Catholic Mass

Does anyone know if there is a Catholic Mass on Sunday morning on the Caribbean Princess?

Does anyone know if there is a Catholic Mass on Sunday morning on the Caribbean Princess?

Not normally, if they do any at all it is usually a non denominational one.

In all our cruises I can remember only a few times where there was a priest aboard. They just hold a service with some readings & prayers led by one of the passengers.

Does anyone know if there is a Catholic Mass on Sunday morning on the Caribbean Princess?

No mass on Sunday. Princess no longer has clergy on board. This has been their practice for quite a few years now.

If a priest is booked on your voyage as a passenger, then he can request to conduct a mass, and a time and venue will be provided. This would be shown in the Princess Patter.

I have been on a few cruises where Sunday was a sea day and a member of the crew (once the Captain) led an interdenominational service. On other cruises where it was an early port day there would be no service or a small meeting in a conference room with a passenger leading.

Princess' official policy on Religious Services was changed several years ago to essentially passenger-led only:

We respect our guests' religious beliefs and invite them to practice on their own or with their fellow guests. Guests who wish to lead religious services may volunteer by contacting the Guest Services desk or a member of the Cruise Staff. In some cases, our shipboard staff will lead services. However, Princess Cruises does not place clergy on board our vessels.

 

Clergy traveling as Guests onboard our vessels are welcome to conduct services while sailing. They should leave their name, cabin number, and services offered at the Guest Services Desk and they will be contacted by a member of the Cruise Director's Staff. Approval of services will be made based on schedule suitability, appropriate onboard supplies, etc. Please bring your Letter of Celebret or Letter of Good Standing with you to provide to the onboard staff.

There are only two cruise lines (plus one ship) that still provide a Catholic Mass on all cruises: Crystal and Holland America (and QM2); Celebrity provides a Priest for Christmas and all of Lent including Easter; many others provide a Priest for Christmas and Easter. Here is a link with full details:

http://www.thecatholictravelguide.com/CruisesWillTherebeaCatholicPriestonmyCruise.html

Most cruise lines have discontinued providing free passage to clergy or paying them to provide services on the ship, probably for several reasons. First, it takes a cabin from a potential paying guest(s). Secondly, it isn't really fair to favor one religion over another.

If Sunday or a holiday happens to be a port day, some lines will provide a list of churches that will welcome cruise line guests and a list of service times. If Sunday is an embarkation/disembarkation day, there are churches near the port--again, you can attend services before boarding or after disembarkation.

Most lines either provide non-denominational services or make space available for guests to do their own service.

On the other hand, we've been on several cruises where a pastor or rabbi was cruising and held services. These were announced in the nightly newsletter. In one instance it was particularly nice--they emphasized that they welcomed people of all faiths and if there was any interest would hold a brief question and answer session after the service. We did attend and were pleased that the question and answer session was just that; there was no attempt to convert people or whatever. It was purely an educational session.

No mass on Sunday. Princess no longer has clergy on board. This has been their practice for quite a few years now.

If a priest is booked on your voyage as a passenger, then he can request to conduct a mass, and a time and venue will be provided. This would be shown in the Princess Patter.

This is very true. But most of the time there is no mass.

Tony

Princess' official policy on Religious Services was changed several years ago to essentially passenger-led only:

Which effectively means if there is a priest on board probably if there's not....

Which effectively means if there is a priest on board probably if there's not....

Yep, that's about it. If one wants to attend a Service, it is best to scout out a local church and attend the Mass with the locals.

After we get done with this thread, I look forward to the discussions on the other no-no topics of sports, politics and sex.

You can get a traveler dispensation from your priest if it's impossible to attend Mass during your cruise (such as on a sea day with no priest onboard). The only times we've had Mass onboard was when a priest was cruising and they were very well-attended. On the Regal, they moved them to the Princess Theater when Princess Live overflowed. It's very interesting to attend Mass in different countries and we do it whenever possible.

