chloe kitty

We have been to Petra and Wadi, so would like to go to Eilat.  Has anyone done this before??

Hi. Our trip last November was DIY - we drove from Cape Town to Johannesburg via Drakensburg Mtns, Lesotho, Swaziland and Kruger. Our Kruger experience was amazing, we did a self drive safari, in at the Crocodile Bridge Gate at Komatipoort on the Mozambique border and out at the Malelane Gate. As I said in a previous post it was a superb game viewing day (pure luck), all for $40.

If you are looking to do a few days in the Kruger after your stay in Cape Town you will have fly from Cape Town to Nelspruit via Johannesburg where any of the private game reserves in the Kruger will pick you up. Our daughter has stayed at Sabi Sands and can highly recommended it - they saw the big 5, with great sightings of leopard which are the most elusive. After your safari it would be a direct flight to Johannesburg. Hope this helps.

Last January, we flew to Johannesburg then took a tour for 4 days to Kruger. It was great. The tour put us up in a camp, Pretouriuskop. The accommodations were actually better than expected. The rondoval (cabin) had air conditioning and ceiling fans, yet it was very natural. Meals were in a tent, but pretty good. We had two game drives each day. Saw all of the Big 5. Would definitely stay there again.

If your cruise stops in Port Elizabeth, Addo is worth going to. We saw animals, particularly elephants that made our entire trip. It is at most 1 hour from the port. We then flew to Cape town and boarded the Queen Mary 2. Except for the cruise it was an unforgettable trip, and can't wait to do it again.

Enjoy your trip.

There is really nothing to the local town other than some restaurants. Some cruise lines offer shuttles and others don't so a taxi would be best. As mentioned there is not much to the town so I would plan a short visit or stay on the ship if Petra is not of interest to you. You can make a it a quiet day on the ship as many people will be on all day tours.

 

I know this was not the question but I would say that the lost city of Petra was one of the most unique and interesting sites we have ever visited. It is about a 90 minute drive each way. We enjoyed it so much we have been there on two different cruises and would do it again. There are areas we wanted to see again and new areas we didn't have time to get to the first time and the weather makes a difference. First time was hot and sunny. Second time was cooler and overcast. The colors were different and that made each visit unique.

 

Keith

I have been to Aqaba two years ago. Went to Petra and Wadi. This time I will be going with my husband, but he is satisfied with ALL the pictures I took and is not interested in seeing Petra or Wadi. I believe that seeing it once was very nice and interesting, but once was enough. My traveling companion decided not to go to Petra as she was afraid that her health problems may interfere, so she went into town and said it wasn't worth the trip. That is why we are planning to go to Eilat on our next trip.

We are on a cruise that goes to Aqaba. Have been to Petra, Wadi and the Dead Sea. We would like to go to Eilat. Does anyone have any experience with crossing the border? Our ship will be in port for 12 hours, so time is not a problem.

Thank you

We considered it one time, but the border makes life complicated. Hazy memory, and things may have changed, but Aqaba taxi drivers couldn't drive across the border - you walk across & hope there's transport there (bus? taxi?) to continue to Eilat. And the same coming back.

Add the possibility of an Israeli stamp in your passport (not stamped for cruisers into Haifa or Ashdod) which might jeopardise future middle-east travel and we decided not to bother.

BTW ship takes your passport but you can ask to "borrow" it for the sort of thing you're considering.

 

If you have more perseverance than me, I'd be interested in how you get on.

 

JB :)

Hi John,

We always obtain good info from you. Thank you. Will let you know how it went.

We will be on a cruise that stops in Aqaba. We have been to Petra and the Dead Sea. Does anyone know if it is possible to go from Aqaba to Eilat and back in one day?. We will have 12 hours there. We would appreciate any help.

Thank you.

