Aqaba to Eilat to Haifa?

[sandiego1]

I will be on a cruise that stops in Aqaba, Jordan and Haifa, Israel several days later. Since I have already been to Wadi Rum and Petra, I am considering leaving the ship in Aqaba and rejoin the ship in Haifa. Does anyone know if I can do this? I know I need to get permission from the cruise line to disembark and embark in another port (I've done it before). However, I have never crossed into another country to rejoin the ship. Are there any border/immigration issues that I need to be aware of in either Jordan or Israel?

 

I want to spend several days going to the Dead Sea, Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv, Masada, and Haifa.

[John Bull]

We've played catch-up a time or two here and there around the world, but this is a particularly daunting one.

On our second cruise to Aqaba we considered popping over to Eilat for the day - it's so close & there's a border crossing..

 

The cruise line holds your passport, but no problem "borrowing" it back for the day - it's likely to be very different keeping it until you get to Haifa.

 

One other concern is an Arabian stamp in your passport when going into Israel (or is it the other way round ). I know that in one or the other or both, cruisers' passports aren't stamped at the cruise port for that very reason.

 

Crossing the border is fraught. Local taxis (on both sides) can't cross the border. So you get out of your taxi, cross on foot, & hope there's one available on the other side. I think there's a long walk involved both sides when crossing the border - we had our taxi take us to the border for a look-see. There's no "town" or infrastructure at the border, just a dusty road and border posts.

 

The grief, complications and risk were all too much for us even for a day-trip, so we abandoned the idea.

But you may be made of stronger stuff.

 

There's also the question of transportation from Eilat to Haifa. Since the ship has to go the long way round I guess there's time for you to rent a one-way car and stop at sights (Masada, Dead Sea, Jerusalem or wherever) on the way.

 

Sounds like a lot of grief & effort for the reward, but it's your grief, your effort and your reward.

 

I wish you good luck if you go for it.

 

JB 

 

 

[mef_57]

You would benefit from asking on a land travel forum. You will need visas for both countries other than the ship's day cards. You can walk across the border into Isreal and get transport there. Here is one post to read https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/beyond-europe/crossing-border-jordan-to-israel-eilat-to-jerusalem-day-trips-to-nazareth-bethlehem

But discuss with cruise line at the start of planning.

[sandiego1]

Thanks for the info. I will check out the link. I already posted on another forum for both Israel and Jordan. I was curious to see if any cruise ship passengers have done it before.  I know another couple that left the ship for several days on the 2019 WC to go to Israel for a week. I can't remember if they left from Oman or Jordan.

[kendon]

9 hours ago, John Bull said:

We've played catch-up a time or two here and there around the world, but this is a particularly daunting one.

On our second cruise to Aqaba we considered popping over to Eilat for the day - it's so close & there's a border crossing..

 

The cruise line holds your passport, but no problem "borrowing" it back for the day - it's likely to be very different keeping it until you get to Haifa.

 

One other concern is an Arabian stamp in your passport when going into Israel (or is it the other way round ). I know that in one or the other or both, cruisers' passports aren't stamped at the cruise port for that very reason.

 

Crossing the border is fraught. Local taxis (on both sides) can't cross the border. So you get out of your taxi, cross on foot, & hope there's one available on the other side. I think there's a long walk involved both sides when crossing the border - we had our taxi take us to the border for a look-see. There's no "town" or infrastructure at the border, just a dusty road and border posts.

 

The grief, complications and risk were all too much for us even for a day-trip, so we abandoned the idea.

But you may be made of stronger stuff.

 

There's also the question of transportation from Eilat to Haifa. Since the ship has to go the long way round I guess there's time for you to rent a one-way car and stop at sights (Masada, Dead Sea, Jerusalem or wherever) on the way.

 

Sounds like a lot of grief & effort for the reward, but it's your grief, your effort and your reward.

 

I wish you good luck if you go for it.

 

JB 

 

 

I disagree.  The effort is very worth it. The OP would be missing way too otherwise.  I don't see a Jordanian stamp in the passport as a problem.  Last October during a three week land trip, I had a Jordan stamp and got into Israel without a problem. Israel no longer stamps your passport, your visa is on a separate slip of paper.  It is a very long drive from Eilat to Haifa, but you may already know this.  Honestly, if I were you (and could afford it) I'd take a two week land trip just to Israel some day.  SO MUCH to see.  Let us know what you plan to do!

 

[John Bull]

1 hour ago, kendon said:

I disagree.  The effort is very worth it.

 

 

 

Ahhh, but I didn't say it wasn't worth it for the OP . 

It wasn't worth the grief & risk for us to cross to Eilat for the day.

 

The OP's plans are certainly fraught with complications, not the least permission from the cruise line or the risk that due to unrest the port-of-call visit to Haifa doesn't happen - though Haifa is much less of that risk than Ashdod,

 

I said that we wouldn't go thro the grief & effort, but that it was the OP's grief, effort & reward, so it's for the OP to decide whether it's worth it to them - and I wished them luck if they went ahead. 

 

I've checked thro my passport - I have Jordanian stamps but don't see an Israeli one. At least one Jordanian stamp was in it before I visited Israel, which I did by cruise ship (Haifa and 2 days Ashdod) .

 

Yes, a land trip of a week or more would be great.

The OP may make the same mistake that's a speciality of mine -  I tend to fit in too much in too little time, so I've seen the highlights and that's a disincentive for me to return. 

 

JB