Overnight in Jerusalem or Istanbul?

[LGW59]

Looking at two cruises, one has an overnight in Jerusalem, the other an overnight in Istanbul.  The rest of the ports are very similar one day stops, Ephesus, Haifa, and a couple Greek Isles.  Have never been to either Jerusalem or Istanbul, wondering what those who have been would recommend and why?  Thx!!

[mom says]

Depends. What day of the week are they overnighting? Could make a difference.

[LGW59]

4 minutes ago, mom says said:

Depends. What day of the week are they overnighting? Could make a difference.

Jerusalem is 7am Wed 10/12 - 8pm Thurs 10/13 and Istanbul is 11am Sat 10/8 - 1pm Sun 10/9

[TFree]

One thing to consider is the location of the ports.  The port in Istanbul is actually a reasonable walk or a light rail ride to the city.  On our overnight in Istanbul, we took an excursion the first day, and then actually chose to just walk to some of the sights on the morning after the overnight.

I have only been to Jerusalem on land, not as part of any cruise.  But Jerusalem is about 45 miles from the Port of Ashdod, so wandering into Jerusalem after the overnight would be a very different thing.  There are lots of other things to see, many of which would be closer to the port, but I just want you to be aware of the distance to Jerusalem itself.

Tom & Judy

[Bruin Steve]

Personally, I would take Jerusalem...assuming it is two full days...

 

I've done a few cruises that either begin or end in Istanbul...and those give you the opportunity to stay there in a hotel at the start or end of your cruise.  It's a fascinating city with lots to see...If you merely overnight there in the middle of a cruise itinerary, you are likely staying on the ship...and have two days to explore.  There is some nightlife if you want to exit the ship or stay out late...We've seen a couple of international dinner shows...and it's a fun night out...But I'd rather do it on a pre- or post-cruise stay.

 

With Jerusalem, yes, the port is in Ashdod...about a half an hour drive to Tel Aviv, 45 minutes to an hour to Jerusalem, a little under two hours to Masada...but you have options...You could have a tour each day from the ship...or you could spend the night off the ship in Jerusalem...You could spend two full days touring Jerusalem--the old city or Yad Vashem (Holocaust Museum) or even had down to the magnificent Masada.  There are a lot of other intriguing places to visit in the area--including biblical sites and archaeological sites.  Hire a private guide and arrange a small group with like interests and have the guide plan you out your days...

 

Yes, there is so much to see there that two days is not near enough...but if you are likely not to have an extended land trip to Israel, this is the way to go... would hope your itinerary would also visit Haifa...When we cruised there, we had a great day out of Haifa visiting Caesarea, Megiddo and an historical Kibbutz as well as a tour of Haifa itself...

 

Good luck...

[LGW59]

5 minutes ago, Bruin Steve said:

Personally, I would take Jerusalem...assuming it is two full days...

 

I've done a few cruises that either begin or end in Istanbul...and those give you the opportunity to stay there in a hotel at the start or end of your cruise.  It's a fascinating city with lots to see...If you merely overnight there in the middle of a cruise itinerary, you are likely staying on the ship...and have two days to explore.  There is some nightlife if you want to exit the ship or stay out late...We've seen a couple of international dinner shows...and it's a fun night out...But I'd rather do it on a pre- or post-cruise stay.

 

With Jerusalem, yes, the port is in Ashdod...about a half an hour drive to Tel Aviv, 45 minutes to an hour to Jerusalem, a little under two hours to Masada...but you have options...You could have a tour each day from the ship...or you could spend the night off the ship in Jerusalem...You could spend two full days touring Jerusalem--the old city or Yad Vashem (Holocaust Museum) or even had down to the magnificent Masada.  There are a lot of other intriguing places to visit in the area--including biblical sites and archaeological sites.  Hire a private guide and arrange a small group with like interests and have the guide plan you out your days...

 

Yes, there is so much to see there that two days is not near enough...but if you are likely not to have an extended land trip to Israel, this is the way to go... would hope your itinerary would also visit Haifa...When we cruised there, we had a great day out of Haifa visiting Caesarea, Megiddo and an historical Kibbutz as well as a tour of Haifa itself...

 

Good luck...

Thank you, much appreciated!  We arrive in Jerusalem at 7am and depart the following day at 8pm.  In Haifa we are in port 6am - 7pm.  I tend to hire private drivers, and that would still be the plan, hoping as it is Oct 2022 we will be able to do so.

[Bruin Steve]

21 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

Thank you, much appreciated!  We arrive in Jerusalem at 7am and depart the following day at 8pm.  In Haifa we are in port 6am - 7pm.  I tend to hire private drivers, and that would still be the plan, hoping as it is Oct 2022 we will be able to do so.

