What do people do once their grown children are on their own and they’ve retired from their jobs? Travel, of course. Seniors have always been well represented in foreign and domestic travel. Now, Jewish seniors can also take advantage of an ever-expanding array of farflung – even exotic – travel experiences.
“In the good old days, seniors packed a peckalah, got in their car, and took off for the day. Now seniors can travel anywhere,” say Dave Broth of Caves Travel. He and his wife Nancy have been booking trips for clients and themselves for over 27 years.
During these years, the Broths occupied the familiar Caves Travel office on Reisterstown Road. At the end of 2017, they sold the property and moved the agency to their home on Shelburne Road. There, they continue to book trips by phone, email, and fax.
Where To?
Nancy cites Italy as one of the most popular countries for traveling seniors. “There are a great many shuls in Rome, Florence, and Venice,” she says, adding that kosher restaurants are available as well. Safaris in South Africa are another popular adventure. “It’s expensive,” says Nancy, “but people love it.” Also popular are trips to Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. The Broths also have clients traveling to Japan, Budapest, and Singapore. In addition to these popular destinations, seniors sometimes long to travel to Eastern Europe. “They want to see where their ancestors came from and feel connected, before it’s too late,” says Dave.
“Of course, Israel is the top place for seniors to experience the history and spirituality of our homeland,” says Nancy.
“And you don’t have to be held back because of a mobility issue,” adds Dave. He points out that Masada now has a sky lift “straight to the top.” And most places in Europe have handicap access for those who need it.
Where to Stay? What to Eat?
The once-popular kosher hotels, such as Grossingers or the Concord in the Catskills or the Sterling or Caribbean in Florida, no longer exist. It is only on Pesach that people can enjoy an extended stay at a kosher hotel. These are available in many beautiful places, such as Croatia, Greece, and Mexico.
During the rest of the year, when the Broths arrange partial or complete trips, they place clients in hotels where kosher food can be found nearby and management tends to be aware of Shabbos needs. “I try to use suppliers we’ve used for many years,” says Dave. He contrasts this with booking online, where a person might find a five-star hotel, but it might not be in the best location. “It could be a lovely hotel,” says Dave, “but not near where you need to be.”
“We often put clients near a Chabad,” says Nancy. “We recently booked a couple near a Chabad in Hawaii, and they had a fabulous time.” The kosher food is taken care of, plus hotels close to a Chabad are often familiar with how to solve the problem of electronic keys over Shabbos.
Kosher food can often be flown in anywhere, says Nancy, and if someone is searching for restaurants, the website YeahThatsKosher.com lists kosher restaurants all over the world.
Seniors and Safety
Dave advises clients to “travel early and often, because you never know what tomorrow might bring.” The Broths stress taking out insurance when traveling, so that if an accident happens, G-d forbid, before or during the trip, the traveler is covered medically and financially.
“We always take insurance ourselves,” says Nancy.
As for safety while touring, Dave says, “No matter where you go, be aware of your surroundings. Be careful and vigilant. Sometimes seniors move more slowly, so they may not be able to defend themselves well.”
The Broths agree that the easiest and safest trips for seniors are group tours or cruises. “Ships are very accommodating,” says Nancy. Cruise ships include the Princess, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Disney lines, among others.
A regular cruise offers senior discounts, but “there’s no discount on the kosher part of the tour, because most of their travelers are seniors,” states Nancy. But being among the 200 kosher travelers out of 3,000 guests onboard may make up for paying full price. The freshly-cooked kosher food is better than eating frozen TV dinners, and those in charge of the tour bring a Torah onboard for minyan and offer classes such as Daf Yomi. Kosher touring companies include Kosherica, Kosher Safari, Eddie’s Travel, Kesher, and Naomi’s Travel.
A cruise makes an ideal family vacation. Sometimes seniors take their children and/or grandchildren – not only on cruises but also on trips to Israel, Disney World and other destinations by car, ship, or air. Nancy calls these trips “multi-generational.” She’s planning a trip to Israel with her daughter and granddaughters to celebrate a bas mitzva.
