Shabbat/Jewish Sabbath Questions

[motherof]

We were on Enchantment last fall. There was a sign-up book at the end of the customer service area every Friday. I think that was mainly so they would have an idea of how much wine and how many glasses to set out. About twice as many people showed up as had signed up, so there was not enough to go around.

 

The siddurim provided were the Reform Gates of Prayer. The candles had issues and only one would light, so you might want to bring your own electric tea lights. The wine was kosher, but I can't speak to the status of the challah. Services were held in a room near the Windjammer.

 

Our group was a mix of the different branches of Judaism, from Israeli Orthodox to my Reform family. It worked out.

[CruisinGerman]

"I don't need advice on how to keep kosher"

 

 

Everybody on this board has been open, honest and friendly with an attitude of trying to help the original poster, and some of us have even approached this thread with a great interest in learning more about an orthodox practice which many of us ourselves don't follow.

 

While one purpose of these threads is indeed to answer a specific question posed by the original poster, the beauty of these threads is when the comments branch out and flourish so that many more of us can learn while at the same time responding to the original poster's question.

 

In one post, the OP says she is not availing herself of the standard frozen food provided by cruise lines when requesting kosher meals. In another post, when someone with the best of intentions offered some advice as to how others sometimes handle the kosher situation, she bluntly says that she didn't ask for advice on how to keep kosher.

 

Well, if she's not going to eat the cruise line's kosher food and she doesn't need anybody's advice as to how to keep kosher on a cruise ship, perhaps then instead of being so hush-hush as if she were a spy working for the Massad, she might like to share with the rest of us how, in fact, she does intend to keep kosher, and what in fact she intends to eat, since this information may very well help other families to solve the same issues about keeping kosher while on a cruise ship.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[deserttraveler]

This is offered as an observation that might help someone, not as advice. A year or so ago, I noticed a multi-generational family cruising, with the "older" generation being far more observant in dress and diet than the younger. I noticed them using paper plates and plastic cutlery to eat salads and fruits and vegetables. I suspect that the family brought the plates and cutlery rather than obtaining them from the cruise line (don't remember if it was HAL or Celebrity). I understand that the salads were most likely prepared with non-kosher utensils and were in non-kosher containers, but the family I observed may have been willing to make this compromise in order to have fresh fruits and vegetables.

 

On a cruise with RCI several years ago, the sign-up for Shabbat services was in a loose-leaf notebook in the library. The challah was baked on board, not kosher. The provided wine was definitely kosher.

 

And it is absolutely true that ALL of this varies from ship to ship even on the same line. Celebrity, an affiliate of RCI, sometimes does and sometimes does not put Shabbat services times in the daily bulletin. The person on board who is responsible for this is the Activities Director, and for some it is simply off their radar, especially if they are new.

[Sammy Sails]

Hi. 'Kosher style' is not the same as 'Kosher'. There is no way a kitchen on a cruise ship can cater for Kosher needs fully as the staffing and very specific preparation requirements preclude this service. If the whole ship were kosher that would be different. Even eating vegetarian / fish dishes would not suffice the orthodox Jew as all the dishes and preparation tools would have been used to prepare other, non Kosher, meals. That is why Kosher meals can be brought on board for those who require this assurance along with the sealed cutlery required.

 

Your friends made adjustments to their diet for spiritual reasons. It's totally different to the adjustments for no salt or gluten free which is for health and wellbeing reasons.

:confused: I see trying to be helpful is not. I'm the Sisterhood president at my Temple and have been a practicing Jew for over 50 years. So enjoy your cruise and don't ask questions that you don't want answered.

[CruisinGerman]

There are various organizations that sponsor Kosher cruises as groups on the major cruise lines, mixed with other passengers.

 

These cruises are very expensive, but they do bring on board their own pots and pans, rabbinical supervision, dishes, etc., as well as their own entertainment and their own waiters.

 

I wonder what experience anybody might have had on one of these cruises?

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[avazah]

"I don't need advice on how to keep kosher"

 

 

Everybody on this board has been open, honest and friendly with an attitude of trying to help the original poster, and some of us have even approached this thread with a great interest in learning more about an orthodox practice which many of us ourselves don't follow.

 

While one purpose of these threads is indeed to answer a specific question posed by the original poster, the beauty of these threads is when the comments branch out and flourish so that many more of us can learn while at the same time responding to the original poster's question.

