Overnight Accommodation in Jerusalem

[marcsgran]

Hi

Can anyone tell me which hotel Thomson uses for the overnight stay in the Holy Land. We are travelling in April

 

Thanks

[Vitalsign]

Sorry I can't tell you the name of the hotel but it was very good. Clean and plenty of choice for both dinner and breakfast - buffet style. We did have to queue but it was good. Took longer to get served in the bar as everyone piled in there at the same time!!

The cost of the overnight is well worth not having four coach journeys to and from the ship over 2 days. Our guide was fantastic (young, short, shaved head and wore an Indiana Jones hat) and him and the driver even took us all out in the evening to see Jerusalem at night from above the city. Passengers also on the trip but in a different coach didnt get this. So if you see him outside the coach at the dock try to get on his bus and tell him he's been recommended!!

[marcsgran]

Hi Vitalsign

 

Thanks for your prompt reply - when did you do this trip? I'll certainly look out for 'Indiana' and pass on your good wishes

[Carib cruiser]

You must do this trip, its amazing. We were with vitalsign but ive a better memory than her. Our guide was Ron and our driver Joseph. We were so lucky they were both lovely. We stayed at the Kibbutz Ramat Rachel hotel which was excellent. The whole experience was amazing even with the bus breakdown!! and real value for money. You see so much of Israel which is a beautiful country. We did it last May. If you do manage to get on Rons bus give him our love. (Jane and Lynda).

[Cappers]

Is nobody worried at all about the risks of visiting this area? Nobody even slightly concerned?

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Is nobody worried at all about the risks of visiting this area? Nobody even slightly concerned?

Me!

 

That's why we changed from the Celebration Suez Canal cruise to the Dream repositioning cruise :D

[John Bull]

Is nobody worried at all about the risks of visiting this area? Nobody even slightly concerned?

 

 

 

Why?:confused:

 

Because sometimes a few rockets are lobbed onto Ashdod from Gaza?

We Brits are made of sterner stuff, and even Captain K would be disappointed with you ;)

 

Brits aren't targetted, and millions of jews & muslims live in harmony.

Thousands live in Ashdod, and they've not run to the hills.

Nor did Londoners after 7/7.

Or even New Yorkers after 9/11.

 

If the Foreign Office doesn't issue warnings & the ship ports then the risks are low. Same as crossing the street in Anytown.

 

Ditto petty-crime, usual precautions apply

 

JB :)

[Cappers]

When I was looking at this cruise for the 27th March I checked the F.O website and there are warnings not to travel to this part of the world. I admit it put me off. Thomson ships do not yet have "sheilds" to stop rockets and such do they? I think it was the warning about "if you are in Jerusalem and see a crowd gathering or shops suddenly closing leave the area immediately" that finally convinced me to forget it. Those that live there are used to it,,I'm not,and I don't think I should knowingly put myself in a potentially volatile situation. I would seriously love to go,,really really really would love to see the Holy Land from a historical point of view not a religious one but I'd never be able to relax,,I'd be permanently looking for odd behaviour and abandoned packages,,I'd be on edge all the time just expecting something and thats not what I want from a holiday. No reassurances about how safe it is would stop me worrying about sudden flare ups in the current climate. Like when you are on a plane in turbulence and the crew say it's normal,,yes it is to them but not to me,,I hate flying! Maybe next year?

[John Bull]

When I was looking at this cruise for the 27th March I checked the F.O website and there are warnings not to travel to this part of the world. I admit it put me off. Thomson ships do not yet have "sheilds" to stop rockets and such do they? I think it was the warning about "if you are in Jerusalem and see a crowd gathering or shops suddenly closing leave the area immediately" that finally convinced me to forget it. Those that live there are used to it,,I'm not,and I don't think I should knowingly put myself in a potentially volatile situation. I would seriously love to go,,really really really would love to see the Holy Land from a historical point of view not a religious one but I'd never be able to relax,,I'd be permanently looking for odd behaviour and abandoned packages,,I'd be on edge all the time just expecting something and thats not what I want from a holiday. No reassurances about how safe it is would stop me worrying about sudden flare ups in the current climate. Like when you are on a plane in turbulence and the crew say it's normal,,yes it is to them but not to me,,I hate flying! Maybe next year?

 

Hi Cappers,

I can understand your concern. We put off visiting Israel for decades, waiting for things to settle down - but then we realised that if we waited for that we'd never ever go. So we booked. Brilliant visit.

 

The FO isn't advising against travel in this part of the world, it is advising against travel to Gaza & other localised areas - much the same as advice for India, Indonesia, Turkey, etc. These tend to be the areas which a tourist wouldn't visit anyway.

And there's general warnings of terrorism risks in places like France, Spain, Ireland, Greece, etc.

Yes, for Jerusalem advice to leave the (pedestrian) Old City when there's evidence of a potential demonstration or unrest (eg when shops suddenly close-up). But that's similar to specific FO advice to avoid demonstrations in Greece or be extra-vigilant on french public transport.

All good advice, but needs to be read with a sense of proportion. Perhaps by checking the advice about countries you know or have recently visited, before looking at the advice about those you might want to visit

I wonder what the FO advice would be about travel to .......the UK??

 

Each to their own comfort-level, but the major risk that I see is that at the last minute the ship doesn't port as per itinerary due to a flare-up. Or stormy weather or mechanical problems or industrial action etc, much the same as elsewhere in the world.

Our Thomson Red Sea cruise didn't call at Sokhna (for Cairo) last month. Because of a sandstorm at the port :rolleyes:

 

JB :)

[Cappers]

Yes,,and thats another thing, if I booked this cruise and it didn't go to where I was expecting to go I would be furious as for me it would be a once in a lifetime trip,,I aint flying for nearly 5 hours for a greek Island when I expected something worth the stress and anxiety it would cause me to do that flight. 2 hours on a plane is more than enough for me,,after that I want to get off,,,so anything that involves longer flying times really has to be worth it. If I risked it and suffered the flight I would have to be as sure as I could that I would see what I was expecting to...if you know what I mean. I'm a funnyosity and damn awkward to boot and I really hate flying! I'll do it one day cos I want to see these ancient places..maybe look at it next April for my special birthday.

[marcsgran]

Thanks for the input folks - I won't share your opinions with my other half - he is jittery enough as it is. My thoughts are that we need to take the risk. If for some reason the ship can't dock we'll take it as it comes. No point stressing about things you can't change!:eek:

[Carib cruiser]

Is nobody worried at all about the risks of visiting this area? Nobody even slightly concerned?

I have been to Israel twice and would go again. I feel safe but my partner was a bit apprehensive until he'd been now he wants to go again. This just my opinion though