Live from Explorer—June 5-19, 2022–Haifa to Rome

[RachelG]

At last, our much delayed and much anticipated trip has arrived.  We were scheduled for this in June 2020.  Obviously that didn’t happen.  I was getting worried about this time, but it is a go.

 

As usual, we had precruise drama, but this time, far more serious and far reaching.  You can read about it in the news.  Won’t go into details here, but it happened where I work every day, and I lost a close friend.  So I have been stressed to the max.  I am hoping the cruise will be the tonic for recovery.

 

We are currently in the Flagship lounge in Chicago after a totally uneventful and ahead of time flight on AA.  We fly to Madrid on Iberia then on to Tel Aviv.  I haven’t flown Iberia in several years, but it is supposed to have gotten better.  The tickets were using miles and a bargain as far as miles go.  We have a long layover in Madrid so plan to visit Parque Retiro and walk around some to fight jet lag.

 

i had not been in the Chicago Flagship lounge since pre covid.  It is totally remodeled and very nice.  Big buffet is on offer with good choices as well as a self serve wine and beer bar,  also with good choices.  Not crowded at all. So far so good.

 

masks were not required on the AA flight, but I have some in my tote bag just in case we need them.

 

i will as usual report every day, so I am happy to answer any questions or check on anything people want to know.

[captn337]

So sorry about what happened in Tulsa and a close friend to boot. Condolences.

Looking forward to following your blog. Sorry again. Ron

[Fredrik]

Bon voyage and happy cruising to you. Since we are boarding on the 19th of June we are eagerly anticipating all information that you can give. Have a safe flight.

[Boats07]

39 minutes ago, RachelG said:

At last, our much delayed and much anticipated trip has arrived.  We were scheduled for this in June 2020.  Obviously that didn’t happen.  I was getting worried about this time, but it is a go.

 

As usual, we had precruise drama, but this time, far more serious and far reaching.  You can read about it in the news.  Won’t go into details here, but it happened where I work every day, and I lost a close friend.  So I have been stressed to the max.  I am hoping the cruise will be the tonic for recovery.

 

We are currently in the Flagship lounge in Chicago after a totally uneventful and ahead of time flight on AA.  We fly to Madrid on Iberia then on to Tel Aviv.  I haven’t flown Iberia in several years, but it is supposed to have gotten better.  The tickets were using miles and a bargain as far as miles go.  We have a long layover in Madrid so plan to visit Parque Retiro and walk around some to fight jet lag.

 

i had not been in the Chicago Flagship lounge since pre covid.  It is totally remodeled and very nice.  Big buffet is on offer with good choices as well as a self serve wine and beer bar,  also with good choices.  Not crowded at all. So far so good.

 

masks were not required on the AA flight, but I have some in my tote bag just in case we need them.

 

i will as usual report every day, so I am happy to answer any questions or check on anything people want to know.

RachelG, condolences on you loss and having to go through such a trying time.

Have a restful and wonderful cruise.

Will be following along, and thank you in advance for your postings.

 

[Gilly]

I echo the comments above and add my sincere condolences, @RachelG  I had read the news but made no connection until now.  Hope your travels allow you some time to reflect and recover.

[crusin7]

Hi Rachel.  I also thought of you when I heard the news.  I kept checking this website to see if you posted.  Thankfully Wes posted you were safe.  I hope you can relax and enjoy your cruise.  My condolences on your loss.  Have some champagne in their honor!

[BearClaws]

I, too, send my heartfelt sympathy to you and your work family.  We lived in Tulsa for 5 years when first married, and our daughter was born in that hospital.  We have such fond memories of your beautiful city and its people.

 

Thank you for posting.  We will take our first cruise on Regent next month, so I will be following your posts with great interest.  Hope your vacation is wonderful.

[2012_Alaska_bound]

3 hours ago, RachelG said:

Won’t go into details here, but it happened where I work every day, and I lost a close friend.

 

So sorry to hear this! Prayers for all of you. Hope the cruise will be healing for you.

But,....

Thanks for taking us along! We haven't had a "Live" thread in awhile.

