Middle East Violence Effects Cruise Itineraries

[happy trailer]

Originally Posted by Host Kat >^..^<

Please check out http://www.snopes.com/politics/israel/iranwar.asp regarding Rumors of War. Per the site at this time, the e-mail is probably false.

Kat

Thank you, Kat. I really didn't mean to cause any sort of disturbance on this thread, but it was very frustrating to read such misleading information, and I felt it was best to speak out.

Ruth

[editor@cruisecritic]

Thanks, Ruth, for the insights! As I'm making my first trip to Israel in November (on Regent Seven Seas' Voyager, very excited), I'll check out your thread for more info.

Carolyn

Carolyn Spencer Brown
Editor in Chief
Cruise Critic

Originally Posted by happy trailer

Absolutely not! I'm a painter. My only involvement in the travel industry is in all the money I pay for cruises and other travel during the year

If my response was harsh, it was output of frustration- what Johndon posted was so outrageously not the case, that I could not leave his post as is. In fact, I am hoping he comes back to respond with more information as to his source- I'd like to know who is sending out such misleading and scaremongering messages!

I showed his post to my husband, and we both has the same reaction- it sounded like it was written a dozen years ago, during the second Gulf war. At that time, Israel was under the threat of a possible chemical attack (it's when we were all issued gas masks), and Patriot missle batteries were set up outside our cities.

Of course I want it to be OK here! But NOT because I'm involved in the travel industry! Sheesh- I LIVE here. Israel is a very small country. If a war breaks out, then my life is in directly in danger.

If there was even the smallest reason of it being dangerous to visit here, all the Israelis on the cruise critic boards would be advising posters to hold off on their trips to the area. Check out the CC thread in my signature, or hop over to the Middle East board, and you'll see that the chatter is normal.

Personally, I have a solo trans Atlantic cruise planned for this November. While my husband and I have briefly discussed what I will do if war breaks out while I am on the cruise, that discussion just came up in order to cover all scenarios. I have no thoughts of doing anything but thoroughly enjoying those two weeks on the ship .

[happy trailer]

Originally Posted by editor@cruisecritic

Thanks, Ruth, for the insights! As I'm making my first trip to Israel in November (on Regent Seven Seas' Voyager, very excited), I'll check out your thread for more info.

Carolyn

Carolyn Spencer Brown
Editor in Chief
Cruise Critic

That's wonderful, Carolyn! November is a great time of year to visit Israel!

Feel free to ask away - there are a few of us now happily answering questions on that thread

[Pushka]

And I am another Carolyn, who is very much forward to visiting Israel.

One of our best friends here in Australia has a brother living in a kibbutz and if all goes to plan, we will meet him in Haifa. We met his other brother who lives in New York a couple of years ago. We Aussies love to travel to meet our friend's siblings!

[bazzaw]

Originally Posted by Pushka

We Aussies love to travel to meet our friend's siblings!

Hmm -- I mostly travel in an attempt to get some decent beer. It's a bit hard to find a proper, decent beer here in Australia - especially in the "burbs!!!

Barry

[Kim Fontaine]

I would agree with Ruth: We had a young college student from our area travel to isreal through a program at college he was selected to be a representative for: i am sure if there was any thought for his safety being compromised, he wouldn't have been allowed to attend:

[fishtaco]

Marked as "Proberly False" does not mean it is false? the article only proves johndon was quoting the email read correctly!

Is this now accepted as proof of being false or is the original email just an Urban myth?



Den

[Pushka]

Originally Posted by bazzaw

Hmm -- I mostly travel in an attempt to get some decent beer. It's a bit hard to find a proper, decent beer here in Australia - especially in the "burbs!!!

Barry

You need to try our Coopers Pale Ale.

[bazzaw]

Originally Posted by Pushka

You need to try our Coopers Pale Ale.

It's OK - I personally prefer the Sparkling Ale But that is as rare as the "proverbial" in most parts of Australia. Most Aussies think that VB and Tooheys and XXXX is beer. Sad!!!

Barry

[Pushka]

Originally Posted by bazzaw

It's OK - I personally prefer the Sparkling Ale But that is as rare as the "proverbial" in most parts of Australia. Most Aussies think that VB and Tooheys and XXXX is beer. Sad!!!

Barry

It's worse than that. They had xxxx on our recent Med cruise on Liberty of the Seas and said it was Traditional Aussie Beer.

We love trying the beers of the countries we visit but I'm not sure what Israel will present us with.

[Host Kat >^..^<]

Originally Posted by fishtaco

Marked as "Proberly False" does not mean it is false? the article only proves johndon was quoting the email read correctly!

Is this now accepted as proof of being false or is the original email just an Urban myth?

Den

Per the home page for snopes.com at http://www.snopes.com/snopes.asp, the site is the definitive Internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation. For more info, see http://www.snopes.com/info/aboutus.asp.

From my past experience in using the site, if the status changes on any of their investigations, they will update the information.

Kat

[NSWP]

Originally Posted by Pushka

It's worse than that. They had xxxx on our recent Med cruise on Liberty of the Seas and said it was Traditional Aussie Beer.

We love trying the beers of the countries we visit but I'm not sure what Israel will present us with.

On Arcadia from Sydney to Southampton this year, they put on a stack of Tooheys New (lager beer) at Sydney, selling for £2.50 ($3.75) per can. Very few drank it, what with the superior British and European beers on board. So by the time we got to Africa, Tooheys New was going for £1 ($1.50) a can in the bars, and only 50p (75c) in the Crew Mess, according to our brilliant Indian Waiters.

