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from aqaba you can go to petra/ and from eilat to timna mountains,dolphins reef.

If you like snorkeling you need to stay at the red sea ! it is amazing all the fish you can see and the corals! I have been many times in aqaba and eilat and the sea is just amazing. I would recomend Aqua Sport at the south beach of eilat, they have instructors if you want diving and they have snorkeling gear to rent. They have a lovely beach and beach bar with beautifull lunches and cheap! They also speak english. I have seen Petra, it is very nice but for me not worth going all the way there paying so much money.You better swim with the dolphins at the dolpfin reef in eilat or admire all the corals. I also enjoyed the shopping in eilat! nice stuff !!! Have fun ps I agree upon your remarks of car hire, if you are just one day there it is not worth traveling to the dead sea eather , too far and the red sea is sooo much nicer !

Like Chris I would suggest the ships trip to Petra as everything will be included in the cost....I have read that the admission cost to Petra has risen alot over the past year and although the ships cost will seem alot of money it usually includes lunch and admission.....not sure what Costa will be charging but the Thomson rates are around the £100 figure for comparison....I will add of course that this is a 'once in a lifetime' trip and well worth the money for the sheer amazement.... Having holidayed in Eilat over half a dozen times I would not recommend hiring a car to drive to the Dead Sea.....we found car hire to be expensive and it is around a 100 miles or so away from Eilat... although it is a long straightish road with security check points on the way...so again I would take a ships trip if you want to go that far! It probably wouldn't be much cheaper to DIY.... However there are things to see in Eilat itself like the underwater aquarium which we found very good...there was also a small 'private' beach where the dolphins will swim in...I remember standing on a small jetty there and a Mum bringing her baby into see us.....it is a few years since we've been, so they may do 'swimming with dolphins' now, i don't know! there is a large modern shopping mall (not cheap) to look around and a long sea front/beach with some opulent hotels...although they were beginning to look a bit shabby when we were last there...if you are into birdwatching (the purpose of our visits) if you walk right along to the end of the hotels there is a good area to spot migrating birds, although February is a bit early, we have seen flocks of storks fly over!!

Aqaba - main sights are Dead Sea or Petra, you'll not have time in a day to sensibly do both. Dead sea on the Jordan side is a dead loss, little more than a bit of fun floating on the Dead Sea (the real fun is trying to stand up ater floating, its like having a lifejacket tied to each foot LOL). Dead Sea is much better done on the Israeli side ...........Petra is about 2 hours from Aqaba, but well worth the effort. The port is secure so if you want to do it independently best to pre-book rather than figure how to find a taxi on-the-fly, some drivers speak no english, some don't want that sort of journey. Bear in mind that ship's excursion will include admission (quite expensive, I think its well over £20pp) & probably lunch, so you'd need a private group of at least four to beat ship's excursion prices. There's no worthwhile diversions or stops on the way to Petra, bar one viewpoint. Admission at Petra requires Jordanian money, don't know whether credit cards accepted, taxi drivers will probably accept GBP or USD or Euros, they're also good enough for minor purchases, incl pound and euro coins.. Petra involves a walk of up to 1/2 mile down a narrow ravine (good surface) and rough ground at the bottom, not ideal for those with walking disabilities. Me? - with just two of us I'd probably bite the bullet & take ship's excursion to Petra.................. another option is 4x4 across the high desert at Wadi Rum, Lawrence's "Seven Pillars of Wisdom". Its under an hour from Aqaba, but again needs a taxi. The 4x4s can be hired on-the-fly but probably needs a group of 8 to be good value. Aqaba itself is a bit of a dump.

Eilat is directly opposite Aqaba, can be clearly seen from your ship in Aqaba. I don't know the place, other than that its a resort & well-known for snorkelling. .. ............It's about 2.5 hours from Eilat to the amazing Herodian fortress overlooking the Dead Se at Masada, & Dead Sea bathing at Ein Gedi. Consider either car-hire (all the usual car-hire suspects in Eilat, inexpensive, driving & navigation are easy) or a private tour. Me? I'd hire a car & go to the fortress at Masada followed by a dip in the Dead Sea. Google it, see what you think. (beware Googlemaps, there's another "Masada" way up north by the Sea of Galillee). Car hire, fuel, & payment at Masada can be by credit card, otherwise euros should be OK.

Sorry, had never heard of Costa Voyager, she's a titchy one by Costa standards, but I've always found little ships to be much more friendly than the floating apartment blocks. Do check out the drinks packages, Costa's bar prices are heavy. And Costa frequently cancel english-speaking excursions diue to lack of demand - and that's on much bigger ships!! Not really a problem at Petra, ship's excursion is more for the logistics than a guide. ........ Chris