Anyone's Cruise Include a Stop in Haifa?

We were in Haifa on Rotterdam and wonder if HAL still includes it in itineraries?

I heard this morning that United and Delta stopped all flights to and from Tel Aviv Airport. I later heard FAA has banned all U.S. flights to and from Israel.

I can't think it possible HAL would continue to have port call there.

We are booked on the Prinsendam 30 day Black Sea and Holy Land in October. Already had 2 ports in Ukraine changed. We are due to visit Haifa and Ashdod in Israel and 2 ports in Egypt. We know a few other lines have cancelled stops there...Just waiting to see where we will go instead as we are sure we will not be going to Israel now!!

I'd be tempted to stay out of this part of the world entirely at the moment and go somewhere else in another part of the world. This wonderful cruise will be available as planned later when things have calmed down. ,

I would hope all cruise lines would make an exception if final payment dates have passed and allow pax to change to another cruise without penalty. That many port changes make the cruise entirely different than what was booked and paid for. If it was before final payment I would cancel, but that's just me.

. The US State Department has issued a travel advisory for Israel and Gaza.It's too dangerous right now.

We were in Haifa on Rotterdam and wonder if HAL still includes it in itineraries?

 

I heard this morning that United and Delta stopped all flights to and from Tel Aviv Airport. I later heard FAA has banned all U.S. flights to and from Israel.

 

I can't think it possible HAL would continue to have port call there.

 

I thought about the same thing this morning and did a brief search. Celebrity also has October itineraries that include Haifa and Jerusalem.

B

We are booked on the Prinsendam 30 day Black Sea and Holy Land in October. Already had 2 ports in Ukraine changed. We are due to visit Haifa and Ashdod in Israel and 2 ports in Egypt. We know a few other lines have cancelled stops there...Just waiting to see where we will go instead as we are sure we will not be going to Israel now!!

Thanks for sharing about this itinerary.

I'm disappointed for you it will be drastically changed but hope the substitutions are to your liking.

Would you post here when you learn what will be the new itinerary?

 

Thanks for sharing about this itinerary.

I'm disappointed for you it will be drastically changed but hope the substitutions are to your liking.

 

Would you post here when you learn what will be the new itinerary?

 

Yes ..I will let you know..I think there are a lot of disappointed people.....we do not mind where we go.....we were on a mystery cruise last year on the Noordam...a few days before we sailed, the trouble erupted in Egypt and we ended up in Israel instead....so have already been to those two ports...on that cruise we also had Tunis substituted with Sardinia....

We mainly booked this cruise as we wil be in Europe at that time and have always wanted to sail on the Prinsendam...

You have a great attitude and are sure to have a wonderful time no matter which ports. Enjoy. :)

We are booked on the Prinsendam 30 day Black Sea and Holy Land in October. Already had 2 ports in Ukraine changed. We are due to visit Haifa and Ashdod in Israel and 2 ports in Egypt. We know a few other lines have cancelled stops there...Just waiting to see where we will go instead as we are sure we will not be going to Israel now!!

It sounds like you are on the October 5th sailing of the Prinsendam.

Come on over to the roll call and join us - http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1838220&page=54

Here is the web site for the travel advisory:

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/alertswarnings/israel-travel-warning.html

Hope everything works out for you and enjoy!

I see Oceania has cancelled their Haifa port for their September 8 cruise

Ashdod is the port closer to where the current Israeli-Palestinian fighting is ongoing. Haifa is the port farther north. That said, reading the warning it does not sound like either port is going to remain on itineraries at least for calls in the next month or two.

The way these events rapidly escalate and nearly as rapidly de-escalate, cruises scheduled for the fall may be fine.

Ashdod is the port closer to where the current Israeli-Palestinian fighting is ongoing. Haifa is the port farther north. That said, reading the warning it does not sound like either port is going to remain on itineraries at least for calls in the next month or two.

 

The way these events rapidly escalate and nearly as rapidly de-escalate, cruises scheduled for the fall may be fine.

Last week a German cruise ship was hit by shrapnell in Ashdod (the port nearer to Jérusalem) so Aida cruises cancelled their weekly cruises to Israel at the moment.

But we have to realists and not be influenced by panic moves.Oceania was stupid in cancelled a Haifa visit for september, by then The situation will certainly be calm.

British Airways is continuing flights to Tel Aviv but easyjet, a budget airline, has ceased for the time being.

I agree that Oceania has decided to cancel a little early. Things can change quickly in that part of the world.

FAA continued to ban today.

The CAA may well follow suit but not as yet. I'm guessing El Al are still flying??

We were on Azamara Quest in 2011 and saw Prisendam in port in Haifa. We were all diverted after gun shots were fired over Gaza. We were suppose to have 2 nights in Ashdod and 1 in Haifa, but stayed all nights in Haifa. If there is a problem, most of the cruise lines are diverting ships to Turkey or Cyprus.

The CAA may well follow suit but not as yet. I'm guessing El Al are still flying??

Yes, El Al is still flying into and out of Tel Aviv.

Michael Bloomberg, former mayor of New York City, flew into Israel today on El Al.

Secretary of State Kerry also flew into Israel since the FAA ban.

He has his own plane, though. ;) :)

BA is still flying the route as well.

(4:45 p.m., July 23) -- Costa Cruises has canceled all of its scheduled port stops for Ashdod and Haifa in Israel for its fall 2014 cruises. For Costa Pacifica sailings between Sept. 15 through Nov. 20, the ship will substitute an overnight stop in Istanbul and a one-day visit to Volos, Greece. Costa Deliziosa will change its Sept. 5 itinerary to stop in Volos and Heraklion, Crete instead of Haifa.

(12:30 EDT) -- With violence in Israel continuing to escalate, some cruise lines with upcoming port calls are changing their itineraries to avoid stopping in the country.

The above is from Cruise. Critics Cruise News......there is a lot more in the article.....just go to search and type in Israel