Jerusalem, Israel

The size of Israel is just over 8,000 square miles and its dimensions are approximately 280 miles long and only about 30 miles wide. This makes its size comparable to the state of New Jersey. It emerged as a state following the 1948 War of Independence, forming a Jewish homeland from what was then British-controlled Palestine.

We arrived at the Port of Call of Ashdod, Israel at approximately 6:00 AM this morning. This port is Israel’s major industrial and commercial port. Ashdod is a planned community that is built on the golden dunes. While Ashdod is new in many ways it does have ancient roots. It is mentioned in the Old Testament and archaeologists have found ruins that date back 4,000 years ago. Ashdod is the gateway to the historic treasures of Jerusalem and the worldly pleasures of Tel Aviv.

We woke up early this morning so that we would have plenty of time to get ready for our full day shore excursion. We arrived at the Lido Café for breakfast about twenty minutes before the opening time for the cold buffet but everything was set up so we were able to eat at this hour. One of the wonderful Lido Deck Stewards (Clark) who we first met on this ship in the Fall of 2005 made us coffee in the kitchen as we like our coffee made a special way. We can’t say enough about the wonderful Lido Deck Stewards who go out of their way to assist us each and every day. They are so wonderful and it shows every minute of the day. When we first arrived, there was only one other passenger in the Café but before we left there were a few passengers who we have come to know well on the World Cruise who were also getting an early breakfast. Wet spoke with each of them for a few minutes. Each of them has been to Israel before.

After we got back to the stateroom we got ready to go ashore. The ship received it clearance from the local port authorities at 7:45 AM. We met for our shore excursion at 8:15. Our shore excursion was called Eternal Jerusalem. There were 34 people on our tour, including two representatives from Crystal.

When we arrived on the pier we were told that for security reasons we were not allowed to take any pictures while in the port area.

We boarded our bus and we traveled along the Judean Hills. We drove through the fertile Ayalon Valley which was truly spectacular with all of its beauty and majestic hills. After a brief stop for coffee, we arrived at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes Remembrance Authority. This new museum opened in early 2005 and has essentially replaced the old museum. The exterior of the buildings were beautiful along with the landscaping. The museum is dedicated to documenting the history of the Jewish people during the Holocaust period. It emphasizes each victim’s experience through original artifacts, survivor testimonies and personal possessions. Our tour guide did a wonderful job of taking us through the museum and highlighted many important historical points. We spent two hours in the museum and one could spend at least one full day or multiple days in the museum. In addition to the museum there is a Temple and a separate area dedicated to all of the children (1.5 million) who perished during the Holocaust. The entire experience was very moving to us.

We then continued with a drive into Jerusalem. We drove by various landmarks such as Hebrew University, the Knesset, the Israel Museum and the State Supreme High Court.

We then had lunch at one of the hotels where many of the other tours from Crystal also had lunch. Following lunch we made our way to the Old City. Our drive continued past the City of David. Our walking tour of the Old City began at Zion gate and then we entered the Jewish Quarter. We descended to the Lower City to see the Temple Mount and the golden-topped Dome of the Rock. We then proceeded to the Western Wall, which is thought to be closest to where the Holy Ark was kept. We were given some time to visit the wall by ourselves. We had prepared notes ahead of time which each of us left at the wall; Keith on the side of the wall where the men are allowed to pray and Anne Marie on the side of the wall where the women are allowed to pray. This was a very moving experience for the both of us.

We then rode back from this area to Ashdod to rejoin the ship. The tour guide continued to provide very informative information about the sites that we saw along the route back to the ship along with other items including the state of the Israel economy.

After we arrived back on the ship we reflected on the wonderful day we had in Jerusalem, Israel. This is a wonderful country with wonderful people and we were so glad to have the opportunity to tour and visit Jerusalem. We hope that we can come back again on some type of land tour to visit this very special place so that we could spend several days in order to see many of the important sites throughout Israel. For those of you who have not had a chance to visit Israel, we highly recommend it. We felt safe throughout the day.

Crystal’s last visited Israel approximately nine years ago. We remember at the World Cruise Gala in Miami that the President of Crystal had remarked how excited the representatives from Israel were when Crystal confirmed that the Crystal Serenity had added Israel to its World Cruise itinerary.

At 7:30 this evening we had dinner in the Silk Road Japanese Specialty Restaurant. This evening, Crystal Cruises provided complimentary house wines during the dinner hours in the main dining room and in the Silk Road Japanese Specialty Restaurant, the Prego Italian Specialty Restaurant and in Tastes which offers a casual dining experience by the indoor pool. We enjoyed a wonderful meal with outstanding service.

Tomorrow we will enjoy a full day at sea as we sail to Alexandria, Egypt.

Keith & Anne Marie