Anyone going on this tour concerned about situation in Israel?

swandy

My wife and I are booked on the October 28th Israel/Jordan tour and we are getting concerned about what is going over there - to the point of canceling/changing our plans.
Anyone else having thoughts around these lines? Are you considering changing your plans or just waiting and keeping your fingers crossed?
Thanks, Steve & Marilyn

Leo M

Steve...If you were leaving tomorrow I would indeed be very concerned but you are not. Be patient and try not to worry. Tauck will advise you if any change in plans are imminent.

My wife and I toured Egypt and Israel last year. We had watched media reports of riots in downtown Cairo for weeks. We thought our chances of taking the trip were remote. Even so, we were able to visit the Museum of Antiquities (within a block of Tahrir Square - where the riots had occurred) with no problems. In fact, all through Egypt we saw far more than most tourists see because the crowds were small. People were very friendly and welcoming. We never felt uncomfortable other than in the presence of the street vendors at several Egyptian temples. They were desperate to negotiate a sale to support their families. There was some pushing and shoving but it came to nothing.

There were no active hostilities in Israel then as there are today. Tauck will keep a close eye on the situation and keep you posted. Probably the best place to get information - other than Tauck - is the U.S. State Department. You can visit their website at Travel.State.Gov. for information.

Things change quickly in that part of the world so be patient....Leo M

TauckTim

Hi Swandy,

We have a crisis team that regularly meets, especially whenever any situation arises overseas or here at home which might interrupt travel, and we monitor these types of situations very closely, and will not hesitate to reroute or cancel a trip entirely if the travel becomes unsafe. We're keeping a close eye on things. If you have any additional questions or concerns, one of our reservations sales counselors will be happy to tell you more about this if you call us.

-Tim

swandy

Thanks Tim and I have already spoken to your people at Tauck and they were kind enough to explain about the way the company handles these types of situations.
It is just that my wife and I have never been to the Middle East before and even though we have spoken to some cousins who either live there or recently moved back to the US, we felt asking the thoughts of fellow travelers was a good idea. (Particularly because we are considering changing to another tour either this fall or next year.)

NC Bear

We are scheduled on the Sept, trip to Israel and Jordan and I am very concerned. As I have visited with many who are very knowledgeable about the situation, I believe that the trip should be delayed. True this area has always had tensions but it is a totally different situation today as you consider all of the unrest; and the anger toward Americans across the world. I hope Tauck is being very wise in their decisions.

swandy

NC Bear - I understand your concerns and my wife and I decided to change to a different Tauck tour (The Blue Danube riverboat tour). We have talked for years about visiting Israel and of course (our luck) the year we finally decide to go.....well you read the news. Feel a bit disappointed but the Danube area (Budapest/Vienna/Prague) was our second choice for this year's travels anyway.
Good luck with your decisions.
Steve

Jbwftsmith

We were on this trip in Nov 2012 when the same type of hostilities broke out. We had just left Tel Aviv a few hours before the first missile hit. Tauck rearranged the schedule to allow us to SAFELY see as much of Israel as we could. When it became apparent that we could no longer continue in ISrael we went into Jordan. At all times the tour director kept us informed of the situations and I don't believe any of us on the tour felt unsafe. The home office of Tauck made the call to terminate the tour early. The tour director helped each and every one of us in rescheduling our flights and within 24 hours of arriving back home there was a refund check from Tauck for the unused portion of our tour plus refunds on the airline change fees which weren't covered by travel insurance due to it being an act of war. Tauck will take care of you like you are a member of their own family. BTW we are scheduled to go on this tour in Nov, this year, and I wouldn't dream of changing my plans unless Tauck advises me to do so.

Judpie

swandy wrote:

My wife and I are booked on the October 28th Israel/Jordan tour and we are getting concerned about what is going over there - to the point of canceling/changing our plans.
Anyone else having thoughts around these lines? Are you considering changing your plans or just waiting and keeping your fingers crossed?
Thanks, Steve & Marilyn

I am also concerned. My family does not want me to go. I am booked on the October 21 trip. I took out trip insurance. I will be reimbursed for my deposit, but not the $550 cost of the insurance. I am thinking I may not enjoy the trip if I have apprehensions. I will travel as a single in the tour.

Judpie

Read State Departments travel warning to Israel at http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/alertswarnings/israel-travel-warning.html

rogfam

Judpie wrote:

I am also concerned. My family does not want me to go. I am booked on the October 21 trip. I took out trip insurance. I will be reimbursed for my deposit, but not the $550 cost of the insurance. I am thinking I may not enjoy the trip if I have apprehensions. I will travel as a single in the tour.

Are you planning to cancel or change to a different date? I had to change two trips with Tauck to different dates and the insurance was transferred to the new trip.

swandy

Judpie - we did change (leaving this Wednesday for the Blue Danube riverboat cruise) - and as Rogfam pointed out they will not refund the insurance fee but will transfer it to whatever other tour you select. I believe you have to make a new reservation within 1 year of either your original booking date or your cancellation date (not sure which date).

Judpie

Thanks for the information about having the travel insurance apply to another tour. I am waiting to see what happens in the next few weeks. I tried to see if the September tours to Israel and Jordan are still going. I can't see any of these tours listed for September.

Rosina

My husband and I just returned from a Catholic pilgrimage to the Holy Land on Sat., Oct. 18th. It was with another group, but we have taken many Tauck tours. Had we not read newspapers this summer, we never would have known anything was going on! It was perfectly safe and, as Tauck does, our guide said he would never put us in harm's way. Go! And enjoy!