Passover on NCL

[JJS329]

Hi!

 

I'm booked on NCL Getaway the week of April 12th. Ideally, I would not sail during Passover as I observe the holiday. However, I had two casino comp vouchers - one from Harrah's which I used for Breakway and a 2nd one from Foxwoods which I had to use before May 2014. Since I'm a teacher I can't take vacation days other than school holidays. Both President's Week and Christmas Week were blacked out which left me with Passover week.

 

1. If you've cruised during Passover, how are the "official" Kosher for Passover meals?

 

2. If you are more lenient, are restaurants and buffets sensitive to Passover? The ship leaves from Miami and will have a contingent of people from the Northeast who have school off for Passover and Easter so I imagine I won't be the only Jew on board.

 

I would appreciate any feedback. Due to the "food" issue I may try to book another cruise before school starts again in September. I loved my Breakaway cruise but would be hesitant to do another cruise so close to my recently completed one.

[vols_159]

Do cruise lines have kosher food? Ive not noticed if they do.. I know they have some gluten free food.. But im not sure about kosher.. I know its been said before cruises lines won't cater to one specific religion if so it opens a flood gate for all.. I wish you luck OP

[JJS329]

Yes, they do offer kosher food and kosher for passover food. I was checking to see if anyone had experience with the quality of the food...

[dwjoe]

It all depends how strict you are on kosher.

 

I've sailed on various lines and had the frozen kosher food, but never on Passover. I don't recall seeing any discussion of frozen kosher for Passover meals on Cruise Critic. Lately, NCL has changed kosher suppliers - they no longer use Weberman's which was very good. The new suppliers have inconsistent quality. I would be doubly sceptical about kosher for passover frozen meal quality.

 

I have read on Cruise Critic about cruise lines organizing a seder of sorts, with kosher for passover "style" food, however, it does not conform to orthodox requirements.

 

They may or may not have matzah on board, but it's easy enough to take a few boxes yourself.

[dwjoe]

Do cruise lines have kosher food?

Yes they do. The topic comes up from time to time on Cruise Critic. Kosher food i.e. frozen TV-dinner type meals have been available for years on mainstream cruise lines. CCL was the major holdout for a while, but they've recently made them available, too. Quality varies.

 

Most cruise lines also offer fresh salmon/fish, steamed vegetables and baked potato, double wrapped in aluminium foil and cooked in their regular oven. Depending on a cruiser's level of kosher strictness, that may be acceptable, too.

Edited July 22, 2013 by dwjoe

[vols_159]

So what happens if you eat something non kosher?

[rigs32]

It's not like an observant Jew would burst into flames, but it goes against their beliefs. Just as many other groups avoid certain types of food.

 

I'm glad that cruise lines offer the option, but I'm not sure if choose to cruise if I was observant. It's hard enough to eat for Passover on land!

[TravelDiva88]

It's not like an observant Jew would burst into flames

 

Thank you for the laugh :) As a cradle Catholic, I've gotten similar questions re: Traditions and my standard response is "well, God won't strike me down where I stand, but...."

[dwjoe]

So what happens if you eat something non kosher?

Not sure I understand the point of your question?

Edited July 22, 2013 by dwjoe

[njmomof2]

We sailed on Freedom of the Seas over last Passover. My mom asked for matzo and got the weirdest look from the waiter. No matter whom she asked no one had a decent response. They ended up bringing over the maitre' d and he went off to get some, or so we thought. Turns out he brought us crackers, not matzo.

 

My mom managed, but we are not kosher and our observance is varied, mom more than me.

 

But if it's important to you, you should definitely speak to someone in special needs about this.

[vols_159]

Not sure I understand the point of your question?

 

 

I'm A christian.. So I don't know the rules of being a JEW.. and I wasn't trying to offend anybody.. Just a question.. What would happen if you got on the ship and they didn't have anything Kosher..

[JJS329]

Thank you for the suggestion to call special services to find out exactly what is offered in terms of seders and passover food for whole week.

 

vols_159, if they didn't have Kosher food then I would probably eat hard-boiled eggs the entire voyage like my great-grandfather when he came to NYC from Eastern Europe. Google kosher rules and kosher for passover rules.

[SissasMomE]

Thank you for the suggestion to call special services to find out exactly what is offered in terms of seders and passover food for whole week.

 

vols_159, if they didn't have Kosher food then I would probably eat hard-boiled eggs the entire voyage like my great-grandfather when he came to NYC from Eastern Europe. Google kosher rules and kosher for passover rules.

 

We sail every Easter and someone on our roll call 2 years ago, on the Epic, arranged for a seder. I wish I could remember her name .... if she sees this thread, I'm sure she will respond. She said it was very nice.

[JJS329]

We sail every Easter and someone on our roll call 2 years ago, on the Epic, arranged for a seder. I wish I could remember her name .... if she sees this thread, I'm sure she will respond. She said it was very nice.

Thank you. I need to decide soon between doing this Miami cruise or doing Gem out of NYC before end of summer.

[Barb Nahoumi]

When you book, they usually ask you if you have any food issues which need to be addressed by the ship. That said, you can discuss the availability of kosher passover food at that time. You might consider bringing your own Matzah and special wine. You might have to pay the corkage fee for the wine.

 

You might be able to bring your own packaged cereals, macaroons, and other items. It never hurts to ask.

 

I never had any experience with Kosher, but I'm certain that things can be arranged for you.

[Homosassa]

We were on an NCL ship during Passover 2012. There was a traditional Passover meal that was held in part of one of the main dining rooms. There was no extra charge for the meal. You did, however, have to sign up to attend the meal.

 

My daughter who is dating a Jewish man, thought about going and we said we would attend with her. She decided not to go, so we didn't either.