Does anyone know if there is a Catholic Mass on Sunday morning on the Caribbean Princess?

On cruises we have been on b/t Royal/Celebrity/Princess, the only time Catholic Mass was offered was religious holidays - Easter and Christmas and maybe Thanksgiving but not sure. I know for sure Easter and Christmas

if a priest happens to be onboard, then sometimes there will be additional masses.

You can get a traveler dispensation from your priest if it's impossible to attend Mass during your cruise (such as on a sea day with no priest onboard). The only times we've had Mass onboard was when a priest was cruising and they were very well-attended. On the Regal, they moved them to the Princess Theater when Princess Live overflowed. It's very interesting to attend Mass in different countries and we do it whenever possible.

We have traveled on many cruises with a friend of our who is a Catholic priest. He serve on Hal & X when that had a on board priest, this was through the cruise line. He stopped doing that when he started to get worried that he might not be able to for fill his duties on board as a priest because of his age. He then would also travel with us. On these cruises he still would do some masses. They were all ways well attended. Our last cruise with him doing some masses was on Regal Dec. 2015. This was one month before his 97 birthday. He is still doing well. Was the priest on your Regal this one?

We were on one Carribean cruise in January and a retired Catholic Priest was on board (had paid his own way). He was kind enough to have daily mass in one of the lounges but that was the only time we've seen it

On cruises we have been on b/t Royal/Celebrity/Princess, the only time Catholic Mass was offered was religious holidays - Easter and Christmas and maybe Thanksgiving but not sure. I know for sure Easter and Christmas

 

if a priest happens to be onboard, then sometimes there will be additional masses.

We were onboard a Princess cruise during Christmas and no Catholic Mass was offered. There was a non denominational service conducted by one of the crew members.

We were on the Island Princess when a Catholic priest was on board as a passenger. He held Sunday morning mass service which was well attended. The lounge was standing room only.

Although we are not Catholic, we enjoyed the service and message very much. It was especially nice to hear a prayer for all sailors and ships at sea.

We were onboard a Princess cruise during Christmas and no Catholic Mass was offered. There was a non denominational service conducted by one of the crew members.

Never been on Princess at Christmas so could very well be true. We have been on Royal at Christmas and attended a great midnight mass in the theater with a priest from South Africa. We totally enjoyed it.

We don't feel like we have to go to mass when on vacation, but for Christmas, it is really nice.

Not normally, if they do any at all it is usually a non denominational one.

Just to clarify ( kindly), a Mass can never be non denominational. It is a liturgy performed by an ordained priest where Catholics receive consecrated communion.

However, a prayer service can be non denominational. Such a prayer service can be conducted by a priest,minister or a person who has not been ordained. Readings from the Bible, prayers and hymns may be part of such a non denominational ( but usually Christian ) service.

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Our last 3-4 cruises have been on Caribbean Princess (like the OP). There were no services, interdenominational or other.

 

On the CB this spring:

Sunday on a sea day: 9 AM interdenominational church service with the Cruise Director in Club Fusion.

Sunday on a port day: There was an interdenominational service the previous day (a Saturday sea day) at 9 AM with the CD in Club Fusion.

We have traveled on many cruises with a friend of our who is a Catholic priest. He serve on Hal & X when that had a on board priest, this was through the cruise line. He stopped doing that when he started to get worried that he might not be able to for fill his duties on board as a priest because of his age. He then would also travel with us. On these cruises he still would do some masses. They were all ways well attended. Our last cruise with him doing some masses was on Regal Dec. 2015. This was one month before his 97 birthday. He is still doing well. Was the priest on your Regal this one?

Geocruiser, the cruise I was referring to was in October 2014, Regal Transatlantic crossing from Venice to Ft. Lauderdale. There were actually two priests onboard - a Monsignor and his brother (who was also a priest) from Des Moines as I recall. Really nice gentlemen in their 80's.