Cruise Critic member in Israel, happy to answer questions

[happy trailer]

Independence Hall- of course!

 

Thanks, Holly!

 

(It's actually been too hot for the beach the past few days- our summer is really stretching out!)

[happy trailer]

---

Edited November 3, 2010 by happy trailer

[happy trailer]

Sorry about that- I had a couple of pics of Yoel Solomon street, near the Harmony Hotel, that I wanted to post, but my connection keeps timing out.

 

I'll try again later..

 

Ruth

[lorac2]

Hi : Was wondering if it was possible after docking in Haifa to get to Jeruselum and have a Bar Mitzvah for my grandson at the Wall? Can this be done in a short time? Who would I have to arrange it with. This won't happen until April 2012 but I want to be familiar with my options and take plenty of time for research. Thanks for any information.

[bluehorizonlover123]

Not sure about the logistics of driving between the 2 sites but if you google "bar mitzvahs at the kotel in israel" there are many sites to visit and decide about who you would like to sponsor your event.

 

There is an actual company right there at the wall that puts on the actual bar mitzvah service.

[motib]

Hi : Was wondering if it was possible after docking in Haifa to get to Jeruselum and have a Bar Mitzvah for my grandson at the Wall? Can this be done in a short time? Who would I have to arrange it with. This won't happen until April 2012 but I want to be familiar with my options and take plenty of time for research. Thanks for any information.

 

No problem to arrange it!

One thing you should know, by the wall you can do only an orthodox ceremony, if you want a different one then you'll need to do that by Robinson Arch by the Western Wall but south to the Kotel Plaza.

Now, since this is a cruiser forum and your request is not a regular one by a cruiser I suggest you to go to the Israel Forum in TripAdvisor, there you have a lot of people who arranged a Bar Mitzvah at the Wall and some reviews about it.

[lorac2]

Thank you for the advice. We do not want a big service or celebration (the cruise it it!) just a special prayer at an important sight for the memory.

[happy trailer]

Friends are on RCL's Brilliance of the Seas, which ran into trouble approaching Alexandria. While in general the beginning- middle of December is clear of weather issues around here, since Friday we've been in the midst of the first winter storm of the season, and they hit rough seas.

 

Here's what she just posted on CC:

 

 

Live from the Brilliance - at 3:45 am all H*** broke loose! We were sailing in a storm all day yesterday on our way to Alexandria - dining room was almost empty. At 3:45 am, the ship listed 10-15% each way, over and over again. I was flying back and forth. My roomie managed to brace herself. The beds were sliding back and forth!! Broken glass everywhere as everything on it went flying. Tables and chairs upended.

 

We are okay - not sure if there are any injuries. I am just bruised.

 

It happened as we had to slow down while entering the port area of Alexandria to avoid ship traffic. The stabilizers then didn't work.

 

We have sailed out to sea into the storm. It is calmer, but we're still rocking. Windjammer is closed. Only dining venue is the Dining room for a continental breakfast. We may or may not make it to Alexandria - we were due for an overnight.

 

The crew was called out in the night. Cabin attendants checked all the rooms to see if anyone needed help. Now the massive cleanup begins!

[happy trailer]

A follow up on the Brilliance: Some minor injuries, lots and lots of internal damage to the ship (but the engines are fine). They've skipped Alexandria, and will spend an extra day in Malta instead.

 

Here's an article about the storm damage in Israel (the wind is still raging outside, and there's a possibility of snow in the Jerusalem area tonight):

 

Heavy storm causes disruptions throughout country

[cruisemom42]

A follow up on the Brilliance: Some minor injuries, lots and lots of internal damage to the ship (but the engines are fine). They've skipped Alexandria, and will spend an extra day in Malta instead.

 

Here's an article about the storm damage in Israel (the wind is still raging outside, and there's a possibility of snow in the Jerusalem area tonight):

 

Heavy storm causes disruptions throughout country

 

 

Wow, quite a story. Sadly, you can be sure that some passengers will complain about missing Alexandria and will blame the cruise line (and expect compensation). It's too bad about the storm, because the visit to Egypt was probably one of the main reasons many people booked the cruise, but there was surely nothing the cruise lines could've done about it.

