Cruise Critic member in Israel, happy to answer questions

[lcumpire]

Ruth

 

We are on the roll call for the Equinox Holy Land leaving 10/18/10 and we are working on our private tours. I am working with GuidedToursIsrael in planning a Christian and Jewish itineary since we will be in Ashod one night and then in Haifa for one night. We are thinking the first day from Ashod the Christian trip would include ***** the port of Haifa the Christian itinerary will visit Nazareth, Cana, Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Tabgha, Jordan River, Kibbutz Ginosar, and Mount of Beatitudes. The Jewish trip might include Acre, Rosh Hanikra (optional), Safed, Rosh Pina (optional), Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, and a Kibbutz.

 

The second day would include Masada and the Dead Sea, etc. The ship stays overnight in Haifa so as long as we are back for dinner we are OK.

 

Does this sound like a good itinerary?

 

Any assistance will be very much appreciated.

 

Thank you

 

Larry

[happy trailer]

Hi Everyone,

 

I'm back home from my travels, and getting back into things a bit quicker than I anticipated. While I have family obligations thru the first week of December that will limit my time online somewhat, I'll try to check in here a couple of times a week until mid-December, and then regularly after that.

 

BTW- I had a FANTASTIC time in Sydney and especially in New Zealand - what a breathtakingly beautiful country!!- (I was on the South Island only), and absolutely loved the cruise I took on the Emerald Princess. I'll be posting on those boards, so if you have any questions regarding my most recent travels, look for me there.

 

As for any questions re travels in Israel, as always, I'm happy to help :)

[banness]

Hi Ruth,

I contacted you a while back about traveling with my elderly parents in Israel. I followed you advice about seeking out a private tour as my mom has difficulty walking long distances at a large "tour-bus pace" and my dad has vision difficulties. We toured Jerusalem/Bethlehem with Dina from Avitours and it was awesome! She was fabulous! She was enthusiastic,incredibly knowledgeable and patient. She reversed the tour through the city so we walked downhill and ended at the Wailing Wall! My mom was ecstatic that she completed the tour with ease! Thank you so much for your valued information and input. It was truly a day that we all will remember forever. The 2 days we spent in Israel were not enough and I look forward to visiting your amazing country again!

Thank you,

Betty:)

[adriennerenee]

Hello Ruth,

I'm Robert from the U.S. I really feel like you are doing such a nice thing by communicating with all of us to help us in your beautiful country. I have been researching Israel for many weeks to get a tour for our 1 Day visit to Haifa and 1 day visit to Jerusalem. Our Day 2 in Jerusalem should be easier than Day 1 out of Haifa. Day 1 I want to go east and north towards the Upper Galilee and the Golan. I have so many sites that I would want to do. Could you possibly help me to pick what you think are as many of these sites which can be seen in one day as possible. I have a group of 8-10 people and they want to see as many as possible ( even though we know that is not how we would really like to see this area). We get picked up by a guide at 7:30 a.m. in Haifa and we'll be back to Haifa port by 6:00 p.m. Here's what I'm thinking, what do you think will work of the sites I'm thinking about?: Beit She'arim, Zippori, Mt. of the Beatitudes, Capernaum, Korozim, Gamla, Safed, Rosh Pina, Mt. Bental, Beit Shean, Mt. Bental, Nimrod's Castle, any other Golan sites, Monfort's Castle and back to Baha'i Gardens in Haifa. I know we can't do nearly all of these but which would you rule out and which would you think we can do? I'm really confused. Thank you for your gracious help. You're a winner! Robert

Edited December 5, 2009 by adriennerenee

[happy trailer]

Hi Ruth,

I contacted you a while back about traveling with my elderly parents in Israel. I followed you advice about seeking out a private tour as my mom has difficulty walking long distances at a large "tour-bus pace" and my dad has vision difficulties. We toured Jerusalem/Bethlehem with Dina from Avitours and it was awesome! She was fabulous! She was enthusiastic,incredibly knowledgeable and patient. She reversed the tour through the city so we walked downhill and ended at the Wailing Wall! My mom was ecstatic that she completed the tour with ease! Thank you so much for your valued information and input. It was truly a day that we all will remember forever. The 2 days we spent in Israel were not enough and I look forward to visiting your amazing country again!

