Pharoahs and the Promised Land

[jenny wren]

My mum and dad are Gosport people and after having married and moved around through work, returned and have now lived in Gomer Lane for nearly 40 years. I lived there for 4 years in my teens.

 

Carol x

 

Small world isn't it...My son and his wife still live in Gosport..and we have good friends there so do visit now and again...but would still rather live here in Cornwall !!!:)

 

Mands...thanks for the info...I'm sure we will have a wonderful time exploring whether just on foot or in a car !!! Just hope the sun is shining...last time we were in Cyprus it was freezing !!!!

[sodemall]

Mands & Ian,

Have been reading your blog, which I find very interesting, I see you say today, that there is no petrol in Pathos due to the petrol strike.

How will that affect the coaches that are due to take the Cruise passengers from Pathos airport to the port at Limassol to pick up Thomson Spirit.

The strike may be over by the 10th March when we fly out, but just wondered, in case it is not.

 

Just heard from my friend in Paphos - petrol strike is over. Apparently the strike was because the government told the petrol stations to lower their prices!! Anyway for now, panic over.......

[kruzseeka]

Hello all you lucky soon-to-be-travellers on Spirit. Please post when you get back to let us know about the Spirit as you will be the first to travel on her this season. Have there been any changes/up-grades over the winter, what are the entertainment team like (last year they were outstanding on Spirit) and any other news. It sounds like a very exciting itinerary too - should be very interesting and again you will be amongst the first to have visited some of the destinations (on Thomson anyway) so your views will be eagerly awaited. Have a great time everyone! :)

[jenny wren]

Sodemall.....Thats good to hear !!

 

Kruzseeka....yes we certainly will post on our return (17th March as we have a week in Paphos first!) looking forward to seeing who the CD is and if the entertainment is as good as usual !!! also if the ship has had any refurbishment during the winter...all we need now are some nice warm sunny days :cool::cool:

[Beckyfaye-2008]

Can you help me, I am trying to sort out my shirts for our forthcoming cruise on Spirit 10th March, Egypt & Israel. Smart Casual, do men usually wear short sleeved shirts or long sleeved shirts in the evenings. Are the evenings still warm, or are they a little chilly on board.

Day wear sorted, other than is it ok for men to wear shorts, not sure if we will be visiting any churches, if so are shorts ok.

Got to get the shirts sorted, so my wife can Wash & Iron them.Lol.;)

[kruzseeka]

Can you help me, I am trying to sort out my shirts for our forthcoming cruise on Spirit 10th March, Egypt & Israel. Smart Casual, do men usually wear short sleeved shirts or long sleeved shirts in the evenings. Are the evenings still warm, or are they a little chilly on board.

Day wear sorted, other than is it ok for men to wear shorts, not sure if we will be visiting any churches, if so are shorts ok.

Got to get the shirts sorted, so my wife can Wash & Iron them.Lol.;)

 

Can't help with all of your questions, Beckyfaye but short-sleeved shirts are fine for the main dining room in the evening. Not sure about the churches - certainly for Mosques shorts are generally not acceptable - and in many churches too - but I don't know about your particular destinations. The Destination Guide will tell you about any such requirements - but I know that doesn't help you at this stage trying to decide what to pack!! Shorts are ok for the main dining room for breakfast and lunch by the way. Have a good trip! :) (And my best to your wife!! :D )

[jenny wren]

Delboy ....short sleeved shirts or polo shirts are fine for dining room on other than formal nights....I don't think shorts are advisable for religious sites ...you might get away with cropped trousers but John usually takes no chances and wears long trousers....Most of the religious places we've been to in the Middle East don't like knees or shoulders uncovered.....

[Beckyfaye-2008]

Kruzseeker & Jennywren

 

Thanks for your replies, think I will stay clear of the shorts, when visiting religious sites, although I have a pair of chinos, that can either be worn as trousers or shorts, the bottom half is removable. I always like to wear smart long sleeved shirts in the evenings, not into polo shirts for smart casual. I just wondered if they would be to warm, on a cruise to Egypt/Israel etc, and wondered if short sleeved would be more appropriate. However if the majority wear long sleeve I will stick with them.