 

P.S. We are experiencing snow flurries in Atlanta also -- not very usual for us!

[041473]

Ruth and other Israel experts,

I am now looking at Haifa and after you expert advice for Jerusalem I thought I'd ask for your feedback sooner this time. I have read Nazareth Transport and Tourism buses runs from Haifia to Sea of Galilee but the website is not in English. We are interested in the Christian site around the Sea of Galilee area and want your advice if this is doable on our own via public transportation or do we need a tour guide. Our ship is in port Sunday Nov 7, 7am - 10pm.

Thanks in advance,

MSFL

 

Hi, I am assuming Nov 7, is 2010?? If so, please tell me if you did the buses in Haifa or tour guide, and if so who did you use? We will be there in April 2011

[happy trailer]

Some unfortunate storm damage, followed by an unexpected find:

 

 

Israel’s Archeological Sites Get a Battering

Written by Michael Grubb

Published Wednesday, December 15, 2010

 

http://www.themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=30825

Worst storm in 25 years strikes Caesarea, Acre and Ashkelon, but also reveals a Roman-era statue

 

Winter’s belated arrival in Israel brought with it the biggest storm in two decades, wreaking havoc. Ships sank, billboards and power lines fell. Where there wasn’t rain, dust storms blanketed the cities and farmland. Coastal regions were pummeled by huge waves lifted by 100-kilometer-an-hour winds.

 

The storms also caused severe damage to archeological and antiquities sites up and down the country’s Mediterranean coast, most seriously at the Herodian port city of Caesarea. Experts say the cost of restoring the sites will be in the millions of shekels, but in many cases the losses are irretrievable.

 

“It was the most severe storm we have seen in the last 25 years, since we began measuring the waves along the coast of the Mediterranean,” Matti Weiss of the Israel Meteorological Service, told The Media Line. Waves reached a height of as much as 13 meters in some areas.

 

Caesarea, where Herod the Great constructed one of the biggest ports in the ancient world between 22 and 10 BC, was hit particularly hard by the storm. A 1950s-era breakwater built off the coast of the site to protect it from the natural force of the sea broke up into three pieces during the storm, and the result was devastating.

“ In all of the ancient city, areas from the Hellenistic period and especially the areas from the Roman and Byzantine times, large parts of it have been destroyed,” said Jacob Sharvit, head of the Underwater Archeology unit at Israel Antiquities Authority. “The crusader city wall in the north, part of it fell down, the Herodian wall in the north something like 40 meters was destroyed, and there are a lot of new cracks. Part of the aqueduct and also the coast next to the main aqueduct was washed away and disappeared.”

The archeological park, one of Israel’s top tourist attractions, is closed for now and the cost of fixing the damage is estimated in the millions of dollar, he told The Media Line.

 

In the southern city of Ashkelon, a large section of a cliff, over which ancient ruins including mosaics and a bathhouse sit, was washed away.

“Most of the damage that we saw in Ashkelon is from the collapse of the cliff and all of the sites built on top of it. We saw between five and 10 meters of erosion on the cliff and it has become very dangerous,” Sharvit said.

 

On the other hand, Mother Nature’s fury revealed an impressive statue of a toga-wearing woman between 1,650 and 1,800 years old, proving that these sites sill have much more to reveal about the past, and merit protection. The statue, which was discovered by someone on a stroll, apparently fell onto the beach when the ancient cliff collapsed in the storm.

In the northern city of Acre, Israel’s Antiquities Authority had in the last two years begun reconstruction of the southern city wall. During the recent storm, this proved to be the site’s savior. “We were lucky to do it before the storm, otherwise the city wall would have collapsed,” Sharvit said. “We built a breakwater along the wall and most of it washed to the sea, this was supposed to be used for the reconstruction, but it became the breakwater that rescued the main city walls.”

Sharvit added that damage was also done to a number of underwater sites located off Israel’s coast. He said shipwrecks that had been found in shallow water have been exposed, and some have been entirely destroyed.

Most of the damage incurred by the coastal sites was the result of erosion caused by the huge surge of waves whipped up by the storm.