Thank you,

Betty:)

 

I'm glad to hear my advise was helpful, Betty! Thanks for letting me know :)

[happy trailer]

Hello Ruth,

I'm Robert from the U.S. I really feel like you are doing such a nice thing by communicating with all of us to help us in your beautiful country. I have been researching Israel for many weeks to get a tour for our 1 Day visit to Haifa and 1 day visit to Jerusalem. Our Day 2 in Jerusalem should be easier than Day 1 out of Haifa. Day 1 I want to go east and north towards the Upper Galilee and the Golan. I have so many sites that I would want to do. Could you possibly help me to pick what you think are as many of these sites which can be seen in one day as possible. I have a group of 8-10 people and they want to see as many as possible ( even though we know that is not how we would really like to see this area). We get picked up by a guide at 7:30 a.m. in Haifa and we'll be back to Haifa port by 6:00 p.m. Here's what I'm thinking, what do you think will work of the sites I'm thinking about?: Beit She'arim, Zippori, Mt. of the Beatitudes, Capernaum, Korozim, Gamla, Safed, Rosh Pina, Mt. Bental, Beit Shean, Mt. Bental, Nimrod's Castle, any other Golan sites, Monfort's Castle and back to Baha'i Gardens in Haifa. I know we can't do nearly all of these but which would you rule out and which would you think we can do? I'm really confused. Thank you for your gracious help. You're a winner! Robert

 

Hi Robert!

 

Wow- you really have been doing your research! I'm not an absolute expert on the Galilee and Golan areas, but I agree that you won't have time to see everything on your list.

 

I have a suggestion on how you might choose which sites to see, and which to skip:

 

Your list includes religious, natural, and historic sites. You might 'poll' the people in your group and see which of those types is most important to each person. For example, if most people say religious sites are most important, and nature sites second most important, then your tour guide can do a mix of religious and natural sites, with a bit more emphasis on the religious sites. If, however, most people say that natural, and then historical sites are most important, then your guide can build your day around those. (You might want to include wine/food tasting as an option in your poll, too, as your list includes places that offer those opportunities.)

 

Is anyone in your group very interested in the mystical? In art? Then Safed would be a good choice for them.

 

As always, a good and experienced tour guide is your best bet for these sites. Consult with him/her well in advance, and keep in touch as your tour date approaches, so that you can be sure that everyone in your group has the chance to see and experience the things which are most important to them.

 

One thing I can assure you- no matter exactly where you wind up, you are going to have a terrific day, as the scenery in both the Galilee and the Golan areas is beautiful!

 

HTH!

[Capricruiser]

Hello Ruth,

Our cruise ship will stop at Ashdod on 24 January and we'll take the excursion to Masada and the Dead Sea. Can you tell us please what weather we may expect in that period? Thank you very much.

[happy trailer]

Hello Ruth,

Our cruise ship will stop at Ashdod on 24 January and we'll take the excursion to Masada and the Dead Sea. Can you tell us please what weather we may expect in that period? Thank you very much.

 

Hi,

 

While you'll be visiting Israel during our rainy season, there will be little chance of rain in the Dead Sea area. The temperature will be in the mid 50's to mid 60's, and the skies will possibly be overcast.

 

It's great weather for visiting Masada, and while the water in the Dead Sea will be chilly, many people like to take a 'float' anyway (as corny as it sounds, it's really a 'not to be missed' experience!), so I'd suggest bringing your bathing suit and also packing a sweater :)

 

[bTW, the weather in Ashdod will be cooler than at the Dead Sea, tho' if it's raining in Ashdod the chance of rain at the Dead Sea, while possible, is still pretty low.]

 

HTH!

[Capricruiser]

Thank you, Ruth. Looks like I may forego the "float" but I'm really looking forward to seeing Masada. I'll bring the rain gear.

