Join us on excursions from Ashdod to Dead Sea and Jerusalem:13th and 14th April 2015

[mjkStirling]

Hi all. My husband and I will be on the 8th April 2015 sailing of the Ancient Affair itinerary on board the Spirit and are booked on the private tours listed below which are running from the port Ashdod on the dates shown. Unfortunately, while a lot cheaper than the Thomson excursions, we are currently the only people booked with the company who will only run the tours if another 4 people, or more, join us for each. Please have a look at the details below and at the link and let me know if you would like to join us.

 

Marjorie from Stirling

 

Date: April 13, 2015

 

Itinerary: Full day tour to Dead Sea + Masada

Pick-up Location: Ashdod Port

Ship: Thomson Spirit

Docking time: 07:00am

Tour start time: 08:00am

Duration of tour: 9-10 hours

Drop-off: Ashdod Port

Price $115pp

 

Date: April 14, 2015

 

Itinerary: Full day tour to Jerusalem + Bethlehem

Pick-up Location: Ashdod Port

Ship: Thomson Spirit

Tour start time: 08:00am

Duration of tour: 9-10 hours

Drop-off: Ashdod Port

Price $99pp

 

For more information please visit the Tour Guide's website and let them or us know making reference to this post. Thanks

Edited January 25, 2015 by mjkStirling
www.guidedtoursisrael.com

[BillandBen]

To be honest I can not for one minute see the Spirit stopping in Israel. Will be a change of ports on this cruise. Thomsons should amend this a s a p :confused:

[geomagot]

To be honest I can not for one minute see the Spirit stopping in Israel. Will be a change of ports on this cruise. Thomsons should amend this a s a p :confused:

 

I wouldnt book up anything in israel in advance thats for sure??

[dronnygirl]

If this is with Israel Guided Tours they are fantastic. You pay them when you have done the tour and get back to the ship. They have mini-buses that take up to 16 and can get further into Jerusalem that the large coaches which was a help as we a couple of older people who could not walk too far.

[livingston]

Totally agree with comments about Guided Tours Israel so you have nothing to lose by booking in advance. We went with them last year just before the 'troubles' started and they were great They will know what ships ( if any) are visiting and will be prepared

[nancyneptune]

To be honest I can not for one minute see the Spirit stopping in Israel. Will be a change of ports on this cruise. Thomsons should amend this a s a p :confused:

 

Agree. Would wait and see if this port will be changed. Thomson are really bad at not informing passengers of changes to itinerary. This has happened to us on two occasions. We were not informed of change until we boarded the ship although Thomson knew well in advance that the ship would not be going to these ports.

There are taxis available at the port in Ashdod. We have used them in the past and found them to be reasonably priced and reliable.

Hope you enjoy your cruise and your plans work out well.

[mtt]

i would wait and see if you actually go there as well, was told last april taxis where not allowed in the port, was different in hafia

[nancyneptune]

i would wait and see if you actually go there as well, was told last april taxis where not allowed in the port, was different in hafia

 

As you step off the ship there is a man with a clipboard. You tell him where you want to go and he calls a taxi driver over and you agree a price.

We had a drive around Jerusalem as we had visited all the Holy places on previous trips. We spend the morning at Yad Vashem before going to the Dead Sea in the afternoon.

 

Taxi dropped us right next to the ship when we returned in the evening.

Taxis booked outside the port gates are not allowed into the port area when you return. They can only drop you off outside the port gates where they picked you up. I think you then need to get another taxi to the ship because of the security arrangements.

[mjkStirling]

Thanks for all your posts.

To clarify it is with Israel Guided Tours who have come highly recommended and we have not paid anything in advance. Advantage over ship excursions are they are cheaper and have smaller bus for access to sites etc.

Have had the discussion with travel agent as Israel the whole reason for us going on this particular cruise and have been told if it changes itinerary we can change our cruise date.

Would welcome any other thoughts, as in the position if less than 6 book the tour company would not take us for the price quoted, and to pay them for the 2 of us is quite expensive.

Anxious about just waiting until we arrive at the port as never know who taking you, where you will end up or how much it would cost.

Never been in this position on a cruise before as always been happy to organise our own or take ships excursions.

[BillandBen]

Two years ago we were going on the Celebration and the second week was Egypt and the Holy Land. We knew 99.99% that Egypt would not be done as for the riots and unrest. Thomson's did not tell us on the week before or back in Marmiris until the NIGHT we sailed, by a note under the door at midnight. We were give £50 each onboard credit and sailed to Create over the next sea day. I think this went on over most of that summer period.

[geomagot]

yes, we were also booked on celebration to visit egypt 2 years ago, we knew the ship probably wouldn’t be calling there but thomsons didnt inform us by email until about 2 weeks before departure

 

there were people who arrived on board and hadnt been told at all

 

we too all received £50 onboard credit

 

last year ashdod was swapped with rhodes at quite short notice also

 

i will always advocate people to try to arrange their tours independently to save a bit of money

 

but (and just pointing out some of the pitfalls here)

 

if you need 6 pax to get a good price then you are effectively organizing a tour party, ok if you are already a party of 6 or 8 but organizing a tour with strangers carries the risk of people changing their minds/not paying up or not turning up...thats some responsibility and imo its highly likely that after all that organizing you may not even call there

 

hopefully you will arrive at ashdod as scheduled but when you do, there will be security procedures to go through, the israeli authorities insist on interviewing every passenger before they disembark

 

the ship passengers on trips booked with thomsons will be first off the ship, the rest of the passengers will be called by deck number....it could potentially take a couple of hours to get off the ship and gather your other pax together before you can go and locate your driver

 

it just takes one of your party to not turn up/be unwell/have problems with immigration and the rest of you will not be able to go...by this time the organized thoms shorex will have left already

 

there are logistics/fair distances involved in getting to jerusalem & dead sea from ashdod its not the easiest of rides and the ship wont wait for you if something goes wrong?

