jewish hertigage tour

[mortypro]

does anyone know an independent tour guide to book this with

we are going end of feb, 2008

[eetonaee]

does anyone know an independent tour guide to book this with

we are going end of feb, 2008

 

 

Gigi Scheper gigischeper@hotmail.com

 

We got her name from some people on the 'cruising Jewish' thread on the Floataway Lounge Board at CC.

 

We have her booked for October 31 -- $50 pp max. 4 people

[mortypro]

thanks i will email tonight

please let me know how the tour was

how long is the tour

and what was the cost if you don't mind

[eetonaee]

thanks i will email tonight

please let me know how the tour was

how long is the tour

and what was the cost if you don't mind

 

I'll be in touch sometime after November 4.

 

Shabbat Shalom

[whale-watcher]

We did this tour through Princess (with Gigi as our guide) in 2005, and it was really interesting. It lasted about2-3 hours, and we visited the Jewish cemetary and a few other sites before finishing the tour at the AMAZING synagogue and museum. I cannot recall the cost.

[eetonaee]

thanks i will email tonight

please let me know how the tour was

how long is the tour

and what was the cost if you don't mind

 

We took the Jewish Heritage tour with Gigi last Wednesday. She does tours for the cruise lines but we were able to have an individual tour for the two of us in her small but comfortable and air conditioned car.

 

She met us promptly at the pre-arranged time at the pier. We visited the original cemetery, a heritage home/museum, a Curacao licquer factory, and the synagogue/ museum. We also drove by the newer cemetery, the Orthodox synagogue and the original Jewish neigborhood.

 

We spent about 2.5 hours with her and never felt that she was rushing us. I probably spent more time in the cemetery than others might because of a personal interest so you could probably do it quicker if you want.

 

The cost was $50 per person plus gratuity.

 

The part I really enjoyed was the insider stories about the various conflicts in the community over the past 300 years. It was all very familiar.

 

Please do not hesitate to ask me for more info.

[mortypro]

thanks for the review

we booked her for our feb cruise.

she said it is about 3 hours.

i see you were on the adventure of the seas which is what we are going on

if you don't mind any hi lights you would like to share

thanks again

iris

[eetonaee]

thanks for the review

we booked her for our feb cruise.

she said it is about 3 hours.

i see you were on the adventure of the seas which is what we are going on

if you don't mind any hi lights you would like to share

thanks again

iris

 

 

If you want more info on the AOS check out the reviews and comments about the cruise I just took.

 

It's on the RCI board under Adventure of the Seas October 28.

 

Basically it is a beautiful ship with every amenity you could want. The itinerary is terrific. The crew is very friendly and helpful.

 

For many however the downside is that many of the passengers (40%) on our cruise were from Puerto Rico and this gives a different feeling to the cruise. They are a very proud group who are loud and boisterous. I believe that for many it is their first cruise so they are not as familiar as others with cruise etiquette such as suggested dress for dinner, politeness during shows and in buffet lines. There are also many children some of whom apparently misbehave.

 

I would prefer not to be on any ship that has a large group whether it be insurance agents, football fans from a particular school or people from a unique culture.

 

Try to find out if your sailing has a Quincinera celebration on it. This is a large party celebrating Spanish girls turnimg 15. If it has one then you should consider rescheduling.

[EGG]

We did a private tour with Gigi in October. We were there on a Sunday and Gigi went out of her way to have the cemetary opened. There is nothing like the personal experience of sitting in the synagogue and having a knowledgable guide tell you stories of the people who are part of the history of the island. The cemetary tour was fascinating. The tombstones of the time tell stories. This is not a place you can walk to and you really need a tour guide to interpret the tombstones and tell you a little history of some of the people.

 

I have visited numerous churches on my various tours, but it is great to be able to do a Jewish Heritage tour. This tour was not even offered on our Volendam cruise, so I feel we were lucky to have found Gigi through these boards.

 

Gigi left my husband and I in town to see the fort, do some shopping and then we walked back to the ship over the floating bridge. We had no trouble finding our way. She did an extra drive about town to make sure I knew where the public bathrooms and points of interest were located. She took the other couple back to the ship.

 

I highly recommend Gigi. It appears that she does not have home internet access since she only answered her email once a week. So start early. You won't be sorry if you take this tour.