[epixx]

Hi Ruth:

 

Our family of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids ages 15 and 11) will be in Tel Aviv for 3 days at the end of December. We have reservations for the Dig for a Day at Beit Guvrin, but this excursion would require us to rent a car for one additional day and pay an extra night's parking at the hotel. We're trying to decide whether such a day trip is worth the effort and expense. It's hard to tell from the website exactly what goes on. Have you ever done this? Do you think that kids these ages would find this really interesting? Most of the reviews are quite positive about it.

[happy trailer]

Thank you, Ruth. Looks like I may forego the "float" but I'm really looking forward to seeing Masada. I'll bring the rain gear.

 

If you have a choice between packing a bathing suit or something for the rain- pack a bathing suit! It's REALLY fun to float in the Dead Sea! (OK, so you might want to also consider packing a light windbreaker and a hat in case it rains :D)

[bluehorizonlover123]

Hi Ruth:

 

Our family of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids ages 15 and 11) will be in Tel Aviv for 3 days at the end of December. We have reservations for the Dig for a Day at Beit Guvrin, but this excursion would require us to rent a car for one additional day and pay an extra night's parking at the hotel. We're trying to decide whether such a day trip is worth the effort and expense. It's hard to tell from the website exactly what goes on. Have you ever done this? Do you think that kids these ages would find this really interesting? Most of the reviews are quite positive about it.

 

I do not recommend renting a car in Israel. They do not have speed limits on any of their roads and the people drive like maniacs. I am not kidding about this. Plus all the signs are in Hebrew so it will be almost impossible to find the streets that you want to turn on. They only have 2 lane roads in most areas and motorcycles cut between all the cars to get to the front of the line of cars. No one gets tickets for the way they are driving. You are taking your life into your own hands when driving there.

[bluehorizonlover123]

There are so many more fun things for kids to do. Camel riding, ATV riding, I think they would like that better. Sifting thru the dirt for stuff would only be fun for a very short while. There are also tons of tunnels to explore at some of the sights.

[bluehorizonlover123]

Thanks Moti! I had not consider the bus. Is bus service frequent between port at Ashdod and Jerusalem? How long does it take for a bus? By the way, we love Israel! While we have always done Israel with a "big bus" tour, we are thinking about doing this one day on our own. Are we stupid to consider this method?

 

Be careful about the bus, if it is Sabbath a lot of the buses don't run!!!

[happy trailer]

Be careful about the bus, if it is Sabbath a lot of the buses don't run!!!

 

 

Buses in Haifa run on Saturday (but not on Friday night), and in cities where there is no bus service on Sabbath, taxis and, in some cities, private inter city vans (sheruts) are available.

Edited December 17, 2009 by happy trailer

[happy trailer]

I do not recommend renting a car in Israel. They do not have speed limits on any of their roads and the people drive like maniacs. I am not kidding about this. Plus all the signs are in Hebrew so it will be almost impossible to find the streets that you want to turn on. They only have 2 lane roads in most areas and motorcycles cut between all the cars to get to the front of the line of cars. No one gets tickets for the way they are driving. You are taking your life into your own hands when driving there.

 

 

I'd like to assure everyone that Israel does have enforced speed limits on all their roads. I have a feeling that because our road signs are different than those in the US, bluehorizonlover123 may not have spotted them.

 

In addition, all road signs are written in Hebrew, Arabic, and English.

 

We have several multi-laned highways here as well :), but as in most countries, 2 lanes roads can be found in rural areas.

[happy trailer]

Hi Ruth:

 

Our family of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids ages 15 and 11) will be in Tel Aviv for 3 days at the end of December. We have reservations for the Dig for a Day at Beit Guvrin, but this excursion would require us to rent a car for one additional day and pay an extra night's parking at the hotel. We're trying to decide whether such a day trip is worth the effort and expense. It's hard to tell from the website exactly what goes on. Have you ever done this? Do you think that kids these ages would find this really interesting? Most of the reviews are quite positive about it.

