Nieuw Statendam - Israel War Breaking Out

[Alberta Quilter]

Please let us know when you hear from them.

[ski ww]

Watching the news yesterday it's getting real bad over there, and will only get worse. To bad we really enjoyed our cruise to the Holy Land. Glad we got to see it before all this happened the same as Russia. So much for "love your neighbour"

[CNSJ]

10 hours ago, Boatdrill said:

Were you told on the tour why you were being recalled to the ship  ?

(just curious) 

Because a war broke out.

[CNSJ]

On N. Statendam-

 

it seems the rockets started flying at about 6:30 am as we docked.  At 7am we started to depart ship and our bus for HAL tour started at 8.  Not sure why they allowed buses to depart.  If they had held us, the first groups - we could have left within an hour or so. 

 

my guess is HAL leadership had to be woke up and approve recall and departure.  
 

I don’t think US State dept put out a notice until around 8:30.  But HAL should have recalled quicker than the notice we got at 10am on a HAL tour.

 

I will recommend to HAL they invest in a notification system to send texts to all passengers in the event of an emergency.  All passengers should provide a number and have phones on ashore.  Quick way to recall for ANY emergency. 

 

 

[CNSJ]

On a good note:  HAL picked Alanya Turkey.  A wonderful port!  
 

Not sure why HAL doesn’t use this port all the time!  It’s clean, friendly, great beaches, history within walking distance of ship!  Fabulous!

 

Beats Kusadasi by a wide margin!  All Kusadasi has is Ephesus. 

[CruiserBruce]

The first problem with this is that EVERYONE  will have to have a phone with an international plan. How are you going to require that?

 

Let's not second guess everything here. 

[syesmar]

On 10/7/2023 at 6:57 AM, CNSJ said:

…Tour departed early this AM.  We were on tour of Galilee region at Jordan River when we were all recalled to the ship.  Awaiting last passengers to return so we can depart for sea as soon as possible. Three days in Holy Land has become three hours…

Captain just informed us that we are sailing in a few hours..

@CNSJ This whole situation in Israel is heartbreaking. Prayers for all involved. I lived in Jerusalem as a student and have wondered how cruise passengers who do their excursions independently without a guide would know if they needed to return to the ship. I would imagine taxi drivers and bus drivers would advise passengers. I can only imagine how much more difficult it would have been to recall passengers had it been later in the day or not a Saturday when more transportation options would have been available.

 

Were there any instructions prior to leaving the ship on what to do in such a situation? Grateful the passengers made it back to the Nieuw Statendam.

 

EDIT: I was typing the Post above when you posted about what time the incursions began and what time you departed the ship. It would have seemed wise for them to at least warn passengers about the rockets. It is surprising to me that buses were permitted to depart at 8am.

Edited October 9, 2023 by syesmar

[CNSJ]

2 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

The first problem with this is that EVERYONE  will have to have a phone with an international plan. How are you going to require that?

 

Let's not second guess everything here. 

Maybe I’m asking too much. But at least send the texts out - even if only a percentage go through 

[CNSJ]

On 10/7/2023 at 4:35 PM, cruisemom42 said:

Is that Alanya or Antalya? The second has far more interesting options.

CruiseMom 

Have you been to Analya Turkey?

 

Wonderful port!  We had a great day!

[Boatdrill]

As for passengers on private tours ..whether in a group or just the two of you...

consider leaving your names, room numbers, and tour operator/guide contact info with ship's security at the gangway. Also include where your tour is going, and estimated arrival time back at the ship. If security says they don't want it, leave it anyway.  

 

If you're not back by the sailing time at least the ship knows your whereabouts and the port agent (if necessary) can contact the local tour operator.  

 

I did this while escorting a group from the Veendam  in Costa Rica, and it worked. During the tour we learned from our guide that the ship was going to sail early. We cut short the tour, and headed back in a hurry, and made it in time. However, the ship had to wait another hour or so for one of their own shore ex tours to come back; the bus was stopped in traffic. 

 

ps. be sure you have the ship's phone # and the port agent's # too. 

Edited October 9, 2023 by Boatdrill

[hankandteri]

I recently booked this itinerary on Niew Statendam for Oct 2024 fully aware that any planned travel to the Holy Land/Middle East is subject to disruption at any time. Sounds like HAL management and all aboard are doing an excellent job of managing an incredibly challenging situation, which inspires confidence if and when it’s my turn to go there. 
 

[cruisemom42]

32 minutes ago, CNSJ said:

CruiseMom 

Have you been to Analya Turkey?

 

Wonderful port!  We had a great day!

Yes, several times. It’s a wonderful place. First time I was there, I thought I should buy a place there, lol. Now it’s too expensive.

 

What did you do ashore?

[bennybear]

I too echo not second guessing things.  I’m sure Hal did their absolute best with what and when they were made aware.  
 

It makes one rethink private excursions.  We always carry an up to date phone with international calling.   Not sure I would count on emergency alerts either after receiving the infamous Hawaii one.  
 

We were actually booked on this very cruise and had to reschedule next year.   My heart is with everyone at this crucial time. 

[cruisemom42]

2 hours ago, CNSJ said:

On a good note:  HAL picked Alanya Turkey.  A wonderful port!  
 

Not sure why HAL doesn’t use this port all the time!  It’s clean, friendly, great beaches, history within walking distance of ship!  Fabulous!

 

Beats Kusadasi by a wide margin!  All Kusadasi has is Ephesus. 

okay, I’m still confused. Here you say Alanya but in your other post where you tagged me you say Antalya?????

