Is it safe to go to Israel from a cruise with the remote threat of terrorists firing rockets

[stromer]

We are scheduled to go on a cruise in Oct 2022 which makes 2 stops in Israel.  My wife thinks it is not safe to go there on excursions into Isreal to see the various historical sites because of the threat that terrorists will start their rocket attacks at any time like they did earlier in the year.  Can anyone give me good arguments/facts/links that would indicate this is extremely rare.  Unless I can convince her it is safe, then we will not be going on this cruise. I believe if terrorists are attacking with rockets then the cruise line will not even stop in Israel.  

Thanks for any adviceon this, Rick  

[baggal]

No one can accurately predict the future.  Up until Covid, Israel hosted thousands, if not millions, of tourists annually with very few incidents like the one you described.  But it sounds like your wife will be anxious about the trip no matter what someone here on CruiseCritic says.  I suggest you cancel the cruise now while you can get your money back and book a trip where you wife would feel safer, although in this current geopolitical situation, I don't know where that is.

[Langoustine]

Every place is safe until it isn't.

[John Bull]

There are plenty of statistics which show that such incidents are rare - and that when they happen  they impact only a few people.

But its difficult or impossible to anticipate WHEN they'll happen.

 

Ashdod is within rocket range of the Gaza strip and, yes, consequently cruise lines do avoid porting there from time to time. If there's room in Haifa port, some will visit there instead. It's perfectly possible to visit Jerrusalem from Haifa, though it makes for a long day and is best done on a ship-sponsored excursion. I'm fairly certain that Jerusalem is out of rocket range from Gaza, and would risk them falling on Palestinian places like Bethlehem. So I'm not aware of any rocket attacks on Jerusalem.

 

Haifa is as trouble-free as pretty-well anywhere else in the world.

 

Statistically the biggest risk on any cruise - including cruises to Israel, Egypt, Mexico and most other places in the world -  is the drive between home and port or airport.

But that didn't stop folk from cancelling trips to London when there was  a spate of bombings a few years back, even though 8 million London residents didn't flee to the hills. 

If your wife needs serious persuasion, then sadly I agree with Baggal - her fears would prevent herr enjoying the visit.

 

JB 🙂

 

[WESTEAST]

We share your wife's concerns and we have postponed going many times. That said, we decided to take the plunge and have a cruise booked for June 2023 for 3 days in Israel.  We asked the same question on a previous post and received good information from John Bull and Cruisemom42. That said, it is very much a personal decision. Included previous post for reference.

 

[cruisinsusin]

We cruised to the Holy Lands in 2011, and the night before our port call to Ashdod, there were rockets near the port. At 11pm, the Captain announced that our ship was  diverting to Haifa . Free phone calls were given to anyone that needed to speak with a private guide. We spent our 4 days in Israel docked at Haifa and toured from there.

The cruise line does not want to be anywhere that there might be significant danger , either for their guests or their ship. We did not feel unsafe during our entire time in Israel.

[Panama111]

Don’t worry in Israel. You will not be going anywhere near Gaza. The Palestinians are friendly and hospitable and need tourists.

if there was a hint of a problem the guide would change plans. I am Canadian and have worked in Israel on and off for fifteen years. I always feel safe. Of course, you have to decide for yourself, but there are extremely fabulous sites to miss.

patricia

[Markanddonna]

I had the same worries for years, but after extensive travel experiences, we took the plunge in 2019. I felt very safe, much safer than in most countries. We also lived through the bomb threats on the Tube in London, May 1 violent protests in Barcelona, then my foolishly walking into a no go zone in France. The men there were yelling at me to leave, I think for my own safety. Like others have said, Israel takes extraordinary precautions and is much safer than the big USA city 10 miles from my home. 

[intr3pid]

First piece of advice if going on a trip to the Middle East.  Refrain from calling anyone "terrorist" or anything that might stir things up.  Second, do some reading on the history down there, so you can treat the trip as something more than a sightseeing excursion.  If you or your wife are comparing it with a cruise out of Miami or Barcelona, this trip isn't for you.