My husband and I were in Dubai last May during Ramadan. Yes, it was very hot and humid, but we dealt with it. As far as closing early, some places closed from 7 to 9 to enjoy Iftar (fast breaking meal)., but then reopened. Many stayed open past midnight. We had no problem finding food and drink. In the Dubai Mall, they had an upstairs closed off area, which had about 25 restaurants open, mainly fast food during the lunch period. As for dinner, you just had to wait until 7:09pm to eat, not 7:08, but 7:09,. Some places did offer take out if you wanted to eat early. Since it was so hot, you would want to carry water. Out of courtesy, we went into restrooms to drink our water. It really was not a problem. Our hotel usually has breakfast on the ground floor, but during Ramadan, the same breakfast was offered upstairs and out of sight. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay, and are probably on the same cruise that you are talking about. Normally the HO HO Buses offer free water, but during Ramadan they don't.

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We will be arriving on a cruise ship. Are there any tour companies in Q?

Thank you

Our group of 6 pax recently cruised to NZ on the QM2, overall we were very disappointed with the cruise.Accommodation was reasonable in a Balcony, bathroom has a-shower curtain,Pillows were not good and limited choice.Food was very average and in the Britannia Restaurant it was very ordinary, the last night on board was the best meal,service in the restaurant was very pedestrian.Kings Court food was the ok for Brekky, terrible at lunch time ( same burgers and sandwiches everyday)and at night time the pasta and pizza ( thick bases yuck!)were the same .Service in the Kings court was hard to find. In the Corinthian room they serve food but it is the same choice Everyday!Beverages are expensive.Entertainment was reasonably good.

The Queens room was nice and Afternoon tea was well done .

Dress code was no problem for our group , but not always policed , Cunard should stay on top of the dress code.

NZ ports were great and the weather was very warm.

My cruising background is almost 600 days on many cruise lines, but Cunard for the basic passengers is not as good value ,as Holland America or Celebrity in my opinion .

 

 

 

 

 

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Agree.

This statement begs a couple of questions, namely how you define ambience (is it decor, is it grand public spaces, is it refined elegance?) and what lines you have sailed on that exceed Cunard's ambience according to your definition.

 

Having done a couple of cruises on Holland America in the past year I'd say one area where Cunard beats HAL hands down is in ambience (whether her defined by decor, grand public spaces or refined elegance), so my curiosity is aroused when you offer a (one-sided) comparison of Cunard to some unnamed line with nicer ambience.

A persons choice of décor varies substantially. My opinion is just that. I find most better lines have décor, and public areas more to my taste. I have been on almost every cruise line. The ambience is not what makes it good or bad. It's the crew, other passengers, activities, food, entertainment, comfort, etc. Cunard passed on crew, entertainment, and comfort, but in my opinion flunked on all the other aspects.

I disagree. Those who are truly loyal to Cunard - or any cruise line, hotel, etc. - are willing to admit that everything is not perfect. Cunard is currently my favourite line for a variety of reasons, but it has not always been so. My all-time favourite line went out of business in 1977, alas.

 

 

As with many "loyal followers" I want Cunard to do better and I don't hesitate to tell them where they could improve. If someone posts their negative experiences I don't doubt what they say. One type of complaint that causes replies is when someone takes their first voyage and something isn't up to their liking and they say: "The food was the worst" or "The crew was surly" or "The passengers were snobs" etc. and they say they will never again travel with Cunard.

 

 

Cunard loyalists are quite mild compared with some others. Two years ago I was taking my first Holland America cruise in a very long time so I had some questions. Some of the loyalists were quite nasty and replied with an attitude of: how dare you expect Holland America to do this or that.

Not everyone is the same as you.

again have you read the blog on QM2's world cruise which gives a totally different perspective, how do you account for that difference?

Just because there is a blog of loyal Cunard people, doesn't make it right.

again have you read the blog on QM2's world cruise which gives a totally different perspective, how do you account for that difference?

Everyone has a right to their perspective, obviously we disagree, and so did everyone at our dining table. The couple we met at our hotel in Perth remembered us from the cruise, and stopped us to tell us they were very unhappy with Cunard and called it a SICK SHIP.

How many passengers were sick? Do you have precise figures?

Oh, i'm sorry, I didn't take a count.

