Holy Land

[R,D,W]

Would like reccommendations on a cruise that includes ports in Holy Land.

Any input will be appreciated.

Thank You

[cruisemom42]

If your main reason for the cruise would be visiting the Holy Land, I would advise looking at land tours.

 

Often when there is any political dust-up or safety concern, ports in Israel are dropped and replaced with others. Just look around right now and see how unhappy many cruisers are with the changes being made to all the Asian itineraries due to efforts to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus outside China.  I've seen ports in Israel canceled when there have been increased hosilities between Israel and Palestine at several different times during the 15 years I've participated on Cruise Critic.

 

Keep in mind that all cruise itineraries allow ships to change their itinerary for whatever reason (e.g., weather, political unrest, strikes, illness, etc.) and passengers have no recourse.

 

Everyone agrees to this in their cruise contracts, then comes back and moans when changes DO occur. 

 

Another thing to keep in mind is that such itineraries are relatively rare and are usually offered in the shoulder or off-season due to the extreme heat during summer.

 

[Zach1213]

I agree with the above. This would not be a good way to see that part of the world. Hop a flight to Tel Aviv and scope it all out by ground. 

[Markanddonna]

I disagree. The Holy Land doesn't mean just Israel. Our Dec 2, 2019 on the NCL Spirit set out from Rome and we went to Ephesus (Kusadasi,) Cyprus, Crete, Rhodes, Athens, Corinth and Israel. All of these have Biblical ties and are therefore the Holy Land. Although we had only three days in Israel, we saw a lot and also were able to travel to these other important ports mentioned in the Bible.

[cruisemom42]

36 minutes ago, Markanddonna said:

I disagree. The Holy Land doesn't mean just Israel. Our Dec 2, 2019 on the NCL Spirit set out from Rome and we went to Ephesus (Kusadasi,) Cyprus, Crete, Rhodes, Athens, Corinth and Israel. All of these have Biblical ties and are therefore the Holy Land. Although we had only three days in Israel, we saw a lot and also were able to travel to these other important ports mentioned in the Bible.

 

I'm not disagreeing with you that there are Biblical associations with other places in the Mediterranean, but in general (and in most definitions) the "Holy Land" itself refers to "A region on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, in what is now Israel and Palestine, revered by Christians as the place in which Jesus Christ lived and taught, by Jews as the land given to the people of Israel, and by Muslims."  https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/holy_land    Hence my reply.

 

It would be helpful if the OP would return and clarify what in particular they are looking for.

 

 

[ducklite]

Windstar has a cruise that starts and ends in Athens and visits Cyprus, Israel, and Egypt.

[RocketMan275]

5 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

If your main reason for the cruise would be visiting the Holy Land, I would advise looking at land tours.

Can you suggest any land tours as we are also considering visiting the Holy Land.  I've concluded a land tour might be the best.

[Markanddonna]

Actually, I'm writing a book on how to cruise to the Holy Land with an emphasis on Christian sites.It should be ready for publication in March.  I'd be happy to share any info with you right now. For Israel, we had a wonderful experience with Guided Tours Israel. The first day, we went to Bethlehem and Jerusalem, the second day was a Christian focused tour around the Sea of Galilee and Nazareth, and day three was a more customized tour of Acre (Akko), Caesarea Maritima, and the Baha'i Gardens in Haifa with a stop at the aqueducts. 

 

https://www.guidedtoursisrael.com/  I first discovered this company from the many excellent reviews on Cruise Critic. Contact Leo and tell him what you want, and he can make it happen. You can tell him "Donna" sent  you ( I get no kickback...)  

They have other tours also, including Masada and the Dead Sea. 

 

If you are going to other countries, please let me know. I have a friend who is having a wonderful time on a Gate1 tour to the Holy Land right now. I receive her FB photos every day. She seems pleased. I'm more of an independent traveler who likes to book exactly what I want and we aren't afraid to be more unconventional and creative in travel.  I love to research

 

If you want any more info, just post and I'll try to reply, but I'll be out of the country for a while- but still checking when I can. 

 

 

Edited February 4, 2020 by Markanddonna

[cruisemom42]

39 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Can you suggest any land tours as we are also considering visiting the Holy Land.  I've concluded a land tour might be the best.

