help me holy land cruisers

[suec12]

We are thinking about a cruise that goes to the Egypt/ Isreal ports. I am very ignorant of this part of the world - well what I know is there are pyramids there and the footsteps of Jesus -and I am not sure I even want to go there. (I LOVE Europe!)We are thinking a May / June trip. How hot can we expect the ports to be? and how expensive to see these places - I assume they are not ports where you would get off the ship and wander around on your own so we would need to do the ship's tours (PRICEY!) or hook up with fellow cruisers. So if you are inclined to share your recent experiences I would appreciate it.

[LovesSicily]

suec12:

 

What is it that you love about Europe and would anything you enjoy seeing or doing in Europe translate to Egypt and Israel. Both steeped in history, culture and religion.

 

Yes, it will be hot, Egypt 100 F or better, Israel almost as hot.

 

My husband and I did a 14 day Oceania cruise last year in June that included both countries and I did a land tour three years ago to Egypt and Jordon for 23 days. But, I have had an interest in Egypt and Egyptology since I was a child so I think my view is biased.

 

I would feel perfectly safe in any port/city in Israel but because of the language limitation and many of the points of interest being some distance from the ports I would say that your best option would be a tour either through your ship or privately arranged. We loved Israel and wished we had more time to spend. The ship did an overnight in Haifa so we toured Jerusalem and Bethlehem one day and Caesaria the next. We used Oceania's tours both days.

 

As to Egypt, while I would feel safe, the language barrier is even greater and a tour is really the most comfortable way to go. The ship docked in Alexandria one day and moved to Port Said for the second day in Egypt. The Egypt experience is like none other. Cairo is noisy, dirty, eye-opening and awe-inspiring. Again, we used Oceania's tours.

 

To get even a glimpse of two totally different cultures and religions is part of the thrill and joy of traveling and is a priceless experience.

[A Knitter]

Remember that most of the museums (Cairo) and the church of the Nativity in Jerusalem do not have air conditioning. Suggestion is to take a compact battery operated fan and plenty of water. We used the ships tours both in Egypt and Jerusalem for safety factors. Both are awesome. Planning on another trip in 2011.

[CintiPam]

If you want this itinerary, I would advise that you go in the spring or late fall, not from June through August. Early May would be OK. Just my opinion.

[suec12]

Hello CintiPam - didn't you just get back from a June 5 sailing that went to this area - should I assume it was quite hot? I would prefer to go early May but my travel companions can't go until a bit later. 100 degrees, no AC, I may opt to stay further north.

[gtragitt]

I love Europe also , but Egypt is more exotic. I found it a tremendous priveledge to be able to see the sights in Israel. It was hot in almost all our ports of call, but it is hotter than hades in Houston.

 

We didn't have much of a choice as far as moderating the temperatures with better dates. I found the itinerary from Barcelona to Istanbul with the stops in Egypt and Israel to be fantastic. I also chose the itinerary due to stops in Tunisia, Malta, Crete and Cyprus that I had never visited. I had previously been to Kusadasi and Istanbul. Both were worthy of a return visit.

[CintiPam]

Hello CintiPam - didn't you just get back from a June 5 sailing that went to this area - should I assume it was quite hot? I would prefer to go early May but my travel companions can't go until a bit later. 100 degrees, no AC, I may opt to stay further north.

 

I was in Israel once in June with my family and, believe me, never again!

 

Our cruise was Athens to Rome, primarily ports up the western coast of Italy, a heck of lot different in temperature in early June than Egypt!:) Fellow frequent poster Bruin Steve was on the Holy Land itinerary.

[Bruin Steve]

We are thinking about a cruise that goes to the Egypt/ Isreal ports. I am very ignorant of this part of the world - well what I know is there are pyramids there and the footsteps of Jesus -and I am not sure I even want to go there. (I LOVE Europe!)We are thinking a May / June trip. How hot can we expect the ports to be? and how expensive to see these places - I assume they are not ports where you would get off the ship and wander around on your own so we would need to do the ship's tours (PRICEY!) or hook up with fellow cruisers. So if you are inclined to share your recent experiences I would appreciate it.

 

Along with fellow cruisecritic poster gtragitt, we just returned from the June 27 sailing of Nautica which, among some other fascinating places, visited Egypt and Israel.

 

You can find a version of my review in this thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1023933

 

First of all, on the weather question, it can get a little hot, but it is not all that bad...The weather in this area is very dry...there is virtually zero humidity...You just dress cool and bring sunscreen and a hat...May is actually quite fair...not opressively hot...June/July, when we went, can get hot...but it was hotter back home in SoCal when we returned...We had no problem with the heat at all...

 

There is far more to these ports than "the pyramids and the footsteps of Jesus"...To be truthful, "the footsteps of Jesus" mean very little to me--though our tour did include a walk up the Via Dolorosa and a visit inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre--a fascinating site...

 

First, though, in Alexandria Egypt, we visited the Roman sites--Pompey's Pillar, the Catacombs and the Roman Theater. If you know your history, or even just read Shakespeare, you'd know that Alexandria was a great port city of the Roman world...This is where Antony and Cleopatra hung out. It certainly is not Europe...it's a little "third world", but the history is just incredible...

 

While in Port Said, we were on a van tour for six, along with gtragitt...We visited Sakarra--the site of the "Step Pyramid"--the oldest pyramid in Egypt, Memphis--the ancient capital and Giza to visit the Pyramids and the Sphinx. These ancient sites are incredible and simply cannot be missed...You must visit at least once in your lifetime.

