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

[Aloha 1]

Forgap, we are also on this cruise. Third time to Israel, G-d willing. 

[RachelG]

Caesarea scenes—again don’t know why everything is upside down

[RachelG]

23 hours ago, Reveuse said:

Is the ship full?

Approximately 500 according to one of the other passengers 

[Ladys Mom]

Have a wonderful cruise.  Enjoy Israel and the rest of the Med.

[RachelG]

June 7,2022–Ashdod, Israel

 

During the night, the ship sailed the short distance from Haifa to Ashdod.  And we slept well, until my phone rang at 3:30 am with a spam call as I had forgotten to put it back on airplane mode.  After that,it was hit and miss, and we had to get up at 5:30 as our excursion left at 6:30.  Won’t make that mistake again.

 

We ate breakfast in La Veranda while the ship docked at a huge commercial port with cranes and containers all around.  No other cruise ships were present.  

 

Getting off the ship, it was downright cool, particularly since I was wearing shorts and a sleeveless top.  The sun was already out, and the temperature quickly rose.  The bus only had 27 on board,so plenty of room.  

 

Our tour for the day was to Masada and the Dead Sea.  First we drove through agricultural areas with wheat fields on both sides, then through a forest which was intentionally planted to help with the climate.  The land became progressively drier and drier past this with flocks of sheep, some goats and camels.  The is was the area where Abraham in the Old Testament ran his sheep and cattle. 

 

Eventually we were in the Negev which is rugged desert with pretty much nothing growing.  I can see why the children of Israel got so testy with Moses when they were stuck out there.  We were going steadily down in elevation.

 

We arrived at the Dead Sea, going by Sodom, where Lot’s wife was turned to a pillar of salt.  The sea is a beautiful pale aqua blue, much nicer than I had imagined with what look like icebergs but are actually salt bergs in the water.  No weird smells like a lot of the salt lakes To which have previously been.

 

Rising straight up to our left was a tall plateau with steep sides.  This was Masada, which was initially a palace built by Herod (he loved building palaces with all the tax money he extorted from the people), but became famous as the site where the Jews who had revolted against the Romans were under siege and eventually killed themselves to prevent capture.

 

We took a cable car up to the top and we’re able to explore around on our own or with the guide.  It was fascinating, with the ruins of the palace as well as lots of other building.  Only complaint is that we only had a hour and a half.  George and I could easily have spent half a day there.

 

We reboarded the bus for the short drive to the Hotel Lot where we were able to swim/float in the Dead Sea. I had been saving an old stretched out bathing suit for this minute for 4 years as we had originally booked this trip for June 2020.  So I could just wear it then throw it in the trash.  I also had my water shoes (highly recommend) as I had been warned by a friend that the bottom is covered with big salt crystals.

 

The water was very warm,like a bathtub, and we bobbed up and down like corks.  It was very cool, way more fun than I had thought it would be and I highly recommend.  The place had showers and towels, so afterward, I just rinsed off and threw away the bathing suit.

 

Lunch was a buffet at the hotel, and again was very good, with lots of healthy fresh produce.  George and I walked over to the mall attached to the hotel and bought some skin care products for our daughter and daughter-in-laws.

 

Last stop was at the Ahava outlet.  They sell Ahava stuff at Dillards, and the prices didn’t seem any different to me, so I made no purchases.

 

We drove along the West Bank and by Qumran which is where the Dead Sea scrolls were found.  We went through the border crossing from Palestine into Israel, then through Jerusalem where traffic was heavy.  Once out of the city, things got better, and we drove though rolling hills with lots of trees and vineyards which remind me of California.

 

Due to the traffic, we were late getting back to the ship, so had to hurry, shower and change for dinner.  Compass Rose was again outstanding with some of the best service ever.  They got the wrong sauce on my pasta, but it was good, just not what I ordered.  Glasses were never empty, and courses came out quickly.  George went to make donations to the casino afterwards.  He is such a generous guy. 

 

Entertainment was a comedian/magician, which is not really my thing.  But he was pretty funny. 

 

[BearClaws]

Love this and hope to go someday.  Thank you.

