where specialized cruise travel agents come into play. Their expertise can help you avoid mistakes, whether you are a first-timer or a repeat cruiser checking out a brand you have not tried before.

For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

Why you should book through a cruise travel agent

You should consider booking a cruise through a travel agent because a knowledgeable agent can help you understand the nuances of a cruise purchase and help you make the best decisions for your vacation preferences.

When you book a cruise, you are making a vacation decision that goes way beyond a flight or hotel nights. Which ship you choose determines your dining and evening entertainment choices for the duration of your vacation. Which itinerary you choose impacts which destinations you'll visit and which shoreside activities will be available to you. It can be overwhelming to evaluate the options on your own if you've never cruised before.

senkron travel agency cruise

In addition, cruise fares can be hard to understand and compare. You might, for instance, see a fare listed online without the port charges, taxes and fees, which you only see after you give your personal details.

Plus, the price of your cruise includes accommodations, meals, entertainment and activities — and in some cases drinks, tips, shore excursions, Wi-Fi and other extras. There's a lot bundled into some fares and not as much with others. A travel agent can help you determine what your cruise fare gets you. The cheapest base cruise fare does not always provide the best value or best overall vacation deal.

Related: 4 scenarios when you should use a travel agent

You aren't just booking general passage on a ship, either, as you will be asked to pick a specific cabin and when you prefer to dine. Making a mistake in these categories can ruin your cruise experience, as there are such thing as "bad" cabins and dining times (think noisy or claustrophobic cabins, dinner at 8 p.m. with cranky children, etc.).

With cruises, you typically don't pay for your whole vacation upfront but rather put down a deposit, with final payment due at a later date. A cruise travel agent can ensure you don't miss any due dates.

Remember, you might be a DIY type when booking airlines and hotels, but booking a cruise is more complex. If you enjoy doing your own research, focus on what to do and see in the ports of call. Read about different ships, cruise lines and itineraries. However, when it comes to booking the cruise, we recommend you still contact a travel agent who specializes in cruises to help you learn a few tips and avoid any rookie mistakes.

Travel agents can get better deals on cruises

If you're concerned that working with an agent will make your cruise more expensive, don't be. Cruise travel agents receive the bulk of their income via commission from the cruise lines. Their service to you is usually free, though some might charge first-time clients a minimal fee. It's worth it.

In addition to sharing their expertise, the agent may have negotiated group space at lower rates with the cruise line, which could save you money on the cruise fare. The agent might also have first access to sale prices because the cruise lines notify their agent partners and loyalty club members first before they announce a sale to the public.

Related: 6 ways to get a deal on a cruise

Some cruise travel agents even throw in booking perks , such as a complimentary bottle of Champagne, awaiting your arrival in your cabin.

How to find a travel agent for a cruise

Cruise lines prefer that you use a travel agent rather than going online and booking directly. They have small in-house reservation teams, and when you have a question while making a booking, good luck in getting an expert on the phone in a timely manner.

Companies such as Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line provide online directories to help you find an experienced cruise travel agent near you.

senkron travel agency cruise

You can also find experienced and certified cruise travel agents through CLIA, the Cruise Lines International Association , which is the industry's main marketing group. Asking friends who have cruised to recommend a travel agent is another good idea.

Related: 5 unexpected places that sell cruises

You might get more personalized care from smaller agencies than from the huge online agencies, though websites such as icruise.com, Cruise.com and Cruise411.com also have experienced cruise agents. These larger online travel agencies can be a good option for those who prefer to make decisions and ask questions via chat. Just make sure you get the name and phone number of the representative for any follow-up questions.

Questions to ask a cruise travel agent

In choosing a cruise travel agent, you will want to tap into the person's specific expertise about the cruise line and ship you are considering. Anyone can read a ship deck plan outlining ship spaces (which you can find online), but you are looking for people who really know their stuff.

Look for travel agencies that are cruise-only or a home-based agent who specializes in cruises. If you are using a full-service travel agency, ask for the cruise desk.

Here are some questions to ask a travel agent to determine their expertise:

  • How often do you cruise?
  • Have you cruised on the line I am considering?
  • Have you cruised on the ship that I am considering, or do you have clients who have cruised that ship and provided a review of their vacation?
  • Do you have firsthand knowledge about the cruise destination? The itinerary?