 

I'm sorry, I can't really make a good recommendation. I visited about eight years ago and did a combination of time on my own (Jerusalem), a tour of about eight days with Gate 1 (would not recommend them in Israel based on my experience), and another sort of "semi" guided tour of several days that got me to Jordan (Petra, Amman and Jerash, primarily). 

 

The best experience I had was hiring a licensed private guide -- who I located with help from another guide who is frequently recommended on TripAdvisor -- whose background and expertise meshed exactly with my interests. This was important to me as my focus had more of a historical/Roman focus than a religious one. I toured with him for two days and then an additional day later; all three of these days remain some of my favorite travel memories -- such as visiting a newly excavated Roman city (one of the cities of the Decapolis, Hippo/Regis, where he had been part of the excavation team).

 

 

I was also fortunate to connect with someone who used to post on CC and lived in Israel who took me on a lovely tour of the traditional market in Jerusalem, another extremely memorable experience.

 

Having stopped in Israel two additional times on a cruise ship, I feel I can say with certainty that one gets a completely different experience being there for a number of days.

[R,D,W]

Thank you for all the valuable comments.  We have debated a cruise or a land tour.  I will do further research and see what excursions are available .  We have specific  sites we want to visit.  We have done land tours and cruises and we are most comfortable with cruising.  However,  I do know our time is very limited with excursions compared to land tours.  We are doing the Oberammergau  via river cruise (our first) in May and would like to follow that with a trip to the Jerusalem area.  We also understand cancelling ports and of course would be disappointed  but our previous cruising experiences have shown safety to be the priority when cancelling .  So we do understand.  There have been some land tour companies mentioned and I so appreciate the information.  If any of you have done an ocean cruise of the area I would appreciate your comments also.

 

Thank You,

Becky 

[MBP&O2/O]

We were on a cruise in October and we took the ship excursion to Jerusalem.

It was scheduled as 0800 x 1800.

There was an accident on the highway into the town .... so we didn't even arrive until after 10:00am, much later than expected. The guide was running round like a blue tailed fly trying to get back on schedule, and offering little or no sympathy to one pax who had mobility difficulties.

It was rush rush and more rushing about.

When on the coach in the city it was one big traffic jam..... mainly coaches.

We set off back later than we should, and the journey was further delayed by Mr Weak Bladder .... three stops in all. 🥴 and then an issue at a security check point. We got back 30mins before departure time!

Yes we saw quite a lot and what we saw was very good .... but the excursion experience was not pleasant.

If you do go on on a ship then these are the type of things that do occur ... so bear it in mind. Also bear in mind that it can be hard work in the heat.

[Markanddonna]

We went on our cruise to Israel in December and had only one day of rain. The weather was very nice for touring. Imagine being on the Acropolis in Athens and feeling chilly.

[bonsai3s]

We've done both a land tour to the Holy Land and a cruise stop.

We were on Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas that sailed from Venice, the included a 2-day stop in Haifa,...ending in Dubai.

 

Our original itinerary included a stop in Ashdod...which would've put us a bit closer to Jerusalem.  With the ship staying in Haifa, that meant a longer drive for our shore excursion.  Yes, we also experienced light rain that turned into a downpour (it was funny how the umbrellas for sale in Jerusalem went from $5 to $20.)

 

We agree, it felt really rushed.  We would highly recommend a land tour...there's simply so much to see and absorb.

 

On a lighter note: When we got back to the ship, we went to Guest Services and overheard another passenger loudly complaining, she said: "I want my money back...our shore excursion in Jerusalem was cut short...we only saw 4 "Stations of the Cross"...I want my money back!".  (This wins the Gold Medal for most unique complaint we've ever heard.) 😁

[Markanddonna]

I made a list of what I wanted to see in Israel and my tours all had a Christian and ancient history focus. I was able to get exactly what I wanted in three days. More would have been great, and I would have gone to Caesarea Philippi, Quamran, En Gedi, the Dead Sea and Masada, in that order if I had more time. But, with the cruise, I got to spend a full day each in Ephesus, Corinth, Athens, Cyprus, Rhodes, etc. AND see Pompeii. So, while I didn't have a full 7 days in Israel, I had a very well rounded trip.