A Special Anniversary Cruise
Last year, Dr. David and Debbie Roffman wanted to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a family cruise, so they contacted the Broths. “Nancy and Dave have always taken care of us,” says David. Their travel agents/friends arranged a Disney cruise to Alaska in July. Since their children and grandchildren live out of town, the Roffmans liked the idea of spending eight days together on a ship that offered the magnificent sights of Alaska as well as many exciting activities onboard.
“Everybody is so busy,” says David. “We don’t get to see them often.” A cruise together was a great choice for them. Their children – Josh and Julie from Boston and Adam and Shira from Dallas, with their families – met the Roffmans in Vancouver, British Columbia, from where the cruise departed. A Disney cruise to Alaska also departs from Seattle, but David says that the inside passage waters of Vancouver are gentler. While onboard, they saw a pod of baby whales with their parents, which David says was “breathtaking” for the adults and the children.
A major highlight of the trip was traveling through the fjords of Alaska to see the glaciers. David says that these were “spectacular.” He adds, “When the kids are in their twenties, who knows if the glaciers will still be there?”
Eating in one of three dining rooms on the ship, surrounded by penciled drawings of Disney characters on the walls, David took pictures of his three-year-old granddaughter as the drawings suddenly – through animation – came alive. The Roffmans enjoyed seeing their grandchildren play together and delight in all of the child-centered activities.
The ship docked at a few Alaska ports, including Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway. “All kinds of activities are offered in these ports,” says David. “Some tourists take helicopter rides that land on the glaciers.” In Skagway, the Roffman family rode an open-air train through lush green mountains and valleys. “You ride over bridges 100 feet high and look at the green landscape below and the snow-covered mountains in the distance.”
Alaska cruises, a perennial favorite, are only available from May through September. The trip offers gorgeous scenery, breathtaking views, and temperatures in the 70s. Most of all, it offered the Roffmans time with their family to celebrate a milestone anniversary. “Hopefully, we’ll appreciate the sights in Alaska for a long time,” says David. “This is the kind of experience you dream about.”
A Trip to Budapest
About a year ago, Baltimoreans Murray and Baila Jacobson discovered that for a very small additional fare, they could travel to Europe on the way home from Israel. This year, they booked a flight to Budapest after spending Pesach with their children in Israel. Then Nancy researched kosher restaurants and hotels. She gave them the choice of a couple of hotels, and the Jacobsons chose one close to the Jewish quarter.
It was from the former ghetto of the Jewish Quarter that Jews were deported to concentration camps in 1944. Because the Germans had just begun the deportation before the Soviets came in and liberated the city, 50 percent of the Jews in Budapest survived. Still, many died, and Budapest honors those who perished with Holocaust memorials in and around the city. The Jacobsons saw several including the memorial of shoes on the Danube River.
There's been a beautiful revival of the Jewish community in Budapest. When the Jacobsons arrived, they walked through the Jewish area with its shuls, kosher supermarkets, and restaurants. Another day, they took a free walking tour of the city. The guide pointed out expensive restaurants but suggested that everyone eat in the Jewish Quarter for good food at reasonable prices.
The famous Dohany synagogue, the second largest synagogue in the world, named for the street it’s on in the Jewish Quarter, is a major tourist attraction. “Everybody goes there,” says Murray. He booked tickets for the tour online, which saved them from standing in a long line. With so much to see, they spent hours inside.
Another historic site is the Buda Castle. Murray explained that Buda was a city on the west of the Danube River, and Pest was a city on the east side. Then bridges were built, and the city became Budapest. The Buda Castle houses the Hungarian Museum of Art. To save time, Murray and Baila rode a bus up the hill to the castle. Mostly, the Jacobsons walked around Budapest, but buses, cabs, a light rail, and subway with senior discounts are available if needed.
Murray and Baila cruised up the Danube to Szentendre, a quaint village recommended by their Baltimore friends, the Lehmans. They spent four or five hours there taking in the sights, including a small shul with a little museum.
When they visit their children in Israel this coming Succos, the Jacobsons hope to stop in Vienna. They agree that adding a little extra to the cost of the flight is worth it before they return to Baltimore. As Murray says, “It gives us the chance to see other parts of the world.”