You will also want to ask the travel agent if they have a preferred relationship or negotiated agreement with any specific lines that could lead to special perks for you.

Be aware that not all agents work with all cruise lines; some represent only a few preferred suppliers or specialize in higher-end cruises. They get bigger commissions from their preferred lines.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, but be aware if the agent seems to be putting you off the line you were originally considering, as this could be the reason. On the plus side, an agent who is a preferred supplier might have negotiated rates with the cruise line and be able to call in favors, such as that bottle of Champagne or a cabin upgrade .

senkron travel agency cruise

You should also ask if the travel agency offers 24/7 assistance (usually an 800 number) in case you have last-minute questions or something goes wrong before or during your trip.

The cruise travel agent should have questions for you as well, to better understand your dream vacation desires. If you are calling a cruise agency for the first time, the agent should be interviewing you as much as you are interviewing him or her. The agent should be focused on helping you choose the cruise line , ship and cabin that is right for you. Making the correct choices is very important to your overall cruise experience.

Bottom line

Booking a cruise is a complex enterprise. A cruise travel agent will guide you through choosing your cabin and dining times, deposits and final payment, and options for shore excursions and specialty dining. If you need to cancel the trip, the agent will also help you through the refund process. You'll have a lot less stress before and during your vacation if you book with an experienced agent.

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istanbul senkron travel agency - Senkron Day Tours

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istanbul senkron travel agency

Saved until the last night, Bosphorus Dinner Cruise pick up 7.00 to 7.30 pm[ booked 48 hours earlier ] We were ready 7.10, despite many phone calls from hotel reception,over the next 65 minutes, we were n't picked up. We were left waiting over 1 hr at our hotel. So cannot recommend this company.

My wife and I went to Istanbul on a honeymoon and we were interested in going in a tour. We liked this morning tour with Senkorn which takes us in a bosphorus cruise and then take a bus to Dolmapasha palace. then it must take us to the Asian side. At the cruise, well, it took us around the Asian and European side but the speakers were too low that we hardly understood the tour guide. Then, and that was the biggest disappointment, they took us to a church. And I asked when will we go to the Dolmapash palace as I was most excited about it, and the tour guide said that it is closed on Tuesdays and Fridays. But why didn't you tell us when we booked. It was a planned move so they can take us to a Church and pay a lower entrance fee. Then the tour guide canceled couple of activities blaming the traffic in Istanbul. They should know that there is always a traffic in these areas. And most importantly, I managed to get to the tour for $70 each, because I was able to negotiate and pretended not to be interested when they where offering us the tour. But they charged other people almost $100 each, 70 Euro. I was so excited to go on this tour and I was planning to do the night tour as well, but after this, never again. My advice to you, don't go. You will be paying all this money for a launch only. All of the people in the tour were angry and disappointed. We all agreed that it's not worth it at all and said to rate them. Not sure if they did, but I'm sure I would never miss that as I am still regretting the $70 I paid. It's a small fee but still not worth spending it on a Senkorn trip. You can spend less than $20 on a bosphorus cruise and then go to the Dolmapash palace by yourself. Stay away from them and I asked people about what would be the best tour office and they said there is a French company called SHE, and they are the best. Never tried them but this is what I heard.

My husband and I did the Senkron Bosphorus Dinner Cruise on our first night in Istanbul, which we booked through our hotel. The driver turned up promptly, collected a few other travellers then took us to the boat. Tables were reserved and we were seated immediately. Dinner was absolutely delicious! I chose the package with alcohol and my as husband does not drink alcohol we just paid the basic rate. I had five drinks during the 3hr trip and felt the extra 15 euros I paid for my ticket was good value. I would like to have known what some of the dishes were as they were delicious and I would loved to have found recipe to recreate them! The entertainment was varied and included a magician, traditional dancers, a fiddler, a duo and a belly dancer. I enjoyed it all but my husband was not keen when the fiddle player serenaded people for a tip! He was a bit pushy unfortunately but that was the only part of the evening that we didn't enjoy, We were taken back to our hotel after the cruise and all in all, had a most enjoyable night and felt it was reasonably good value for money. Two days later we did a full day tour with Senkron and again felt this was well planned, interesting and our tour guide spoke well and fluently even though English was a second language for him. The only part of the day that we did not especially enjoy was the "shopping opportunity" at a leather factory. However all we did was go in, sit through the 5 minute fashion parade and then left. There was no pressure even when I looked at a couple of jackets on the way out. We had read some very negative reviews about this company but after a successful experience with the cruise we decided to try them again and were not disappointed at all. I think it is important to be realistic about tours like this, sometimes things don't go to plan for one reason or another but to me, that is just part of the adventure when travelling!