 

There is no right or wrong trip to the Holy Land. I would love to do a land tour and would have something to compare it to. I am currently following my friend's Gate1 trip on FB, and they are seeing many things that aren't really on my top 50 things to see in Israel. For example, I wouldn't do Yad Veshem, not because I'm not interested, but I have spent the last four years researching the Holocaust and WWII. I've been to all the major WWII and Holocaust Museums in Europe and three concentration camps. I nominated two people who saved Jews during the Holocaust (found during my research) for their Righteous Among the Nations Award, so I will get a special invite for the ceremony!  So, we all have our own agenda.

Edited February 5, 2020 by Markanddonna

[ed01106]

IMHO the best option for land based tours of Israel are often group tours organized by  churches/synagogue/religious organization/etc.  Either locally or at the national level.  Often you need to be a member of said organization (particularly if subsidized) but not always.  Of course the trips sites of interest are dictated by the affiliation.  I visited Israel with the Jewish Federation of Rhode Island.

[Markanddonna]

There are a ton of those kinds of land based tours that can be found by Googling. My cruise/land tour was much less expensive.

[R,D,W]

Every person has been so kind to respond with really helpful information.  We are leaning toward a cruise because we also want to visit Athens.  Making a list of our "must sees"  is a great idea.  We also plan to take the advice to contact Guided Tours Israel. 

While research is time consuming and sometimes a bit confusing how Blessed we are to have the opportunity to visit the Holy Land.  

Becky

 

[RocketMan275]

7 hours ago, R,D,W said:

Every person has been so kind to respond with really helpful information.  We are leaning toward a cruise because we also want to visit Athens.  Making a list of our "must sees"  is a great idea.  We also plan to take the advice to contact Guided Tours Israel. 

While research is time consuming and sometimes a bit confusing how Blessed we are to have the opportunity to visit the Holy Land.  

Becky

 

Perhaps you might do a cruise and after the cruise continue on to a land tour in Israel?

[RocketMan275]

On 2/3/2020 at 6:34 PM, Markanddonna said:

Actually, I'm writing a book on how to cruise to the Holy Land with an emphasis on Christian sites.It should be ready for publication in March.  I'd be happy to share any info with you right now. For Israel, we had a wonderful experience with Guided Tours Israel. The first day, we went to Bethlehem and Jerusalem, the second day was a Christian focused tour around the Sea of Galilee and Nazareth, and day three was a more customized tour of Acre (Akko), Caesarea Maritima, and the Baha'i Gardens in Haifa with a stop at the aqueducts. 

 

https://www.guidedtoursisrael.com/  I first discovered this company from the many excellent reviews on Cruise Critic. Contact Leo and tell him what you want, and he can make it happen. You can tell him "Donna" sent  you ( I get no kickback...)  

They have other tours also, including Masada and the Dead Sea. 

 

If you are going to other countries, please let me know. I have a friend who is having a wonderful time on a Gate1 tour to the Holy Land right now. I receive her FB photos every day. She seems pleased. I'm more of an independent traveler who likes to book exactly what I want and we aren't afraid to be more unconventional and creative in travel.  I love to research

 

If you want any more info, just post and I'll try to reply, but I'll be out of the country for a while- but still checking when I can. 

 

 

Great information.  Just what I was looking for.

I do have a specific question:  I'm wondering how representative of any current day tour can be of how the holy land was in the time of Christ. Yes, I realize modern technology.  That isn't my question: I've seen/read that, for example, that layer after layer has been laid down over the 2000 years since Christ.  The streets of His time are buried under 10s of feet of dirt and history.  Are you really getting a glimpse of the holy land?  Does that make sense?

Edited February 7, 2020 by RocketMan275

[Markanddonna]

13 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Great information.  Just what I was looking for.

I do have a specific question:  I'm wondering how representative of any current day tour can be of how the holy land was in the time of Christ. Yes, I realize modern technology.  That isn't my question: I've seen/read that, for example, that layer after layer has been laid down over the 2000 years since Christ.  The streets of His time are buried under 10s of feet of dirt and history.  Are you really getting a glimpse of the holy land?  Does that make sense?

