Celebrity constellation athens to rome via israel

[rlc2578B]

Hello all,

 

Looking at October 2017 Athens to Rome 12 day cruise via Jerusalem and Haifa on Constellation and would like to hear from anyone who has visited these ports.

 

Any security problems? What did you see in Jerusalem? We are there two days - worth stopping in a hotel overnight?

 

Would you recommend the ship?

[Cruise Junky]

Here's a live thread back to back that started with that itinerary

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2414419

[hvbaskey]

We did the trip this past October and LOVED it!!! Israel was absolutely amazing and I am so grateful and appreciative to have experienced this amazing country.

 

Some people stayed overnight in Jerusalem, we did not. For our second day in Ashdod, we went to the Dead Sea & Masada. Unforgettable experiences, ALL positive - truly a trip of a lifetime.

[koalapanda]

Thank you hvbaskey for your insight on a cruise enjoyed. Connie is a great ship and we would consider this journey maybe in 2017.

May I ask what the weather was like for cruising in October in these regions?

[teamflames]

We were on that sailing and loved it. Weather was warm in most ports ... went swimming in Cyprus and Rhodes probably mid to high 20s Celsius. Hotter again Israel closer to 30 on the coast less in Jerusalem.

We took the train from Haifa to tel aviv and self explored. In Ashdod we did a tour to Jerusalem on one day and Dead Sea and Masada the next ... both were fantastic!!

We didn't stay overnight but many did and it would save a lot of driving.

Malta is also great but the weather wasn't.

Highly recommend

 

 

Sent from my iPod touch using Forums

[Miaminice]

We did a similar cruise on Silhouette and it was one of our best cruises EVER!

 

We stayed at a hotel in Jerusalem and would always do so again. Seeing the city at nighttime and early in the morning almost completely empty of tourists was fabulous.

 

Here's our review filled with pictures and information.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2249406

 

You can also click on the link in my signature. You might also want to look at the review of the Eastern Med - some of the same ports, however, different excursions.

 

Enjoy!

 

.

[MVPinBoynton]

We also did that cruise this year and thoroughly enjoyed it. Going in October is great for the weather also, since I can't imagine trying to do it when it is blistering hot there in the summer months. There were no security issues and even my wife, who was very worried about visiting the area, felt very comfortable. I have a complete review of our cruise at http://www.thepreismans.com that will show you lots of photos of the Constellation and what we did in all of the ports. The ship was in great shape. Visiting Israel is amazing.

[happy 2 b cruising]

Hello all,

 

Looking at October 2017 Athens to Rome 12 day cruise via Jerusalem and Haifa on Constellation and would like to hear from anyone who has visited these ports.

 

Any security problems? What did you see in Jerusalem? We are there two days - worth stopping in a hotel overnight?

 

Would you recommend the ship?

 

We did the 14 night Israel & Med Cruise on the Silhouette September 24 - October 8, 2016, which could be another option for you, round trip out of Rome.. Israel was the highlight, just amazing. In Jerusalem the Western Wall and the Yad VeShem Memorial are the sites not to be missed. I would definitely take excursions to the Dead Sea & Masada too. Another tour to Galilee would be enjoyable also. Security in Israel was the best. Enjoy your fabulous cruise.

[koalapanda]

Thank you to everyone for info and weather details. This cruise is very alluring.

For ric2578B the "Connie" or Constellation is a Millenium sized ship which is the largest ship we consider, otherwise we cruise smaller ships. It is possibly one of Celebrities most popular ships. She is a very elegant lady. Staff and Crew are superb. Our (B2B) 20 + day cruise on her was a joy. Amsterdam to Istanbul 2014.

[fla742]

We were on a similar itinerary in 2015 (Istanbul to Rome via Israel) and because of the world situation Celebrity changed the whole voyage 24 hours before sailing and we wound up with a Greek Island Cruise. We were all frantically cancelling tours and trying to book new ones.

[actuarian]

We were on a similar itinerary in 2015 (Istanbul to Rome via Israel) and because of the world situation Celebrity changed the whole voyage 24 hours before sailing and we wound up with a Greek Island Cruise. We were all frantically cancelling tours and trying to book new ones.

 

Booking a cruise for the purpose of visiting a particular port (or ports) is a gamble, only marginally better than booking a cruise for the purpose of winning money at the ship's casino. The cruise contract makes it absolutely clear that either the cruise line or the captain is always free to change or eliminate a stopover and the cruiser has no recourse.

[hvbaskey]

We were on a similar itinerary in 2015 (Istanbul to Rome via Israel) and because of the world situation Celebrity changed the whole voyage 24 hours before sailing and we wound up with a Greek Island Cruise. We were all frantically cancelling tours and trying to book new ones.

 

The 2016 Israel & Med cruise was *not* a best seller (perhaps because of what happened in 2015); in fact just prior to final payment - a good % of the ship remained as unsold. They began slashing prices to ridiculously low amounts and we were all gifted an extraordinary cruise at an amazing $ value. Several people upgraded their cabins for next to nothing; others booked higher categories for very low rates.

 

The cruise was to start in Istanbul and was swapped out for Athens. The remainder of the itinerary remained unaltered and we all considered ourselves thankful and maybe a bit lucky! We all knew the inherent risks of a schedule change based on what happened in 2015 and were grateful that only Istanbul was the port they swapped out.

 

In the end, the gamble paid off - we all experienced an extraordinary country (Israel) without incident and with the huge bonus of low cruise fares.

Edited December 21, 2016 by hvbaskey

[morechances]

Also did this trip this year.

 

It was great, and as Heather mentioned, a great price.

 

I did stay in a hotel overnight in Jerusalem. It was a good choice in my opinion. Saved the driving to and from the port. Jerusalem is a great city for nightlife. If you have the chance, stay in a hotel.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

Clark