We hung around in the lobby after checking out of the room at midday waiting for the taxi to arrive, We wrongly assumed that the driver would come to the Hotel reception and look for us ad so at about 1410 I checked with reception that if there was a taxi waiting for us would they come upstairs to find us and he said NO and that we should downstairs and wait. So rather than wait for the baggage to be taken on the trolley downstairs Jennifer went ahead to try and find the Taxi driver and lucky we did this as I think he was about to leave.
The driver explained he had little English and that we were going to Hotel in Haifa which sounded about right. We left the Hotel and this driver had two mobiles both with Waze Sat Nav running and again talking all the time on the phone whilst keep changing the Waze info and checking emails and texts etc whilst slowly weaving about the road. At least he was following the signs to Haifa and so off we went down the motorway and after about half an hour having been on the phone for all the time he pulled in to the side of the road to confirm where we going. ?? So I found the detail and then gave it to him and off we went again with him on the phone and continually playing with the two mobiles and then suddenly I heard him say the name of the Hotel where we should go to meet the Seabourn people. Th reason we had to go to a Hotel to check in was that another vessel was there at the same time and they could not handle the two vessels at once?. We arrived at the Hotel in Haifa at around 1525 after a scary and uncomfortable ride and handed the baggage over to a couple of guys who said they were Seabourn although they had no ID denoting same but I watched them as the took our suitcases in to the Hotel where finally there was a Seabourn sign only it was not Seabourn crew but the local agent staff. We checked in and had some light lunch and waited around for our turn to leave on the coach to the port at around 1630. We arrived at the Haifa Port and talk about Fred Karno’s army, I don't know if they were building the port cruise terminal or pulling it down but it seemed to be mostly in large tents.
Where they dropped us off the coach we then had go to the departure hall which was the other side of the train tracks and meant wee had to climb three sets of stairs carrying our hand luggage as the lift had broken and we reached a place and had to wait for our baggage to arrive. It finally arrived and we had to pick up our own suitcases and drag them thro where then the staff were arguing or discussing, not easy to tell, about what should be done next. They then decided who would lift the cases on the the scanner and who would look at the scanner screen and then who would take the cases off. Finally we were thro to the other side and back on the the coach which then drove the length of the harbour to another area which was immigration, also in large tents. I did think about taking photos but they are very sensitive in Israel to photographing government building but it reminded me of the of Heathrow airport check in which was tend on North side. We were questioned again about PCR tests and we could confirm our were completed the previous day and so went to see the immigration lady, there were other passenger it would appear had not taken a PCR test and would have to do it now. We walked the length of the large tented area and went thro immigration and from there we walked all the way back to the waiting much smaller coaches. We had walked quite a huge distance for me and my right knee was giving up and I was hot and sweaty and not in the frame of mind to start a relaxing cruise after all this hassle.
We got on the smaller coach and drove the 400 yards down the pier to the ship and boarded and greeted with a glass of champagne, which neither of us drink, and settled in to our cabin and now it was about 1745 . Form the cabin after dumping our stuff we went to our muster station and then back stopping for a beer on the way back to the cabin but the suit aces had not arrived at this point which was a little unusual but when I spoke to guest services they said sorry but there has been a delay in the port which we think was due to the lift being out of action and they had to move the baggage containers by hand, such efficiency wow, how Israel allow this to happen I find difficult to accept as it was like a third world country port facilities and not like a modern Israel. Quite frankly it appears the Port has been designed for cargo and they using same for passenger ships and it does not work. Made a big note, never take a ship from Israel again.
We went for dinner in the main restaurant where we discussed my food allergies and they now have this well in hand and hopefully will have no problems with this at all. After dinner we went to the Panorama lounge for a cup of tea and listened to the couple making music and they were very good but then it was time for bed.