My husband and I are on our honeymoon and went on this tour (dinner cruise number 14 along the bosphorus) last night and had a fantastic time! After reading the other reviews on here we were a bit hesitant to go however we had already booked the tour so didn't have much choice. To the comments made below about this tour, yes it's unfortunate that you may have had a bad experience and thats terrible if your stuff was stolen however I think those things could have been avoided for example if you leave your stuff unattended then it may get stolen regardless of where you are...as for the complaints about the music, it's a traditional Turkish cruise you paid for so if you didn't want to listen to that stuff don't do the cruise (we enjoyed it thoroughly but then again we knew what we were paying for) from start to end the staff were hospitable constantly serving us drinks, the food was excellent and the entertainment was loads of fun the whole time with beautiful views of the water. Yes the views are better outside but they are not bad inside as some people have suggested. As for the toilets they were perfectly clean. Perhaps the expectations of this cruise was extremely high for some people? As my husband and I loved it. We found turkish people to be so lovely and if you try to learn how to say thank you it also goes a long way to them. Overall a great night out and we would def recommend it to others!

My wife and I did a tour with the Senkron agency ST-8, its a boat tour through the Bosphorus, we paid 35 euro each. First a guy went to pick us by foot the bus didn't go to our hotel, we were around the hotels gathering people about 40 min, we arrived to the boat and no one told me anything we just followed all the people to the boat. The boat was old and the toilets were dirty. The view of the city is amazing from the boat but our guide spoke very bad english we didn't understand anything so we just had the nice view, then we stopped at a small town about 40 min, the guide asked if someone want to swim stay in the boat, my wife an I went to go around to town. Finally we came back. Next day we were walking around the river and you can do the same tour for 25 turkish liras (around 10 euros). So the tour is very expensive, you have to buy drinks inside the boat at higher prices. So avoid this agency is a robbery.

Fortunately, the view at night of Istanbul was excellent. Unfortunately, you had to be up top on the boat to see anything - so we had to choose between the folk dancing and the sights. Based on how bad the music was, and our real purpose of seeing the sights - the decision was easy. We went up top as soon as we finished eating and enjoyed the view. The food was average and the service was poor. The tour was recommended by the hotel - I assume they get a kickback - because I wouldn't recommend it!

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Unorganized and Uninspired - Senkron Day Tours

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  • Istanbul - Things to Do    
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Unorganized and Uninspired

