cambe

I will arrive in Sharm on 3rd January and departing on the 17th. . On 5th January I will embark a Thompson Cruise of the Red Sea for 7 nights. I will (I hope) visit Jordan, Israel and the Pyramids in Cairo. I will then spend a further 5 nights in Sharm.

I will be taking ship tours which I understand are covered by a block Visa.

My question is :I will arrive and depart from Sharm within the 14 day limit but if I go to Cairo (with a ships tour and block Visa) am I still covered by the the 14 day free Visa Program?

Thanks

qwovadis

If the ship offers the tour odds are great you will be fine.

Check with your line and cruisecritic.com will have reviews

of folks that have done this.

I have in the past with traveldynamics.com with no problems

from Sharm to Cairo.

Wise to insuremytrip.com independentaly lots of unrest now...

Have fun!

cambe

Thanks qwovadis, but I think I will buy a visa when I arrive in sharm. I am looking at as this way: I arrive on Sharm on 3rd depart for cruise on 5th, return to same hotel on 12th and depart 17th.

I am concerned that the hotel will register my arrival/ departure and arrival/departure to the authorities and when I turn up for my return home I will be asked where I was between 5th and 12th January. As I was outside the Sinai agreement even with a block booked visa I am concerned that this could cause problems.

Please let know if I am wrong

Thanks

sandi

Wouldn't Thompson know how this works? I'm sure you're not the first client who has arrived in Sharm for a few days, then boarded for cruise, and return to Sharm.

However, the Egypt Visa is very inexpensive, believe USD$15*, so if you had to purchase another, we're not talking about a fortune.

*believe this is good for more than 14/days ( 30/days or even 3/months ).

Casual_Cairo

Talk to Thompson direct about this and ask them ALL your questions as the visa for the Sinai is different than the one for the African side of Egypt. The African side one works for the Asian side, but the Asian side does not work for the African side...or at least pre-Revolution that was the case. I don't know how or where you will buy the $15 one for normal Egypt. It does not sound like you will need it though if you will ONLY be visiting Egypt (Africa) with the ship cruise. I agree with Q that they will handle any paperwork needed for a visa for any tour off the ship.

cambe

Thanks all. I tried to contact Thompson but they have all those recorded messages for queries and I couldn't find one to fit my requirements. I then went to cruise critic (thank you Q) and found the answer to my query.

An update for anyone else with this problem - I do NOT need a Visa.

As I will be taking ship tours (and I think even if I am not), I will be covered by the ships 'Quick Stay' Visa. My passport will be stamped with the QS visa in Jordan and Egypt (not sure about Israel). I can then return to Sharm and providing I don't leave the Sinai Peninsula during my stay there I don't need a Visa.

If I decide when I am in Sharm that I would like to take a trip into African Egypt, I can buy a visa in Sharm before I go

All I have to do now is see how to arrange not to have an Israeli stamp on my passport as I will be departing from Sharm I understand that the Israeli's offer to stamp a separate sheet of paper, that you keep in you passport when in Israel and remove when in Egypt but I need to find out more about this.

Thanks