[califsealion]

I'm so sorry for your tragic loss. I hope your trip is relaxing and worth the wait!  Looking forward to reading about it!

[forgap]

When I read about the Tulsa shootings, my first thought was hoping you were OK.  I can’t imagine the horror and the grief.  Enjoy your time away and, as always,  I look forward to your comments.   Jennifer

[petlover]

Rachel, from one Tulsa girl to another....I'm so very sorry for your loss. Tragic ! I hope you have a wonderful cruise....a great escape.  

[Aloha 1]

Ditto, the above. Glad you are safe. Interested in all the protocol you go through in Israel as we are on Explorer again in October, Istanbul to Istanbul.

Edited June 4, 2022 by Aloha 1

[RachelG]

June 4,2022–in transit via Madrid

 

First of all, thank you for all the condolences and well wishes.  It means a lot, and I think I am actually better off being away for a few weeks, though it means missing my friend’s funeral.

 

We boarded our Iberia flight to Madrid right on time.  Business class seats are true lie flat and pretty comfortable with a lot of space around the seat for storage, big tv screen, and a nice fold down table tray.  However, the cabin was very warm.  I thought this might improve, but no.  And I am a person who is generally too cold.

 

We sat and waited and waited—and waited.  Finally after about an hour, the pilot announced that one of the engines wouldn’t start, and a mechanic had been summoned.  We waited some more, and the pilot announced that the problem was fixed.  I will admit some trepidation about flying over the ocean in a plane with a engine acting up, but all was good.

 

Food on the planes was actually pretty good, and the Spanish wines were excellent.  The dinner was served right away, and a full hot breakfast was served about an hour prior to landing, leaving a good amount of time for sleeping.  I was able to sleep a good 2 hours and could have done more if it hadn’t been so warm. So I just read the rest of the time.

 

Masks were required during the flight.  When we arrived in Madrid, we could remove the mask in the airport, but when we entered the customs hall, even George decided we needed to keep them on.  It was a mass of humanity,  easily over 1000 people in a line with no distancing.  Only 8 of the 24 stations were open. Some people were getting upset because of fear of missing their flights, babies were crying, a big school group blatantly cut in line—you get the picture.  It took 2 hours to get through.  So if you ever have a connection in Madrid, allow plenty of time, I would say 3 hours minimum.

 

So our day in Madrid was significantly shorter than planned.  We took a taxi to Parque Retiro and walked around.  They were having a huge book fair, and the stalls were numbered.  There were 112. 

 

Weather was perfect, sunny with temperatures in the low 70s and just a slight breeze.  Lots of families and young people were out enjoying the space.

 

Restaurants don’t open for lunch until 1:00 in Madrid.  We had gone in one place at 12:30, but they were still serving breakfast, so we walked some more.  We had lunch at a great tapas bar with a big cheese plate, olives, almonds, really good bread, and of course Spanish wine.  Perfect and not expensive at all.  

 

We were worried about maybe encountering a long line to go through security and customs again, so we went back to the airport.  And there was no line at all.  We walked right through both. Go figure.

 

The new Iberia Sala VIP is huge and airy with lots of comfortable seating, ample buffet of hot and cold food and self serve bar.  You could easily spend a comfortable long layover here.

 

Flight to Tel Aviv was on the same type of plane as the previous, again with comfortable lay flat seats.  No pillow, blankets, or amenity kits on this shorter flight, and dinner was served all at once on a tray rather than in courses, but was quite good.

 

Customs in Tel Aviv was quick.  30 minute taxi ride took us to the Tel Aviv Hilton, which is very nice and right on the beach.  We are only here one night which is kind of a shame as it is a lovely property with lots going on.
 

of note, health forms were required to be filled out for both Spain and Israel showing proof of covid vaccination .  They scanned our QR code in Spain, but thus far no one has even asked to look at our Israel form.  Same for the required proof of covid insurance—no one has asked to see it.  I printed off all the papers and kind of wanted my efforts to be a little acknowledged.

[2012_Alaska_bound]

Agree with you about Iberia. Regent booked it for me from Porto, Portugal home to Tucson, and I thought it was great.  Funny, I thought the cabin was a little warm too. No self controlled vent.