My husband and I went on one of the all day tours with Senkron earlier today. The tour agency was recommended by our hotel, and having failed to do any research before hand (our first mistake) we booked the # 6 tour that included a Bosphorus cruise as well as several other sights that are outside the old city Sultanahmet area. The day started off at 8:30 when we were very promptly picked up at our hotel. The guide didn't say anything, just led us to a bus where we then departed to pick up other passengers. Finally, around 9:15am, we left the old city area and drove to the northern end of the Golden Horn to catch the cruise boat. The guide never gave us any clue as to what was happening, nor did he mention anything about our surroundings as we were driving around. This was our first clue that the tour was not going to go well. When we arrived at the boats, the guide just got off the bus, and without saying anything started to walk toward the water, leaving us to follow him. There were two boats and we were surprised to find that there were about 50-60 on each of the boats already! So much for a personal tour experience. The boats left shortly after we arrived but I understood that other people already there had been waiting for quite some time for us to arrive. The cruise experience itself was fine, because you just can't mess up Istanbul's scenery, but the guide's voice could barely be heard by the bow of the boat where we were sitting, even with the help of a pair of large speakers. The guide also didn't offer much explanation of anything, and what he did say was perfunctorily delivered, with no enthusiasm or love for his city displayed. After the cruise, we loaded on to buses and drove to Pierre Loti, where we had a scenic view of the European side of the Istanbul. We walked to the top of the hill, and then waited for quite some time for the cable car to transport 120 people down to our buses. My husband and I were in the last cable car, as we decided we'd rather wait at the top of the hill than in the buses at the bottom. I can't imagine having been in the first cable car, and then waiting 30-40 minutes in the buses until the last group arrived. Departing the hill, we drove past the city walls and the guide told us to take pictures from the bus. Wait, what? We just paid 70 euros for this trip and we've been reduced to driving past historical sites and taking pictures through grimy bus windows? Our next stop was for the "shopping opportunity" that was listed in the tour. We all figured it would be a bazaar or souk or some such location. Nope - we ended up at some leather store in a light industrial sector of the city, where we had to sit through a fashion show with models garbed in leather jackets strutting down a mini catwalk. Then we had the 'opportunity' to shop in their showroom for all the highly 'discounted' items. Here we are in Istanbul, with some of the richest archaeological and cultural offerings in the world, and we were taken to a freaking factory outlet store to buy high end leather. Lunch followed the shopping opportunity, and then a trip to the Dolmabahce Palace. Following the Palace tour we drove to the Asian side of Istanbul, where we had an all too quick stop for drinks at a tourist trap cafe on top of the tallest hill in Istanbul. It was a pretty view, but I certainly felt like it was a complete waste of time, as traffic was so bad, it took an hour to get there, and an hour to return. To sum up, we didn't feel as if the tour was a complete waste of time as the cruise was quite nice (but probably any boat trip on the Bosphorus would have done the trick) and Dolmabahce was quite nice too. But the rest of it was just a waste. A word on the guides too. They were nice, but honestly, anybody with a pulse could have done just as good a job. Everything said was clearly learned by rote, and said without enthusiasm or inspiration. The best guides have a love for their city which can clearly be seen by how much they want to share about it. These guides could have cared less. I'm going to give this review 2 stars because I felt like there were some decent aspects of the tour - not due to Senkron's efforts of course - but overall our money could have been spent better on just about any other tour agency.

GOOD FOR: Entertainment THE UGLY: Missed sunset! This cruise promised that seeing Istanbul by night would be unforgettable and we would be asking to stay, these to thing did not happen. Unfortunately the sun had set by the time we left, however we did get to 'enjoy' this while sitting top deck still in the harbour, wondering where the welcome cocktails were or even when the bar opened for 40 minutes. The entertainment was the highlight with just the right amount of auidence participant. Seeing the belly dancing is a must and İ can't think of a nicer way to do this than cruising along with the sights of İstanbul lit up. Although this is not a serious sightseeing tour as there was no guide, however we did enjoy going top deck to enjoy the skyline. The food was plentiful and varied, however as it was a buffey the queuing system was bad everyone at once, İ would bear this in mind if you are a older couple. We choose the unlimitted alcohol for additional €15, they had a okay selection but more importantly they did keep the drinks flowing once the bar opened. The worse part was the transfer back, we had a 30 mınute wait while the driver pulled into a layby & promptly ran off, while his mates stood around the bus, slightly disconcerting. Although we did have fun mainly due to the alcohol, for the price paid €70 this could have been better / more professional and İ would look for another cruise.

We went for an afternoon cruise -3 hours for 35 euros -payment was asked on the bus quite rudely. We were driven to the boat and never welcome aboard by anyone. We waited there without even knowing at what time the boat was supposed to leave- which was 45 minutes late. As a consequencethe 2 planned stops on the cruise lasted 11 and 15 mn -we ran fast. The cruise in itself is nice but definitely not with this company.

This company was recommended to me by the reception of Maywood hotel. I went on a full day tour of Bosphorus cruise, but ran away after half day. It took them 1.5h to pick up all the tourists from Sultanahmet area, then delivered us to the Port with a company of a guide (no disrespect to senior people, but this person was not right for the job), who let us know that Port is a place where ship arrive and leave from/to the other shore and that university is the same as college.... right.... thanks for the info.... Half of the trip we were just waiting for the bus to go. Total waste of time!!!! Avoid!!!!!

