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Passports stamped at Israel port call?


skybosun
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Intend to do a cruise with Thompson's Celebration and its Escape to the East itinerary. It spends one night/two days at Ashdod and day trips to various locations in Israeli are on offer. Interested to know experiences of anyone going ashore for day trips in Israel and if their passport was stamped by Israeli Immigration or did they manage to get the stamp on a separate piece of paper? Different reports suggest that some authorities will oblige and other won't. Don't want to get involved in any politices here and reason for question is simply that we don't want to have to buy new passports(just renewed) if we later want to travel to countries that refuse entry to stamp holders. Would welcome knowledge of anyones recent experiences re the stamp issue. Apologies if this has been answered a zillion times before. Thanks

Edited by skybosun
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On my cruise that stopped in Israel last fall, they asked everyone to meet with Israeli passport control the day before docking to expedite the review of passports. The officers were thorough but also pleasant, and I believe they were handing out the separate paper with documentation to everyone without having to request it. (They did so to me, which is what I wanted -- I did not have to ask.)

 

With a smaller ship or different company I don't know if they handle it the same way, but you can certainly ask and they should accommodate your request. When I returned to Israel on a land trip in March, I did specifically ask at the airport to not have my passport stamped, and they complied (albeit with a remark about why wouldn't I want their stamp....which I just disregarded with a polite smile.)

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When you arrive to Israel by ship they will stamp a card that you will carry with you along with your passport while in port and then you will turn it back in when you return to the ship for the final time. Everyone will be given the card so you do not have to ask for it.

 

As mentioned by cruisemom the officials from Israel will meet with each passenger (they will also meet with each cruise member). They will either do this a day or so before you reach the port of the day you arrive. It just depends on the logistics.

 

Keith

Edited by Keith1010
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  • 1 month later...

As mentioned by cruisemom the officials from Israel will meet with each passenger (they will also meet with each cruise member). They will either do this a day or so before you reach the port of the day you arrive. It just depends on the logistics.

 

Keith

 

We have just booked a Pullmantur cruise for next October that stops in Egypt, then the next two days in Ashdod. If the Israeli officials meet with each individual passenger the day we arrive, how long should we allow for this process when making private arrangements for shore excursions?

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We have just booked a Pullmantur cruise for next October that stops in Egypt, then the next two days in Ashdod. If the Israeli officials meet with each individual passenger the day we arrive, how long should we allow for this process when making private arrangements for shore excursions?

 

It really depends how many people are on the cruise and how many officials they bring on board. With that said they might not do this prior to your arrival to Ashdod but instead come on board when you arrive to Ashdod. I have seen this done both ways.

 

Keith

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Thanks Keith...I am thinking, that as our first day is a sea day and the second day is Egypt until 10:30 PM with the majority of folks out on excursions, they likely will not come on until we get to Ashdod at 8 AM on day three...does that sound logical?

 

I would venture to guess that we should be safe arranging an excursion for about 10:30...maybe!

 

We don't leave until 7 PM the following day though, so plenty of time even if we lose a couple of hours waiting to get ashore.

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Thanks Keith...I am thinking, that as our first day is a sea day and the second day is Egypt until 10:30 PM with the majority of folks out on excursions, they likely will not come on until we get to Ashdod at 8 AM on day three...does that sound logical?

 

I would venture to guess that we should be safe arranging an excursion for about 10:30...maybe!

 

We don't leave until 7 PM the following day though, so plenty of time even if we lose a couple of hours waiting to get ashore.

 

Yes, based on your itinerary I suspect they will bring the personnel on board after you dock. On our last visit when we they cleared the passengers after our arrival it took about 90 minutes so I think that a 10:30 AM start time would be perfect.

 

I hope you enjoy you visit as much as we did.

 

Keith

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Yes, based on your itinerary I suspect they will bring the personnel on board after you dock. On our last visit when we they cleared the passengers after our arrival it took about 90 minutes so I think that a 10:30 AM start time would be perfect.

 

I hope you enjoy you visit as much as we did.

 

Keith

 

I am sure that we will! Thank you again, I would have had no idea about this whole passport stamping issue. Have you posted a review of your cruise?