I'll be shocked if we are not back to cruising by October 2022.  We hired a private driver/guide when we did our cruise that included Ashdod and Haifa a few years back.  WELL WORTH it in Israel with so much to see...it is great not to wait for 40+ people to get on and off a big bus to see just a few sites.  We put together a group of 6 (IIRC) and it worked well with our guide and a van.  Same guide met us both in Ashdod and Haifa (the two ports are really just about a 90 minute drive apart).  The interesting part was gathering our group together--finding people with common interests. Different people want to see different sights there.  We were NOT interested in seeing most of the Christian sites (not being Christian ourselves)...others had that as a prime area of interest.  We did include some Christian/New Testament sites like the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem...along with Old Testament sites, archaeological sites and just interesting aspects of the city itself--the idea in the Old City was to see a good representation of all four quarters...and the diversity of the city...and we made it a point to visit Yad Vashem.  Out of Haifa, we made it a major consideration to visit Megiddo and Caesarea as we love archaeology.  My recommendation is to do a lot of independent research and decide on what, to you, are "don't miss" sites.  Are you most concerned with religion?  Archaeology?  History?  Culture?  Find a guide and work out an itinerary for each day that makes the most sense for you... 

[LGW59]

32 minutes ago, Bruin Steve said:

I'll be shocked if we are not back to cruising by October 2022.  We hired a private driver/guide when we did our cruise that included Ashdod and Haifa a few years back.  WELL WORTH it in Israel with so much to see...it is great not to wait for 40+ people to get on and off a big bus to see just a few sites.  We put together a group of 6 (IIRC) and it worked well with our guide and a van.  Same guide met us both in Ashdod and Haifa (the two ports are really just about a 90 minute drive apart).  The interesting part was gathering our group together--finding people with common interests. Different people want to see different sights there.  We were NOT interested in seeing most of the Christian sites (not being Christian ourselves)...others had that as a prime area of interest.  We did include some Christian/New Testament sites like the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem...along with Old Testament sites, archaeological sites and just interesting aspects of the city itself--the idea in the Old City was to see a good representation of all four quarters...and the diversity of the city...and we made it a point to visit Yad Vashem.  Out of Haifa, we made it a major consideration to visit Megiddo and Caesarea as we love archaeology.  My recommendation is to do a lot of independent research and decide on what, to you, are "don't miss" sites.  Are you most concerned with religion?  Archaeology?  History?  Culture?  Find a guide and work out an itinerary for each day that makes the most sense for you... 

Yes, def no bus herding tours for me.  Church of the Holy Sepulchre will be a must.  I am Christian, but in Israel I most want to see Jewish cultural sites, saw all the Christian stuff I needed in Rome.  Menachem Begin Heritage Center def on the list for Jerusalem, many others as well.  Colleague has a good friend tour guide in Israel, is putting something together for us and our 2 days in Jerusalem and 1 day in Haifa.

[Jimbo59]

Why spend the extra hours back and forth to the ship? Plan to stay overnight in Jerusalem to maximize your touring time. With traffic, the one hour trip from Ashdod Port to Jerusalem could stretch into two hours.

[LGW59]

8 minutes ago, Jimbo59 said:

Why spend the extra hours back and forth to the ship? Plan to stay overnight in Jerusalem to maximize your touring time. With traffic, the one hour trip from Ashdod Port to Jerusalem could stretch into two hours.

Good thought, thank you!

[Mr. Click]

I looked at the Jewish holidays for 2022 and Sukkot, an 8 day observance with two days of no work at the beginning and end fall into your overnight.  Not everything will be closed but some things will be so please do some serious research to make sure you can see what you want to see.  The High Holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur will be over but their are a number of other minor holidays that follow them.  

 

We did an overnight in Istanbul and loved it.  Lots to see and do. Our only regret was not being brave enough to go out at night.  We should have gone back out for dinner and some night life.

[cl.klink]

Have never been on a cruise to either place but have been to Jerusalem many times, even lived there one summer, and would take any time there in a heart beat.  Very visitable with many worthy things each of great impact that each can be seen in a fairly short time, if wanted.  Would also be a great choice to overnight in with many good options of places to stay.

 

- Joel

Edited February 28, 2021 by cl.klink

[Shadow9612]

I agree with @Bruin Steve.  

 

I recommend Israel as well and consider staying in a hotel in Israel on the overnight. I would suggest a tour guide for The Old City.  It can be a maze, so having someone who can save time and guide you through there would be very worthwhile.

 

However, some of the other places to visit in Israel you won't require a tour guide - like museums or the Dead Sea (but transportation is an issue - Abraham Tours had a transportation only tour to the Dead Sea, but our driver ended up being such a wealth of information it was like having a tour guide).