[kruzseeka]

Kruzseeker & Jennywren

 

Thanks for your replies, think I will stay clear of the shorts, when visiting religious sites, although I have a pair of chinos, that can either be worn as trousers or shorts, the bottom half is removable. I always like to wear smart long sleeved shirts in the evenings, not into polo shirts for smart casual. I just wondered if they would be to warm, on a cruise to Egypt/Israel etc, and wondered if short sleeved would be more appropriate. However if the majority wear long sleeve I will stick with them.

 

I wouldn't say the majority wear long sleeved shirts in the evening - in fact if I had to make a call I'd say short sleeves are more common, and shirts rather than polos.

 

My OH always wears a button through shirt in the evenings, mainly short sleeved ones though. However I would mention that although you will be in hotter climes :) the air-con in the dining room, especially for early dining before more bodies warm the space up a bit, means that it can be a little chilly. The vents for the aircon at the bottom of the window sills in the dining room make it particularly cool by the windows. I usually take a pashmina in case I need it and my husband takes a (nice) light-weight jumper - and seldom puts it on - but might just lie it across the window sill to stop the draught from the air vents! :rolleyes:

[jenny wren]

Yes Delboy I think you got the wrong end of the stick !!! Most wear short sleeve shirts as kruzseeka says....John's 'Polo' shirts are smart, cool, silky types with short sleeves, three buttons at neck and a collar...but he mostly wears 'normal' shirts with short sleeves....takes a jumper over his arm in case its chilly..sometimes it is in dining room and theatre. Like Kruzseeka says I always take a pashmina ! It does seem to be cooler in the evenings ...not like Caribbean where it seems to be hot day and night !!!

 

Trousers with zip off bottoms are a brilliant idea as you could just put the bottom bits on when entering a religious site...

[Beckyfaye-2008]

Thanks again for your replies, sorry I got wrong end of stick, will remember the jumper.

Thanks again

Happy cruising.

[Mands&Ian]

Mands & Ian,

Have been reading your blog, which I find very interesting, I see you say today, that there is no petrol in Pathos due to the petrol strike.

How will that affect the coaches that are due to take the Cruise passengers from Pathos airport to the port at Limassol to pick up Thomson Spirit.

The strike may be over by the 10th March when we fly out, but just wondered, in case it is not.

 

Hi there,

 

As someone else commented, the strike is over for now.

 

I think there's an outside chance it will restart, as the actual issue of price cpas has not been resolved, but I'd hope that Thomson or their local agents have a plan in place. During this week petrol was available to some trade/account customers throughout the strike so perhaps that would resolve the issue for the coaches.

 

Have a super time, hopefully the sun will be shining when you arrive. Tonight we have a severe weather warning regarding gale force winds!

 

Mands

[jenny wren]

[Tonight we have a severe weather warning regarding gale force winds!

 

Mands

 

 

and so do we !!!!!!!:eek:

[Cymro1953]

[Tonight we have a severe weather warning regarding gale force winds!

 

Mands

 

 

and so do we !!!!!!!:eek:

 

Hi Jenny,

I found this after the Costa Europa accident in Sharm

http://sify.com/news/stormy-weather-wreaks-havoc-across-egypt-news-international-kc0p4cfjjhe.html

Weather's gone mad, between Madeira floods, the bad weather in southern Spain and now in Egypt

 

Good luck, I hope it improves for you all going.

 

Berwyn

[Cruise Anorak]

Jenny Wren

 

Are you all packed and ready to go? I've spent most of the afternoon sorting out what clothes we are taking ready to pack next weekend.Why do hubby's clothes always shrink between holidays?!!

 

Hope the weather starts to change,seems everywhere is getting the bad weather we are.

 

Delboy

 

My hubby is taking mainly short sleeved shirts and a couple of smart polo shirts for the evenings to wear with smart casual trousers.For the formal night he is taking his dinner suit.Hope this helps.

[Beckyfaye-2008]

Jenny Wren

 

Are you all packed and ready to go? I've spent most of the afternoon sorting out what clothes we are taking ready to pack next weekend.Why do hubby's clothes always shrink between holidays?!!

 

Hope the weather starts to change,seems everywhere is getting the bad weather we are.

 

Delboy

 

My hubby is taking mainly short sleeved shirts and a couple of smart polo shirts for the evenings to wear with smart casual trousers.For the formal night he is taking his dinner suit.Hope this helps.

 

Cruise Anorak

Thanks for that, I will also be taking my diiner suit, just got to make up my mind whether to take the black or white jacket, I thought because it is hopefully warmer climes, to take the white one.

