Cruise Critic member in Israel, happy to answer questions

[MNmariner]

Thanks so much for your reply.  I’ll look up these restaurants. 

[MNmariner]

12 hours ago, jlajr said:

While many Old City restaurants might close early in the evening, from my knowledge of the Jewish, Armenian, and Christian quarters, there are plenty of places to eat during the day, local and otherwise. There are also plenty of restaurants right outside the walls or within a short walk, that do not close that early.
Allow me to suggest a few places to go that might not be as well known as other places - and that happen to be above street level:

• Ramparts walk - https://www.itraveljerusalem.com/ent/ramparts-walk/
• Rooftop - https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293983-i2582-k7185936-Rooftop_walks_in_the_Old_City_of_Jerusalem-Jerusalem_Jerusalem_District.html
• Notre Dame Jerusalem Center rooftop observation deck / Cheese and Wine restaurant - https://www.notredamecenter.org/

We have decided to book the Norte Dame Jerusalem Center for our visit. Looks like the perfect hotel for us. Thanks again. 

[jlajr]

On 10/18/2021 at 8:53 PM, MNmariner said:

We have decided to book the Norte Dame Jerusalem Center for our visit. Looks like the perfect hotel for us. Thanks again. 

That's great. I'm glad I could help. I hope you enjoy it and the rest of your stay in Jerusalem.

[Markanddonna]

For those of you hoping to go to Israel on a cruise, be aware that you are taking a gamble during covid. We took a fantastic cruise in Nov 2019 with three days in Israel. We then booked a Nov 2021 cruise with a similar itinerary. Knowing that the cruise line could just cancel the Israeli port stops at any point, we decided to cancel before final payment since Israel was going through a surge. Good thing! The cruise line dropped the two ports in Israel less than a month later. If Israel is your goal, take a land trip.

[Markanddonna]

On 6/4/2020 at 11:37 AM, bennybear said:

Just wondering how doable a trip to Masada is from either Haifa or Ashdod?  

It is a twelve hour experience to visit Masada from port. Most cruises offer the tour and assure you will get back in time.

[4774Papa]

Apparently, in November, Israel is opening up to foreign tourists that are fully vaccinated.

 

Fully vaccinated means no more than six months since last dose.  If more than six months then you need a booster (booster has to be no more than six months old).

[jlajr]

3 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

For those of you hoping to go to Israel on a cruise, be aware that you are taking a gamble during covid. We took a fantastic cruise in Nov 2019 with three days in Israel. We then booked a Nov 2021 cruise with a similar itinerary. Knowing that the cruise line could just cancel the Israeli port stops at any point, we decided to cancel before final payment since Israel was going through a surge. Good thing! The cruise line dropped the two ports in Israel less than a month later. If Israel is your goal, take a land trip.

For those of you hoping to go to <insert any country where you do not live> on a cruise, be aware that you are taking a gamble during covid... 😉 

As far as entering Israel via air or land as opposed to sea, as 4774Papa wrote, Israel is planning to resume in November allowing non-Israeli citizens to enter the country without special permission. "Planning" to of course being the operative word. Again, 😉. 

[elaine5]

hello. I was wondering if early Sept (2022) is too hot? We have been in Rome in August. Do the nights typically cool down a bit? The timing works well for us to visit (Haifa and Ashdod), but we don't want to be miserable while touring. thanks, Elaine

[4774Papa]

17 hours ago, elaine5 said:

hello. I was wondering if early Sept (2022) is too hot? We have been in Rome in August. Do the nights typically cool down a bit? The timing works well for us to visit (Haifa and Ashdod), but we don't want to be miserable while touring. thanks, Elaine

September is nice in Rome.  I have been to Rome in July and managed well, but I am from Georgia and used to the heat.  

[jlajr]

On 10/26/2021 at 2:24 PM, elaine5 said:

hello. I was wondering if early Sept (2022) is too hot? We have been in Rome in August. Do the nights typically cool down a bit? The timing works well for us to visit (Haifa and Ashdod), but we don't want to be miserable while touring. thanks, Elaine

One person's too hot is another's comfortably warm. 😉 

September is usually comfortably warm to me during the day, but can be uncomfortably hot for many I know. At night, it can cool off, but how much depends on exactly where. Israel has a number of climates; Galilee mountains, Mediterranean shore, Jerusalem hills, Negev desert, and Dead Sea and Gulf of Eilat shorelines to name a few. Higher up and further from a coast line, the more it will cool off, in general.