 

In one post, the OP says she is not availing herself of the standard frozen food provided by cruise lines when requesting kosher meals. In another post, when someone with the best of intentions offered some advice as to how others sometimes handle the kosher situation, she bluntly says that she didn't ask for advice on how to keep kosher.

 

Well, if she's not going to eat the cruise line's kosher food and she doesn't need anybody's advice as to how to keep kosher on a cruise ship, perhaps then instead of being so hush-hush as if she were a spy working for the Massad, she might like to share with the rest of us how, in fact, she does intend to keep kosher, and what in fact she intends to eat, since this information may very well help other families to solve the same issues about keeping kosher while on a cruise ship.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

 

Whoa, is this serious?? I said I did not need advice on keeping kosher in my previous post as a way of saying "don't worry dudes, we got this covered!" If you read my previous post in which I said I did not need advice on keeping kosher, I mentioned that I was reluctant to talk about it because of previous awkward and unnecessarily rude comments on previous kosher threads on CC that I have seen and was nervous to receive the same kind of flack. There were a lot of comments from the peanut gallery about how this or that made something "not really kosher", and that wasn't really the point of this thread WHATSOEVER... In the interest of keeping threads relevant and on topic for future shabbat observant cruisers(because I found it personally very frustrating to read through 4 pages of a thread that diverged into another topic only to find that no one ACTUALLY answered the original question!), I was attempting to keep the topic to just Shabbat issues that we may be facing and Shabbat-related things. You will noticed that someone brought up the issue of automatic doors, and it was, in my opinion, responded to with grace. It was very kind of that person to bring up the issue -- if we hadn't thought of it(or if future cruisers haven't thought of it), it is definitely a consideration that falls into the category of Shabbat...

 

Anyway, since you did technically ask, we are not relying solely on the packaged meals for several reasons. They are pretty nasty, from prior experience. Many things on a cruise line can be "as kosher as possible" and completely acceptable for many people(ultra-orthodox aside, who would not find the typical milk to be acceptable even -- we do not hold by those same standards, which makes this whole process much easier!). Many items are certified kosher, such as bagels, english muffins, yogurts, milk, chips etc. I have worked in kosher kitchens(and one non kosher kitchen while keeping kosher!) and have worked closely with kosher supervisors(and have worked as one myself, once). I understand where there is "wiggle room", essentially, and how to ask the right questions about what is and is not kosher. Many contemporary orthodox rabbis who are well known in certain non-ultra-orthodox circles have spoken about the acceptability of things like raw vegetables or fruit(salads, etc) eaten with either hechshered(with kosher symbol) dressings or just plain lemon juice/olive oil/salt/pepper(things that do not require a kosher symbol innately). It is also acceptable to eat identifiable kosher fish(like salmon, with some skin attached to verify the presence or previous presence of scales, which verifies its kosher status) that has been double wrapped in foil and baked in an oven. With knowledge of which products require proper kosher certification and which DO NOT(as well as finding out which products do have kosher certification -- you'd be surprised, MANY products that do not have innately non-kosher ingredients do in fact have a kosher symbol, even in massive food service quantities!) allows more flexibility for things like seasonings. Thankfully, we really like fish and salad!

 

I also understand things like the rule of "batul b'shishim" -- if a non-kosher product is 1/60 or less of the entirety of a dish, the dish is still considered kosher. This covers in the case of accidents and mishaps where someone may argue that, omg, the chef may have accidentally spilled a drop of pork juice on your potato before they double wrapped it and baked it! A good example of how this principle may apply on a cruise ship is if a bacon bit or two fall into a big container of romaine lettuce in the salad bar. If we are holding by the rabbis who say that the raw lettuce is fine(bug checking aside -- we don't need RCI do to that for us), we can remove the bacon bits and eat the lettuce itself. This is the best way that I can explain it, I think, without getting too complicated in Jewish law :)

 

