NCL Dawn 10/27/2024 Athens-Tev-Aviv

[mcarab]

This is a dream trip for us to visit Ephesus and Jerusalem. Having Alexandria, Istanbul and some of the Greek islands is a plus. We’ve only had long flights to Brazil and Hawaii so NOT looking forward to the flights. We are taking advantage of the “2nd guest flys free” offer and know the times and airlines won’t be convenient but Austin TX is about a 2 hour drive so we’ll deal with it and plan to arrive in Athens on the 25th. Any information or recommendations on ports, the Dawn or money/cash for spending in ports will be greatly appreciated.

[3Sisters]

@mcarab This would be such a dream itinerary for me too! The flight won't be short or cheap, but like you said, it would be worth it for a dream trip. Since I haven't done this trip I don't have too many tips, but I would advise you contact your bank to see about doing some currency exchange ahead of time! Contacting your bank would also be great just for the curiosity of utilizing those banking systems out of the country and educating yourself on current currency exchange rates. 

This would be a great article for you to review about Norwegian Dawn ahead of time. https://www.cruisehive.com/norwegian-dawn-cruise-ship-overview-and-things-to-do/68769 There are plenty of things to do onboard this awesome ship. Will this be your first time cruising with NCL?

[PaulB]

Wow. Jerusalem is never a place I'd even think about visiting. I've read many excellent reviews, but when deciding where to go, it always tends to be more mainstream vacations you think about than places like Jerusalem. I'd be interested in hearing your views on such a place.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@mcarab Will this immaculate cruise itinerary be for a celebratory event? How long will this cruise itinerary be? The cost of these flights won't be cheap, but I do think the cost will be justifiably well worth it. This is such holy territory. I have had friends visit and say it was the most incredible trip of their lifetime. Usually, if you wait to exchange your currency, it will be more costly. It's best to try and exchange your currency at your bank ahead of time. 

[Pbm13]

It looks like Israel will be off the cards for some time.  We were booked to sail out of Haifa on the 20th Nov on the NCL Epic.  We have seen that the flights to Tel Aviv have been cancelled and I assume that the start port is going to have to change.  Its a shame as I have been looking forward to going to Jerusalem.   This is the second cruise that we have had booked that has been messed up by war.  The last was a trip to St Petersburg.  Perhaps I need to think about where we book in the future.  We do have one booked for next year out of Buenos aires, so fingers crossed that this goes without a hitch.

[3Sisters]

@Pbm13 It's such a shame! The entire region is suffering so much and it's painful to watch from afar. Jerusalem would have been so amazing! At this point, being so close to your cruise departure, there is really no way to cancel without a penalty! Do you have any news as to where your cruise will reroute instead? My Buenos Aires cruise got canceled due to the pandemic. It was the perfect itinerary for the Panama Canal! We win some and we lose some. The lesson I have learned is, in this day and age, it's really smart to get the extra cruise insurance. Then you can cancel without penalty if the itinerary changes in a way that you aren't pleased with.