[fdnycruiser]

Enjoying the review of your trip, especially Masada and the Dead Sea. We were on a Seabourn excursion to Masada about 3 years ago. We were waiting to go up on the cable car, and there was a huge thunderstorm complete with hail. The guide said it was the first time in his 25 years he’d seen rain up there. Did get into the Dead Sea though, despite lightning in the area. I figured God wouldn’t strike me dead there. Anyway, I’ve got a good excuse to go back. Enjoy the rest of your cruise as much as I’m enjoying it.

[forgap]

Reading this to my husband over cocktails!  We have booked this exact excursion in October!!  

[1982CruzStart]

Thanks Rachel for bringing back fond memories, we did this excursion with Regent a number of years ago and it was my favorite tour in Israel.  Loved Masada, it was so interesting though tragic. Keep enjoying your cruise. 

[Aloha 1]

Our first trip to Masada in 2011. The square in the second picture is the actual outline of one of the Roman Tenth Legion bases. They are the rocks that were gathered to form the base of the camp perimeter.

 

The first is at the Dead Sea.  

Edited June 8, 2022 by Aloha 1

[RachelG]

June 8, 2022–Limassol Cyprus

 

We had smooth sailing through the night and a great sleep.  When we woke up, we weren’t sure what time it was because one electronic device said 7 am and 2 said 6 am.  We settled on 7 am after looking up Cyprus on the world clock.  This has happened before, and is a big problem if you set your alarm on the device which is lagging.  Fortunately, we had just woken up on our own.

 

A word on the ship wifi:slow.  I have been unable to do any work or upload pictures.  Having to do all that using my iPhone hot spot when we are on land.  Very frustrating.  It loads Facebook just fine and text for CC, but is totally confounded by the firewalls to my office or uploading a photo for CC.

 

The weather was slightly warm, in the 80s but with a good breeze.  The sun was shining, but it was pretty hazy.  Our tour guide told us it was because of sand blowing in from North Africa. We boarded a 19 passenger minibus for our tour, a Taste of Cyprus.  There were 15 people on the tour.  It was a bumpy ride as the minibus had absolutely no suspension or shock absorbers, and there were lots of speed bumps.  But it was a great tour otherwise.

 

We drove out of the city and into the countryside, through orange groves and other agriculture then into a pine forest as we went higher in the hills.  We arrived at a little village with very narrow cobbled streets, so narrow that if you had rolled down the window of the minibus, you could have touched the buildings.  But our driver was very skillful.

 

At the center of the village, we stopped at a traditional taverna for coffee or tea and a sort of candy made from grape juice and flour, either just those two ingredients or with almonds added.  It was very good, and ok for diabetics.   We then had a while to explore the village which was very clean but with a lot of abandoned buildings.  We bought carob syrup, olives, and some preserves at a little shop with a nice proprietor.

 

We then continued driving through terraced vineyards to a immaculately kept winery where we were greeted by the owner, a very hospitable guy, who showed us around his property.  He is clearly proud of it, as he should be.  At the main house, there was a big spread of different cheeses, meats, olives and bread.  He guided us through a wine tasting of 1 white, 1 rose, 2 reds, 2 dessert wines, and the Cypriot version of grappa.  The red and rose were really good,and I am not usually a rose drinker.  Of course, George had to purchase some, while I petted the cats.  One sweet little kitten I wanted to bring home in my purse. 

 

After this, everyone could have taken a nap, but we had to go to another small village for lunch at another taverna.  This was served family style and consisted of starters of tzatziki, olives, fresh baked pita bread, salad followed by couscous and dolmas.  Then roast chicken and roast goat with potatoes.  Dessert was fresh peaches and oranges.  All accompanied by red and white wine followed by ouzo.  Fortunately, afterward, we walked around in the village a bit while our guide told us about village life.

 

We made it back to the ship at 4–all aboard time.  Trivia was at 4:30, and our little 3 person team won, missing only one question which we actually should have gotten right.  It helped that there were a couple of chemistry questions.

 

Dinner was in Chartreuse, not my favorite restaurant on the ship, but tonight, a winner.  I had a beet salad, which is always good,  delicious mushroom soup, and the tournedos Rossini.  It was excellent all round.  

 

The show was Divos and Divas which has been completely reworked from the last time I saw it.  It was great.  The singers and dancers are very talented. 

[ronrick1943]

Sounds like a great cruise, thank again for taking the time to share what you are doing.