I will admit, a little bit of it comes down to trust. Some people may not be comfortable with certain things. A lot of the comfort level comes with working closely in a field related to the supervision of kosher within a restaurant or banquet setting and working closely with kosher law in general. Many people do not have such a comfort level simply because they keep kosher at home, eat at kosher restaurants, and never really need to know many of the nuances. Under the guidance of rabbis, we feel comfortable enough to eat certain things like double-wrapped fish and salad. We will also be totally happy with that bowl of berries for dessert that many posters keep mentioning you can ask for, and we have heard that the soft serve mix is kosher -- we are looking forward to verifying this to be true and eating copious amounts of soft serve. ;)

 

One other question that comes up a lot is about utensils and silverware. While many kosher people may feel a little "weird" about it, there actually isn't an issue with using "non kosher" utensils if the item is cold and not 'sharp'(garlic and onion or spicy). Cold cereal in a bowl with milk is technically acceptable, from what I remember(I believe the ways non-kosher "taste" can be transferred to food are soaking, sharp food, and heat). Not often necessary and probably very infrequently utilized, but cold is what makes a lot of it okay. With hot, there needs to be a separation with the plate(2 layers -- like the foil from the fish or potato or whatever) or it needs to be paper/plastic.

 

I hope that answered some questions. Hopefully it does not sound mean to say, but we are personally not looking for any additional advice on keeping kosher(beyond tips of, "btw I noticed the mustard has a hechsher!" sorta thing ;)). The reason I said we have this covered is because we really do -- we have thought through the issues and spoken to relevant rabbi-like dudes and kosher supervising people about the potential problems and potential solutions we can implement that do not involve SOLELY eating the pre-wrapped kosher meals. I cannot give anything more specific as advice, as the individual future theoretical cruisers who may be looking at this topic will have to consult their own rabbis and evaluate their own comfort level with certain kosher "issues" such as chalav yisrael, pat yisrael, items generally considered to "not require a hechsher", as well as other concerns such as the origin of produce during shmitta year. Because many people keep certain stringencies with kosher(chumrahs), it's difficult to make a "ruling" about anyone else, because they may hold by a stringency that I do not, or their community may have a custom that conflicts with my customs. For example(without getting TOO off topic and into interesting Jewish law), generally sefardi jews have stricter rules about "bishul yisroel" -- that a jew needs to be involved in 100% of the cooking process. Ashkenaz jews are satisfied with a jew participating in SOME part of the cooking process, generally turning on the oven. Conversely, sefardi jews believe that a dishwasher can be used for both milk dishes and meat dishes, but on separate cycles. Ashkenaz jews believe that a dishwasher must be designated for ONLY meat dishes or ONLY dairy dishes, not both. Custom differ, therefore needs differ for the kosher consumer. This is why I cannot give general advice, and most people just take the 'easy route' and eat the pre-packaged meals. :) Many are totally satisfied, or satisfied enough with this option, which is totally fine!

 

Also, just as a side point, I'm going to argue that basically all of the (modern) orthodox jews that I know basically know EVERYTHING I stated above -- I am not sure who this will really help in reality. Many just don't feel it necessary to jump through hoops when kosher meals are provided, and many DO take advantage of double wrapped fish/potatoes and raw salads. Many of our friends who travel do the same thing -- it's not like we invented some new, fabulous way of kosher cruising. This is why I felt it not necessary to bequeath my kosher knowledge on the masses ;) Can't teach em what they already know!

 

If I messed anything up or misrepresented something, maybe my friend "Galatz" can explain better -- I mention him because I know him in person and he runs in similar 'circles' in terms of modern orthodoxy and probably kosher observance as we do, so it would probably be a very similar perspective.

 

Apologies for the length of this post, but maybe someone found it interesting! :)

[avazah]

:confused: I see trying to be helpful is not. I'm the Sisterhood president at my Temple and have been a practicing Jew for over 50 years. So enjoy your cruise and don't ask questions that you don't want answered.

 

For the record, the person who asked the question(me! hi!) didn't offer that response. However, those who keep "kosher style" I would argue are probably never stressing about having something to eat on a cruise - they know what kosher style entails, which is generally either avoiding meat completely, or at least avoiding milk products and meat products together, and of course avoiding strictly non kosher products like shellfish and pork.

