DIY'er doing Holy Lands - What's doable

[buggins0402]

Ok we've booked our Holy Lands. It's an NCL itinerary - Haifa, Ashdod, Port Said, and Alexandria for the mideast portion.

Confirmed DIY'er in Europe...but using better judgement decided Giza was better to do with tour. But, after some due diligence on Trip Advisor, thought that Alexandria was doable as a DIY (we love to discover the experiences and a country's culture on our own terms). So will do a one day to pyramids from Port Said with a group from our rollcall.

So...with Israel, know that Jerusalem is a must. Haifa seems to be the port we can DIY and get our personal feel of the country. Problem is ...all the roll call tours out of Ashdod are going to Bethleham also....which after some due diligence seems like a stretch...better things to see in Jerusalem. Could take the cruise ship tour to Jerusalem. But, also think we may be able to taxi to Jerusalem and DIY. But, Ashdod can be a hard port to get taxi's in and out of (one company allowed) and also that port could get cancelled and we stay in Haifa. Don't know how hard it is to get to Jerusalem from there and might be better to stick with the ship tour which I know would get us there from Haifa.

Don't want to start yet another tour to Jerusalem on my ship mates. Would need 16 that would only be interested in that city.

Thoughts?

[John Bull]

Yes, taxis at the port in Ashdod are a closed-shop. You'll get a short free shuttlebus to just inside the port gate, where the accredited taxis are parked. Theoretically I'd guess that any taxi can tout on the road outside the port gate, but we didn't see any and the port is quite isolated. To Jerusalem is around the €100 mark each-way, journey time a little over an hour. We bartered a taxi from Jerusalem, that was also €100, though it was a 5-seater.
So if you can share with another couple expect to pay about €50 pp round-trip, you can arrange for the same driver to collect you for the return. Get him to drop/return to Jaffa Gate - if he doesn't show, you should have no problem finding another there.

There are buses, I don't know the details but try
http://www.egged.co.il/eng/
and
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTop...Jerusalem.html
or search posts on this Africa/Middle-East board.
Your ship may offer a free shuttle suitable for the bus stop.

I'm sure your ship will offer tours or "on your own" transfers to J without Bethlehem. B eats very deeply into the time & there will be plenty of Jewish and other cruisers not wanting to go to B.

You can get a free (just tip the guide) guided tour of the walled city, twice daily from Jaffa Gate.
http://www.newjerusalemtours.com/
Last stop before returning to Jaffa Gate is likely to be Church of the Holy Sepulchure. Well worth more than the fleeting glance on that tour, so tip the guide & leave the tour there.
.................................................. ............

Haifa is much easier. No problem with taxis/vans, all competing for business outside the cruise terminal.
You can take a train or taxi to Acre (various spellings) a few miles up the coast, it has a major crusader's castle.
But most folk go for a taxi/van tour which will include Nazareth, Cana (water into wine), a kibbutz, River Jordan baptisms, Tiberius & Sea of Galillee - or possibly also the Golan Heights by missing out some of those places. A long day, can be shortened if you're not overniting in port.

Hopefully if Ashdod is cancelled, you'll get another day in Haifa. Some ships don't even include Ashdod in their itineraries & their passengers visit Jerusalem from Haifa - so yes, its certainly possible.

JB

[Keith1010]

Originally Posted by buggins0402

Ok we've booked our Holy Lands. It's an NCL itinerary - Haifa, Ashdod, Port Said, and Alexandria for the mideast portion.

Confirmed DIY'er in Europe...but using better judgement decided Giza was better to do with tour. But, after some due diligence on Trip Advisor, thought that Alexandria was doable as a DIY (we love to discover the experiences and a country's culture on our own terms). So will do a one day to pyramids from Port Said with a group from our rollcall.

So...with Israel, know that Jerusalem is a must. Haifa seems to be the port we can DIY and get our personal feel of the country. Problem is ...all the roll call tours out of Ashdod are going to Bethleham also....which after some due diligence seems like a stretch...better things to see in Jerusalem. Could take the cruise ship tour to Jerusalem. But, also think we may be able to taxi to Jerusalem and DIY. But, Ashdod can be a hard port to get taxi's in and out of (one company allowed) and also that port could get cancelled and we stay in Haifa. Don't know how hard it is to get to Jerusalem from there and might be better to stick with the ship tour which I know would get us there from Haifa.

Don't want to start yet another tour to Jerusalem on my ship mates. Would need 16 that would only be interested in that city.

Thoughts?

Our cruise line offered a tour of both Jerusalem and Bethlehem. If yours does I would take it.

Personally, I recommend a tour for both ports in Israel. I think you will get a lot more out of each day.

Keith

[epixx]

You're right in thinking that skipping Bethlehem will give you significantly more time in Jerusalem.

For DIY planning, please be aware of the limitations on public transportation if your ship is scheduled to be in port on Friday or Saturday.

