Is going to Bethlehem worthwhile when in the port of Ashdod, Israel?

[elapel01]

My husband and I plus another couple will be stopping at the port of Ashdod, Israel in late September on Celebrity Equinox. I'm not sure if we should just do a tour of Jerusalem all day or do the tour that goes to both Jerusalem and Bethlehem. I'm worried about safety of Bethlehem but also wondering if it's worthwhile to see the Church of the Nativity and miss out on more sights in Jerusalem?

Thanks.

[bobalink]

I have visited Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Not on a cruise, but a 12 day land tour (pilgrimage). Israel was very interesting, the people are wonderful and I would love to visit again.

 

We were allowed into Bethlehem. Apparently, that is not always the case. Depending on what is going on politically, tourists are often turned away.

 

If it were me, and I only had one day, I would not go to Bethlehem. It is very desolate. No one is out on the streets, it was a bit eerie.

 

Jerusalem is energetic and there are so many things to see. If you only have one day, I would concentrate on seeing as much in Jerusalem as possible.

[Keith1010]

My husband and I plus another couple will be stopping at the port of Ashdod, Israel in late September on Celebrity Equinox. I'm not sure if we should just do a tour of Jerusalem all day or do the tour that goes to both Jerusalem and Bethlehem. I'm worried about safety of Bethlehem but also wondering if it's worthwhile to see the Church of the Nativity and miss out on more sights in Jerusalem?

Thanks.

 

This past March we were in Ashdod and we took the tour that included both Jerusalem and Bethlehem. In 2007 we were also in Ashdod and did the one day tour of Jerusalem. Both times we were on a cruise.

 

There are both excellent. I would recommend doing both. In our case the major difference was on the Jerusalem tour it included a few hours at the Holocaust Museum. The challenge with the Holocaust Museum was that we were limited to what we could see given we were on a group tour and at times it would be distracting with the group.

 

Given our experieinces I would go with the combined Jerusalem and Bethlehem tour.

 

Keith

[paul929207]

We spent six days in Israel in 2007. Bethlehem is nice, but there is so much to see in Jerusalem that with only one day, skip Bethlehem

[Keith1010]

We spent six days in Israel in 2007. Bethlehem is nice, but there is so much to see in Jerusalem that with only one day, skip Bethlehem

 

While there is a lot to see in Jerusalem, keep in mind that if the person has one day and if they are doing a ships tour that or any organized tour it includes a set of places to see.

 

I would carefully compare what is offered on each tour to see what makes the most sense. We actually say more of the key sites in Jerusalem on our combined Jerusalem/Bethlehem tour than we did on the Jerusalem only tour. Not saying all tours would compare that way. I'm just saying the OP should carefully look at the details of what is offered on each tour.

 

Keith

[cruisemom42]

I am going to Israel in September and have arranged for a private guide in order to concentrate on the sites in Jerusalem. I looked at all of the ship tours ($$$ and not what I wanted to see) and at some of the "set" tours from Guided Tours Israel (very popular on CC), but neither offered what I wanted. I did not want to do Bethlehem OR the Holocaust Museum OR the Dead Sea.... Just Jerusalem.

 

Arranging a private tour was quite easy and, if you find someone to share with you, will be less than a ship tour.

 

The advice I got from most who had visited Israel was to skip Bethlehem and concentrate on Jerusalem unless Bethlehem was high on your list of things to see. I find it interesting that most land tours spend several days in Jerusalem alone; yet cruise ship passengers wonder if spending one day there is too much!

[happy trailer]

There's a discussion on this very topic on the Middle East forum (Keith has posted there, too :)):

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1149926&highlight=bethlehem

 

You can also find other similar discussions on that forum, by doing a thread search for 'Bethlehem'. I just did a quick read thru of the above thread, and think you will find it worthwhile.

 

The main thing I'd suggest considering is: is Bethlehem is a 'must' for you? There are many very significant Christian Holy sites in Old Jerusalem; by including Bethlehem in your tour you will cut your time short at those sites.

 

Also, are you looking for a whirlwind day? Or do you want time to savor at least some of the major Jerusalem sites?

 

I think Keith is absolutely correct in suggesting that you take a careful look at the details of each tour- especially if the Jerusalem tour is similar to the one Keith took, which spent several hours at Yad V'Shem, the 'Holocaust museum'. While Yad V'Shem is certainly worth a visit, with only one day in the Jerusalem area, spending several hours in any one place will limit your ability to visit sites that you might really want to see.

 

Another suggestion would be to check your roll call to see if anyone is organizing a private tour of the area. Those tours are often less expensive than a ship's excursion, can be tailored to your needs, and because they involve a small van rather than a bus load of people, you are able to spend more time actually touring rather than waiting for everyone to get off and on the bus. (No need to worry about safety or security on private tours, either- either your guide or driver (or both) will be armed, and they will be aware of any possible security issues and adjust the tour if necessary.)

 

HTH!

 

Ruth

[bobalink]

I wanted to add my two cents (shekels)...

 

I have visited the Holocaust museums in Jerusalem, Los Angeles and Washington, DC.

 

If you only have one day in Jerusalem, you may want to skip the museum and concentrate on other sites. The museum is very important, I do not intend to take away from it's significance. My point is, there are excellent Holocaust museums in LA or DC, too.

 

A side note - Last year on our Baltic cruise, we visited the Stutthoff Concentration Camp when we were in Poland. Very meaningful.

There are many places to learn about the Holocaust.