Privacy policy

At Bosphorus Cruise Istanbul, we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting the personal information you provide when using our website, making a tour reservation, or communicating with us.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we may collect, how we use and protect it, when we may share it with third parties, and what rights you may have regarding your personal information.

Our website is operated using Shopify technology. Shopify provides the platform and technical infrastructure that enables us to operate our website and reservation-related services.

By accessing or using our website, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

1. Who We Are

Bosphorus Cruise Istanbul provides Bosphorus cruise and boat tour reservation services in Istanbul, Türkiye.

For the purposes of applicable data protection laws, including the Turkish Personal Data Protection Law No. 6698 ("KVKK") and, where applicable, the General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR"), we may act as the data controller or responsible party for personal information collected directly through our website and reservation services.

Bosphorus Cruise Istanbul
Müeyyedzade District, Necatibey Street No:47/A
Beyoğlu, Istanbul, Türkiye

Phone: +90 545 308 51 34
Email: sevimft@gmail.com

2. Personal Information We Collect

Depending on how you interact with our website and services, we may collect the following categories of personal information.

Contact Information

When you make a reservation or contact us, we may collect:

Full name
Telephone number
Email address
Country of residence, where provided
Information necessary to communicate with you regarding your reservation

Reservation Information

When you make a Bosphorus cruise reservation, we may collect information such as:

Reservation name
Tour or cruise selected
Preferred date and time
Number of adults and children
Special requests or notes
Meeting point or pickup information, where applicable
Reservation number
Booking status
Information you provide when requesting a cancellation or change

We collect only the information reasonably necessary to manage and provide the requested service.

Communications

If you contact us by telephone, email, WhatsApp, contact forms, or other communication channels, we may retain information contained in those communications in order to respond to your request and manage your reservation.

Technical and Device Information

When you visit our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, including:

IP address
Browser type
Device type
Operating system
Language preferences
Referring website
Pages visited
Date and time of visits
Website interaction information
Other technical identifiers

This information may be collected through cookies, pixels, analytics tools, and similar technologies.

3. How We Collect Personal Information

We may collect personal information from the following sources:

Directly From You

For example, when you:

Make a reservation
Complete a reservation form
Contact us by phone or email
Contact us through WhatsApp
Request information about a tour
Request a cancellation or booking change
Communicate with our customer support team

Automatically

Some information is collected automatically when you visit or interact with our website through cookies and similar technologies.

From Service Providers

We may receive or process information through technology and service providers that help us operate our website, reservation system, analytics, communications, and other business functions.

4. How We Use Your Personal Information

We may use your personal information for the following purposes:

Reservation Management

We use your information to:

Create and manage your reservation
Confirm your booking
Contact you regarding your reservation
Provide meeting point and tour information
Process requested changes or cancellations
Respond to questions and special requests
Provide the services you have requested

Customer Service

We may use your contact information to answer questions, provide assistance, resolve issues, and communicate with you about your experience.

Website Operation and Improvement

We may use technical and usage information to:

Operate our website
Improve website functionality
Understand how visitors use our website
Identify technical problems
Improve our content and services
Monitor website performance

Analytics and Advertising

Where permitted by applicable law and subject to applicable consent or opt-out requirements, we may use analytics and advertising technologies such as Google Analytics and Google Ads to understand website usage, measure advertising performance, and improve our marketing.

Security and Fraud Prevention

We may process information to protect our website, customers, business, and services from fraudulent, illegal, malicious, or unauthorized activity.

Legal and Regulatory Compliance

We may process personal information when necessary to:

Comply with applicable laws and regulations
Respond to lawful requests from authorities
Establish, exercise, or defend legal claims
Protect our legal rights and property
Enforce our terms and policies

5. Reservations and Payments

Our standard reservation system does not require online payment or an advance deposit.

For applicable tours, customers generally make payment at the designated meeting point before the tour begins.

As a result, we generally do not collect or store your credit card or debit card details through the online reservation form.

If a particular service or booking requires a different payment arrangement, any applicable payment information will be handled through the relevant payment provider and according to its privacy and security practices.

6. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to provide essential functionality, remember preferences, understand website usage, measure advertising performance, and improve your experience.

Cookies may include:

Essential cookies
Functional cookies
Analytics cookies
Advertising or marketing cookies

Some cookies may be placed by third-party service providers that operate on our behalf or provide analytics and advertising services.

Where required by applicable law, we will request your consent before using non-essential cookies.

You may also be able to manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of parts of our website.

7. Google Analytics and Google Advertising Services

We may use Google services, including Google Analytics and Google Ads, to understand how visitors use our website and to measure and improve our advertising campaigns.

These services may collect information such as:

Device and browser information
IP-related information
Website interactions
Pages visited
Traffic sources
Advertising interactions
Conversion information

Where applicable, Google may process information in accordance with its own privacy policies and terms.

You can manage certain Google advertising and privacy settings through Google's available privacy controls.

8. WhatsApp and Other Communication Services

We may provide customers with the option to contact us through WhatsApp or other third-party communication services.

If you choose to communicate with us through such a service, information you provide may be processed by that third-party provider according to its own privacy policy and terms.

We recommend reviewing the privacy practices of the relevant service before using it.