Many ships offer a shuttle from Ashdod port to central Ashdod, where the bus terminal is located. Many ships also charge a price for this shuttle, but your alternative would be to take a taxi from the port entrance to central Ashdod. From the Ashdod bus terminal you can take an express bus (number 448), which will get you to Jerusalem in about 1.5 hours, or a more frequent bus that has more stops (number 438), for 18 shekels. If you ship is diverted to Haifa, you can take the train from the port entrance to Tel Aviv and then transfer to the bus to Jerusalem. The trip will take about 2.5 hours.

You do have an alternative to DIY, ship's tour, or private tour. Some Israeli tour companies, such as Guided Tours Israel, offer small shared tours. You might find one that offers a tour to Jerusalem without Bethlehem.

Have a great trip.

[buggins0402]

Originally Posted by epixx

You're right in thinking that skipping Bethlehem will give you significantly more time in Jerusalem.

For DIY planning, please be aware of the limitations on public transportation if your ship is scheduled to be in port on Friday or Saturday.

Many ships offer a shuttle from Ashdod port to central Ashdod, where the bus terminal is located. Many ships also charge a price for this shuttle, but your alternative would be to take a taxi from the port entrance to central Ashdod. From the Ashdod bus terminal you can take an express bus (number 448), which will get you to Jerusalem in about 1.5 hours, or a more frequent bus that has more stops (number 438), for 18 shekels. If you ship is diverted to Haifa, you can take the train from the port entrance to Tel Aviv and then transfer to the bus to Jerusalem. The trip will take about 2.5 hours.

You do have an alternative to DIY, ship's tour, or private tour. Some Israeli tour companies, such as Guided Tours Israel, offer small shared tours. You might find one that offers a tour to Jerusalem without Bethlehem.

Have a great trip.

Ashdod is the second Israeli port and it is a Friday. Trying to figure when sundown with be in November (I'm a nonpracticing Catholic ). Things would get even tighter if ship stays in Haifa to get transport back. I'm trying to think of all contingencies. Put it this way - planning on bringing a book on Greece - just in case the itinerary gets changed at last minute and also looking at options for what to do from Rome if whole cruise gets cancelled at last minute (I was a girl scout).

Groups on rollcall are using GTI - but going to Bethlehem. They indicated I'd need 16 for another group. Way too big of a hurdle - only one of the two other tours are filled. Going to see if NCL has a transport only option like most cruise ships have for Rome and Florence, because what I see as the main issue is that I plan on a taxi from Ashdod to Jerusalem and the ship stays in Haifa. Would be scrambling trying out how to get to Jerusalem at last minute from Haifa. Are there trains from Haifa to Jerusalem? Guessing that taxi's would be out of the question from that far.

[epixx]

GTI is not the only company that offers small shared tours. Here's another example:

http://www.tourplanisrael.com/?Categ...eID=753&Page=1

I cannot vouch for this company, as we used a private guide, but you can search for reviews on Tripadvisor. There are other companies that offer these shared tours, and you can find them by a web search or a search on Tripadvisor.

You'll definitely have problems returning from Jerusalem to Ashdod on a Friday afternoon in November by bus. Public transportation will shut down before sunset, which will be early in November. For more specifics, ask on Tripadvisor.

I appreciate your concern about diversion to Haifa. We were on the one of the Celebrity sailings last summer that spent 4 nights there, instead of 2 in Haifa and 2 in Ashdod, and we only found out about it at the last minute (9 pm on 2nd night in Haifa). Having a private tour guide really helped, but others on our ship used public transportation to get to Jerusalem. Don't take the train from Haifa to Jerusalem. You would have to take the train from Haifa to Tel Aviv and then switch to another train from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The problem is that the portion from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem takes much longer on a train than on a bus, so your whole trip would be much longer than 2.5 hours. Also, you'd really be stuck if this happened on a Friday.

Celebrity did not offer a transportation only option.

[slidergirl]

Also consider renting a car. Now, I've never done a cruise to Israel, but I have been there a few times for pleasure while my hubby was there on business. We were based in Tel Aviv. Loved driving around. We drive to Jerusalem - there is a giant parking lot just outside the walls of the Old City, with signs directing you to it on the main streets. We drove to Haifa. Our favorite drive is up from Haifa through the mountains of Carmel National Park. There is a circle drive to do it that also takes you through some of the Druze towns. It's also an easy drive to Cesarea, the Roman port ruins.

[buggins0402]

Originally Posted by slidergirl

Also consider renting a car. Now, I've never done a cruise to Israel, but I have been there a few times for pleasure while my hubby was there on business. We were based in Tel Aviv. Loved driving around. We drive to Jerusalem - there is a giant parking lot just outside the walls of the Old City, with signs directing you to it on the main streets. We drove to Haifa. Our favorite drive is up from Haifa through the mountains of Carmel National Park. There is a circle drive to do it that also takes you through some of the Druze towns. It's also an easy drive to Cesarea, the Roman port ruins.