My main reason for booking the trip was that I wanted to see Istanbul from the Bosphorus at night, and this cruise certainly achieved that. The secondary reason was that food was provided along with unlimited drinks! The price was 70 euro each for the unlimited alcoholic drink option, just soft drinks. The price was 55 euro. However although we did enjoy it on the whole, it could have been so much better. Things got off to a bad start when the promised pick up time of 7.45 turned into just after eight, but after another couple of pick ups on route we got to the boat just before 8.30. My first impression was that the boat looked reasonable enough and on stepping inside, again not bad at all, there were probably about 20 or so people already there. We sat down waiting for the promised "welcome cocktail ", and waited and waited. There only seemed to be one waitress and another behind the bar and they seemed to be making heavy going of pouring out some fruit juices and then going backwards and forwards to the other tables with them. More passengers were arriving by this time so she didn't get round to our table to ask what we wanted. Then, my real criticism, they started calling everone to help themselves to the buffet before the boat departed, whereas the description had said it would be served while we were cruising. In the end I think everyone had virtually finished before the boat left. While queuing up for the food I just went up to the bar and asked for a drink, and was served without any problem. Perhaps I should have done that as soon as getting on board, to be fair after that drinks were unlimited, it was just a case of asking for whatever you wanted, and from what I could see both spirits as well as wine were available. As for the buffet, it was reasonable, if not brilliant, and the quantities were more than adequate. My other chief criticism concerns the entertainment, which I think Senkron must have thought had to be non stop throughout the whole 3 hours of the tour. I suppose this is a subject view, and others may have quite enjoyed the constant entertainment and noise, but I would have preferred some quiet time in between to just enjoy the view. The Anatolian folk music was OK for a while, but then the fiddle player started going from table to table supposedly serenading the occupants, but in reality trying to extract tips from everyone. When we saw was he was doing we just went outside on the upper deck and enjoyed the view until he'd finished. I would have had no problems in putting into hat/whatever if passed round but his manner in getting tips was offensive.

We booked a tour from this agency that included a cruise on the Golden Horn and on Bosphorus . This was the 1st part of the tour and it was disappointing because the cruise boat was very small,old and frowsy. They tried to impress us with some specific Anatolian dances but they only managed to disappoint us more. After this we went to Pierre Loti hill from where the view was impressive. Then we went to a leather factory which had actually nothing to do with a factory but was more like a showroom. They called this “shopping opportunity” but it wasn’t at all an opportunity because the prices were way too high even with a so called 60% discount. The first half of the tour ended with a lunch at a canteen-like restaurant and also with the replacement of our guide. From this moment the hell started. Beside the fact that our guide had an awful English, he mysteriously forgot about us when we entered to Dolmabahce palace. So while the other tourists from our group were inside the palace we were at the gates waiting for our first guide to recognize us and get us into the palace. After 10-15 minutes of waiting we were finally in but more than upset. Because of this incident,after we saw the palace we decided to skip the las part of the tour-which was Camlica Hill(the highest peak in the Istanbul vicinity. So after all this,all I can say is run as fast as you can when you hear about Senkron travel agency.

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avoid at all costs - Senkron Day Tours

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  • Istanbul - Things to Do    
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avoid at all costs

We booked a tour from this agency that included a cruise on the Golden Horn and on Bosphorus . This was the 1st part of the tour and it was disappointing because the cruise boat was very small,old and frowsy. They tried to impress us with some specific Anatolian dances but they only managed to disappoint us more. After this we went to Pierre Loti hill from where the view was impressive. Then we went to a leather factory which had actually nothing to do with a factory but was more like a showroom. They called this “shopping opportunity” but it wasn’t at all an opportunity because the prices were way too high even with a so called 60% discount. The first half of the tour ended with a lunch at a canteen-like restaurant and also with the replacement of our guide. From this moment the hell started. Beside the fact that our guide had an awful English, he mysteriously forgot about us when we entered to Dolmabahce palace. So while the other tourists from our group were inside the palace we were at the gates waiting for our first guide to recognize us and get us into the palace. After 10-15 minutes of waiting we were finally in but more than upset. Because of this incident,after we saw the palace we decided to skip the las part of the tour-which was Camlica Hill(the highest peak in the Istanbul vicinity. So after all this,all I can say is run as fast as you can when you hear about Senkron travel agency.