[4774Papa]

37 minutes ago, jlajr said:

One person's too hot is another's comfortably warm. 😉 

September is usually comfortably warm to me during the day, but can be uncomfortably hot for many I know. At night, it can cool off, but how much depends on exactly where. Israel has a number of climates; Galilee mountains, Mediterranean shore, Jerusalem hills, Negev desert, and Dead Sea and Gulf of Eilat shorelines to name a few. Higher up and further from a coast line, the more it will cool off, in general.

I visited Egypt and Israel in 1985 in December.   It was perfect for Egypt, but we found it chilly, especially at night.   I had just departed from Saudi Arabia, where I worked for the US Army Corps of Engineers for five years (problem visiting Israel while working there, so I waited until after).   We didn't bring warm enough clothes for the evening.

[Muckyduckway]

We are on a cruise visiting Haifa and Ashdod this May.  I have searched for guidance in relation to restrictions at the various ports, but can't find anything in relation to arrival in Israel via a cruise.

The cruise ports above have a variety of ships listed for arrival over that period, so it may be that guidelines aren't available yet because there is no current need.

Is it just a matter of wait and see, or does anyone have any insight to offer?

I know that things can change from day to day, and that the current air and land requirements would not be workable for cruise passengers - so while I'm hopeful that we will be able to visit Israel, I'm also aware that ports may be substituted if things don't change for the better.

[bennybear]

Further to this, is it true that Israel is currently closed to cruise ships?  If so wondering if that will likely change by early May? 

[jhenry1]

Have you heard any info on when the ports might open for cruise ships?  We are scheduled on a cruise in May and hoping it takes place.

[jlajr]

According to the editor of The Jerusalem Report, on March 1, Israel is opening to unvaccinated tourists. 

[jhenry1]

I am interested in when will cruise ships be allowed in

[Markanddonna]

How can we get to Tell Dan and Caesarea Philippi?

[jlajr]

14 hours ago, jhenry1 said:

I am interested in when will cruise ships be allowed in

According to the schedule at https://www.haifaport.co.il/en/cruise-schedule/, the first cruise ship is arriving on April 4. 

[ARRB]

Sir, do you have any suggestions for a private driver (with transportation; in October) to pick-up from Ashdod cruise port with transit to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem for various market stops?

Carmel Market in Tel Aviv (for about 1.5 hours) then to the Mahane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem (for about 1.5 hours) and old walled city Jerusalem for shopping in their alleys (about 2 hours).

I'm looking for alternatives to car rental, taxi's, buses, and trains.

This does NOT have to be private. Other cruisers, 6-10, might be interested.

[jlajr]

I can personally recommend a tour guide who provides transportation - https://www.garytheguide.com/ - but that might not be what you're looking for. I did a Google search for Ashdod private transportation and one of the results might be interesting to you and your fellow cruisers - https://www.visit.ashdod.muni.il/wp-content/uploads/travelers-guide/en/.

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

Hello!  I'll be coming to Israel for the first time in May, with two days in Haifa and one day in Ashdod.  I've made plans for tours on two of those days, but will have a free day in Haifa to do what I want.  I'm thinking of either going to Acre (Akko?) on the train or go to the Bahai Gardens.  But I haven't figured out how hard or easy it is to get from the cruise port to the train station or the Gardens.  I like to do as much as possible by public transportation, but if it's too difficult, or too much walking, I'll take a cab to the top of the gardens.  

 

But since you're providing lots of good information, I thought I'd ask if you know how difficult it is to 1) walk to the train station in Haifa, which appears close on a map but may have fences, major highways, etc. in the way to make it difficult!  2) Will I be able to use a credit card at the train station closest to the port?   3) If I want to go to the Gardens, is there any alternative to taking a cab?  Would you be able to guess at how much a cab may cost?  And do I need shekels or do most cabs take credit cards?   4) We're in Haifa in the middle of the cruise, so not embarking or disembarking.  Would you (or someone else) happen to know if we'll have to go through the terminal, show our paperwork, etc. --  or is clearance done ahead of time by the port authorities via looking at passenger manifests?  

 

I'm hoping that since one of Oceania's ships is scheduled to stop in Haifa next month, I can find a tiny bit of information from people on that cruise. But that's an "if" for sure.  Anything you can tell me would be great. Thank you.

[jlajr]

6 hours ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

Hello!  I'll be coming to Israel for the first time in May, with two days in Haifa and one day in Ashdod.  I've made plans for tours on two of those days, but will have a free day in Haifa to do what I want.  I'm thinking of either going to Acre (Akko?) on the train or go to the Bahai Gardens.  But I haven't figured out how hard or easy it is to get from the cruise port to the train station or the Gardens.  I like to do as much as possible by public transportation, but if it's too difficult, or too much walking, I'll take a cab to the top of the gardens.  