I understand what you are saying. So much of the Holy Land are stories based on tradition. For example, in the Church of the Holy Seplechure is the Stone of Unction, a slab where tradition says Jesus' body was prepared for burial. In fact, it appeared during the Crusades and was placed there about 1825. I am a sceptic who thinks "really!???" From early Christianity on, the Church built hundreds of buildings over the sites, those verified and questionable. There are many minor churches n all these towns that take it to an extreme. Somebody thinks this is where Joseph had his carpentry shop: Bam! Out a church in it!

 

Jerusalem left me feeling flat and disappointed with the hostilities and tradition of the six religious groups in charge of the churches.. I felt differently in other places. My favorite was in Corinth. I knew Paul was there and the best was the port of Concharae. We were there all alone to inspect the pier and ruins. That's where Paul Aquila, and Priscilla set off for Ephesus from Corinth. I felt like Paul was next to me saying that the area hasn't changed. In Jerusalem, Jesus would have wept.

I loved the Sea of Galilee area and felt like we were seeing much of the authentic places. I decided to just appreciate what happened there rather than evaluating authenticity all the time. As a researcher, that is my big flaw - hyper critical of details.

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, RocketMan275 said:

I'm wondering how representative of any current day tour can be of how the holy land was in the time of Christ. Yes, I realize modern technology.  That isn't my question: I've seen/read that, for example, that layer after layer has been laid down over the 2000 years since Christ.  The streets of His time are buried under 10s of feet of dirt and history.  Are you really getting a glimpse of the holy land?  Does that make sense?

 

As an inveterate seeker of ancient sites, I've learned that you have to go down to find the original history. But once you understand that, it is entirely possible to find places where the "history" is still visible -- and meaningful. I remember standing near the Wailing wall -- at the end, not where most of the people congregate to pray. You can see the Roman-era street in front of the wall, you can see where the Roman soldiers tumbled the big ashlar blocks that make up the wall over the top and down onto the street. 

 

You can also see the City of David excavations, for example. Or the area of the Roman forum in Jerusalem which these days is at a much lower level than the modern city.  My guide also took me into a Roman-era cistern in Jerusalem and to see the remains of Hadrian's arch and Roman flagstones near Ecce Homo church where the Roman soldiers in the nearby garrison had scratched game boards into the stones....

 

A good guide can point out the history and make it come alive for you, have no doubts.

 

If you have a chance, you should try to get to Caesarea. It's wonderfully atmospheric -- and the only place where they have found an inscription that mentions Pontius Pilate. The Roman aqueduct there is also truly outstanding -- my guide also pointed out where the Roman soldiers who helped build it "signed" their work.

 

 

[Markanddonna]

Totally agree. Caesarea Maritima is amazing as is the Akko site near Haifa. I was referring to religious sites in the Holy Land. In Jerusalem, there are subterranean streets below the current Via Dolorosa but they aren't obvious. I don't have my references here but I believe Tell Dan has the layers of thirty  civilizations. It is incredibly exciting to consider how much is still to be excavated. The terrace step houses in Ephesus are under a roof and side protection while the work goes on. Amazing to think how the regional earthquakes buried this amazing city and changed the location of its harbor.

[RocketMan275]

I'm struggling with this:  what is the purpose of visiting the Holy Land:

- if the history of the Holy Land is buried.

- if many locations are nothing more than someone wishing to attract the donations of pilgrims.

[ed01106]

2 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

I'm struggling with this:  what is the purpose of visiting the Holy Land:

- if the history of the Holy Land is buried.

- if many locations are nothing more than someone wishing to attract the donations of pilgrims.

One of the most interesting places to visit.  And thanks to archeologists much of it is no longer buried.  

 

 

[Markanddonna]

31 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

I'm struggling with this:  what is the purpose of visiting the Holy Land:

- if the history of the Holy Land is buried.

- if many locations are nothing more than someone wishing to attract the donations of pilgrims.

So much of it fantastic in many respects. Do your homework and you will develop the instincts to  know fact from tradition. As a Christian, I use the history from scripture, ancient writing from Josephus and the very early church fathers, and archeaology to guide my visits.