This tour was booked by our hotel, and was the only poor recommendation they made. We took the 1/2 day Bosphorus cruise, and were picked up at 830 at our hotel. From then on, we were moved from bus to bus boat to bus to cable car to bus and we felt like cattle be herded around Istanbul. There was no commentary on the bus, no information, no welcome. The commentary on the ship was lackluster, and could only be heard below deck inside. Don't waste your money on this.

We took their night cruise, booked through Marcopolo travel agency at sultanahmet and got a discounted price of 45 €. We were picked up from our hotel at 7 p.m. in a minibus with a helpful driver which went to various hotels to pick up the other tourists. However due to the heavy traffic we got delayed in reaching our boat. On arrival we sat on a table in the lower deck where an average buffet was served. There were a few shows like magic show comedy show, live music, belly dancing and turkish dance which were all nice but nothing exceptional. The violinist started asking for tips which spoiled the mood and so did the average belly dancer. The views from the top deck of the bosphorus strait and the surrounding sights were absolutely amazing. This tour does give you a small feel of the Turkish culture before you are dropped off at your hotel. This tour is only recommended for the lovely cruise at night with its outstanding views and the average shows.

I purchased a Prince’s Island day tour on the 10th of March at Mavi Guest House as I have corresponded with them before our trip. Scheduled on the 12th of March. We were picked up and put on a boat and then found out they had switched us to a Bosporus day tour. There were others that also had a surprise look on their face. The tour was the same price, but not what I ask for.

I have read the reviews here about Senkron and they are all true! Where do we start with this nightmare tour? Let’s start from the beginning. Upon arrive at our hotel in Istanbul, my friend and I were immediately advised to take the Senkron ST-04 Bosphorus Cruise with Golden Horn. The booklet states that it is a half day morning tour which includes an Anatolian Folk dance show and stops at Pierre Loti Hill, a cable car ride, the city walls and a shopping opportunity on the way back to the old city. The hotel stated that half day meant that it was between 8:30 and 1:30. Trusting the hotel, we booked the trip and so the nightmare began. We were picked up by bus at 8:30 am. We ended up driving around and picking people up from other hotels until 9:15. We then got to the pier and had to climb up some wooden stairs that were rotten and unsteady to the point that one man at the top and two at the bottom had to hold the stairs and our hands in order for us to get onto the boat. We then sat for over 30 minutes with no explanation of what the holdup was. At 10 am we finally set off – the female guide spoke in English and Spanish. Throughout the journey 4 young people (2 boys and 2 girls) had the back door of the cruise open, as they constantly dipped in and out to smoke. On a cold January morning, one can easily imagine how disrupting it was to the experience. The folk dance then started and we quickly realised that the 4 moody looking smokers were actually the dancers! The “show” started off with a girl walking up and down the boat unenthusiastically holding an umbrella and was distastefully chased by a desperate boy. She then dropped a handkerchief, which was apparently a signal that the chase was over. The boy picked the handkerchief up, linked her and they walked off together. This charade was followed by the 4 of them dancing for about 3 minutes with as much enthusiasm for being there as people waiting on death row show. It was absolutely awful. Surprisingly however, things were about to get worse. By about 11:15 the cruise tour was over and we had dismounted the boat on yet again the unstable stairs. This time was even more hazardous as the snow began to fall. We were then abruptly ushered onto a bus which drove us to Pierre Loti Hill. As we pulled up, the female guide turned around and abruptly said “yes it’s snowing, so either come and take photos or stay on the bus -it is up to you”. Everyone disembarked and headed to the hill. By this point the snow was very heavy and the fog set in. In addition, two other groups of tourists arrived. My friend and I took some photos and then found that our group had disappeared. We looked around and even walked back to the bus and found no trace of our group or the guide. Cold, wet and confused we began to panic as we were deserted and had no means of getting back to the hotel. We went back to the hill and by chance saw a sign for the cable car. We went down the stairs and luckily found our group getting into one of the cars. The tour guide turned to us and said “ha! You were going to stay here. We were about to leave without you” and continued to mock us. I explained to her that other tour groups had arrived and we did not hear her beckoning our group to head to the cable cars and were surprised that she never attempted to find us. She just rudely shrugged at us. She the then told us to get into a separate car from the rest of the group – so we were left in the car with a group of strangers and no guide. The cable car flyover lasted all of 30 seconds. How Senkron has the nerve to class it as one of the main attractions I will never know - the tour booklet is misleading to say the least. As my friend and I disembarked the car, we found that our tour guide and our group, who were in the car before us, YET AGAIN walked off back to the bus and never waited for us. We literally had to shout for them to wait for us - when the guide knew all along that we were put in the second car behind theirs. As angry as we were at 11:45, we felt that the tour could get better as we had around another two hours left for the tour and were on our way to the city walls and a shopping stop, or so the booklet said. However, Senkron’s booklet misled us yet again. The city walls visit was actually driving past it on what seemed like a highway as the guide spouted out a couple of basic sentences on Constantinople that one could find in a leaflet. She then quickly hung up her microphone and started chatting and laughing with the bus driver. The driver was chatting back, whilst dealing with traffic on the road and also continuously texting on his phone. As we were sat directly behind him, we could even see that he was texting using whatsapp! Putting up with people’s misleading and rudeness is one thing – but what the driver was doing was actually dangerous. The final point in the booklet’s itinerary was ‘shopping opportunity on the way back to the old city’ – this DID NOT HAPPEN AT ALL. It was a complete lie. The tour concluded as the bus dropped us off outside the Blue Mosque at 12:15 – not 1:30 as promised! Another failed promise by Senkron. We went back to our hotel, the Azade, and explained all these points. They were horrified and contacted the company to get our money back. The manager at Senkron said that they would not give us the money back and started to guilt trip us by saying things such as “should I give the money from my pocket?”. This is tasteless and a cunning tactic because they know we would say no and probably drop it. So he offered us a basket of fruit, which we declined. Sadly, this is not an isolated case as when we read the reviews of Senkron on tripadvisor we found that other tourists faced the same problems. We are not the first people to be taken advantage of by Senkron. The fact that we paid 70 Euros for a service and did not get that service on so many levels is disgusting, appalling and disgraceful. Taking advantage of and misleading tourists who entrust these agencies with their hard earned holiday money to see the beautiful sights of Istanbul is unforgivable and they should be ashamed of themselves. Avoid this travel agency at all costs.