 

But since you're providing lots of good information, I thought I'd ask if you know how difficult it is to 1) walk to the train station in Haifa, which appears close on a map but may have fences, major highways, etc. in the way to make it difficult!  2) Will I be able to use a credit card at the train station closest to the port?   3) If I want to go to the Gardens, is there any alternative to taking a cab?  Would you be able to guess at how much a cab may cost?  And do I need shekels or do most cabs take credit cards?   4) We're in Haifa in the middle of the cruise, so not embarking or disembarking.  Would you (or someone else) happen to know if we'll have to go through the terminal, show our paperwork, etc. --  or is clearance done ahead of time by the port authorities via looking at passenger manifests?  

 

I'm hoping that since one of Oceania's ships is scheduled to stop in Haifa next month, I can find a tiny bit of information from people on that cruise. But that's an "if" for sure.  Anything you can tell me would be great. Thank you.

• In general, whether public transportation is available depends on whether that day is Friday, Saturday, a holiday eve, or a holiday. On those days, there is limited public transportation in Haifa itself, but trains do not run.
• The Haifa Center - HaShmona train station, as it is known on Google Maps, is right next to the gate to the cruise terminal (Gate 5). 
• You can use a MasterCard or Visa credit card for paper train tickets and other public transportation. I believe at this point, all non-train public transportation requires what is called a plastic Rav Kav card. For example, if you want a one-day pass ("contract") for public transportation in Haifa, I believe you need to get a Rav Kav card and load the pass onto it. I'm guessing / hoping that you will be able to get a card onboard or at the cruise terminal. If not, I think you would need to go to a "manned" Rav Kav kiosk or cashier. For more information about the Rav Kav card, see https://ravkavonline.co.il/en/public-transport-in-israel. I do apologize for their use of English... If anything's not clear, let us know.
• If that seems like or turns out to be too much trouble, you can walk from the cruise terminal to the bottom of the Baha'i Gardens, through the German Colony, which - if you don't stop along the way - should not take more than 20 minutes.
• There could be a ferry from the cruise terminal to / from Acre, but I don't know if it is running at all at this point. Even if it is, weather and the sea's condition would determine whether it is running that day.
• I don't know whether, in general or specifically at this point, you have to go through the terminal and show your paperwork or the cruise line gets clearance ahead of time.
• For more general information, which might not be updated to reflect the current situation, see https://www.haifaport.co.il/en/tourism/.

[Markanddonna]

We will be disembarking from a 12 day cruise from Rome in Haifa. We've been to Israel, so we want to spend time visiting places we didn't get to or wish to revisit:

Priority and New: Banias and Tell Dan

          City of David

          Explore more in Jerusalem to visit museums

         

Revisit: A Christian focused visit to the Galilee 

          Akko 

 

My question: where should we base ourselves? We will not be driving but using tours and drivers. Jerusalem seems like perhaps the best city. Since we are in our seventies, we don't want to be schlepping luggage around Israel.

 

Any moderately priced hotels to recommend?

 

Thanks!

Edited April 11, 2022 by Markanddonna

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

On 3/26/2022 at 1:29 AM, jlajr said:

• In general, whether public transportation is available depends on whether that day is Friday, Saturday, a holiday eve, or a holiday. On those days, there is limited public transportation in Haifa itself, but trains do not run.
• The Haifa Center - HaShmona train station, as it is known on Google Maps, is right next to the gate to the cruise terminal (Gate 5). 
• You can use a MasterCard or Visa credit card for paper train tickets and other public transportation. I believe at this point, all non-train public transportation requires what is called a plastic Rav Kav card. For example, if you want a one-day pass ("contract") for public transportation in Haifa, I believe you need to get a Rav Kav card and load the pass onto it. I'm guessing / hoping that you will be able to get a card onboard or at the cruise terminal. If not, I think you would need to go to a "manned" Rav Kav kiosk or cashier. For more information about the Rav Kav card, see https://ravkavonline.co.il/en/public-transport-in-israel. I do apologize for their use of English... If anything's not clear, let us know.
• If that seems like or turns out to be too much trouble, you can walk from the cruise terminal to the bottom of the Baha'i Gardens, through the German Colony, which - if you don't stop along the way - should not take more than 20 minutes.
• There could be a ferry from the cruise terminal to / from Acre, but I don't know if it is running at all at this point. Even if it is, weather and the sea's condition would determine whether it is running that day.
• I don't know whether, in general or specifically at this point, you have to go through the terminal and show your paperwork or the cruise line gets clearance ahead of time.
• For more general information, which might not be updated to reflect the current situation, see https://www.haifaport.co.il/en/tourism/.

