East Med – Turkey
Turkey – an absolute delight. A white star and crescent moon were initially associated with Constantinople renamed Istanbul in 1930. Constantinople was the capital city of the Roman/Byzantine Empire, the Latin Empire and the Ottoman Empire. The crescent and star also represented Persia and the Ottoman empire; two important kingdoms of antiquity.
CURRENCY: The Turkish Lira (TRY). The second-best is Euro, and then US dollars. However, you will get more value for your money if paying in Lira rather than Euro and dollars.
For a cruiser, it separates the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. Passing Istanbul into those waters is a longer cruise into a bigger adventure.