Who knows Arcadia might still be carrying Tooheys New.

[Bella cruiser]

Originally Posted by happy trailer

??????? I have no idea what you are talking about- I am here, in Israel, and I can tell you that there has been absolutely no mobilization of troops. There is absolutely no way that has happened. (And no way to mobilize troops without the general populace knowing about it.).

Your 'unreported events' and 'unconfirmed reports' are the figments of someone's imagination. There is not even any sort of mobilization exercise taking place. While we all might be in a state of holding our collective breath, no action is being taken - and no one wants there to be anytime soon.

I'd suggest that you refrain from posting such unconfirmed rumors in the future. Surely, they don't serve any useful purpose here.

Oh well, looks like Ruth (happy trailer) was not quite as expert on all things Israeli military as she thought she was, the mobilization of Israeli troops is now well documented by the World's media and not an Urban Myth or results of an overactive imagination. Sad and dangerous situation over there for all.

[happy trailer]

Originally Posted by Bella cruiser

Oh well, looks like Ruth (happy trailer) was not quite as expert on all things Israeli military as she thought she was, the mobilization of Israeli troops is now well documented by the World's media and not an Urban Myth or results of an overactive imagination. Sad and dangerous situation over there for all.

Thank you, Jenny for your concern.

The situation now is not the same as it was two months ago; as anyone who follows Middle East news knows things here change frequently.

I am currently traveling solo on the Carnival Breeze transatlantic. My husband is at home in Israel. It has been unbearably difficult to be in the middle of the ocean while he has been enduring air raid sirens and missle attacks.

BTW- you are aware that Israel mobilized its troops after over 800 rockets and missiles were fired at its cities, including at our largest city, Tel Aviv, and, for the first time since 1970, at Jerusalem, right? I don't think anyone is surprised that we are now massing our troops on our border with Gaza; world leaders in Western countries are expressing their support for Israel, along with hopes for the quick diffusion of the situation.

No one predicted this. The situation was stable when this thread was started in September - and the original posts dealt with Iran. This aggression is by Hamas, in Gaza (although the missiles they have been firing at Tel Aviv and Jerusalem have been supplied by Iran).

Again, thank you for your concern. I'm sure you meant to ask if I and my family are safe.

[bazzaw]

To be fair to Ruth - this thread was started 2 months ago and initially discussed cancellation of visits to Middle Eastern ports. Somehow it warped into a discussion about the mass mobilisation of troops in Israel. At THAT time, of course, this was incorrect and there was none. However times have changed and there now is

The eastern end of the Mediterranean is certainly a bit of a hotspot at the moment and probably not the place to look for cruises -- except for possibly those that concentrate on the Adriatic Sea areas, Greek Islands - and possibly Istanbul. I would dearly love to see Istanbul -- but even there has some potential danger at this time (because of the situation in Syria)

Barry

[6andy6]

Originally Posted by bazzaw

To be fair to Ruth - this thread was started 2 months ago and initially discussed cancellation of visits to Middle Eastern ports. Somehow it warped into a discussion about the mass mobilisation of troops in Israel. At THAT time, of course, this was incorrect and there was none. However times have changed and there now is

The eastern end of the Mediterranean is certainly a bit of a hotspot at the moment and probably not the place to look for cruises -- except for possibly those that concentrate on the Adriatic Sea areas, Greek Islands - and possibly Istanbul. I would dearly love to see Istanbul -- but even there has some potential danger at this time (because of the situation in Syria)

Barry

I would love to visit that part of the world. Israel, Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey - not being Jewish myself but living in a extremely heavily Jewish area (the Jewish Research Centre is around the corner and there are many temples in the immediate area plus the great Glicks bakery & Aviz cake shop I am fascinated by their culture - we have a lot of Hasidic Jews live in our street).

Alas although I have come close to booking a number of times different events and nerves stopped me.

[icat2000]

I've always wanted to see Tunisia, Isarel and Libya. Those are the three areas in that area that I haven't managed to see yet. The rest of the Middle East I have travelled through.

I visted Egypt and Jordan last December for the second time. Even when there was demonstrations. However, the situation between Hamas and Israel and with the rest of the Middle East on tender hooks over the situation. And if I was travelling this December I would be seriously looking at my insurance policy to see if I could change my travel plans.

[Pushka]

Dup

[Pushka]

Originally Posted by Bella cruiser

Oh well, looks like Ruth (happy trailer) was not quite as expert on all things Israeli military as she thought she was, the mobilization of Israeli troops is now well documented by the World's media and not an Urban Myth or results of an overactive imagination. Sad and dangerous situation over there for all.

Ruths comments were made 2 months ago. Your comment is unfair. Things can change within a day. Ask Americans on September 10 if they could imagine the World Trade Centre Towers being felled within 10 minutes of each other within the next 24 hours.

We are supposed to be cruising to Israel and Egypt next July. So far the itinerary is holding although one of our ports was bombed over the weekend. Ashdod. Must be dreadful for all concerned but I can also see both sides of the conflict. Just hope Iran doesn't get dragged into the equation because that will escalate everything.

[Armchair Cruiser]

happy trailer

Wishing you a safe return to your loved ones. Here's hoping that a peace settlement can be negotiated and in the meantime you are all safe.

Rose