 

Kusadasi has many more options than just Ephesus. There is Priene, a beautiful Ancient Greek town where Alexander the Great once stayed. Not to mention Miletus with a gorgeous Roman theatre and its satellite temple at Didyma that rivaled the ancient wonders of the world — and is still a breathtaking place to visit. A bit further afield but still doable are ancient Aphrodisias, a center for ancient sculpture, Hierapolis, another ancient town with a bit of a dark history (including a temple to the underworld gods with fumes that could kill), and the beautiful nearby mineral terraces of Pamukkale.

 

All of these are things I’ve done from Ephesus. The first three can be combined in a single day. The latter ones require a longer day each.

[cruisemom42]

16 minutes ago, bennybear said:

I too echo not second guessing things.  I’m sure Hal did their absolute best with what and when they were made aware.  
 

It makes one rethink private excursions.  We always carry an up to date phone with international calling.   Not sure I would count on emergency alerts either after receiving the infamous Hawaii one.  
 

We were actually booked on this very cruise and had to reschedule next year.   My heart is with everyone at this crucial time. 

I agree. More than ever I would urge the importance of having the ship contact info and port agent info when touring privately. I would certainly, once hearing about what was happening, have attempted to contact them for guidance, at the least.

[Minkangel]

6 hours ago, Alberta Quilter said:

Please let us know when you hear from them.

Will do, thank you

[Vict0riann]

We heard from friends on board that the ship contacted the missing couple's family at home to ask if they knew where they were going, and were told they would be visiting friends locally, and that way the ship was able to contact them and get them back to the ship.

[Cruise NH]

4 hours ago, CNSJ said:

On N. Statendam-

 

it seems the rockets started flying at about 6:30 am as we docked.  At 7am we started to depart ship and our bus for HAL tour started at 8.  Not sure why they allowed buses to depart.  If they had held us, the first groups - we could have left within an hour or so. 

 

my guess is HAL leadership had to be woke up and approve recall and departure.  
 

I don’t think US State dept put out a notice until around 8:30.  But HAL should have recalled quicker than the notice we got at 10am on a HAL tour.

 

I will recommend to HAL they invest in a notification system to send texts to all passengers in the event of an emergency.  All passengers should provide a number and have phones on ashore.  Quick way to recall for ANY emergency. 

 

 

They might not have known how big of an attack it was immediately and that could explain the delay in notification.  We were there in 2017 coming back from a private tour and we heard gunfire, etc.  Our guide just sort of shrugged it off like they heard stuff like that ( and worse) all the time.

[Minkangel]

29 minutes ago, Vict0riann said:

We heard from friends on board that the ship contacted the missing couple's family at home to ask if they knew where they were going, and were told they would be visiting friends locally, and that way the ship was able to contact them and get them back to the ship.

Must be a different couple as my parents don’t know anyone locally but thank you so much for checking, I appreciate it

[Vict0riann]

We always leave a copy of our itinerary with our children, I have to say, although I may put on it "tour to..." I don't always put contact info, we'll be doing that in the future, I'm sure!  

[canadianbear]

5 minutes ago, Vict0riann said:

We always leave a copy of our itinerary with our children, I have to say, although I may put on it "tour to..." I don't always put contact info, we'll be doing that in the future, I'm sure!  

Us too.  I’ve learned a lot from this thread and will be doing things a bit different than usual on future cruises. 

[Sir PMP]

5 hours ago, CNSJ said:

On N. Statendam-

 

it seems the rockets started flying at about 6:30 am as we docked.  At 7am we started to depart ship and our bus for HAL tour started at 8.  Not sure why they allowed buses to depart.  If they had held us, the first groups - we could have left within an hour or so. 

 

my guess is HAL leadership had to be woke up and approve recall and departure.  
 

I don’t think US State dept put out a notice until around 8:30.  But HAL should have recalled quicker than the notice we got at 10am on a HAL tour.

 

I will recommend to HAL they invest in a notification system to send texts to all passengers in the event of an emergency.  All passengers should provide a number and have phones on ashore.  Quick way to recall for ANY emergency. 

 

 

Not if haven't a phone.

[crystalspin]

30 minutes ago, canadianbear said:

Us too.  I’ve learned a lot from this thread and will be doing things a bit different than usual on future cruises. 

It never occurred to me to leave contact info for private excursions in Alaska, South America, Italy, Croatia. But -- my cell phone carrier is T-Mobile and HAL has the number.

[PhilRSchultz]

6 hours ago, CNSJ said:

On a good note:  HAL picked Alanya Turkey.  A wonderful port!  
 

Not sure why HAL doesn’t use this port all the time!  It’s clean, friendly, great beaches, history within walking distance of ship!  Fabulous!

 

Beats Kusadasi by a wide margin!  All Kusadasi has is Ephesus. 

Different strokes for different strokes, but in my opinion Ephesus and Troy trump all other alternatives for replacing Israel port dates and I hope that’s where my looming cruise changes to

[bennybear]

3 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

okay, I’m still confused. Here you say Alanya but in your other post where you tagged me you say Antalya?????

 

Kusadasi has many more options than just Ephesus. There is Priene, a beautiful Ancient Greek town where Alexander the Great once stayed. Not to mention Miletus with a gorgeous Roman theatre and its satellite temple at Didyma that rivaled the ancient wonders of the world — and is still a breathtaking place to visit. A bit further afield but still doable are ancient Aphrodisias, a center for ancient sculpture, Hierapolis, another ancient town with a bit of a dark history (including a temple to the underworld gods with fumes that could kill), and the beautiful nearby mineral terraces of Pamukkale.

 

All of these are things I’ve done from Ephesus. The first three can be combined in a single day. The latter ones require a longer day each.

We were completely amazed by Priene, Miletus and Didyma.   Absolutely fascinating 

 

 

I think we all can learn a lot too from this thread.  Our ultimate safety depends on us being prepared and taking appropriate measures.  I don’t think one can completely count on others in an emergency. A working phone is a small cost in the scheme of things.