 

Lesley

Edited by Railwaylass
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Intend to do a cruise with Thompson's Celebration and its Escape to the East itinerary. It spends one night/two days at Ashdod and day trips to various locations in Israeli are on offer. Interested to know experiences of anyone going ashore for day trips in Israel and if their passport was stamped by Israeli Immigration or did they manage to get the stamp on a separate piece of paper? Different reports suggest that some authorities will oblige and other won't. Don't want to get involved in any politices here and reason for question is simply that we don't want to have to buy new passports(just renewed) if we later want to travel to countries that refuse entry to stamp holders. Would welcome knowledge of anyones recent experiences re the stamp issue. Apologies if this has been answered a zillion times before. Thanks

 

Hi Skybosun, how are you? Haven't seen you on the boards for a while.

Jon and I went to Israel last year - loved it. As the previous poster said the Israeli Immigration were on board for a couple of days and stamped a loose sheet for our passports. All very straightforward, just a pain to queue for an hour or so. Have you booked for Jerusalem? Definitely a must. Hope you enjoy.

Chris

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We were on Norwegian Jade out of Civitavecchia to Holy Land and Egypt last week. The committee of at least four Israeli immigration folks came aboard at Alanya, Turkey, and began with the crew, working through our stop at Cyprus the following day. They called us to the Spinnaker Lounge in deck order the day before landing at Haifa. Took about four hours to get the passports with visa card included back to us. Our passports with the visa cards were picked up as we got back aboard in Ashdod the next evening. Egyptian officials had come aboard by then (probably at Ashdod) and worked much of the night to put in Egyptian visas. The lines to pick up passports before debarking at Port Said the next day were crazy -- but a good preparation for the madness of Cairo traffic. We didn't have to show the passports again when we boarded at Alexandria after spending the night in Cairo. (By the way and off topic, we had to show passports about five times when changing planes at JFK at the end of the venture.

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We have just booked a Pullmantur cruise for next October that stops in Egypt, then the next two days in Ashdod. If the Israeli officials meet with each individual passenger the day we arrive, how long should we allow for this process when making private arrangements for shore excursions?

We two nights in Egypt followed by a night in Ashdod and one in Haifa, in September. The Israeli officials were very efficient and numerous. The passports were precollected and we were given a time early in the morning to go and get them from the officials. We had a private tour booked and we were able to leave the ship at the time we were scheduled to.

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We just returned from the Oct. 25 Constellation Holy Lands cruise. The passports were collected when we checked in for the cruise and the Israeli immigration folks reviewed them in advance. We then had an "appointment time" to meet individually with them the sea day before arriving in Israel. They returned the passport and also the stamped immigration card which was to be kept with the passport the entire time we were in Israel and then returned when we returned to the ship before leaving Israel. It was checked each time we left the ship and also when returning to the port.

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We just returned from the Oct. 25 Constellation Holy Lands cruise. The passports were collected when we checked in for the cruise and the Israeli immigration folks reviewed them in advance. We then had an "appointment time" to meet individually with them the sea day before arriving in Israel. They returned the passport and also the stamped immigration card which was to be kept with the passport the entire time we were in Israel and then returned when we returned to the ship before leaving Israel. It was checked each time we left the ship and also when returning to the port.

 

This is essentially the way the process works on all of the arrivals.

 

The only difference is that in some cases the personnel not only come onto the ship in advance but also meet with each passenger a day or so before arrival. Unfortunately, this is not always possible so sometimes the personnel come onto the ship when the ship has arrived in port.

 

Keith

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Lesley, our visits to Israel have been part of World Cruises and we've done blogs for them and posted on the cruise line board of cruise critic but they are very lengthly.

 

Here are some photos of Jerusalem and Bethlehem from our last visit.

 

 

Keith, I enjoyed your photos. I got back from a cruise recently and am trying to label my photos. I have some from The Room of the Last Supper in Jerusalem. Our guide was stupendous but I didn't get all the information he imparted. I was taking notes and taking photographs and everything went by so fast. I am fascinated by this room. I have not been able to identify some of the archaeological elements of the room - and they are not described in guide books. Could I send the 8 photos to you? Or I could post them on here.

