Do I need the booster shot when cruising to Israel ?

[Ivy86]

Planning a cruise this summer that stops on Israel. Would I be able to get of the ship. I’m vaccinated but not boosted. 🤔 

[CashewNuts]

It's definitely too early to answer that. Israel have changed entry requirement several times over the last few months.
For us, it's whether we will be able to even cruise to Israel next month - cruise ships are currently banned from docking!

[jhenry1]

We are scheduled to be in Israel at the end of May on a cruise and you are correct cruise ships are not allowed yet.  Hoping things will change before final payment in March as the reason we are on the cruise is to see the Holy Lands,  Israel is open for tourist and we are thinking a land tour might be the best option.

Have you heard anything about ports opening?

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

I believe the ports (Haifa and Ashdod) are now open to cruisers, as there are some cruises scheduled for April - starting April 3 with a Silversea ship, then a few others, and more in May.  I'm scheduled to be on a cruise that gets there in May and so far I haven't heard any bad news regarding our visit there.  However, there are still some pretty specific requirements outlined on Israel's Health Ministry site.  Vaccinated people may enter with a negative covid test, but it sounds like most or all still have to be tested once they get to Israel, and then isolate for up to 24 hours.  So I 'm a little nervous about whether that will apply to cruisers, and if so, how it will impact itineraries.  But we'll see.  At least cruise ships are at least now allowed to come in. So things are getting better.

Edited March 27, 2022 by IWantToLiveOverTheSea

[Crazy planning mom]

16 hours ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

I believe the ports (Haifa and Ashdod) are now open to cruisers, as there are some cruises scheduled for April - starting April 3 with a Silversea ship, then a few others, and more in May.  I'm scheduled to be on a cruise that gets there in May and so far I haven't heard any bad news regarding our visit there.  However, there are still some pretty specific requirements outlined on Israel's Health Ministry site.  Vaccinated people may enter with a negative covid test, but it sounds like most or all still have to be tested once they get to Israel, and then isolate for up to 24 hours.  So I 'm a little nervous about whether that will apply to cruisers, and if so, how it will impact itineraries.  But we'll see.  At least cruise ships are at least now allowed to come in. So things are getting better.

Please come back and let us know how it went.  

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

16 minutes ago, Crazy planning mom said:

Please come back and let us know how it went.  

I'll try to remember.  But you may want to post again on here later (late May) to remind me.

 

[Crazy planning mom]

8 minutes ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

I'll try to remember.  But you may want to post again on here later (late May) to remind me.

 

Will do.  Have an October cruise scheduled.  Of course, alot can happen ( good and bad) in between.

[mpk]

On 3/27/2022 at 10:56 AM, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

I'll try to remember.  But you may want to post again on here later (late May) to remind me.

 

Gentle reminder 😃    How did it go?   How much time was lost on the 1st Israel port?

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

I didn't look back to see what I was going to say about Israel.  But here's how it went.  But it's my understanding that about a month or less after we traveled, Israel dropped the onsite PCR testing there for cruisers, so people after that didn't have to worry about losing time there -- unless, of course, Israel decides to make another change.  I don't know the current status. 

 

We got to Haifa port a little after sunrise on our first day of a three day visit to Israel.  Oceania had scheduled us to go at different times into the terminal (about a half city block away) for immigration check and Covid testing.  I forget if Oceania took our passports or if we still had them that day.  I'd say the whole process in the cruise terminal for the two of us took about 30 minutes.  There was a line, but it moved fairly well, first for immigration and then (very close nearby) for testing. PCR testing was thorough and efficient.  We were given a little document to keep with us to say we had cleared immigration.  We had also, I believe, done an application on an app while on the ship before getting to Israel.   Once done, each person went back to the ship.  I don't know exactly when the testing was completed, but at some point we all received a text or email which we could identify as being about Covid but couldn't read (unfamiliar characters!)   Most or all of us (individually) panicked a bit.  A little later the cruise director came over the PA and told us the notice was just a receipt saying that our tests had been received at a lab.  Finally at 5 PM we got the "all clear" on the ship from the cruise director, saying testing was complete and we could leave the ship. I don't know if anyone tested positive or not.  I never heard, although we did have some people quarantining on the ship at various times.  In any case, by 5 most things near by were closed or closing very soon (like the Bahai Gardens) so I doubt many people went off the ship. 

 

That evening after dinner, the ship moved to a different dock at Haifa.  It was my guess that it was because another cruise ship was arriving soon and needed the terminal to get their passengers cleared.  The next morning we took an Oceania excursion to Masada and the Dead Sea.  After that first day the ship sailed to Ashdod (at night).  From the Ashdod port we took a tour with Guided Tours Israel to Jerusalem & Bethlehem.  Both tours were quite good (large people mover van for GTS - a little cramped, but not too bad, and a coach for Oceania.  Both O vendor and GTS picked us up right at the ports).  Of course, there was a lot of driving to and from the sites, and of course, there were loads of people at each major site.   But the experience was pretty incredible, so it was worth it. 

 

As for the scheduling, I had alerted GTS that our schedule might be upset due to Israel's testing, so they were on standby.  Originally some people on our cruise were planning to do all 3 days with them - northern Israel, Jerusalem, and Masada, though maybe not in that order.  GTS contacted me (email or text) a few days before we arrived in Haifa to let me know they (obviously) couldn't do the first day tour.  They offered me a Jerusalem/Bethlehem tour on our third day from Ashdod and a northern Israel tour the second day.  I had planned to go off on my own the second day, so passed on the northern Israel tour.  I then signed up for Masada with Oceania to get to see Msada and the Dead Sea.  

 

Questions? Want to see photos?  Just ask.

Edited September 23, 2022 by IWantToLiveOverTheSea

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

9 hours ago, mpk said:

 

Gentle reminder 😃    How did it go?   How much time was lost on the 1st Israel port?

thanks for reminder!

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

On 3/27/2022 at 2:06 PM, Crazy planning mom said:

Will do.  Have an October cruise scheduled.  Of course, alot can happen ( good and bad) in between.

I think you'll be fine - see my post!

 

[Crazy planning mom]

Thanks for coming back and reporting what you experienced I want to live.