 

Hi Epixx,

 

Unfortunately, the detailed response I posted several days ago has been removed by the moderators.

 

I've contacted the moderators, and when all is straightened out, I'll be happy to post another response :).

[epixx]

Hi Epixx,

 

Unfortunately, the detailed response I posted several days ago has been removed by the moderators.

 

I've contacted the moderators, and when all is straightened out, I'll be happy to post another response :).

 

Thanks, Ruth. I read it earlier and found it helpful.

[SteveS]

I rented a car from Eldan in Sept. and drove all over Israel for three weeks. This included Tel Aviv, Tiberias, Jerusalem, Haifa and Elait. Driving in the country side is very easy in the cities it's no more difficult than any large American city. If you are comfortable driving in LA or NYC you should have no problem. All the signs are in English and the roads are well marked and well paved.

[CrucianGal]

I do not recommend renting a car in Israel. They do not have speed limits on any of their roads and the people drive like maniacs. I am not kidding about this. Plus all the signs are in Hebrew so it will be almost impossible to find the streets that you want to turn on. They only have 2 lane roads in most areas and motorcycles cut between all the cars to get to the front of the line of cars. No one gets tickets for the way they are driving. You are taking your life into your own hands when driving there.

What you have posted is ridiculous and very incorrect. We rented a car for a week and had absolutely no problem driving in Israel. The roads are well maintained and all signage is in Hebrew, Arabic and English.

[whale-watcher]

I do not recommend renting a car in Israel. They do not have speed limits on any of their roads and the people drive like maniacs. I am not kidding about this. Plus all the signs are in Hebrew so it will be almost impossible to find the streets that you want to turn on. They only have 2 lane roads in most areas and motorcycles cut between all the cars to get to the front of the line of cars. No one gets tickets for the way they are driving. You are taking your life into your own hands when driving there.

 

What you have posted is ridiculous and very incorrect. We rented a car for a week and had absolutely no problem driving in Israel. The roads are well maintained and all signage is in Hebrew, Arabic and English.

 

I agree with cruciangal... The roads are well marked, most with tri-lingual signs, and we did not experience any of the traffic issues (now Athens and Cairo were another story). Parking in popular and congested city centers can be an issue, however

[baesue]

Hello Ruth, baesue here;

 

Your posts have been very informative and I want to thank you for all of your information. However, no one asked you, nor did you comment, on your experience listed in post #41. I would be very interested in a similar cruise as my wife and I are undecided about taking a cruise which includes 1 day stops in Haifa and 1 day in Ashdod vs flying to Israel spending more time in your lovely country and then taking a short cruise from there to neighboring ports.

 

Any suggestions?? Thanks for your reply.

 

Barry & Sue (baesue)

[happy trailer]

Hello Ruth, baesue here;

 

Your posts have been very informative and I want to thank you for all of your information. However, no one asked you, nor did you comment, on your experience listed in post #41. I would be very interested in a similar cruise as my wife and I are undecided about taking a cruise which includes 1 day stops in Haifa and 1 day in Ashdod vs flying to Israel spending more time in your lovely country and then taking a short cruise from there to neighboring ports.

 

Any suggestions?? Thanks for your reply.

 

Barry & Sue (baesue)

 

Hi Barry & Sue!

 

Wow- what timing! A few days ago, I posted a blog entry about that cruise! (You can find a link to my blog in my signature.)

 

I enjoyed that cruise, and think that spending more time in Israel and then taking a cruise from here is a terrific idea, but there are a few BIG things you need to be aware of:

 

- First of all, when I booked, my TA said the cruise line only wanted to deal with my Israeli passport, so I'm not even sure you can take that cruise with a different passport (I thought that was strange, but then I realized it was because the cruise line arranged all the visas), but I guess you find a way around that.

 

- All announcements, written material, entertainment, cruise excursions, etc, are in Hebrew only, so I can't recommend that cruise line if you aren't at least somewhat comfortable communicating in Hebrew. [The service staff did speak English (and very little Hebrew!), however.]