 

The reason Norbert's Niece replied in such a way is because many believe that kosher style and kosher ARE the same thing, but for orthodox jews who eat strictly kosher according to the Talmud/Shulchan Aruch as well as the rulings of contemporary orthodox rabbis, keeping strictly kosher is much, much different from keeping kosher style. I am not criticizing keeping kosher style whatsoever -- I truly believe in religious freedom for ALL people, and I am the only kosher-keeper in my family! No judgment at all -- it is just simply attempting to dispel a misconception and prevent others from possibly misconstruing what keeping kosher actually means. I really hate when I have to decline food from non-Jewish friends who offer something and say "but it's kosher! there's no pork, just beef!" and attempt to explain that kosher is a little more complicated -- it's very difficult to do without sounding ungrateful or rude to the gracious food-offerer ;) It's also difficult justifying the practice of only eating STRICTLY kosher when you hear a lot of "but my cousin's best friend's little sister eats kosher and SHE doesn't mind eating at cheesecake factory!!!" I am pretty sure Norbert's Niece was simply trying to help clarify the difference between strictly kosher and kosher style for anyone who may not have known that the two are different!

[CruisinGerman]

Thanks for the extensive clarification. I meant no offense and now I definitely don't think you are a spy for the Massad.

 

It just sounded odd that you said you weren't going to eat the frozen kosher meals, but you had everything worked out.

 

Have you ever looked into any of the kosher cruises I mention in the last post?

 

We live in Spain, where it is very difficult to be Jewish and very difficult for a family to keep kosher.

 

There are more Jewish people on my sister's block in New York City than there are in all of Spain.

 

Spain is not like the United States, where nearly everything sold in a supermarket has that famous U with a circle around it.

 

Here in Madrid, the local Rabbi publishes a list of products acceptable for purchase in the supermarkets, even though they are not truly kosher in the legal sense of the word. And the one synagogue we have in Madrid happens to be extremely orthodox.

 

Does that mean observers sin by buying these products if there is nothing else to eat? It is just as admirable to make the best of life's circumstances in the surroundings you live in -- those of you who live in New York City or Israel are very lucky and probably never had to experience what I am talking about.

 

In any case, have a great cruise!

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[dwjoe]

Orthodox cruiser here.

 

Coming back to one of the original topics - Challah. The RCCL kosher menu I received from their special needs department lists Double Twisted Rolls as something you can order. I'm pretty sure this is frozen Challah from Weberman's. Not as good as fresh, but it's an option.

 

I've cruised with a couple of different lines and we stick mainly with the frozen food which we find pretty good. The trickiest part is arranging for food on Shabbat. I don't want them heating things up for me on the Sabbath, so I usually give them my Sabbath lunch order on Thursday night, with instructions to heat it up at the same time as Friday's dinner (before sunset) and store it in the fridge overnight. Then I eat it cold on Saturday.

 

One complaint I have about kosher on RCCL is that they discontinued hot kosher breakfast items some years ago, although Celebrity and NCL both offer it. Not a huge deal, as the breakfast buffet usually has lots of stuff I can eat, cold cereal, fruit, etc.

 

I am curious as to whether you can get kosher food from the MDR for in-cabin dining if staying in a suite.

[avazah]

Thanks for the extensive clarification. I meant no offense and now I definitely don't think you are a spy for the Massad.

 

It just sounded odd that you said you weren't going to eat the frozen kosher meals, but you had everything worked out.

 

Have you ever looked into any of the kosher cruises I mention in the last post?

 

We live in Spain, where it is very difficult to be Jewish and very difficult for a family to keep kosher.

 

There are more Jewish people on my sister's block in New York City than there are in all of Spain.

 

Spain is not like the United States, where nearly everything sold in a supermarket has that famous U with a circle around it.

 

Here in Madrid, the local Rabbi publishes a list of products acceptable for purchase in the supermarkets, even though they are not truly kosher in the legal sense of the word. And the one synagogue we have in Madrid happens to be extremely orthodox.

 

Does that mean observers sin by buying these products if there is nothing else to eat? It is just as admirable to make the best of life's circumstances in the surroundings you live in -- those of you who live in New York City or Israel are very lucky and probably never had to experience what I am talking about.

 

In any case, have a great cruise!