[CruisetheCs]

Rachel, I'm curious about your take on Covid related precautions onboard, e.g., are some wearing mask or no masks, distancing, crowded venues, tours, etc.  I assume the staff are all wearing masks as they were recently on Mariner.  But I was uncomfortable with the crowding, lack of almost any attempt at distancing, very little masking in crowded situations, etc.  So wondering how you feel about the trip so far from a Covid precaution perspective?

[RachelG]

4 hours ago, CruisetheCs said:

Rachel, I'm curious about your take on Covid related precautions onboard, e.g., are some wearing mask or no masks, distancing, crowded venues, tours, etc.  I assume the staff are all wearing masks as they were recently on Mariner.  But I was uncomfortable with the crowding, lack of almost any attempt at distancing, very little masking in crowded situations, etc.  So wondering how you feel about the trip so far from a Covid precaution perspective?

Staff still wearing masks, but very few passengers wear them,  maybe one in 20.  And no social distancing of any type on tours.  There were probably 60 people jammed into the cable car at Masada, not all in our group or even with Regent, so who knows if they were vaccinated or not.  Nobody was wearing a mask.  On tours, buses are pretty full. So if that sort of thing bothers you, probably need to not cruise for a while. 

[GeorgiaPeach51]

I’m really enjoying reading about your trip.  It is on our bucket list!  Thanks for taking the time to post!

 

Joanie

[Gpilon]

We have a hold on a similar cruise in October on Explorer. Virtually an identical one we had booked on Splendor a couple years back. Hopefully we will get things finalized and booked by Monday. Thanks for taking us along with this cruise.

[CruisetheCs]

12 hours ago, RachelG said:

Staff still wearing masks, but very few passengers wear them,  maybe one in 20.  And no social distancing of any type on tours.  There were probably 60 people jammed into the cable car at Masada, not all in our group or even with Regent, so who knows if they were vaccinated or not.  Nobody was wearing a mask.  On tours, buses are pretty full. So if that sort of thing bothers you, probably need to not cruise for a while. 

Thanks for the update.  Sounds about the same as on the Mariner last month.  I think it is important for people to know what the circumstances are onboard so they can decide if they are comfortable with the situation. Since there is no testing requirement after boarding, probably only severe Covid cases would be identified during the cruise.  On the next to last day lots of people were tested because of travel requirements, but nothing was revealed about the overall results or whether anyone tested positive at that time.

[RachelG]

June 9, 2022–Rhodes, Greece

 

We had a nice sleep in as the ship was not to arrive in Rhodes until 11:00 am.  Leisurely breakfast in La Veranda (no Greek yogurt or berries to be found—there were strawberries the first morning but none since, and Greek yogurt the first two days but none since).  Since that is my normal choice for breakfast, I had to resort to bacon instead.

 

It was bright and sunny with a good breeze due to the ship moving, so I went and got some steps out on the track.  There was a lecture on offer as well as the wine tasting where you can go sample the complementary wines on the ship and find the ones you like.  

 

Soon we were pulling into the harbor in Rhodes.  This is the first port where there have been other cruise ships present.  We have been to Rhodes several times and seen the big sites, so our tour for the day was basically the same as yesterday—a food tour up in the hills as George likes getting out in the countryside, and we both enjoy trying different foods.  We pulled into a port, part of which is ancient and part newer. 

 

We drove along the coast in a big bus with only 15 guests plus a lady from destination services.  (An aside-destination services on this trip is probably the best I have ever encountered.  Responsive and they get the tours out and going efficiently and on time.). Our first stop was at a bakery right on the beach where they do the baking in a traditional wood oven.  I had a crusty pretzel sort of bread, but you could pick whatever you wanted.

 

We then turned inland and drove up into the hills past olive groves and pine forest.  The next stop was a small village where we had a delicious Greek salad at a taverna and walked around a bit.  The church was open and the priest showed us around.  

 

We drove on higher into the hills on curvy narrow roads to another village where we had a cooking class, hands on, learning how to make dolmades. Way easier than I thought, and I think it will make them at home.

 

We drove further to our last stop which was a vineyard nigh in the hills, very rustic.  We were greeted by the owner’s son, who spoke excellent English without an accent.  They had a huge fire last year and lost about half their vines, but they are working to rebuild.  We had more salad, tzatziki, eggplant, and some of the best roast chicken I have ever had.  Very simple but so good. 

