We are a well travelled couple (63, 64), who came lately to cruising, mainly because no reputable cruise line starts cruises from Israel.
We booked the cruise (7 days - Venice-Istanbul - 1C veranda) through an internet agency with a "senior" rate. This agency also includes free gratuities and a small agency discount. Thus – we had "select" dining.
We flew to Venice 2 days before the cruise, Tel-Aviv-Istanbul-Venice, arriving Thursday afternoon.