“There’s no more line of protection of antiquities on the coast,” Zeev Margalit of the Nature and Parks Authority, told The Media Line. “If we want to have them for the next generation, we must bring in more elements of protection to protect for the next storm. This has to be done because as it is now they will not last through the next storm.”

 

Experts said emergency spending to protect Caesarea will reach about NIS10 million ($2.8 million). It will cost another NI S60 million to make a full restoration. The other sites along the coast, Margalit said, had yet to undergo a full evaluation.

 

“No one can bring back the original elements of theses sites from 2,000 years, but part of the damage is reversible. Wherever we can do something, we will try,” Margalit said.

 

“It’s not like a forest, like what happened in the Carmel,” Sharvit added, referring to the major forest fire that scorched millions of acres of forest in Israel’s Carmel region in the beginning of December. “A forest you can grow again, even if you do nothing. But when talking about antiquities sites, this is something you cannot reconstruct. If something is destroyed then it is destroyed forever.”

 

 

 

Photo gallery: Roman statue found in Ashkelon

 

By JPOST.COM STAFF

12/15/2010 13:14

http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=199515

 

Winds blows 1,700-year-old statue toward Ashkelon cliff; white marble figure of woman in toga will be displayed in museums.

 

A Roman statue that was buried for centuries was unearthed by gusts of winds during the storm hitting the country over the weekend.

 

The white-marble figure of a woman in toga and sandals was discovered in the remains of a cliff that collapsed from the force of winds, waves and rain at the old port of Ashkelon, the Israel Antiquities Authority said on Tuesday.

 

"The sea gave us this amazing statue," said Yigal Israeli, a researcher with the authority, according to Reuters.

 

He said the statue, doesn't have a head or arms arms, is about 1.2 meters (4 feet) tall, weighs 200 kg (440 pounds) and dates back to the Roman occupation of what was once western Judea, about 1,700 years ago. According to the Authority it will be put on display in museums, Reuters reported.

 

[Note: to see the photos, you need to click on the link to the article.]

[reggielew]

Hi Ruth,

 

Thank you for all the wonderful information. I really appreciate it.

 

We are planning to dock in Ashdod for 2 days in September and are planning to have a private guide take 6 of us to see as many of the Jewish sights as possible. The tour guide recommends spending one full day seeing Masada and the Dead Sea, spending the night at a Jerusalem hotel, and then seeing Jerusalem for a full day before returning to the ship for a 7:00pm departure. That sounds great to us, but I'm wondering if we should skip Masada (and possibly the Dead Sea as well), and spend the full 2 days in Jerusalem. Also, because the second day falls on Friday, will anything that we would want to see close early?

 

I know that 2 days are nowhere near enough to see all that we would want to see, but I want to be sure we use our time wisely to get the most possible out of the short time that we have.

 

Thank you again for all your excellent information.

 

Reggie

[motib]

Hi Ruth,

 

Thank you for all the wonderful information. I really appreciate it.

 

We are planning to dock in Ashdod for 2 days in September and are planning to have a private guide take 6 of us to see as many of the Jewish sights as possible. The tour guide recommends spending one full day seeing Masada and the Dead Sea, spending the night at a Jerusalem hotel, and then seeing Jerusalem for a full day before returning to the ship for a 7:00pm departure. That sounds great to us, but I'm wondering if we should skip Masada (and possibly the Dead Sea as well), and spend the full 2 days in Jerusalem. Also, because the second day falls on Friday, will anything that we would want to see close early?

 

I know that 2 days are nowhere near enough to see all that we would want to see, but I want to be sure we use our time wisely to get the most possible out of the short time that we have.

 

Thank you again for all your excellent information.

 

Reggie

 

I am not Ruth but i will answer anyway.

When docking in Ashdod for 2 days i think that overnight in Jerusalem is a waste of money.

It is 1hr drive from Ashdod to Jerusalem and I see no reason to spend 200$ on accommodation only to save 1hr!

As for Masada and the Dead Sea, well, Masada (especially if you are looking for a Jewish Heritage tour) is a very unique, impressive and important site, but if you want to focus on Jerusalem and still have the "floating experience" in the Dead Sea it is easily possible in a 2 days tour from Ashdod.

