Celestyal Crystal - 7 night 3 Continents - March 21/2020

[girlguide]

 

This is our second time on board the Crystal. First time was their 7 night Cuba cruise back in 2017. Really enjoyed the size of the ship. Anyone else booked?

Very excited for this itinerary & hoping to trade out some of the included excursions for the other choices. Some are the same as what is offered on the 4 nighter we're doing first.

[Carioki]

Hi Girlguide,

I am on this same cruise and am looking forward to visiting all of the sites. Some are for the first time. I haven't been on Celestyal before, any tips for a newbie? I am looking at excursion options for Cyprus and Israel. I went to Israel before and I am looking for a different spot to explore. I do not have the exact times yet for arrival into these ports so it is a bit difficult to nail things down at this early. The tour I am on is a land and sea package and I understand I will get this information closer to December. The suspense is killing me....well not quite. But I am excited to see these ports.

 

[girlguide]

Welcome the Cruise Critic

 

Have you been on Celestyal's website? The itineraries are available with all the port times listed. We booked the cruises ourselves on-line. I can access both my reservations using my last name & booking number. I noticed on my reservation page they have added a pre-departure info booklet you can download as a pdf.

 

In Cyprus we will probably DIY with the hop on hop off bus. For Israel possibly a private tour to Jerusalem & Bethlehem.

 

Not a lot of current info available here on the ports of call board & this is a new itinerary for Celestyal. Hopefully there will be more info in December when the first cruisers return. No guarantee that any CC members will be on board. When we did the Cuba cruise with Celestyal the passenger mix was more European with some Canadian & American passengers. I don't remember getting much of a response on CC for a roll call for the Cuba cruise.

[Carioki]

Hi Girlguide,

Thank you for the information. I am on a land and sea package through GlobusJourneys. I will try Celestyals website again and see if it works to view what you mentioned. I read through their whole site but didn't think I could sign in. Thanks. 

 

These stops sound fun to me, if I can make them work or find something similar. 🙂 I hope I am allowed to post links? I am new to cruisecritic.

 

Tour in Cyprus https://ascotcyprus.com/kalidonia-waterfalls-donkey-riding/

Tour in Israel is something like this that includes the Dig-for-a-Day Seminar. https://www.travelisrael.co.il/tours/shore-excursions/ashdod-port/discovering-tel-maresha/

[girlguide]

For anyone on this cruise - I'm booking a day trip with Guided Tours Israel for a tour of Jerusalem & Bethlehem. Room for more - there's 2 of us and they will take up to 16. Details are at

 

www.guidedtoursisrael.com/shore-excursions/from-ashdod-port/jerusalem-shore-excursions/

[helengp]

Hello. We are booked on this cruise in December....leaving Athens on the 8th. This will be our first ever cruise.....very excited. One thing I can not get a definitive answer on, is do we need a visa for the trip in Egypt? We leave the ship at Alexandria and have a day visiting the pyramids and Cairo before rejoining the ship in the evening at Port Said. 

I contacted the cruise line and they said no visa required! But Egyptian consulate website suggests everyone visiting needs a tourist visa (can be got on-line as an e-visa) so I wondered if anyone knew any more about this?

 

We will do our own thing in Israel......no visa there i think.

 

any ideas/advice very welcome,

thanks

Helen

 

 

[girlguide]

On 11/14/2019 at 10:19 AM, helengp said:

Hello. We are booked on this cruise in December....leaving Athens on the 8th. This will be our first ever cruise.....very excited. One thing I can not get a definitive answer on, is do we need a visa for the trip in Egypt? We leave the ship at Alexandria and have a day visiting the pyramids and Cairo before rejoining the ship in the evening at Port Said. 

I contacted the cruise line and they said no visa required! But Egyptian consulate website suggests everyone visiting needs a tourist visa (can be got on-line as an e-visa) so I wondered if anyone knew any more about this?

 

We will do our own thing in Israel......no visa there i think.

 

any ideas/advice very welcome,

thanks

Helen

 

 

 

Hi Helen

 

You should look on your home country's website for travel/visa information.

 

We are Canadian and found the information regarding visas on the government of Canada website - under travel - travel advice and advisories.

 

travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories

 

We will need visas for the Egypt stop but not any of the other stops. We don't need a visa for Turkey because we are stopping for the day on a cruise - if we were staying longer we would need a visa.

 

[helengp]

Thank you for the reply. Our own country's information re visas suggests one is necessary, although there are some geographical exceptions. But I think for where we are going, one will be necessary. It is a bit worrying that the cruise company are telling us we don't need one.....would hate to arrive that morning and be told 'no visa no tour' ☹️

[girlguide]

The first cruisers on this new itinerary will be heading out this week. Hopefully some will post of their experience!

