Israel - passport question

We will be docking overnight in Ashdod, Israel and will be leaving the ship to spend two nights in Jerusalem....rejoining the ship in Haifa. Does anyone know if Israeli customs/immigration officials will confiscate/take our passports on arrival in Ashdod? We will need them in Jerusalem, and would like to know what procedures we will encounter on docking. Many thanks.............

Not like in other ports around Europe, cruise passengers are obliged to carry their passport with them all time while leaving the ship and visiting Israel. Also, all passengers must go through a face to face interview by the immigration authorities. This all thing is done very quickly. You did not mentioned on which ship you are coming and that can have an influence on the process. If coming on a big ship, like the Celebrity Silhouette, the Israeli immigration authorities will embark your ship in the last port before Israel and the immigration process will take place on the ship while sailing to Israel. If you are coming in a small ship then all the passengers (even if not planing to leave the ship st all) must go through the terminal to complete the immigration process. In both cases your ship will give you your passport before and it will stay with you all time as you are in Israel. Your passport will not be stamped and you will get a separate landing card that you'll have to carry with your passport all time.

Your passport will be checked again every time when you leave the ship or come back by the port security.

In no time your passport will be taken from you. So as you pass the security and heading out of the port you'll have your passport with you all the time.

Don't loose the landing card because then you'll have a problem when getting back to your ship.

Enjoy your visit.

If your cruise is coming up soon, you might want to keep a close eye on changes to your itinerary. This weekends problems might cause your ship to change ports.

If your cruise is coming up soon, you might want to keep a close eye on changes to your itinerary. This weekends problems might cause your ship to change ports.

Yesterday, Oct 5, there were 2 ships in Haifa - MSC Opera and AidaAstella.

Tomorrow on Oct 6 the Silhouette is coming to Ashdod and will stay there overnight. only the Opera sent almost 30 buses to Jerusalem/Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

On Oct 8 the Mein Schiff 1 will be docking in Haifa

On Oct 9 there will be 2 ships in Haifa - silhouette and the Oceania Nautica - while the Mein Schiff will be in Ashdod.

The Nautica will be staying 2 overnight and will sail on Sunday Oct 11.

So business as usual!

All events in Jerusalem were away from were the excursions are going. Also, not like in any other places around the region, there were never any attacks against tourists!

Come and enjoy Israel.

Excellent information...........thanks so much.

The last time we visited Israel by ship we were required to carry our passports with us.

Otherwise the ship held them. In your case whether or not it is required to carry your passport you will take it with you and that is not an issue at all.

Keith

The ship's announcements/paperwork will make it very clear if you need to carry your passport when going ashore as this changes now and again for various ports.

We just returned from Israel. We needed our passports to enter and leave the country; other than that our driver's licenses were accepted.

Yesterday, Oct 5, there were 2 ships in Haifa - MSC Opera and AidaAstella.

Tomorrow on Oct 6 the Silhouette is coming to Ashdod and will stay there overnight. only the Opera sent almost 30 buses to Jerusalem/Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

On Oct 8 the Mein Schiff 1 will be docking in Haifa

On Oct 9 there will be 2 ships in Haifa - silhouette and the Oceania Nautica - while the Mein Schiff will be in Ashdod.

The Nautica will be staying 2 overnight and will sail on Sunday Oct 11.

So business as usual!

All events in Jerusalem were away from were the excursions are going. Also, not like in any other places around the region, there were never any attacks against tourists!

Come and enjoy Israel.

Interested to know if ships kept coming because celebrity cancelled all ships

As a matter of fact RCC and Celebrity were the onlyone that canceled.

Today and yesterday we had both HAL Rotterdam and Thomson Spirit in both Ashdod and Haifa.

The ship's announcements/paperwork will make it very clear if you need to carry your passport when going ashore as this changes now and again for various ports.

If you do an Overnight in let's say Jerusalem -- you should take your passport to avoid the VAT on the hotel bill.

If you do an Overnight in let's say Jerusalem -- you should take your passport to avoid the VAT on the hotel bill.

On top of this you normally need your Passports anytime you stay at any foreign port for an overnight. Most hotels require them.

Keith