Political sitiuation Septmeber Israel/Palestine

[Jade13]

We just returned from the 22 August Silhouette. We did not take the ship's excursion, but after announcement of the itinerary change, the daily Silhouette paper stated that all ship's tours would continue as scheduled, with minor modifications to the timing at the sights and return to ship times. We spoke to some people who took the ship's tours on the following two days, and most of them stated that the day was very long and that time at some of the locations was limited.

 

I wonder how long the drive from Haifa to the Dead Sea & Masada would be? I know it is about 2 hours from Ashdod.

 

Although we have always done mostly private tours this time there is no one on my roll call who wants to join us. Everyone seems to have their own agenda or private guide in Israel, so we are scheduled on mostly ships tours (private guide to Jerusalem but cost will be $600 plus for 2 people). In any event the ships tours were 50% off, so Masada & Dead Sea about $100.00 per person with lunch, so not bad. But, it is already scheduled as a 10 hour tour so I wonder what would be missed.

[epixx]

I wonder how long the drive from Haifa to the Dead Sea & Masada would be? I know it is about 2 hours from Ashdod.

 

Although we have always done mostly private tours this time there is no one on my roll call who wants to join us. Everyone seems to have their own agenda or private guide in Israel, so we are scheduled on mostly ships tours (private guide to Jerusalem but cost will be $600 plus for 2 people). In any event the ships tours were 50% off, so Masada & Dead Sea about $100.00 per person with lunch, so not bad. But, it is already scheduled as a 10 hour tour so I wonder what would be missed.

 

I cannot provide first hand experience, but some people on our ship who took the Dead Sea/Masada ship's excursion from Haifa told me that the drive took about 3 hours. They indicated that the excursion included all sights described, but that they felt "rushed" much of the time and returned significantly later than scheduled.

 

I definitely don't blame you for taking the ship's excursion, especially given the recent sudden Silhouette change in itinerary and potential logistical challenges for independent travel. That's a super fantastic price! Have a wonderful time.

[Fblack]

Haifa to Jerusalem is not too far for a nice day trip. Under 2 hours. But I heard that the Dead Sea is a nearly 3.5 to 4 hour drive from Haifa. I probably would not go as far as the Dead Sea with so much else to see closer to Haifa.

[Bookloversd]

I cannot provide first hand experience, but some people on our ship who took the Dead Sea/Masada ship's excursion from Haifa told me that the drive took about 3 hours. They indicated that the excursion included all sights described, but that they felt "rushed" much of the time and returned significantly later than scheduled.

 

I definitely don't blame you for taking the ship's excursion, especially given the recent sudden Silhouette change in itinerary and potential logistical challenges for independent travel. That's a super fantastic price! Have a wonderful time.

 

We are on the Silhouette Sept. 15th sailing and keep hearing so many different stories-were your ships diverted to Haifa for your whole stay? When were you informed of any changes? We still have no idea where we are going to wind up!

[epixx]

We are on the Silhouette Sept. 15th sailing and keep hearing so many different stories-were your ships diverted to Haifa for your whole stay? When were you informed of any changes? We still have no idea where we are going to wind up!

 

We sailed 22 August and were scheduled for 2 days in Haifa followed by 2 days in Ashdod. The ship was scheduled to depart Haifa at 10 pm for Ashdod on the 2nd Haifa day, but at close to 9 pm (!!) the captain announced that the ship would spend the following 2 days in Haifa instead of continuing on to Ashdod. You will need to have flexible plans for your stay in Israel. Have a wonderful cruise.

[jfbct]

We sailed 22 August and were scheduled for 2 days in Haifa followed by 2 days in Ashdod. The ship was scheduled to depart Haifa at 10 pm for Ashdod on the 2nd Haifa day, but at close to 9 pm (!!) the captain announced that the ship would spend the following 2 days in Haifa instead of continuing on to Ashdod. You will need to have flexible plans for your stay in Israel. Have a wonderful cruise.

 

Did you visit the Dead Sea and Masada? If so, was it worth the extra time in the vehicle? We're going to be in Israel in two weeks and it doesn't look like we will be stopping in Ashdod. They say the tours will continue out of Haifa, but we're debating if we want to spend 6-7 in a vehicle on our vacation. I appreciate any info you can provide and I thank you in advance.

[Cruising-along]

Maybe I'm borrowing trouble here, but...

Our cruise is scheduled now for 2 days in Haifa and 2 days in Ashdod. We have ship excursions booked for all 4 days. One of them is the Dead Sea from Ashdod.

 

If our schedule is changed to all 4 days in Haifa, and especially if that change isn't made until after the start of the cruise, I worry that we won't be able to change to any other excursion (we don't want to sit in a bus all day to go to the Dead Sea). I worry that any other choices will be full by that time. :(

 

I imagine the shore excursion desk was a zoo if the change wasn't announced until 9pm the night before.

[epixx]

Did you visit the Dead Sea and Masada? If so, was it worth the extra time in the vehicle? We're going to be in Israel in two weeks and it doesn't look like we will be stopping in Ashdod. They say the tours will continue out of Haifa, but we're debating if we want to spend 6-7 in a vehicle on our vacation. I appreciate any info you can provide and I thank you in advance.