[celestcare]

We are going same itinerary March 28th!  Can’t wait to hear how it was

[girlguide]

Final payment made & the e-ticket immediately arrived in my email inbox. 
 

[helengp]

Typing this from the ship as we finish our cruise. It was wonderful! The week has flown by.....so many highlights, but particularly Jerusalem and Ephasus. Ship brilliant, staff amazing, food really good particularly the buffet. Weather was mixed but we managed to stay dry. But it is December! I will right a longer review once home. But it was really great!

[ImaStewardess]

Greetings from Phoenix!

 

I cruised this itinerary in December and LOVED it! Did not book any private excursions, I had visited these ports before with Azamara. Sailed with my Mom and Adult Daughter and we had an AMAZING journey! MOST IMPRESSIVE was how well the shore excursions were done. I have never seen a cruise line move so many people so efficiently. (Be prepared for long day in Egypt). Egyptian Visas are provided by Celestyal. Happy to answer any questions and wish I was sailing with all of you!

[rool]

I booked on this itinerary last night for March 2021.

Very much looking forward to a different style of cruising after a few cruises on MSC, Costa, RCI and Celebrity.

The stop in Egypt swung it for us as the mainline cruises no longer seem to go there. Israel was attractive to us also.

[JAM12]

We are scheduled to take the 3 continents cruise in March 2020.  We are taking our kids (16,13, 10).  They have traveled extensively and can handle the long port days/excursions.  I was just wondering if there were other families on board when you cruised?  Did you feel safe at all times?   Anywhere you would hesitate traveling with the kids?  I wouldn't be worried if it was just my husband and I, but I feel you always worry more when taking the kids.   

[helengp]

Hello Jam12.

We did this trip in December, outside of school holidays, and there were very few children on board. We met one couple with their 2 teenage boys and they all seemed to have a good time. We felt safe everywhere. We did the tours in Egypt, Rhodes and Kusadasi but did our own thing in Israel, Cyprus and Athens. In Egypt, the coaches travelled in convoy with an armed escort and we had an armed tourist policeman on each coach. That said, we never felt any kind of threat at all and in fact found the Egyptians to be friendly and very happy to see tourists in their country. Normal caution required with street hawkers and people trying to sell you stuff at pyramids etc. Bags scanned going in to museum...all as you would expect. It was all very well organised and a great day, the only downside being 3 hours each way on coach.....but so worth it! I am sure you will have an amazing time.

[mo12-pak]

what did everybody do in Cyprus?? (Limassol)  Need suggestions!

[girlguide]

7 hours ago, mo12-pak said:

what did everybody do in Cyprus?? (Limassol)  Need suggestions!

 

We'll be in Limassol March 25 (we're on the March 21 itinerary) our plan is to use the hop on hop off bus to get around to see the sites.

https://city-sightseeing.com/en/145/cyprus/1794/hop-on-hop-off-limassol

currently showing as unavailable, but hopefully by the time we are there it will be running.

[Carioki]

Which Egypt excursion have you tried on the 3 continent tour on Celestyal? I am torn between the one that is included and the one with the Nile cruise.

[rool]

1 hour ago, Carioki said:

Which Egypt excursion have you tried on the 3 continent tour on Celestyal? I am torn between the one that is included and the one with the Nile cruise.

In my haste I booked the one with the Nile cruise before reading the details of the one included. I'm not sure it's worth the extra money for a boat ride and some food but it's done now and there seems no way to cancel online.

[ImaStewardess]

We took the included excursion in Cairo offered by the cruise line. Again, I am STILL amazed at how well they operate their shore tours! It’s a LONG day in Cairo but we enjoyed visiting the pyramids, museum, etc.

[Carioki]

On 1/22/2020 at 10:22 AM, rool said:

In my haste I booked the one with the Nile cruise before reading the details of the one included. I'm not sure it's worth the extra money for a boat ride and some food but it's done now and there seems no way to cancel online.

Maybe you will be able to change it once on the ship? Thanks for the reply.

[Carioki]

On 1/22/2020 at 10:24 AM, ImaStewardess said:

We took the included excursion in Cairo offered by the cruise line. Again, I am STILL amazed at how well they operate their shore tours! It’s a LONG day in Cairo but we enjoyed visiting the pyramids, museum, etc.

Thank you for the reply. Do they have bottled water available since it is such a long day or will we need to search for places to purchase it?

[ImaStewardess]

Stock up on water before you leave the ship—bottles are complimentary! 

[rool]

On 1/22/2020 at 1:45 PM, Carioki said:

Which Egypt excursion have you tried on the 3 continent tour on Celestyal? I am torn between the one that is included and the one with the Nile cruise.

I have just had an email from Celestyal stating that the excursion with the Nile cruise is no longer being offered for our March 2021 sailing. 

I am waiting for confirmation that the alternative one is still going ahead as our main reason for booking was to visit the Pyramids.