Take a full day in Jerusalem and go to site usually not included in shore excursions like the City of David. On the next day have 1/2 a day in Jerusalem and 1/2 day in the north part of the Dead Sea, Kalia area, for the floating experience. If you are negotiating with a private guide or a local agency ask them to tailor you up an itinerary according to your needs and agenda. Skipping Masada will indeed leave you more time to Jerusalem but again it should be your decision.

Have fun

[stipmom]

Motib, Would you suggest an overnite in Jerusalem if one day you are docked in Ashdod and one day in Haifa? If you have never been to Israel before should you concentrate on Jerusalem, Masada and the Dead Sea and leave Haifa area sights for another time or skip Masada so you can do more of the area around Haifa? We are interested in the Jewish Perspective. Thanks

[motib]

Motib, Would you suggest an overnite in Jerusalem if one day you are docked in Ashdod and one day in Haifa? If you have never been to Israel before should you concentrate on Jerusalem, Masada and the Dead Sea and leave Haifa area sights for another time or skip Masada so you can do more of the area around Haifa? We are interested in the Jewish Perspective. Thanks

 

I am expressing here my personal opinion also it is my professional opinion as a guide.

Coming for such a short time you must set your priority. if your ship docks also in Haifa I look at it as an opportunity to see other places in Israel apart from Jerusalem and the Dead Sea.

In a country as small as Israel I don't think that an overnight is needed, accommodation only will add 200-250$ to your cost and that for an already night paid on the ship.

If you are coming for 2 days and docking also in Haifa I suggest you to have 2 separate days, one from Ashdod to Jerusalem and the second from Haifa to the north. If you really must have the "Floating Experience" in the Dead Sea than you have 2 options:

1. Overnight in Jerusalem after a full day tour in the city. Than on the second day start with the north part of the Dead Sea (not Masada) and drive north via the Jordan Valley to the Sea of Galilee and the Lower Galilee area.

2. To shorten the part of Jerusalem on the first day allowing 3hrs of the day for driving down to the Dead Sea (not to Masada). Get back to the ship for the night and go on a tour to the north on the second day from Haifa.

Hope I helped you.

[cruisemom42]

FWIW, our ship docked one night in Haifa and one night in Jerusalem. I am very happy with the decision I made to see sights in the north on the Haifa day, and to concentrate on Jerusalem (and skip the Dead Sea) on the second day. We saw so much on the first day from Haifa (including a Jewish necropolis that few cruise passengers ever visit) and I certainly wouldn't have wanted to skip it.

 

I stayed onboard ship overnight. I cannot imagine spending less time in Jerusalem than a day. We barely scratched the surface of the old city in that time. Some tours that do Jerusalem plus Bethlehem or Jerusalem plus the Dead Sea must just be a mad dash with little time to even breathe!

[reggielew]

Motib,

 

Thank you for your thoughts about what we should do during our 2 day stay in Israel. If we should decide to skip both Masada and the Dead Sea and spend 2 full days in Jerusalem, what Jewish sites would we be able to see on Friday afternoon after 2:00 pm? Are there still things of interest that would be open for another couple of hours before we would have to leave Jerusalem (about 4:00pm) to get back to the ship in Ashdod?

 

We are 3 couples traveling together, and since we all have various ideas about what we should definitely NOT miss, we REALLY appreciate all your input.

 

Reggie

[Holly2]

I think the absolutely best time to be in Jerusalem is Friday afternoon -- go the the Western Wall and watch the pre-Shabbat festivities. Also a good time to visit the shuk.

[happy trailer]

I second Holly's suggestion of going to the shuk (also known as Shuk Machane Yehudah)! It will be total, happy chaos on Friday afternoon- if you enjoy crowds and ethnicity, you will be in heaven! [bTW, the shuk isn't just about food anymore- there are all sorts of boutiques that have opened in the past couple of years, with more opening each week. Some great little restaurants have opened as well.]

 

What an enjoyable way to spend the two hours before you head back to your ship!