Chose the half-day afternoon Bosphorus /Golden Horn Cruise (tour # ST-08 in the brochure) as suggested by our hotel reception. It was the Saturday tour as it was a discounted 25 euro. Bus picked us up at our hotel around 1300. we then drove around to another street where we picked up passengers, the tour guide and someone else who was collecting money and checking everyone in. this seemed to be wasteful time and apparently is time included in the tour (tour supposed to run from 1330-1730). Took us another 10-15 minutes to get to the pier. The tour guide spoke along the way (English and Spanish).We were the last ones on the boat. Onboard there were some beverages and cookies sold - recommened you BYO as the prices were a little high. 2 stops for 15 minutes each didn't allow for much of anything. Cruise itself was OK. Got bac k to the pier as the sun was setting; pulling in around 1700 feeling a little gypped but reaize the time advertised included travel time to/from the pier. As said in other reviews there seemed to be some disorganization with this group.

IMAGES

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  2. 2023 Istanbul Bosphorus Dinner Cruise provided by Senkron Day Tours

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COMMENTS

  1. Senkron Day Tours

    To begin with the agency is called "Senkorn Travel Agency" located near the Blue Mosque in Fatih,Istanbul. The guy from the tour agency told us that for 25€ each person gets salad,appetizers, two main dishes from which you choose, dessert and non limited consumption of soft drinks. Moreover, we had arranged transfer from the hotel to the ...

  2. Dinner Cruise

    Senkron Day Tours: Dinner Cruise - Senkron Travel Agency - See 188 traveler reviews, 56 candid photos, and great deals for Istanbul, Turkiye, at Tripadvisor.

  3. Reviews, Photos

    Senkron Day Tours: Magnificent Night! - See 218 traveler reviews, 56 candid photos, and great deals for Istanbul, Turkiye, at Tripadvisor. ... Bosphorus boat cruise+Dinner+Local entertainment. 3 in 1 in a shorten time. Hotel pick up and drop service also included. Enjoyed too much. ... We booked the ST-06 Istanbul True Discovery Tour with ...