[ronrick1943]

Hope you have a restful trip, relax and enjoy yourself.  I’ll be reading as you travel——being away may be the best medicine for you.  Travel safe.

[RachelG]

June 5, 2022–embarkation in Haifa, Israel

 

Probably the best 1st night in Europe (well, this isn’t Europe, but you know what I mean—it is over the Atlantic Ocean from home) sleep I have ever had.  George agreed.  We were both mentally and physically exhausted, and we slept until 7:30 without interruption.  The room was large with very comfortable pillows and king bed, nice bathroom with separate shower and tub and a large balcony with views of the ocean.  Breakfast in the executive lounge was expansive with a couple of hot egg dishes, a huge variety of very fresh raw veggies and fruits, really good yogurt and cheeses, and a variety of breads.  Only thing missing was any meat, though they did have smoked salmon and tuna.

 

We met our driver who I had hired to take us to Haifa with a stop at Caesarea on the way.  Caesarea is a town built on the coast by King Herod to honor Caesar.  It was first a Roman port with a big amphitheater and hippodrome for chariot races.  It was where Paul appealed to Agrippa to be able to appeal his case in Rome as he was a Roman citizen, and where both Paul and Peter set sail for Rome.  The archeological site is now a national park and goes along the coast quite a long way.  It was a little warm but with a good breeze and a fun way to spend the morning.  

 

We headed on to the port.  They wouldn’t let our driver (or any taxi drivers or private vehicles) into the port itself. So anyone arriving privately had to unload their luggage, pull it up a sidewalk for about a block, enter the port, go down an elevator, and wait for a shuttle to take us to the ship.  And the shuttle had minimal room for luggage, so it was really not good.  

 

Once at the ship, they checked temperatures, had us fill out the health forms, and refill out our covid vaccine information even though we had already done that part online.  No one asked for our covid test results, the Israeli covid form, or proof of the extra covid health Insurance policy we were required to buy.  Very annoying since I had spent a lot of time and $100 getting all the done.  But there was no line at least.

 

Check in in the theater was very fast.  They just gave us our keycards as we had already uploaded our pictures.

 

Then upstairs for lunch in La Veranda.  I had my usual salad and shrimp, while George had his usual salad and prime rib which he always gets and never likes. It is kind of a tradition- he has to take one bite and comment on the poor quality of the beef.  Then he goes and gets something else.  

 

They announced that the suites were ready actually just as we were starting to eat, about 1:45 which is the earliest I have encountered on Regent.  

 

The afternoon was spent unpacking and getting everything in order. Unfortunately a bunch of my tours had been cancelled due to “problems with local tour operators “.  I had spent a lot of time researching these, and most of the other tours that interested me were already filled.  Really annoying.  I picked a couple that are just ok—definitely not my first choices, and am on wait lists for a couple more.  If the wait lists don’t clear, we may just end up doing our own thing in those ports.  
 

I tried to post some pictures from yesterday and today, but no luck.  Maybe later.

Edited June 5, 2022 by RachelG

[RachelG]

View from our room at the Hilton Tel Aviv—sorry it is upside down

[1982CruzStart]

Thanks Rachel, i am really looking forward to reading about your entire trip. You always do such a wonderful job. 

Have a super cruise. 

[Stumblefoot]

3 hours ago, RachelG said:

George had his usual salad and prime rib which he always gets and never likes. It is kind of a tradition- he has to take one bite and comment on the poor quality of the beef.

And to think I thought this was just one of the simple pleasures he enjoyed while on board SS at The Grill while eating their awful burgers. 😆

 

Have fun you two!  I’m looking forward to hearing about the vibe you experience while on the ship.  

[RachelG]

June 5, 2022–continuation in Haifa

 

we had dinner reservations in Prime 7.  The food was hot and miss.  The salads and appetizers were great.  George enjoyed his shrimp cocktail and my crab cake was delicious.  I had a filet which was perfectly cooked and delicious.  George had surf and turf with lobster and steak.  His lobster was definitely past it’s due date with a distinct odor.  His steak was weirdly unevenly cooked, with one side being well done, and the other borderline raw.  The new onion rings are not good- very greasy, and not panko coated, but drenched in a batter which soaks up grease.  The key lime pie was good.  The chef came out to talk to us.  Promised to do better.

