Jerusalem Shore Excursions: overnight stay available?

[Sopwith]

So on another note, and in a show of good faith toward O, I'm looking at a cruise next April that includes a three night stop in Haifa. Unfortunately the shorex menu hasn't been posted yet. Does anyone know if O normally offers excursions with an overnight stay in Jerusalem? Alternatively, will they allow pax to overnight on their own and return to the ship before it sails on the third day?

[Mura]

We haven't done this ourselves -- we did Israel on a private road trip about 10 years ago. Fortunately DH has a sabra cousin who is a licensed guide and she took us around.

 

However, from what I have read over the years you can leave the ship. You need to notify Oceania that you intend to do so.

 

It is possible that Oceania has overnight tours but I think you'd be better off doing it on your own, especially if you can get another 2-3 couples to join you. Check with your Roll Call, I'm sure you would find others who would be interested.

 

We had 3 days in Jerusalem and it was NOT enough.

 

But we did have a little over 2 weeks in Israel which was a wonderful trip.

 

You also might look at past roll calls to see what excursions were offered, whether private or ship.

 

Mura

[Flatbush Flyer]

The larger issue is the state of world affairs and how likely it will be that planned itineraries including Israel et al. will remain intact. O recently changed a variety of itineraries to exclude Turkish ports well into 2017.

Edited June 5, 2016 by Flatbush Flyer

[lovetocruise16]

My husband and I did two overnights in Jerusalem last October. We arranged a private taxi to pick us up at the ship and return us on the day of departure. Jerusalem is a long drive from Haifa, so we shared the ride with two other passengers from our ship. We stayed at the Waldorf Astoria and the other couple stayed at the King David. Would be glad to give you details if you'd like. There were incidents happening in Jerusalem, but we did not feel threatened and were just wary of our surroundings. The ship should have several tours but there are many local tour companies that are good to use. Let's hope things calm down in this region in future.

[Paulchili]

My guess is that they will offer overnight excursions to Jerusalem and will also let you do it on your own (with prior permission from Oceania).

I would recommend a private tour (or a small group tour).

We did a private overnight from Ashdod on Azamara and can recommend a good tour guide if needed.

Edited June 5, 2016 by Paulchili

[hmh1212]

We did a similar cruise a few years ago and arranged, with 2 other couples, to stay overnight in Jerusalem. A private guide met us at the port and took us around for both days. It worked out great, was less costly than the O tours, and we were able to visit a wide variety of sights. Liked the guide so much we used him for a 2 week land tour last year. Happy to provide his info if you want.

[PaulMCO]

My guess is that they will offer overnight excursions to Jerusalem and will also let you do it on your own (with prior permission from Oceania).

I would recommend a private tour (or a small group tour).

We did a private overnight from Ashdod on Azamara and can recommend a good tour guide if needed.

 

We just had an overnight in April. O did NOT offer an overnight tour. We did an overnight at the Mamilla Hotel in Jerusalem. The Taxi trip was $180 each way.

 

The permission was not a permission -- they did want a contact in case of changes to the sail schedule (mobile phone and hotel).

Edited June 5, 2016 by PaulMCO

[Paulchili]

We just had an overnight in April. O did NOT offer an overnight tour. We did an overnight at the Mamilla Hotel in Jerusalem. The Taxi trip was $180 each way.

 

The permission was not a permission -- they did want a contact in case of changes to the sail schedule (mobile phone and hotel).

 

Thank you for that info.

I am surprised that they did not offer overnights from Haifa.

Our cruise (Azamara) did not offer overnights, IIRC, but we were much closer to Jerusalem in Ashdod and thus within easy access for day tours.

[Pet Nit Noy]

So on another note, and in a show of good faith toward O, I'm looking at a cruise next April that includes a three night stop in Haifa. Unfortunately the shorex menu hasn't been posted yet. Does anyone know if O normally offers excursions with an overnight stay in Jerusalem? Alternatively, will they allow pax to overnight on their own and return to the ship before it sails on the third day?

 

If you want to know ship's excursions, just locate any cruise with a port call in Haifa and look at those offerings. Things don't change that much in repeat visits. However, In your place, wouldn't be relying on the ship's shore excursions. Private tours are less expensive, but, even for the same amount of money, they're better -- smaller groups, more control of how long you visit any particular place, and more control of the itinerary generally. Lots of cruisers can recommend reliable guides for Israel.

 

I think Haifa has limited appeal but it is a fine jumping off point for a visit to Acre/Akko (Hebrew/Arabic), a crusader city discovered largely intact under the modern city. Ditto for access to the many sites in the Galilee. Incidentally, the country of Israel is so small that you likely will be able to use the same guide from the Galilee south to Jerusalem.

 

You could see many sites in the north and still sleep on the ship the first night. Then, you could -- with prior permission -- leave the ship overnight to maximize your time touring Jerusalem.

 

En route to/from Jerusalem, consider visiting Caesarea Maratima, an amazingly intact Herodian city and harbor.

 

With your limited time, I'd be inclined to skip Tel Aviv unless you're really into Bauhaus architecture.

 

Finally, I do not recommend going to the Temple Mount as a DIY activity. This site is a flashpoint for demonstrations and I liked going with a guide who was familiar with the protocol and confidently knew the way out, if the need arose. It didn't. However, there were two small groups on the Mount who were behaving in a hostile way to any obviously non-Muslim tourist. Our guide had seen this often and was able to calibrate whether the behavior was primarily for show or was edging toward something to be concerned about.

Edited June 5, 2016 by Pet Nit Noy

[CorgiNole]

When we were at Haifa in May this year, there was a sign on the gangplank asking that you notify Oceania if you were planning to be off the ship overnight. Looked like a straightforward process.

 

Cheers, K

[workingtocruise-59]

My guess is that they will offer overnight excursions to Jerusalem and will also let you do it on your own (with prior permission from Oceania).

I would recommend a private tour (or a small group tour).

We did a private overnight from Ashdod on Azamara and can recommend a good tour guide if needed.

 

Hello

We are considering an overnight in Jerusalem from Ashdod and would be most grateful if you could let us have details of your guide etc.

Many thanks

 

 

philipt(at)prism(hyphen)mc(dot)fsnet(dot)co(dot) uk