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

 

Things are very different in Europe than in America in regards to kosher items. The London Beit Din, an organization which has authority over much of the kosher status of products, produces a list every year of products that are kosher, rather than putting symbols on the products. I am assuming the same is true in Spain. If a Rabbi puts out a list of which products are acceptable, I would follow the advice of that Rabbi. Many items either do not need a kosher symbol, or reviewing the process of the factory by a competent rabbi can prove that the item is, for all intents and purposes, actually kosher, and no additional supervision is necessary. Some rabbis in America, in my opinion, tend to shy away from things that may be acceptable according to Jewish law and instead give answers like "well you SHOULD buy the one with the kosher symbol" or "It's not PREFERABLE to do blah blah" and use noncommital words like that :rolleyes: Some rabbis in America who make specific rulings about things publicly are criticized by other rabbis who disagree. One thing you often hear is "Two Jews, Three opinions" -- which is true. The beauty(and anathema) of Jewish law is that it can be interpreted in SO many different ways, and MANY issues are not totally black and white.

 

It's also interesting you mention Spain specifically, because some rules are quite different for true Sefardi Jews versus Ashkenaz Jews. Sefardi Jews specifically come from Spain, where they can be more strict or more lenient about different kosher 'rulings', such as which types of kosher meat are acceptable(it has to do more with the process of kosher slaughter than the type of animal). One rule I can specifically remember is about dishwashers -- Ashkenaz Jews hold that a dishwasher can be designated for use with either dairy dishes or meat dishes, but not both. Sefardi Rabbis have ruled that you can use the dishwasher for both, but as long as the dishes are ran on separate cycles(and sometimes with a cycle of no dishes, just soap in between). These nuances in custom and rulings are precisely the reason why Orthodox Jews rely so heavily on local rabbis who understand the customs of the community as well as the rulings of widespread, well-known and respected rabbis such as Rav Soleveitchik, who was considered to be one of the most influential rabbis of Modern Orthodox Judaism.

 

As a general rule when it comes to "sin" in Judaism is that intent fully matters when it comes to whether or not you are sinning. You must intentionally be doing an action you KNOW to be wrong. In the case of kosher, you must be eating something you personally KNOW to not be kosher -- such as knowing full and well that you are obligated to keep kosher and intentionally eating bacon. There was a scandal in New York a few years back with a restaurant serving non-kosher chicken. Anyone who ate that chicken was, by definition, not actually sinning, because they were eating the product without knowledge of it not being kosher. Not that eating non-kosher meat was allowed, but there was no intent behind the action. Rather, the Jewish owner of the restaurant who was trying to get away with serving non-kosher chicken is the one who was sinning, regardless of whether or not he personally ate the chicken. He had the bad intention and served non-kosher, it is "on him" essentially.

 

Kosher cruises are just too darn expensive, to be honest. I looked up an upcoming cruise on Kosherica, which takes over part of a HAL ship. Insides are going for over $2000 PER PERSON, but the same cruise through HAL shows about $600 per person for the same cruise! I can manage without "gourmet" kosher dining, so it is not worth the premium for me. :)

[dwjoe]

Spain is not like the United States, where nearly everything sold in a supermarket has that famous U with a circle around it.

 

Here in Madrid, the local Rabbi publishes a list of products acceptable for purchase in the supermarkets, even though they are not truly kosher in the legal sense of the word. And the one synagogue we have in Madrid happens to be extremely orthodox.

That's similar to the way it works in France. :)

 

When travelling in France I rely on a list of acceptable supermarket products published by the local rabbinate.

[avazah]

Orthodox cruiser here.

 

Coming back to one of the original topics - Challah. The RCCL kosher menu I received from their special needs department lists Double Twisted Rolls as something you can order. I'm pretty sure this is frozen Challah from Weberman's. Not as good as fresh, but it's an option.

 

I've cruised with a couple of different lines and we stick mainly with the frozen food which we find pretty good. The trickiest part is arranging for food on Shabbat. I don't want them heating things up for me on the Sabbath, so I usually give them my Sabbath lunch order on Thursday night, with instructions to heat it up at the same time as Friday's dinner (before sunset) and store it in the fridge overnight. Then I eat it cold on Saturday.

 

One complaint I have about kosher on RCCL is that they discontinued hot kosher breakfast items some years ago, although Celebrity and NCL both offer it. Not a huge deal, as the breakfast buffet usually has lots of stuff I can eat, cold cereal, fruit, etc.

 

I am curious as to whether you can get kosher food from the MDR for in-cabin dining if staying in a suite.