  4. SENKRON DINNER CRUISE PLEASURE

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  5. The West Coast Experience

    Senkron Day Tours: The West Coast Experience - See 191 traveler reviews, 56 candid photos, and great deals for Istanbul, Turkiye, at Tripadvisor.

  6. Senkron Tours

    Senkron Day Tours: Senkron Tours - Bosphorous by Night - Dinner Cruise - See 185 traveller reviews, 56 candid photos, and great deals for Istanbul, Turkiye, at Tripadvisor.

  7. SENKRON DAY TOURS (Istanbul)

    Book your tickets online for Senkron Day Tours, Istanbul: See 184 reviews, articles, and 56 photos of Senkron Day Tours, ranked No.1,552 on Tripadvisor among 1,552 attractions in Istanbul.

  8. SENKRON BOSPHORUS DINNER CRUISE...

    senkron bosphorus dinner cruise istanbul itinerary: Turkey will pick you up from your hotel between 7:00pm and 8:00pm and transfer you to the yacht. Sail up the Bosphorus, the waterway between Europe and Asia, passing under the suspension bridges and viewing Ottoman summer palaces, waterside mansions and modern villas which line the European ...

  9. Senkron Tours

    Senkron Tours is a travel agency located in the Arasta Bazaar. There was a representative outside (who spoke English) who told us they were offering half day cruise tours. The representative told us his tour was better than the other ones we had seen because it had two cruises. He gave us an informational pamphlet (shown here) which outlined ...

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    Senkron Day Tours: istanbul senkron travel agency - See 206 traveler reviews, 56 candid photos, and great deals for Istanbul, Turkiye, at Tripadvisor.

  11. Senkron Travel Agency

    Senkron Travel Agency, Istanbul, Turkey. 521 likes · 62 were here. Gece ve gündüz yemekli -yemeksiz boğaz,ada turları

  12. senkrontours.com

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  13. Dinner Cruise

    Senkron Day Tours: Dinner Cruise - Senkron Travel Agency - See 192 traveller reviews, 56 candid photos, and great deals for Istanbul, Turkiye, at Tripadvisor.

  14. Is it better to book a cruise through a travel agent? We say yes

    Travel agents can get better deals on cruises. If you're concerned that working with an agent will make your cruise more expensive, don't be. Cruise travel agents receive the bulk of their income via commission from the cruise lines. Their service to you is usually free, though some might charge first-time clients a minimal fee.

  15. Was completely worth

    Senkron Day Tours: Was completely worth - See 189 traveler reviews, 56 candid photos, and great deals for Istanbul, Turkiye, at Tripadvisor.

  16. Finding a Cruise Travel Agent

    Use ASTA's consumer website to locate a travel agent who has agreed to conduct their business activities in accordance with the organization's code of ethics. Select "cruises" or "cruise lines ...

  17. istanbul senkron travel agency

    Senkron Day Tours: istanbul senkron travel agency - See 196 traveler reviews, 56 candid photos, and great deals for Istanbul, Turkiye, at Tripadvisor.

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    Senkron Day Tours: istanbul senkron travel agency - See 191 traveller reviews, 56 candid photos, and great deals for Istanbul, Turkiye, at Tripadvisor.

  19. Unorganized and Uninspired

    Senkron Day Tours: Unorganized and Uninspired - See 190 traveller reviews, 56 candid photos, and great deals for Istanbul, Turkiye, at Tripadvisor.

  20. Avoid Senkron travel agency

    So after all this,all I can say is run as fast as you can when you hear about Senkron travel agency. Date of experience: April 2013. Ask Dilvish5 about Senkron Day Tours. ... We took their night cruise, booked through Marcopolo travel agency at sultanahmet and got a discounted price of 45 €. We were picked up from our hotel at 7 p.m. in a ...

  21. İstanbul Bosphorus SENKRON ENJOY DINNER CRUISE NIGHT

    387 views, 5 likes, 0 loves, 0 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Senkron Travel Agency: İstanbul Bosphorus SENKRON ENJOY DINNER CRUISE NIGHT

  22. avoid at all costs

    Senkron Day Tours: avoid at all costs - See 206 traveler reviews, 56 candid photos, and great deals for Istanbul, Turkiye, at Tripadvisor.