My wife has just been reading a report regarding formal night being held on Spirit, on a port day. The people who wrote the report, were not happy, because they were on a early sitting, and by the time they got back from their excursion, it gave them very little time to get ready. When they got to the restaurant, the doors had been shut, so they could not enter.

Has anybody any thoughts.

[jenny wren]

Delboy...re formal night...I assumed it would be the sea day after Syria...I've never known it to be on a port day...perhaps there was no sea day on that particular cruise :confused:

 

Berwyn...that makes interesting reading...what is happening with this weather and the earthquakes? Must have been weird seeing hailstones the size of marbles at Giza !!

 

Cruise Anorak...yes the clothes are sorted...funny but its mine that seem to shrink the most and they carry on shrinking on the cruise!! thank goodness for elastic waistbands!!:D

[Cruise Anorak]

Delboy

 

As Jenny Wren has said I thought the formal night would be the day at sea(it was when we were on the Celebration last Nov).It wouldn't be fair to those passenagers that are on excursions to have it on a port day.

Hubby only has a black dinner jacket,so he'll be wearing that one.

At the moment the weather doesn't look much warmer than here,all of Europe seems to be having bad weather.Fingers crossed it gets better,not long to go now.

[tummysmummy]

I went on the Pharoahs & the Promised Land cruise in 08 - it is an amazing itinerary so I'm sure you'll all have a great time. :D

 

Re. the formal night - it was on the day at sea and the itinerary is practially the same so I'd imagine it would be on the same day.

 

I'm actually thinking about doing this cruise again as I really want to visit Haifa (it was Ashdod for 2 days when I went). There doesn't seem to be many cruise lines that go to Haifa and the cruises I have found that do call there are a bit beyond our budget at the moment!

 

A word of warning about the excursion to Jerusalem & Bethlehem... We had an Israeli guide who had to jump off the bus before we crossed over into Bethlehem because it is in Palestinian territory! This left us with only the driver who spoke no English, and when he pulled up next to a hotel we just had to surmise for ourselves that this was where we were meant to have lunch! When we got back on the bus he drove on for a bit and went into a multi-storey car-park, then motioned for us all to get off. We hadn't a clue where we were and had to go and find the Church of the Nativity for ourselves! :eek: I think almost everyone complained when we got back to the ship - Thomson claimed they didn't know about the problem with the guide and gave us half our money back. Hopefully the excursion will be better organised these days, but I thought I'd just make you aware just incase! :)

[sodemall]

Many thanks for the info. We are thinking of doing that excursion as it is my 60th birthday on that day. Would you do this excursion again if you were a first-timer to Bethlehem and Jerusalem? Cheers

[Beckyfaye-2008]

That was interesting, as we were also thinking of doing this excursion, one of the reason other than the Pyramids that we have taken this cruise.

One other thing re currency for this trip, are people taking a mixture of Euros, Egyptian Pounds and Israeli Shekels, or just Euros Also can they be bought on the ship, or would you get them before you go.

[YESME]

Thanks tummysmummy for your warning. I think that tips like this are great, although this was not part of the plan that Thomsons knew about at least you got back (as did the rest of the coach party I assume). This should reassure Sodemall that even if unexpected things happen they will be OK!

 

Sodemall- When you get on the boat book the trip and let someone else worry for once! Love DD Yesme!

[jenny wren]

One other thing re currency for this trip, are people taking a mixture of Euros, Egyptian Pounds and Israeli Shekels, or just Euros Also can they be bought on the ship, or would you get them before you go.

 

Delboy....we're just taking Euros and a few Egyptian we already had ....First choice agent had the best deal for currency...but M & S was around the same... cheaper to get it before you go !

If you have any dollar bills lying around take them as the Egyptians and probably Israelis, Syrians will take them !!

[sodemall]

YESME - yeah right...........

[tummysmummy]

Sodemall - yes I would still recommend the excursion. There are some amazing sights to see in Jersusalem, the trip was well worth it just for the view from the Mount of Olives alone - totally breathtaking!

 

With regard to the currency, we were advised (by a Thomson travel agent!) to take just euros and some egyptian pounds as we could get anything else we needed on the ship. However we found that we could only get dollars and euros on board - no local currency. We hardly used the egyptian at all, but could have done with some shekels for Ashdod.

 

Is anybody going on the 31st March sailing? Still thinking about going as I am off for 2 weeks then anyway...