 

Back to the ship, George had to work some.  Then we had dinner in Sette Mare (La Veranda at night).  You would think after a whole day of eating, we would be full, but I was able to pack some more food in.  But a major disappointment—my favorite dessert on Regent has been tiramisu.  So as usual, I ordered it.  It is now a mousse in a little shot glass.  No coffee soaked lady fingers.  Totally dissatisfied.

 

I went to the show, which was a British lady opera singer who was very good, while George donated more money to the casino.  Then we went to listen to our friend sing karaoke for a little while.

[RachelG]

To elaborate a little more on the covid situation, the crew member on our tour yesterday shared that the ship is intentionally not at full capacity as they still have the back half of deck 6 blocked off as covid isolation and quarantine rooms.  Nobody in the currently,  but they are ready just in case.  
 

in Israel, nobody was wearing a mask off the ship.  In Cyprus, we were required to wear masks on the bus, and everyone complied.  But no where else.

 

in Rhodes, we were told we would have to wear a mask on the bus, but neither the driver nor the guide were, so everyone except for one couple took theirs off.  It was a huge bus with only 15 passengers, so we were pretty spaced out.

[RachelG]

June 10, 2022–Kusadasi, Turkey

 

Another smooth night of sailing, and we woke up in Kusadasi, the port for Ephesus.  It was already pretty warm outside.  Weather was somewhat hazy and with quite a few  clouds, but the sun was peaking through.  We have been here multiple times in the past.  We have been to Ephesus twice and to the other ruins as well as the museum.  We agreed ahead of time that we absolutely are no buying another Turkish rug (we have 12), so had selected a totally different tour today, a Day at the Farm.  Ours was the only ship in port in the morning.

 

The tour was basically a private tour, just us and 2 others in a van with the driver and guy.  This is an included tour.  We drove along the coast out of town then up into the hills, which were covered with olive and peach orchards and vineyards as well as some wheat fields.  Beautiful agriculture.  We arrived at a small village and went to a beautiful outdoor restaurant where we were served a expansive breakfast—multiple varieties of cheese, olives, homemade breads, preserves, tomatoes, green veggies, eggs, sausages, fried potatoes.  The food just kept coming.  All delicious.  We walked around the garden, and a lady next door invited us to tour her garden as well.  Both were lush and beautiful.

 

We then drove further into the countryside to another village which is known for cherry production.  We toured the village and mosque on foot then went to the cherry orchard where we were able to pick and eat as many as we wanted.  

 

On the way back to the ship, we were offered a visit to the carpet store but declined.  We were dropped off by the port and decided to walk out to an old fort that is on a little island.  Of course, lots of vendors were out trying to get us to go into their shops and restaurants, but we resisted.  We explored the little island and fort then walked back to the ship.

 

We entered the port complex and—!!!—George says “let’s just go in and look at these carpets”.  So an hour later, we walk out having purchased a custom made rug which should arrive at our home in 8-9 months.  What can I say?

 

Back onboard, George worked out while I went to trivia.  We did not win.  It was all tv questions.  No chemistry, no history, no geography.  

  

Great news which I heard on tv on going back to the room.  The re-entry Covid test is discontinued as of Sunday.  What a stress reliever!

 

Dinner was in Compass Rose.  The menu has so many choices now, it is hard to know what to select.  Everything was spot on with courses coming out quickly.   I had a mushroom tart, spinach salad, and grilled shrimp.  All perfect.  

 

After dinner, George won his money back in the casino then we went to the show—the magician.  Not my favorite entertainment,but he was pretty good, and George enjoyed it.

[cwn]

Rachel I am enjoying your reports….we have not been in that part of the would since 2009. Love the carpet story. DH can’t pass a carpet store either! 
Thanks for your reports.

[irishwitchy]

We tried to visit this part of the world a couple of times, but civil issues or COVID got in the way.  Love your descriptions.   Bacon should always be the first choice, never eat it at home,  but on vacation - just have to.  

[2012_Alaska_bound]

Still laughing about the rug.  Hopefully George made enough at the Casino to pay for it!

 

Sounds like a great tour. What was it called?

[RachelG]

4 hours ago, 2012_Alaska_bound said:

Still laughing about the rug.  Hopefully George made enough at the Casino to pay for it!

 

Sounds like a great tour. What was it called?

A Day at the Farm

[Aloha 1]

My DW cannot pass a baklava store when in Turkey 😂