Thanks, this had me checking rental car rates....pretty inexpensive. Which got me thinking we could buy a night in a hotel in Jerusalem - it's so cheap. Which flipped me to thinking we might do the train/bus shuffle (and might have to do it twice if Ashdod is closed). Now toying with spending morning in north DIY - then taking train to TelAviv and bus to Jerusalem in early afternoon and spending night. If we have to - we'll return same route. But if Ashdod is open we'll taxi to port to maximize time in Jerusalem. All this, including hotel, could be done for price of a one day ship based tour to Jerusalem. Know we'd have more freedom with the car (and it would be cheaper) but we're getting up there in age and the public transport would make it a bit less stressful. But, you got me thinking out of the box - thank you. For someone who is not fearful of driving in Israel....check the rental car rates for an automatic with a pickup in Haifa and dropoff in Ashdod - massive savings over two days that the tour companies charge for two day tours.

In fact last year we jumped ship on a western Med to stay the night and spend more time in Florence where we only done a day and 1/2 on a land trip and skipped Rome - joining ship in Civitavecchia. Would be a similar strategy.

[John Bull]

Originally Posted by buggins0402

Thanks, this had me checking rental car rates....pretty inexpensive. Which got me thinking we could buy a night in a hotel in Jerusalem - it's so cheap. Which flipped me to thinking we might do the train/bus shuffle (and might have to do it twice if Ashdod is closed). Now toying with spending morning in north DIY - then taking train to TelAviv and bus to Jerusalem in early afternoon and spending night. If we have to - we'll return same route. But if Ashdod is open we'll taxi to port to maximize time in Jerusalem. All this, including hotel, could be done for price of a one day ship based tour to Jerusalem. Know we'd have more freedom with the car (and it would be cheaper) but we're getting up there in age and the public transport would make it a bit less stressful. But, you got me thinking out of the box - thank you. For someone who is not fearful of driving in Israel....check the rental car rates for an automatic with a pickup in Haifa and dropoff in Ashdod - massive savings over two days that the tour companies charge for two day tours.

In fact last year we jumped ship on a western Med to stay the night and spend more time in Florence where we only done a day and 1/2 on a land trip and skipped Rome - joining ship in Civitavecchia. Would be a similar strategy.

The one caveat, which you're aware of, is whether there's a last-minute cancellation of Ashdod. Well worth carrying a phone number for the ship or its port agent & checking, in good time on the morning that it's due to port in Ashdod.

As you say, you then have the option of returning to Haifa if the ship stays there the extra day.

But if Ashdod is cancelled last minute & replaced, not by an extra day in Haifa, but by Kusadasi or Cyprus or wherever, you could be in deep doo-doos.

JB

[buggins0402]

Originally Posted by John Bull

The one caveat, which you're aware of, is whether there's a last-minute cancellation of Ashdod. Well worth carrying a phone number for the ship or its port agent & checking, in good time on the morning that it's due to port in Ashdod.

As you say, you then have the option of returning to Haifa if the ship stays there the extra day.

But if Ashdod is cancelled last minute & replaced, not by an extra day in Haifa, but by Kusadasi or Cyprus or wherever, you could be in deep doo-doos.

JB

Yep JB - would be in deep doo-doo. But, when I think about it, the only thing that would cancel an extra day in Haifa (as replacement to Ashdod) is a major unrest in the whole country on that specific day - or they wouldn't have ported in the first place (hopefully we'd notice a problem and get our butts back to ship and not go to Jerusalem). A Haifa two day stay will cause a slight problem in that we'd have to start our way back shortly after noon - because we'll be dealing with the Sabbath. But, on the bright side we'd have the whole evening in Jerusalem that lengthens our stay! In fact, my guess is we'd know ahead of time if the ship is staying so we'd probably just skip the north first day and move to the crown jewel - Jerusalem and then do Haifa/Acre the next day upon return.

BTW the next stop is Port Said - difficult to get to from Jerusalem on the Sabbath - but I really think that the worst case is that it stays in Haifa or we miss Israel and Egypt entirely and end up with a Greek Island cruise.

Like the idea of carrying the number of a contact for the ship. Know from our Western Med experience that you have to get permission from the cruise line ahead of time to "jump ship" for a night. Front desk (at least on Celebrity, we're on NCL this time) contacts you night before and asks you to bring your key card. Then when you exit ship next day it causes a flag for security. Same thing on return. Probably is done a lot on this itinerary since there are some overnight tours offered (even by cruise line) in both Israel and Egypt.

Another positive to staying night is that we'd be able to take the "free tour" you mentioned. 8:45 a.m. would be no sweat if we're already there!