 

We did not visit the Dead Sea and Masada because we had been there somewhat recently on a land vacation. I did speak to people who took the ship's excursion from Haifa to the Dead Sea and Masada. They told me that they saw all the planned sights but that they felt "rushed" for at least some of the day and that the excursion was (understandably) longer than the original description. Another family on a private tour for consecutive days of Jerusalem and Masada/Dead Sea opted at the last minute to stay overnight in a hotel in Jerusalem to reduce travel time.

[epixx]

Maybe I'm borrowing trouble here, but...

Our cruise is scheduled now for 2 days in Haifa and 2 days in Ashdod. We have ship excursions booked for all 4 days. One of them is the Dead Sea from Ashdod.

 

If our schedule is changed to all 4 days in Haifa, and especially if that change isn't made until after the start of the cruise, I worry that we won't be able to change to any other excursion (we don't want to sit in a bus all day to go to the Dead Sea). I worry that any other choices will be full by that time. :(

 

I imagine the shore excursion desk was a zoo if the change wasn't announced until 9pm the night before.

 

We didn't take any of the ship's excursions, so I didn't see the shore excursion desk after the itinerary change was announced. I do not know whether the ship offered any new excursions based on the altered itinerary. Perhaps consider going on a private tour. We went with private guides who were extremely flexible and accommodating to the sudden change in port venue.

[Fblack]

More problems in Israel.

 

9/7/2011: Shin Bet (Israeli Security Agency) nabs dozens of West Bank-based Hamas members

 

"Hamas is working to boost its military capabilities in the West Bank, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) warned on Wednesday, revealing that in recent months it had arrested dozens of Hamas terror suspects who belonged to 13 different terror cells operating in the West Bank and Jerusalem....The cells were planning a number of attacks against Israel, including the abduction of an IDF soldier and a suicide bombing in Jerusalem which was thwarted two weeks ago...The cell plotting the attack in Jerusalem was based in Hebron and had manufactured two explosive devices using fire extinguishers loaded with six kilograms of explosives..."

 

http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=237053

[Ba' Datz]

More problems in Israel.

 

9/7/2011: Shin Bet (Israeli Security Agency) nabs dozens of West Bank-based Hamas members

 

"Hamas is working to boost its military capabilities in the West Bank, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) warned on Wednesday, revealing that in recent months it had arrested dozens of Hamas terror suspects who belonged to 13 different terror cells operating in the West Bank and Jerusalem....The cells were planning a number of attacks against Israel, including the abduction of an IDF soldier and a suicide bombing in Jerusalem which was thwarted two weeks ago...The cell plotting the attack in Jerusalem was based in Hebron and had manufactured two explosive devices using fire extinguishers loaded with six kilograms of explosives..."

 

http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=237053

 

 

Unfortunately there is nothing new here. This is an ongoing battle which has been going on for over 63 years. One day it Hamas, tommorrow PLO and the next day Hizbollah. It is a fact of life here in Israel that there are always terrorist groups trying to do damage.

 

Life goes on and we just trust the various security services to give us the possibility of a normal life

 

Don't let this stop you from enjoying your visit

[Ba' Datz]

Haifa to Jerusalem is not too far for a nice day trip. Under 2 hours. But I heard that the Dead Sea is a nearly 3.5 to 4 hour drive from Haifa. I probably would not go as far as the Dead Sea with so much else to see closer to Haifa.

 

I would not plan on getting from Haifa to Jerusalem in under two hours. Depending on the time of day and road conditions (accidents etc) you should count on a minimum of 2 1/2 and up to 3 hours, depending on where you want to go in the city.

 

It is about an hour on Highway 1 from the entrance to Jerusalem to the northern part of the Dead Sea. It is another 45 -60 minutes to the hotel area at the southern end. You do not have to go into the city proper.

[jfbct]

More problems in Israel.

 

9/7/2011: Shin Bet (Israeli Security Agency) nabs dozens of West Bank-based Hamas members

 

"Hamas is working to boost its military capabilities in the West Bank, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) warned on Wednesday, revealing that in recent months it had arrested dozens of Hamas terror suspects who belonged to 13 different terror cells operating in the West Bank and Jerusalem....The cells were planning a number of attacks against Israel, including the abduction of an IDF soldier and a suicide bombing in Jerusalem which was thwarted two weeks ago...The cell plotting the attack in Jerusalem was based in Hebron and had manufactured two explosive devices using fire extinguishers loaded with six kilograms of explosives..."

 

http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=237053

 

That's actually good news...deter, disrupt, and/or dismantle...

[Fblack]

That's actually good news...deter, disrupt, and/or dismantle...

 

 

I was actually thinking from the cruise lines perspective. While it's good that Israel is being proactive and doing what it can to arrest suspects and prevent attacks, it also says that terrorists are actively trying to bomb Jerusalem and other parts of Israel. What we don't want are the cruise lines so nervous that they cut out port stops.

[greatam]

Just as I posted in other threads and the US Military is preparing for (they finally made public the announcement that soldiers are being taken out of Iraq but ONLY being sent to Kuwait), it is getting WORSE in the Middle East.