 

Yeah, heating on Shabbos is an issue. My husband mentioned just eating cold stuff -- similar to how you mentioned. For the record, I said we weren't relying SOLELY on the pre-packaged stuff, but we are signed up for it and will probably use it for Shabbos(as well as probably salad). We'll have them heat it up before Shabbos on Friday night and have a hot meal then, then cold for lunch like you mentioned.

 

Do you have an issue getting lechem mishna from the challah rolls on the list? I'm guessing if there's two of us it won't be an issue to both 'order' challah.

 

I heard they no longer do hot foods for breakfast, but with all the cereals and fruits I never really considered eating pre-packaged stuff for breakfast. That's generally one meal that is never an issue unless you keep chalav yisrael!

[dwjoe]

One thing you often hear is "Two Jews, Three opinions" -- which is true.

Excuse me, I heard it was four opinions. ;)

 

I looked up an upcoming cruise on Kosherica, which takes over part of a HAL ship. Insides are going for over $2000 PER PERSON, but the same cruise through HAL shows about $600 per person for the same cruise! I can manage without "gourmet" kosher dining, so it is not worth the premium for me. :)

I looked at a few kosher cruises and estimated the fresh kosher dining premium to be approx $1,800pp for a 7-night sailing. I'd love to be able to do that one day, but right now, I can't justify it when the cruise line offers a decent alternative. One idea is to book the kosher cruise's sailing directly with the cruise line. They won't let you share their food, but they're usually pretty good about letting others come to their minyan and having fellow orthodox cruisers on board could be considered a plus by some.

[CruisinGerman]

..... there is always the Rue des Rosiers!!!

 

Incredible street, and fascinating to see how it has changed over the years from purely Aske****c (Jo Goldenberg's deli) to falafel, Israeli and Sephardic (with many of the former quaint Jewish shops selling out to international clothing outlets)

 

But in Madrid, we have no place like that.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[dwjoe]

Do you have an issue getting lechem mishna from the challah rolls on the list? I'm guessing if there's two of us it won't be an issue to both 'order' challah.

It's been a while since my last cruise so my memory is fuzzy, but they are usually pretty liberal about letting you order multiple items. On my next cruise, I'll probably order rolls once early on to see how many you get per order, then I can gauge more accurately for Shabbat.

[dwjoe]

..... there is always the Rue des Rosiers!!!

 

Incredible street, and fascinating to see how it has changed over the years from purely Aske****c (Jo Goldenberg's deli) to falafel, Israeli and Sephardic (with many of the former quaint Jewish shops selling out to international clothing outlets)

 

But in Madrid, we have no place like that.

Indeed!

 

Last year in Paris, I stayed around the corner from Rue des Rosiers. Some of the old Jewish establishments have closed as the community migrates to other neighborhoods, but there are still plenty of delicious eateries to choose from. I had the best hamburger of my life, bar none, on the Rue des Rosiers. It was cheap too (well, for Paris). :)

 

(sorry to OP for the tangent)

[Leslie K]

:confused: I see trying to be helpful is not. I'm the Sisterhood president at my Temple and have been a practicing Jew for over 50 years. So enjoy your cruise and don't ask questions that you don't want answered.

 

Read her initial post - she didn't ask about kosher foods, her questions were about Shabbat service and availability of ritual items for Shabbat. The initial references to kosher food were from those of us that suggested special services might be helpful as they were the ones to communicate with for kosher foods so they might be able to help with other things.

 

Chill folks and aim for better reading comprehension

 

Oh, and PS - it is not reformed Judaism - proper use is Reform. We don't do Orthodoxed or Conservatived, why would we use Reformed?

[cruisewithaminyon]

join this google group to find out where you can find a minyon on any ship

[cruisegirl1]

So it is my understanding that RCI provides electric tealight candles, challah, and wine during the 'sabbath services' on Friday nights on all of their cruises, at least based on all of the threads I read via the search function. (So please don't tell me to search!) It seems like, at some point, there will be a sign up for 'sabbath services' on the cruise compass and you sign up, then go on friday evening. So far so good! I just have a few questions so we can work out logistics.

 

If it matters, we're cruising on Independence of the Seas in January(Western Caribbean).

 

When are the candles given out? To make use of them, we would need to make a blessing on them BEFORE sunset.Is the wine certified kosher? Is it mevushal as well? I understand that you can buy Barkan(a kosher Israeli wine) on board -- is this what is offered?