 

no show tonight as all the tours tomorrow are really early and long

[Reveuse]

I really enjoy reading your experiences. Surprised to read about the food experience in Prime 7. How’s the cabin?

[Reveuse]

Is the ship full?

[RachelG]

20 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

And to think I thought this was just one of the simple pleasures he enjoyed while on board SS at The Grill while eating their awful burgers. 😆

 

Have fun you two!  I’m looking forward to hearing about the vibe you experience while on the ship.  

No, definitely not specific to Silversea.

 

1 hour ago, Reveuse said:

I really enjoy reading your experiences. Surprised to read about the food experience in Prime 7. How’s the cabin?

cabin is very comfortable.  Huge amount of storage space, we have maybe only used 1/3 and I am not a light packer.  Big balcony, comfortable bed facing the balcony.  The shower door tends to stick when you try to close it, but that is only issue.  We are in 716.

 

1 hour ago, Reveuse said:

Is the ship full?

no idea, but pretty much I would say based on how things “feel”.

[RachelG]

June 6, 2022–Haifa, Israel

 

We were in port overnight, which meant that George had his usual first night of a trip insomnia on the 2nd night.  If the ship had been moving, he would have slept well.  So we were up at 5:30 am.  

 

It was warm and sunny.  Our excursion to Bethlehem had cancelled due to “issues with local operators “.  So we were booked on “Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee”,a tour we had done on our previous trip.  I wasn’t thrilled about this, but figured I would just go ahead and try to have a good time.

 

Well, it turned out to be a great tour.  When we were here previously 8 years ago, every site was crowded and packed with tour buses.  This time, there were hardly any tourists.  This meant we could get in and out much more quickly, and we were able to see a lot more and go into a lot more detail than on the previous trip.  Our guide was pretty funny and informative—and he knew when to stop talking.  He is Jewish but had his Bible and knows a lot about Christianity.

 

We went first to Nazareth to the church of the annunciation to see the place where the angel told Mary she would give birth to the Messiah.  George was selected to read the passage about this from the Bible, and that was really neat.  We also were able to visit the Church of Joseph which we had not seen previously.  

 

We drove though Cana (turning water to wine) to the Mount of the Beatitudes and the Sea of Galilee.  Again we were able to spend more time and get more detail.  We went to the site of the feeding of the 5000, then on to Caperneum where Jesus began selecting his disciples and preached in the synagogue.  Even I learned a few new interesting facts.

 

Lunch was a big buffet at a kibbutz.  Nothing fancy, but good fresh wholesome food, along with free flowing Israeli red wine.

 

Afterward, we went to the Jordan River.  There is the big complex where some people get baptized again, but you couldn’t pay me enough to get in that water.  The river is really a stagnant creek, barely flowing.  I refused to get baptized in a creek in Arkansas when I was 10 years old as I thought it was unsanitary (as a 10 year old), and this was way worse.

 

We drove back to Haifa making a good photo stop on top of Mt. Carmel on the way to port.  All in all, a very nice day.

 

Dinner in Compass Rose was excellent.  Everything spot on.  George loved his huge pork chop and baked potato.  I have a great spinach salad, pasta and cheese for dessert.  

 

There was an entertainer on board for tonight, but our excursion leaves at 6:30 am, so not a engaging idea. 

[forgap]

Great start of your journey!   We are on Explorer in October (Istanbul to Istanbul) with some of the same ports.  You are whetting my appetite!   We had visited Israel on a previous cruise but did not do the tour to Nazareth.  We went to Yad Vashem which was very emotional…especially the memorial to the murdered children.  It is a beautiful site and worth going on that tour.  We also toured the major sites in Jerusalem.  Our other tour took us to Tel Aviv and Jaffa.  It was interesting and a short tour which was our choice after 13 hours on tour the previous day.