 

I would really recommend spending a lot of time in advance planning exactly how you'd like to approach the port. Unfortunately two days in Jerusalem really isn't enough, but, you can see a lot with planning. 

 

Having said all of that the ships shore excursions do have an advantage of taking you to all of the hot spots. It might just feel rushed.

 

 

[lifeisrealygood]

I would overnight in Jerusalem.  We took a cruise a few years ago that stopped in Haifa for the day, then continued to Ashdod overnight.  Many passengers got off the ship in Haifa, stayed overnight in Jerusalem, then returned the next day to Ashdod to reboard the ship.  This was perfectly allowed by Celebrity.  

 

We did not stay overnight in Jerusalem, which we  now would probably do.  The first day, we got off the ship in Haifa, and took a day long tour over to the Sea of Galilee and visited many sites that followed Jesus in His heyday.  Then visited Nazareth before returning to Haifa to reboard  the ship.  

 

The next day, we got off the ship in Ashdod, and spent the day going over to Jerusalem and Bethlehem.  It is a long bus ride to Jerusalem from Ashdod.  

 

If you spent the night in Jerusalem , you have many more hours of sightseeing available to you.  And you get to experience an evening in Jerusalem.

 

Either way is okay.  The first day, we got to see the Sea of Galilee and Nazareth, and the second day we got to see Jerusalem and Bethlehem.  But, an overnight in Jerusalem would have been a broader experience, in my opinion.  

 

We know that now,  Did not know that when we first experienced it.  

 

 

[Miaminice]

15 hours ago, LGW59 said:

Looking at two cruises, one has an overnight in Jerusalem, the other an overnight in Istanbul.  The rest of the ports are very similar one day stops, Ephesus, Haifa, and a couple Greek Isles.  Have never been to either Jerusalem or Istanbul, wondering what those who have been would recommend and why?  Thx!!

Both itineraries are very nice. We have done the Jerusalem/Holy Land Cruise and absolutely loooved  it. Although I am not religious, our overnight in Jerusalem was an unforgettable experience. It left such fond memories that we booked it again for September this year. Not betting any money on it actually happening 😢

 

Since Istanbul is also a very fascinating city we had booked an overnight cruise there a few years ago. Well, Istanbul was canceled and replaced by an overnight in Athens. Made the best of it and still had a great cruise.

 

We wrote a travelogue about our Holy Land Cruise with many pics... 

maybe it gives you an idea... enjoy.

https://www.travelandcruise.net/travellove_en/Our-Trips/Holy-Land-Cruise-01/holy-land-cruise-01.html

 

 

Edited February 28, 2021 by Miaminice

[cruisemom42]

It would be a tough choice for me deciding whether to overnight in Istanbul or Jerusalem. I love both, thought probably Istanbul more. I don't know how much cruising/traveling you've done in the Med.  I looked up both itineraries (as you're not just going to one port) and for me the one with the Jerusalem overnight wins although you have some great and "classic" ports either way. The one with Istanbul has a couple of "traditional" Greek islands as well but they are on a lot of itineraries.

 

I've visited Israel via cruises and on a land trip. As others have said, it is possible to see a good representation of sites (although there is so much more to see, even after spending a couple of weeks there!). The key is planning well and getting a private guide. From Haifa I would suggest maybe Caesarea and Akko for a nice day -- unless you really want to visit Galilee to see the Christian sites. Begin or end the day with the overlook of the Ba'hai Gardens in Haifa.

 

For your overnight in Ashdod, it may be best to plan the first day doing one of the sites that is farther away, like Masada (a must see, to me) paired with a stop at the Dead Sea for a float (done it, I would pass ) or at a kibbutz.  Or you could go to Tel Aviv. 

 

Then spend the night in Jerusalem and you have a FULL day there to see the most important sites before heading back to the ship. If you are early risers, get up and walk the city walls on your own before you start touring.  Definitely see the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, it's like a historical time capsule and you really need a guide or a great guidebook to get the most of it, there is a lot to see there. Don't miss the Ethiopian monastery near the courtyard.  The Western wall (and I would also recommend the Wall tunnels tour if possible) as well as the little archaeological park at the southern end of the wall. Stroll some of the old streets in all of the "quarters".  Since you have only a day, I'd concentrate on sites inside and around the city rather than trying to go to sites like Mt. Zion or Kidron valley.

Edited February 28, 2021 by cruisemom42

[TeeRick]

One other thing to consider is that right now anyway, Israel leads the world in the percentage of its population vaccinated for COVID-19 and if that continues,  it will be a more likely port stop in 2022 than Turkey.