 

Is the challah certified kosher, or is it baked by RCI?....

 

....Thanks everyone! You've all been so helpful with all my random questions in planning this cruise :)

 

 

In our experience, electric candles are not given out but are present for the layperson led service on board. If the cruise is a week or longer ( we sail the three night occasionally and we’ve never seen an organized service on the weekend three night) it seems most of the Shabbat services have been in the 5:30 PM range. I am not sure how that compares to sunset for your sail date and itinerary. We’ve gone to services but are not concerned with actual time of sunset, so it is a bit easier for us.

 

Wine is generally Manischewitz or equavalant, and yes there is a Kosher wine on the wine list. If you can find a copy of the wine list, you can check out the brand.

 

RCCL now allows passengers to bring 2 bottles per stateroom, so if you have a preference ( as the wine list is limited to perhaps just one) you may bring a bottle or two on board

 

As for the Challah, I don’t know the answer – but on one cruise, our table mates brought Challah with them for Shabbat

 

Have a wonder cruise.

M

[Barb Nahoumi]

I haven't sailed on RCI yet so I'm not sure about the origin of their Challas. When I attended a "Behind the Scenes," tour on an NCL ship, they showed us a pastry chef who was baking Challa for the Jewish Sabbath Service. They said that this was done every Friday morning.

 

I hope that you will be able to work things out.

[cruizers]

So it is my understanding that RCI provides electric tealight candles, challah, and wine during the 'sabbath services' on Friday nights on all of their cruises, at least based on all of the threads I read via the search function. (So please don't tell me to search!) It seems like, at some point, there will be a sign up for 'sabbath services' on the cruise compass and you sign up, then go on friday evening. So far so good! I just have a few questions so we can work out logistics.

 

If it matters, we're cruising on Independence of the Seas in January(Western Caribbean).

 

When are the candles given out? To make use of them, we would need to make a blessing on them BEFORE sunset.

 

Is the wine certified kosher? Is it mevushal as well? I understand that you can buy Barkan(a kosher Israeli wine) on board -- is this what is offered?

 

Is the challah certified kosher, or is it baked by RCI?

 

We are Orthodox Jews, so we probably won't be able to take advantage of the prayer service, unless there are many other Orthodox Jews on board(it's just a strictness thing in regards to the prayer service -- no biggie). I understand that the challah and wine is given after the prayer service. Would we still be able to take advantage of it? Or would we be able to request challah and wine independently of the service?

 

I am sure we are not the only orthodox jews to ever take a cruise that takes place over shabbat with RCI, so I am sure we won't be the first to make such requests. I would just appreciate any advice anyone has, so I can make the necessary arrangements to ensure we have what we need.

 

Thanks everyone! You've all been so helpful with all my random questions in planning this cruise :)

 

Hi,

Happy Hanukkah! Our Shabbat experience has been there is kosher wine available and the electric Shabbat candles are available as soon as you enter the room. We have always been able to light them before Shabbat begins. The challah is baked on board. There is an attendance sign up which is available at all times - - the sign up book is usually in the library, but sometimes at the Guest Services desk. Your Cruise Compass will have information. Siddurim have varied. The siddur used might be the Conservative one. We also have used a print-out from the Reform prayer book, and, most recently it has been the newest Reform Siddur. The service is led by volunteers unless there is a Jewish staff member on board. In every experience we have found the service to be traditional although not Orthodox. Men did wear kippot. There is no Shabbat morning service, but my guess would be if there were a minyan, you could probably arrange to get the use of a room. We have always found it to be a wonderful experience.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Caren

[avazah]

Thanks guys, but this post was from over a year ago, and I sailed the cruise in question 11 months ago!!! So I got all the info I need at this point. :P

[OttoCal]

Well, in that case, how did it go? Did everything work out like you had planned or did you encounter any rough patches along the way?

 

Thanks guys, but this post was from over a year ago, and I sailed the cruise in question 11 months ago!!! So I got all the info I need at this point. :P

[Barb Nahoumi]

I guess that someone brought this post forward for some reason. Although you took this cruise last year, tell us how it went for you. We're curious now.

[NorbertsNiece]

Yeah. A solo poster decided he would pop in and advertise a website on a year old thread.