 

Israel is absolutely incredible...There is so much to see there that it cannot possibly be covered in just a couple of short port days. And, there is something for everyone. Yes, there are the New Testament sites, "the footsteps of Jesus", if that is your area of interest. But, remember, this part of the world had civilization and history for thousands of years BEFORE Jesus...

 

What you also must know is that Israel is far from some third world outpost...it is a modern, highly technological country...clean, modern, comfortable (with the exception of some of the "West Bank" Arab areas)...If you are comfortable in Europe, you will be comfortable in Israel...

 

Except, it also contains some incredibly old things. The Old City of Jerusalem is really out of another world...Some of the walls and streets and buildings date back thousands of years...It is wonderfully picturesque and enchanting in its history...it is the site of many events in both the Old and New Testament and contains many holy places for the Jewish, Christian and Islam religions...We took a private tour for six here and couldn't possibly cover everything in one day...We had to make choices...

 

From Haifa, we also had to make some choices...Our group had a bent toward archaeology and history, so we chose to tailor our private tour to some incredible archaeological sites: Megiddo--which is the model for James Michener's epic novel "The Source"--it is the supposed site of the biblical "Armageddon"--an ancient city on a hill overlooking the crossroads of the major routes of the ancient world. When archaeologists cut into the hill, they found, layered one on another 26 distinct civilizations spanning 7,000 years. The city had been destroyed and repuilt time after time, each time over the ruins of the prior city...Next, we visited Ein Shemer, an historic "Kibbutz"--a communal farm dating back over 100 years...Then we were off to Caesaria, the ancient Roman Seaport built by King Herod around 2,000 years ago--some incredible feats of ancient engineering to build a man-made harbor...and more incredible archaeological finds...

 

Of course, even with all we saw in the two Israeli stops, we had to miss some other unreal places--Masada, the 2,000 year old fortress on a flat mountaintop in the desert where a sect held off the Roman Armies for years...the Dead Sea--the lowest spot on the surface of the earth...Sefad--the home of the mystic Kaballah movement...Beit She'an--an incredible archaeological site--a city spanning back thousands of years, recently discovered and excavated...the Crusader fort at Acre...and so much more...

 

As to tours, we took a ship's shore excursion in Alexandria--for $109 pp. Our van tour in Port Said/Cairo cost $689 total for the van through Oceania--$115 per person for a 12 hour day plus the cost of admissions charges and lunch--which didn't add more than a few dollars to that cost...

 

Our privately arranged tours of the two Israeli ports came out to $415 per couple for the two very full days--around $104 per person per day--plus admissions fees and lunches which, again, only amounted to a few extra dollars.

 

These costs were not high compared to what we've paid for tours or shorexes in Europe...

 

But, no, I do not recommend just getting off the ship and doing these ports "on your own"...Cairo is about a 2.5 hour drive each way from Port Said and the tours are accompanied by a police escort...You could just get off the ship in Israel and do it on your own--if you know where you are going...but I find a guide to be incredibly valuable...

 

Our private tours for six in Tunisia and Malta came out to approximately $84 per person per day, our Private tour for four in Kusadasi $80 per person...

 

With all of our touring, we maybe averaged around $100 per person per port day...money well spent...Our guides were excellent, our tours well organized...We did not have to worry about negotiating our way around these ports and got to many varied sites...

 

Hooking up with fellow cruiers to arrange these tours can be accomplished on the Roll Call boards...And there are many recommendations as to guides in the Africa/Middle East and Europe boards...

 

It sounds like you are almost trying to talk yourself out of doing this itinerary...DON'T...

It really is special...The places you visit are incredible, interesting, historical, ancient, meaningful...

It is a cruise you will never forget...

 

Good luck...

[Bruin Steve]

Sorry...dreaded "double post"!!

[suec12]

Bruin Steve - thank you so much for your detailed post - I appreciate the information on the sights and the choices you made as far as private guides versus ship tours. I am still "rolling around in my head" different options for my 2010 travel - your information did make me think that maybe if / when I go to Egypt / Israel I should just do a tour of that area - so much to see! My vacation style on a cruise, especially the lovely Oceania ships, tends to be pretty laid back - I like to get off the ship to do some fairly aimless wandering, peek in a church or two, climb up a hill for the view, then have a long lunch and return to the ship. But it would be nice to visit the sights of the Holy Land without alot of packing and unpacking. So many lovely places to visit, too little vacation time! Thanks again for your information!

[orchestrapal]

Steve is so right as usual but to add to his comments:

Guides in Israel are all tested and certified by a National Board and are all knowledgeable and wonderful. We have spent months there and have brought many people for the first time who all thought their guide was the BEST. Ships tours or private ones will all have these guides and you will be very happy. Just a hint, do not think taxi drivers are guides, they are not, although anyone who has gone to school in Israel knows history. I am sure you will love your visit and see many interesting things.:)

[plimsol]

Thanks for your review of your latest cruise. We are booked on Nautica 40-day cruise - Istanbul to Singapore departing Nov 10. There has been very little activity on our roll call but I have been actively persuing private tour options for various ports. There are one or two other couples that are showing interest in doing private tours for some of the ports. I have not been very successful in getting information through the Roll Call forum but feel very positive about what you did and your experiences with private guides. Is it possible for you to e-mail me at d.g.cooper@rogers.com with some detail for the following ports that you visited and that are on our itinerary: Alexandria (11 AM-7 PM), Asdod (2 days), Haifa (1 day) - name of tour company, things that are a must and what are definitely a disappointment? I understand that this can be personal but it would help in some of the decision-making. Any information that you can pass on will be invaluable.

Thanking you in advance,

Grace (and Don)