 

to my eye thats all a lot of work/worry/organizing for a small monetary saving (just sayin)

 

thomsons trips are probably more expensive, but you will get refreshments/lunch thrown in, the services of a vetted, trained english speaking guide throughout and vetted, licensed drivers, and possibly a thomsons rep will accompany the trip should anyone have any problem at all

Edited January 27, 2015 by geomagot

[geomagot]

on the other hand...its very easy to get to tel aviv/jerusalem on the local bus from asdod (5 euros each way) thats what we did (but that was before the current troubles)

[mjkStirling]

Hi

Given me lots to think about. Will definitely be getting in touch with Thomson this week to see what current view is regarding Ashdod, but as you say could change overnight. Not any interest so far from anyone to join us and not going to leave it until the last minute. Glad to hear from others too on roll call page that Thomson excursions include food, entrance fees etc so still would be good value for money if that's the way we decide to go.

Thanks again for your views.

[dronnygirl]

We were told by Israel Guided Tours that they needed 6 people but some people had booked with them at a late date. We put a thread on Thomson Roll Calls and arranged to meet some of the people on the sea day before. Israel Guided Tours are a professional company who do trips all the time - they know what time to have you back to the ship etc. They have a reputation to keep. With regard to lunch, on the Jerusalem trip they took us to Bethlehem and dropped us at a local cafe. This helps the local economy.

[mjkStirling]

Thanks. Will leave info on all the community pages for another couple of weeks and see what happens.

[welsh-girl]

Hi all. My husband and I will be on the 8th April 2015 sailing of the Ancient Affair itinerary on board the Spirit and are booked on the private tours listed below which are running from the port Ashdod on the dates shown. Unfortunately, while a lot cheaper than the Thomson excursions, we are currently the only people booked with the company who will only run the tours if another 4 people, or more, join us for each. Please have a look at the details below and at the link and let me know if you would like to join us.

 

Marjorie from Stirling

 

Date: April 13, 2015

 

Itinerary: Full day tour to Dead Sea + Masada

Pick-up Location: Ashdod Port

Ship: Thomson Spirit

Docking time: 07:00am

Tour start time: 08:00am

Duration of tour: 9-10 hours

Drop-off: Ashdod Port

Price $115pp

 

Date: April 14, 2015

 

Itinerary: Full day tour to Jerusalem + Bethlehem

Pick-up Location: Ashdod Port

Ship: Thomson Spirit

Tour start time: 08:00am

Duration of tour: 9-10 hours

Drop-off: Ashdod Port

Price $99pp

 

For more information please visit the Tour Guide's website and let them or us know making reference to this post. Thanks

 

 

Hi

We are on the same cruise and sort of in the same situation as you, but are only looking for 1 day tour. We contacted the same company for the Jerusalem+ Bethlehem trip but for the 1st port day (13th) and are the only ones at present . Don't like to risk long days off on day we leave port after cutting it fine a couple of times. So if you find yourselves stuck and wouldn't mind changing days...that is if we even get to Israel

[mjkStirling]

Hi

Thanks for your post. Will get back to you. Not sure if we have any one joining us yet need to get back in touch with tour company. Spoke to travel agent who say Ashdod ok at present but know that can change very quickly.

[FreddyG]

We've book a day tour to Jerusalem and the Dead Sea on the 13th April with Guided Israel Tour, but still waiting to see if they get another 4 people. I'm optimistic we'll make it to Ashdod. :)

[mjkStirling]

We've book a day tour to Jerusalem and the Dead Sea on the 13th April with Guided Israel Tour, but still waiting to see if they get another 4 people. I'm optimistic we'll make it to Ashdod. :)

 

Thanks for your post. Contacted Tour Company who tell me no one joined my dates yet but couple of people booked for 13th so may have to change my date for Jerusalem. Tour company set my dates in January, I am flexible. :)

[mjkStirling]

Hi

We are on the same cruise and sort of in the same situation as you' date=' but are only looking for 1 day tour. We contacted the same company for the Jerusalem+ Bethlehem trip but for the 1st port day (13th) and are the only ones at present . Don't like to risk long days off on day we leave port after cutting it fine a couple of times. So if you find yourselves stuck and wouldn't mind changing days...that is if we even get to Israel[/quote']

 

Thanks for your post. Contacted Tour Company who tell me no one joined my dates yet but couple of people booked for 13th for different itineraries so may have to change my date for Jerusalem. Tour company set my dates in January, I am flexible. Will get back in touch with you. :)

[FreddyG]

Thanks for your post. Contacted Tour Company who tell me no one joined my dates yet but couple of people booked for 13th so may have to change my date for Jerusalem. Tour company set my dates in January, I am flexible. :)

 

I think I'll wait until the end of March and see if people sign-up, if not we'll just have to pay a little extra and do the Thomson tour instead. It would be a shame as Guided Tours Israel have been really helpful and get great reviews. I see the Thomson Spirit is the only ship in port those days, limiting the numbers looking for tours I imagine. I hope everyone gets sorted with the tour of their choice.

[mjkStirling]

Ok. Will let you know if anything changes my end.:)