Jo-Ann

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Well, I put the 8 photos on my desktop, ready to copy into this thread. When I go to "Manage Attachments" down below nothing happens. When I hit the icon above that says "insert image" all that comes up is a URL and my photos don't have URL. On the top row next to the smiley face is "attachments" but nothing happens there either. Please tell me what to do.

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  • 5 years later...
On my cruise that stopped in Israel last fall, they asked everyone to meet with Israeli passport control the day before docking to expedite the review of passports. The officers were thorough but also pleasant, and I believe they were handing out the separate paper with documentation to everyone without having to request it. (They did so to me, which is what I wanted -- I did not have to ask.)

 

With a smaller ship or different company I don't know if they handle it the same way, but you can certainly ask and they should accommodate your request. When I returned to Israel on a land trip in March, I did specifically ask at the airport to not have my passport stamped, and they complied (albeit with a remark about why wouldn't I want their stamp....which I just disregarded with a polite smile.)

Will the more liberal countries Malaysia & Indonesia let you in with an Israeli visa or stamp?

Also, if our passport needs a visa for Israel & we don't have it, will the cruiseline allow us to board a cruise stopping at Eilat, Israel? Can we stay onboard the ship without an Israeli visa?

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We just returned from the Oct. 25 Constellation Holy Lands cruise. The passports were collected when we checked in for the cruise and the Israeli immigration folks reviewed them in advance. We then had an "appointment time" to meet individually with them the sea day before arriving in Israel. They returned the passport and also the stamped immigration card which was to be kept with the passport the entire time we were in Israel and then returned when we returned to the ship before leaving Israel. It was checked each time we left the ship and also when returning to the port.

Will the more liberal countries Malaysia & Indonesia let you in with an Israeli visa or stamp?

Also, if our passport needs a visa for Israel & we don't have it, will the cruiseline allow us to board a cruise stopping at Eilat, Israel? Can we stay onboard the ship without an Israeli visa?

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When you arrive to Israel by ship they will stamp a card that you will carry with you along with your passport while in port and then you will turn it back in when you return to the ship for the final time. Everyone will be given the card so you do not have to ask for it.

 

As mentioned by cruisemom the officials from Israel will meet with each passenger (they will also meet with each cruise member). They will either do this a day or so before you reach the port of the day you arrive. It just depends on the logistics.Keith

Will the more liberal countries Malaysia & Indonesia let you in with an Israeli visa or stamp?

Also, if our passport needs a visa for Israel & we don't have it, will the cruiseline allow us to board a cruise stopping at Eilat, Israel? Can we stay onboard the ship without an Israeli visa?

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Will the more liberal countries Malaysia & Indonesia let you in with an Israeli visa or stamp?

Also, if our passport needs a visa for Israel & we don't have it, will the cruiseline allow us to board a cruise stopping at Eilat, Israel? Can we stay onboard the ship without an Israeli visa?

 

If you are stopping at Israel on the ship then as part of your face to face meeting the Israeli officials will be stamping a card that will be inserted into your passport but it is not physically attached so your passport won't be stamped. You will turn in the card before the ship leaves.

 

Keith

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Also, if our passport needs a visa for Israel & we don't have it, will the cruiseline allow us to board a cruise stopping at Eilat, Israel? Can we stay onboard the ship without an Israeli visa?

 

The answer to that question depends on the cruise line. You will need to contact the cruise line for the answer.

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If you are stopping at Israel on the ship then as part of your face to face meeting the Israeli officials will be stamping a card that will be inserted into your passport but it is not physically attached so your passport won't be stamped. You will turn in the card before the ship leaves.

 

Keith

 

Keith: I think you are assuming that the poster has a passport that does not require a visa in advance.

 

I believe that this poster is indicating that he/she carries a passport that requires an advance visa for Israel. Passengers from such countries might not be able to get the tourist visa on arrival.

 

drsel: If you carry a passport that requires an advance visa for Israel, you should contact your cruise line and the Israeli consulate in a nearby country to answer your question.

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