[LGW59]

1 hour ago, TeeRick said:

One other thing to consider is that right now anyway, Israel leads the world in the percentage of its population vaccinated for COVID-19 and if that continues,  it will be a more likely port stop in 2022 than Turkey.

Thank you to you ALL for your valuable input on this.  We decided to do the Oct 5, 2022 APEX with the 2 days in Jerusalem.  

[HS2BS]

10/05/22 - day of embarkation is Yom Kippur

10/11/22 - first day of Sikkot - holiday in Israel - everyone goes on a picnic 

 

We had thought of this date cruise, but Yom Kipper is the deal breaker. Booked the 10/17/22 cruise and the following transatlantic.

 

Hal

[Denny01]

Good pick. Either one looked great. One other consideration for this cruise is maybe to extend your time in Israel is to stay in ashore from the time in port for Jerusalem to the departure from Haifa. 
 

Before you posted you had picked this cruise I was going to recommend Istanbul because Israel, even Jerusalem can’t be seen in an overnight (obviously) and should be done with an extended land tour. But w  3 days, you have more options. 
 

enjoy! Den

 

[dani negreanu]

4 hours ago, LGW59 said:

Thank you to you ALL for your valuable input on this.  We decided to do the Oct 5, 2022 APEX with the 2 days in Jerusalem.  

 

4 hours ago, HS2BS said:

10/05/22 - day of embarkation is Yom Kippur

10/11/22 - first day of Sikkot - holiday in Israel - everyone goes on a picnic 

 

We had thought of this date cruise, but Yom Kipper is the deal breaker. Booked the 10/17/22 cruise and the following transatlantic.

 

Hal

 

Excellent choice, if you don't plan to visit again. One day in Haifa and an overnight in Ashdod will give you a taste...

 

I strongly recommend overnighting in Jerusalem. Sukkot is a holiday where everybody is on the road and you'll waste precious time should you decide on back and forth. Many workplaces close for the 8 days, many work half a day, schools are closed.

 

And I'll give Menachem Begin Heritage Center a miss. Much more interesting Christian sights, even if you've seen some in Rome. Not comparable.

 

 

 

[LGW59]

1 minute ago, dani negreanu said:

 

 

Excellent choice, if you don't plan to visit again. One day in Haifa and an overnight in Ashdod will give you a taste...A taste for much more I am sure!  

 

I strongly recommend overnighting in Jerusalem. Sukkot is a holiday where everybody is on the road and you'll waste precious time should you decide on back and forth. Many workplaces close for the 8 days, many work half a day, schools are closed.

 

And I'll give Menachem Begin Heritage Center a miss. Much more interesting Christian sights, even if you've seen some in Rome. Not comparable.  Thanks for this, I had done a bit of research on Begin Heritage Center and had it as a consideration list.  Will skip it now as we are there for such a short time.  Will def plan a land trip to Israel in the not to distant future.

 

 

 

 

[LGW59]

7 hours ago, Miaminice said:

Both itineraries are very nice. We have done the Jerusalem/Holy Land Cruise and absolutely loooved  it. Although I am not religious, our overnight in Jerusalem was an unforgettable experience. It left such fond memories that we booked it again for September this year. Not betting any money on it actually happening 😢

 

Since Istanbul is also a very fascinating city we had booked an overnight cruise there a few years ago. Well, Istanbul was canceled and replaced by an overnight in Athens. Made the best of it and still had a great cruise.

 

We wrote a travelogue about our Holy Land Cruise with many pics... 

maybe it gives you an idea... enjoy.

https://www.travelandcruise.net/travellove_en/Our-Trips/Holy-Land-Cruise-01/holy-land-cruise-01.html

 

 

What a fantastic and detailed review and your photo's are INCREDIBLE!  Thanks so much for sharing this, very helpful indeed. 

[Denny01]

Ahh Israel! So important to all of the 3 great monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam. Where so many great civilizations traipsed across to invade each other: Assyrian, Babylonian, Egyptian, Alexander, Rome, then the Islamic armies followed by the Crusaders, the Ottomans and then the British. Poor Israel and Judaea were kind of like a second thought to them. 

 

Sites of the some of the earliest Homo species leaving Africa are located there.

 

Have you read Mitchner’s The Source? 

 

OK, yeah a good cruise stop and great to also enjoy modern Israel and all it offers. I was lucky when I visited. I had an Israeli AF pilot buddy who I met up when my Carrier pulled in and he showed me what it was to live in Israel. What was important to them.

 

Need to go back again... Never enough time!!

 

Den

[dani negreanu]

3 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

I had an Israeli AF pilot buddy

 

Israeli fighter pilots are one of the best there is 😉 La creme de la creme 👍