 

- The ship I was on was basically a refurbished ferry. I booked of the least expensive cabins, and it was really bare-bones. Very, very clean, but very basic- very narrow bed, one wooden school type chair, and a tiny desk. A full closet, however. I spoke to a couple who had booked one of the most expensive cabins, and they were thrilled. [Another example of what the ship was like: the first two days, there were several announcements (along with a sign in my bathroom) reminding people not to flush toilet paper, but to throw it into the covered trash pail instead!]

 

- The dining experience is likely not at all what you are used to: A very basic dining room (think school cafeteria), one seating only with no assigned seating, and mostly large tables. Buffet only, and the food is Israeli: lots of salads, and the food is mostly Middle Eastern, and it is kosher (so no seafood or pork, and no milk with meat). Very fresh, very tasty, and only a selection of 2 desserts each meal. Huge breakfast selection, including made to order omelets (the only area that was not self-serve). They did have theme nights: one night Moroccan, one night Chinese.

 

- The swimming pool was the size of a large hot tub.

 

- There was no smoking inside the ship, but smoking was allowed on the outside decks- and it was often difficult to find a spot to sit outside that was smoke free.

 

[bTW, there are two Israeli cruise lines. One sails out of Ashdod, the other out of Haifa. (CC guidelines don't allow me to tell you the names of those lines, but you should be able to find them with a Google search; I don't know if you can book them from outside Israel.) I originally wanted to take a cruise out of Haifa (bigger ships, better itineraries), but my TA very strongly advised against it, saying that cruise line was known to attract, as he tried to gently put it, 'a very raucous and unsophisticated crowd,' so I booked with the other line. When I got home from the TA's office, I mentioned what he said to some of my neighbors, and they all said he was absolutely right, and they would never book with the line out of Haifa. (That being said, I think I would consider the cruises out of Haifa, but only during the school year.) I'm not sure if either of them cruises in the winter, btw.]

 

If all that is making you gulp, and rethink your thought on cruising from here-

 

Airfares from Israel to Europe are usually fairly low, so you might want to consider spending some time here, and then flying to a port in Italy, Greece, or elsewhere for your cruise. (You might even be able to build those flights into your ticket to Israel.) Italy, Greece, and Istanbul are no more than 3 hours from Israel; Cairo an hour; and London is around 5 hours.

 

 

HTH!

Edited December 27, 2009 by happy trailer

[museumlover]

Greetings in the New Year!

My husband and I will be docking at Haifa on Saturday, February 27th on Costa Pacifica at 0700 hours and departing Haifa later the same day at 1900 hours. This will be our 2nd time to visit Israel. We hope to tour Caeasera (we toured in 1999), Mt. Carmel, and perhaps Zippori or Akko. We will not be doing any major shopping or long meals, mainly just touring. We are searching for a private tour guide for 2 people. We would love to hear your comments on the above mentioned sites. What is the most likely weather during this time of the year (temp range - etc.). Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[motib]

Greetings in the New Year!

My husband and I will be docking at Haifa on Saturday, February 27th on Costa Pacifica at 0700 hours and departing Haifa later the same day at 1900 hours. This will be our 2nd time to visit Israel. We hope to tour Caeasera (we toured in 1999), Mt. Carmel, and perhaps Zippori or Akko. We will not be doing any major shopping or long meals, mainly just touring. We are searching for a private tour guide for 2 people. We would love to hear your comments on the above mentioned sites. What is the most likely weather during this time of the year (temp range - etc.). Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

One thing you must know. Caesarea and Zipori are not in the same direction from Haifa. To Caesarea you drive 30Km south to Haifa while Zipory is 35km north-east to Haifa.

You better chose one of the two.

There were no major excanation in Caesarea since 1999 and most of the restoration work there were done between 1993-97.

Zipory is a site that was excavated mainly in the late 90s and there are amazing mosaic there. taking a tour to Zipory you can also visit Nazareth at the same day.

 

Have Fun