9. Shopify

Our website is hosted and operated using Shopify's technology and infrastructure.

Shopify may process personal information relating to your interaction with our website in order to provide, maintain, secure, and improve its services.

Information submitted through our website may therefore be processed by Shopify and by service providers supporting Shopify or our business.

Shopify's processing of personal information may also be subject to Shopify's own privacy policies.

For more information about how Shopify handles personal information, please review Shopify's applicable privacy documentation.

10. Third-Party Service Providers

We may use trusted third-party service providers to help us operate our website and business.

These may include providers supporting:

Website hosting and infrastructure
Reservation management
Analytics
Advertising
Communication services
Email services
Security
Technical support
Data storage

These providers may process personal information only to the extent necessary to provide their services or as otherwise permitted by applicable law.

We do not sell your personal information as a commercial product.

11. When We Share Personal Information

We may disclose personal information when reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

This may include sharing information:

With service providers that assist us in operating our business
With technology and hosting providers
With analytics and advertising providers
When you request or authorize us to share information
When necessary to provide the tour or reservation service
To comply with applicable laws or lawful governmental requests
To protect our rights, customers, website, or business
In connection with a business transfer, restructuring, merger, or similar transaction

We do not disclose personal information to third parties for purposes unrelated to the operation of our services unless permitted or required by applicable law or with your consent where required.

12. International Data Transfers

Some of our service providers may be located outside Türkiye or outside the country in which you reside.

As a result, your personal information may be transferred to, stored, or processed in other countries.

Where required by applicable law, we will take appropriate measures to protect personal information when it is transferred internationally.

For customers located in the European Economic Area ("EEA") or the United Kingdom, applicable safeguards may include recognized legal transfer mechanisms such as Standard Contractual Clauses or other lawful mechanisms.

13. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including:

Managing and completing reservations
Providing customer service
Maintaining business records
Complying with legal and tax obligations
Resolving disputes
Preventing fraud
Enforcing agreements and policies

The specific retention period may vary depending on the type of information and the reason it was collected.

When personal information is no longer required, we may securely delete, anonymize, or otherwise dispose of it in accordance with applicable law.

14. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect personal information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure.

However, no website, online transmission, or electronic storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

For this reason, while we take reasonable precautions to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

15. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on where you live and the laws applicable to you, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information.

These may include the right to:

Request access to personal information we hold about you
Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
Request deletion of personal information, where legally permitted
Request restriction of certain processing
Object to certain processing activities
Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
Request portability of certain personal information
Object to certain forms of direct marketing
Lodge a complaint with a relevant data protection authority

These rights are subject to applicable legal conditions and exceptions.

To exercise a privacy right, please contact us using the details provided in the Contact Us section below.

We may need to verify your identity before completing certain requests.

16. Rights Under Turkish Data Protection Law (KVKK)

If you are located in Türkiye, your personal information may be protected under Turkish Personal Data Protection Law No. 6698 (KVKK).

Subject to the conditions and limitations established by applicable law, you may have rights regarding your personal data, including rights to:

Learn whether your personal data is processed
Request information about the processing of your personal data
Learn the purpose of processing and whether it is used in accordance with that purpose
Know the third parties to whom your personal data may be transferred
Request correction of incomplete or inaccurate personal data
Request deletion or destruction where the legal requirements are met
Object to certain processing activities where permitted by law
Request compensation for damages arising from unlawful processing, where applicable

Requests relating to your rights under KVKK may be submitted using the contact information provided below.

We will evaluate and respond to requests within the periods required by applicable law.

17. European Economic Area and United Kingdom Privacy Rights

If you are located in the EEA or the United Kingdom, additional rights may apply under the GDPR or applicable local data protection legislation.

Depending on the circumstances, these may include:

Right of access
Right to rectification
Right to erasure
Right to restriction of processing
Right to data portability
Right to object
Right to withdraw consent
Right to object to direct marketing
Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

Where we rely on consent as the legal basis for processing, you may withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

18. Marketing Communications

We may occasionally contact you regarding our services, promotions, or other information where permitted by applicable law.

If you receive promotional email communications from us, you may unsubscribe using the unsubscribe option included in the communication.

Even if you opt out of marketing communications, we may still contact you when necessary for non-marketing purposes, such as:

Reservation confirmations
Booking changes
Cancellation information
Meeting point information
Important service announcements
Customer support

19. Children's Privacy

Our website and services are not intentionally directed toward children.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children where such collection is prohibited by applicable law.

If you believe that a child has provided us with personal information without appropriate authorization, please contact us. Where legally required, we will take reasonable steps to review and delete the information.

20. Third-Party Websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, platforms, social media services, maps, communication services, or other external websites.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices, security, content, or policies of third-party websites.

When you leave our website and visit a third-party service, we recommend reviewing that service's privacy policy and terms before providing personal information.

21. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to:

Our services
Our website
Technology we use
Legal or regulatory requirements
Our privacy practices

When we make changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to remain informed about how we handle personal information.

22. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, our privacy practices, or your personal information, please contact us.

Bosphorus Cruise Istanbul

Müeyyedzade District, Necatibey Street No:47/A
Beyoğlu, Istanbul, Türkiye