Thank you for this great information.  I read on another thread that there might be another way to get to Akko, although the train certainly seems like a good alternative, other than the fact that a cab may be needed once I get there.  But I tried to google the ferry from Haifa to Akko, and found a website, but unless I'm using a bad browser or something, I can't find a way to get to translated from Hebrew to English.  So can anyone give me a suggestion on that?  

 

[jlajr]

On 4/11/2022 at 7:01 PM, Markanddonna said:

We will be disembarking from a 12 day cruise from Rome in Haifa. We've been to Israel, so we want to spend time visiting places we didn't get to or wish to revisit:

Priority and New: Banias and Tell Dan

          City of David

          Explore more in Jerusalem to visit museums

         

Revisit: A Christian focused visit to the Galilee 

          Akko 

 

My question: where should we base ourselves? We will not be driving but using tours and drivers. Jerusalem seems like perhaps the best city. Since we are in our seventies, we don't want to be schlepping luggage around Israel.

 

Any moderately priced hotels to recommend?

 

Thanks!

That's kind of a difficult needle to thread. Banias and Tel Dan are close to the northern border of Israel, while Jerusalem is in the center. We're a small country, but if you base yourself in one place, that's still a lot of driving. I can recommend a tour guide that provides transportation, but that might not completely resolve the issue of schlepping luggage.
Maybe the best compromise is to stay up north a few days and stay in Jerusalem a few days.
I have had wonderful experiences at a number of moderately priced hotels / accommodation up north and in Jerusalem, including:

• Ohalo Manor - On the southwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, within walking distance from the Yardenit Baptismal Site on the Jordan River. Not cheap, but tremendous value for a fantastic place in a great location.
• Vered HaGalil - Also a little more expensive than I usually spend on accommodation, but also well worth it. On a farm, they offer cabins overlooking the northern Sea of Galilee. It was pretty amazing to wake up with horses grazing a few feet from the cabin and watch the sun come up over the Golan Heights to the east. Great outdoor pool, too.
• Dona Gracia - In Tiberias, it's a hotel and museum dedicated to an extraordinary Jewish woman I had never heard of growing up, including seven years in Jewish day schools and a lot of Jewish history education. Incredibly interesting, although not a five-star hotel by any means.
• Rimonim Nazareth - Appears to be closed right now. Decent location, within walking distance of the Old City and Mary's / Miriam's Well. A little expensive for the quality of hotel. However, I was there for only one night in 2015; it might be better now.
• Israel Youth Hostel Association Beit She'an  / Rabin Guest House in Jerusalem - I have stayed in a number of the IYHA hostels and I enjoy their consistent high-quality, no-frills accommodation.
• HaPa'amonim Studios - I believe there are two HaPa'monim properties; one is a hotel and the other offers apartments. I stayed in an apartment, which is in a building without an elevator, so unless you get a ground-floor apartment, it might not good for you. Right on King George Street downtown, so great location. I stayed there last year for Israel's Independence Day. Perfect.
• Hotel La Perle - Location, location, location. Right off of Ben Yehuda, King George, and Yaffo streets downtown. I stayed in a tiny, functional single room. I don't think they have any rooms on the ground floor, and I don't remember there being an elevator. I stayed there for Israel's Independence Day a few years ago. Fun.
• ibis Styles Jerusalem - There are now three ibis properties in Jerusalem - maybe four. I haven't stayed here, but when I stayed at La Perle around the corner, the ibis Styles on Ben-Yehuda Street had a 1+1 Happy Hour in their ninth-floor bar / dining room with terrace. That was awesome.
• Little House in Baka - On Derekh Hebron, not downtown, a charming bed and breakfast in a charming neighborhood. Wonderful promenades with breathtaking views of the Old City within walking distance.
• National Hotel East Jerusalem - A couple of blocks from Nablus Gate, a decent hotel with a rooftop dining room.
• Shalom Hotel Jerusalem (former Rimonim Jerusalem) - A decent hotel in Bayit Vegan, so not downtown. Compared to the other places I have stayed, their locations, and their prices, I would not recommend this hotel - unless they have improved since I stayed there in 2015.

In a couple of weeks, I will be staying at Beit Nofesh (Vacation Home) Weiss in Beit Hillel near Kiryat Shmona; the Jordan Valley Birding Lodge in Kfar Ruppin near Beit She'an; and at the Kaplan Hotel in downtown Jerusalem. Unfortunately, all I can write about them is that they look great and are reasonably priced for the week before and during Israel's Memorial and Independence days...