 

Even the NYC Times (which was a BIG supporter of "Arab Spring" in Egypt) is back tracking on the Egyptian situation. "Egypt is not going toward democracy but toward Islamicization,” said Eli Shaked, a former Israeli ambassador to Cairo who reflected the government’s view. “It is the same in Turkey and in Gaza. It is just like what happened in Iran in 1979.”

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/11/world/middleeast/11israel.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp

 

I truly hope that everyone gets their cruise/vacation in Israel/Egypt. But I sure wouldn't go at this point in time. I have spent just entirely too much time in the Middle East the last almost 4 years and have seen how a few can incite a major confrontation/riot in a very short time. Stay safe, everyone.

[cruisemom42]

Princess has just taken Egypt off of their October 10 "Holy Land" itinerary. Apparently they substituted Istanbul. It looks like they are considering what to do about some of the following cruises that include Egypt:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1480363

[crabby apple]

Just as I posted in other threads and the US Military is preparing for (they finally made public the announcement that soldiers are being taken out of Iraq but ONLY being sent to Kuwait), it is getting WORSE in the Middle East.

 

Even the NYC Times (which was a BIG supporter of "Arab Spring" in Egypt) is back tracking on the Egyptian situation. "Egypt is not going toward democracy but toward Islamicization,” said Eli Shaked, a former Israeli ambassador to Cairo who reflected the government’s view. “It is the same in Turkey and in Gaza. It is just like what happened in Iran in 1979.”

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/11/world/middleeast/11israel.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp

 

I truly hope that everyone gets their cruise/vacation in Israel/Egypt. But I sure wouldn't go at this point in time. I have spent just entirely too much time in the Middle East the last almost 4 years and have seen how a few can incite a major confrontation/riot in a very short time. Stay safe, everyone.

 

 

I need to have hubby check into this, they may end up cancelling his leave if this is the case. We cannot go there if the military won't allow it. As of 2 weeks ago Egypt was fine but if it has gotten worse they will not allow us to go.

[greatam]

I need to have hubby check into this, they may end up cancelling his leave if this is the case. We cannot go there if the military won't allow it. As of 2 weeks ago Egypt was fine but if it has gotten worse they will not allow us to go.

 

If he is CONUS, he is OK. But if he is OCONUS and particularly in the war zones, please check.

 

The military has FORBIDDEN soldiers and contractors from going to Egypt if they were in the war zones as of March, 2011. And last week, just before I left Iraq, the Public Affairs office put out a memo that contractors with either contractor company booked or self booked transport to the USA for R & R or end of contract COULD NOT transit through Israel IF they wanted to come back to work on another contract or after R & R. Don't know how they could tell because Israel will gladly NOT stamp your passport and just give you a piece of paper for the entry stamp, but most sure aren't taking the chance.

 

Threw a bunch of my friends (all contractors-most KBR or DynCorp) into a big tizzy because they were planning to meet families in Dubai, Egypt or Israel on their way home.

 

They all spent the last days of their contracts trying to rearrange airline flights for themselves and families. MOST sent their families into Dubai and are just going to give up on a trip to Egypt or Israel. Those who want to come back to the war zones realize that there are so few jobs in the USA for tradespeople (plumbers, electricians, HVAC, carpenters, etc. etc) they better toe the line and do everything they can to get back to Iraq (State Dept contract) or Afghanistan (LogCapIV) to support their families.

 

I have spent almost the last 4 years transiting in and out of Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait helping with logistics planning for subsistence and believe me, I sure wouldn't go on an Egypt/Israel cruise right now (although I will state that I feel MUCH safer going to Israel than Egypt, being an American).

 

Good luck!!!

[cruisemom42]

Princess has just taken Egypt off of their October 10 "Holy Land" itinerary. Apparently they substituted Istanbul. It looks like they are considering what to do about some of the following cruises that include Egypt:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1480363

 

Sorry.....apparently the poster was in error and was looking at old info before Egypt was reinstated by Princess.

[Jade13]

deleted

[travel_bug1]

It seems most people posting have been or are going to be leaving on a Celebrity cruise. I am wondering if there is anyone who has been on a RCCL cruise who could share their experience and thoughts.

[Onelung]

We just did the celebrity cruise to the holy land with 2 days in haifa and 2 in ashdod. We experienced NO problems whatsoever. Life goes on as normal. Go and enjoy

[Deckhandoug]

We just did the celebrity cruise to the holy land with 2 days in haifa and 2 in ashdod. We experienced NO problems whatsoever. Life goes on as normal. Go and enjoy

 

Thanks for the update, I hope our stops go smoothly as well!

[CathyK2]

Just to keep this update going.....Vision of the Seas is in Ashdod today and tomorrow and yes, they are there. We are on the next sailing, so I'm hoping things remain settled down there.

 

Cathy of New Hampshire

[travel_bug1]

Hi Cathy,

 

Where in New Hampshire is Bow located?

 

Was Voyager scheduled to go to Egypt? If so did it? Did it do just Ashdod or go to another Israel port too?