I don’t think anyone has made the rather spurious claim that Cunard is the best line out there. To suggest that any line is objectively the best is, frankly, a bit of a nonsense as people value experiences differently as individuals. Cunard offer one of the nicer onboard ambiences, solid service with occasional glimmers of true excellence, in my experience food that ranges from good to excellent (YMMV, I am not particularly a ‘foodie’) and, yes, if you choose to travel QM2, the experience of a ship like no other. That Cunard does attract a loyal following just goes to show they must be doing something right.

I strongly disagree that QM@ has a nicer onboard ambience, but people loyal to Cunard might think so. A cruise line doesn't have to be doing something right to keep loyal customers coming back. Some would never find anything wrong even if it is.

Only 200 people means 200 people reported to the medical room and therefore became statistics. Many more may have been sick but opted to self medicate: probably a much higher number imo.

 

David

You are so correct.

No, I am not saying this. In my opinion, most of the passengers have been in a good state of health since they were not affected.

Don't you read what is being said, most people were NOT in good health as they WERE affected. I would guess at least 80% were sick at any one point.

How many passengers were sick? Do you have precise figures?

have you been following the blog from QM2 which seems to have a different perspective than you?

As I said in the past, Cunard loyal followers would not say anything is wrong even if it is.

No, I am not saying this. In my opinion, most of the passengers have been in a good state of health since they were not affected.

Sick ship in the media is Noro virus, but this still was a sick ship, as most of the passengers were sick at some point. A cold, flu, etc is still sick. Yes, other better lines also have sick ships at times. No one is denying that. I realize that many of you are loyal to Cunard, no matter what, but it is FAR from the best cruise line out there.

These 2800 probably have an immune system that works well. Adding to it may be a well-balanced life with enough sleep, little stress, healthy nutrition, sports etc.

So, are you saying that most of the people on the Southampton to Cape Town and the Cape Town to Perth legs, were not vigilant about their health. Not so!

I think you have hit on the "problem" exactly!! News reports make great noise about 200 passengers (or so) sick on a cruise ship -- disaster cruise, etc. My question is --why so few? Why do only 200 people out of maybe around 3000 onboard become sick?? What does it say about those 200 ? What does it say about the remaining 2800 who did not get sick.??[/quote

 

Usually when a breakout is reported in the news media, it refers to Noro virus, not the common cold or flu. Personal health does play a part, but I believe it is necessary to use Purell after touching menus, serving spoons, etc. We always use Airborne, a vitamin C mega dose, prior to boarding a cruise which either keeps us clear of becoming ill, or having a much milder reaction. When Noro is present on a ship, all serving utensils, salt and pepper shakers, etc are removed and serving is done by the staff in the buffets. This is probably why it does not go into the thousands that become ill.

https://martinandjansjourney.com

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in this fairly comprehensive blog of the current QM2 world cruise no mention is made about illness or coughing

I boarded in Cape Town and disembarked in Perth. Very sick ship. Everyone of 10 people at our dinner table was sick. Everyone around us was sick. In the theater many many people were sneezing, coughing, and blowing their noses. Yes, it was a sick ship.

We have TkMaxx in Australia but they don’t have formal wear for women.

 

 

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TKMaxx is TJMaxx in the US. Love the chain. I have never seen a TKMaxx in Australia. Are they in Sydney?

Ebay is a godsend when it comes to buying cocktail dresses etc.

 

There are some absolute bargains with lightly worn and new dresses at a fraction of shop prices. All budgets, tastes and shapes are catered for. Accessories as well.

 

I even persuaded my husband to buy a tuxedo on eBay. He wasn't very keen but is really pleased with the suit.

 

If you're pretty confident regarding size and know what suits you, I don't think you can fail. I'm a bit of an eBay addict. [emoji126]

 

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Ebay is wonderful for finding formal men's and women's clothing!

even if I agreed with every one of your comments there is no better ship afloat for crossing the Atlantic in storm/ hurricane conditions which I have done more than once

 

 

steak, salmon and chicken are always available off menu in the Britannia you only have to ask

Cunard is the only ship that crosses the Atlantic on a regular basis. Too bad someone doesn't tell you that these food items are available.