Edited January 5, 2011 by happy trailer

[motib]

Motib,

 

Thank you for your thoughts about what we should do during our 2 day stay in Israel. If we should decide to skip both Masada and the Dead Sea and spend 2 full days in Jerusalem, what Jewish sites would we be able to see on Friday afternoon after 2:00 pm? Are there still things of interest that would be open for another couple of hours before we would have to leave Jerusalem (about 4:00pm) to get back to the ship in Ashdod?

 

We are 3 couples traveling together, and since we all have various ideas about what we should definitely NOT miss, we REALLY appreciate all your input.

 

Reggie

 

I was on a tour so first of all sorry it took me time to answer you.

First of all you got a good suggestion her - Mahane Yehuda Market. But I will emphasize Ruth words, it is going to be an authentic experience, in other words it is going to be crowded, noisy, smelly, dirty, chaotic and pushy. From my experience, sometimes our idea of a "authentic experience" sometimes does not fit other's idea of "experience" at all. So, it is not that I tell you not to go there, to my opinion is one of the exiting place in Jerusalem and not to be missed, but you must consider first whether it suite you and whether on a 2 days only this is you "must" place to visit.

Another comment, I guess you are a Jew and you want to see Jewish heritage sites in Jerusalem. It is great, but I personally always say (as a Jewish tour guide) that coming to Jerusalem, city holly to 3 religions, full with so much amazing holy places to the whole 3 religion, focusing on the heritage of only 1 religion, can be each one of the 3, is a great mistake. So, I don’t know what are your plans to the rest of your time, but I think you can easily spent time in Jerusalem to see other things apart from Jewish heritage sites.

[reggielew]

Hi!

 

Thanks to everyone for your great suggestions.

 

Motib, I especially like the idea of seeing some important non-Jewish sites if time permits on Friday afternoon. That sounds very interesting.

 

We have just booked the 2 days in Ashdod with Guided Tours Israel as I have read excellent reviews about them. They are very flexible about what we want to do, so since we will have just 6 of us in our tour group, we can let them know at a later date our itinerary. As you can imagine, it's hard to get total agreement among all 6 of us, so we'll discuss our options further as the time gets closer and decide what is the most important to us. Therefore, I truly appreciate everyone's suggestions. By the way, Motib, do you happen to work for that tour company?

 

Thanks again for all your help.

 

Reggie

[boards]

We will be on the Rotterdam in Oct. with 2 days in Haifa and one in Ashdod. We are planning to take the ship's tours, but it appears they overlap each other, so it almost seems like we will repeat tours even what is offered in either city. It is hard in this small space to tell you of the tours, but the Nazareth Highlights & the Sea of Galillee sounds like the one we want, there is one called Leisurely Jerusalem, would that add anything new for us. I am hoping you have some idea of what these tours offered by Hal show us. Thank you for any advice you can give. ANYone who reads this.

[baylin]

We will be in Jerusalem / Tel Aviv (Ashdod), Israel from October 30 11:00am to October 31 10:00pm so a good day and half. We are six people and sure to recruit an additional 4 people to make the magical 10. What is the most effective and cost efficient way to see what there is to see. Would it be wise to hire a guide and transportation? If there were 10 persons in this group would the cost be $100 per person $200 over those two days with the idea of getting a strong flavour of the region. The only definite would be the Wall and probably Bethlehem. Masada and the Dead Sea seemed to be more for those who have unlimited time.

 

Look forward to the replies from Ruth and other

 

Thanks

Ross

Edited January 12, 2011 by baylin

[motib]

Hi!

 

Thanks to everyone for your great suggestions.

 

Motib, I especially like the idea of seeing some important non-Jewish sites if time permits on Friday afternoon. That sounds very interesting.

 

We have just booked the 2 days in Ashdod with Guided Tours Israel as I have read excellent reviews about them. They are very flexible about what we want to do, so since we will have just 6 of us in our tour group, we can let them know at a later date our itinerary. As you can imagine, it's hard to get total agreement among all 6 of us, so we'll discuss our options further as the time gets closer and decide what is the most important to us. Therefore, I truly appreciate everyone's suggestions. By the way, Motib, do you happen to work for that tour company?

 

Thanks again for all your help.

 

Reggie

 

No Problem.

Jerusalem has so much to offer to filling 2 hours is quite an easy task.

No I don't work with GTI.

Enjoy your visit