[Sauer-kraut]

OP

You might want to read this review:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1864271&highlight=kosher+meals

[dwjoe]

Just a question.. What would happen if you got on the ship and they didn't have anything Kosher..

During Passover I wouldn't sail on a cruise. The kosher for Passover logistics are too complicated for me to cruise.

 

During the rest of the year, if they somehow lost my kosher food reservation and I was really stuck, I'd fall back on fresh fruits/vegetables, bagels/cereal (they often have kosher certification), milk, juice, ice cream (often kosher), and double wrapped salmon/fish, steamed vegetables, and baked potato, on disposable plates/cutlery. I also usually bring along non-perishable kosher food from home just in case... bagels, peanut butter, cookies, etc.

 

The key is to start with kosher ingredients and avoid contact with non-kosher food/utensils while hot.

 

I am Orthodox but degree of observance varies among Jews. Reform and Conservative will be less strict, and some Orthodox Jews are more strict than the above.

Edited July 23, 2013 by dwjoe

[dwjoe]

Just checked ... Kosherica is offering a Glatt Kosher for Passover cruise on the Gem next April... but the price is very very high, even higher than a regular kosher cruise... about $5k/pp for a 9 night cruise. This is due to the extreme complexity of preparing fresh kosher for Passover food at sea.

 

http://www.kosherica.com/Caribbean_cruises/Caribbean.asp?cruise_id=292

[JJS329]

Thank you all for replies. I have a "free" cruise voucher from Foxwoods Casino so I would definitely not book Kosher cruise for pay. Thanks to the person who said call the access desk - they were helpful as they honestly said other than Kosher for Passover meals there was not anything else planned. Maybe there will be passenger-led seders. Also, I realized we sail the 12th and Passover doesn't begin until the 14th so I'll have some time to load up on carbs!

Edited July 26, 2013 by JJS329
typo

[chengkp75]

During Passover I wouldn't sail on a cruise. The kosher for Passover logistics are too complicated for me to cruise.

 

During the rest of the year, if they somehow lost my kosher food reservation and I was really stuck, I'd fall back on fresh fruits/vegetables, bagels/cereal (they often have kosher certification), milk, juice, ice cream (often kosher), and double wrapped salmon/fish, steamed vegetables, and baked potato, on disposable plates/cutlery. I also usually bring along non-perishable kosher food from home just in case... bagels, peanut butter, cookies, etc.

 

The key is to start with kosher ingredients and avoid contact with non-kosher food/utensils while hot.

 

I am Orthodox but degree of observance varies among Jews. Reform and Conservative will be less strict, and some Orthodox Jews are more strict than the above.

 

Joe;

 

Quick question out of curiosity. Not knowing how orthodox you are, is it difficult to observe Shabbat on cruise? I would think it is nearly impossible, but I'm sure there are ways to do things.

[dwjoe]

Joe;

 

Quick question out of curiosity. Not knowing how orthodox you are, is it difficult to observe Shabbat on cruise? I would think it is nearly impossible, but I'm sure there are ways to do things.

Cheng,

 

I am what is commonly known as “modern orthodox”. As you said, there are ways... here's how I keep Shabbat onboard:

 

-Access to cabin. Operating the electronic lock is prohibited. We let the steward know ahead of time that we may need him to open the cabin door for us on Sabbath. As a direct request on Sabbath is prohibited, we also let him know that we will "hint" to him when we need him to open the door e.g. by standing by the door. To avoid bothering him too much, often times we leave someone in the cabin. Each time we have asked, the steward has said they are familiar with this request.

 

-Elevators. Operating the elevator is prohibited. We either take the stairs (good for working off calories) or jump in with others who are taking the elevator, and get off when they do.

 

-Food. Eating food cooked on the Sabbath is prohibited, even if cooked by a non-Jew. We make sure to have Friday night dinner early to avoid this. We bring small challahs from home, and kosher wine for “Kiddush” (blessing) after paying the corkage fee. Cold breakfast is easily found at the buffet. Lunch is the biggest challenge. We usually ask for additional frozen kosher meals at Friday night dinner and then store in our cabin refrigerator overnight. My daughter really liked the kosher blintzes; they serve very well cold. The refrigerator light is a problem; we avoid it by temporarily unscrewing the light bulb or covering the trigger switch with tape; we do the same at home. Saturday night, we eat a later dinner after Sabbath has ended.

 

-What to do. We sleep, hang out in the lounges and sitting areas, read books and play games. We follow a similar schedule at home, so doing it at sea is a bit of an adventure.

 

-Sabbath prayers. On some cruises, there are enough Jews on board to have a “minyan” (prayer quorum). One time, a pax had a compass built in to his prayer book, handy for knowing which way is East. Else, praying alone is permissible.

 

-Sailing Date. Starting a cruise on Saturday is prohibited. Our usual cruise is Sunday to Sunday. One time we boarded on a Friday; this can be permitted if the cruise is for a “mitzvah” or good deed. We fulfilled that by bringing school supplies to donate to the children in the Dominican Republic.

 

If all this seems like a lot, it is! :)But we choose to do it, and it’s not that different from what we’d be doing at home.

 

You may want to peruse this thread for more info.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1694666&highlight=shabbat

 

"Halachic" (Jewish Law) details can be found here:

http://www.star-k.org/kashrus/kk-trav-cruise.htm

Edited July 26, 2013 by dwjoe

[chengkp75]

Appreciate the answer, Joe;

 

I know quite a few Jews here in Portland, our son is dating (almost engaged, to a "nice Jewish girl" from NJ), and pretty aware of the orthodox requirements and kosher requirements, but not real familiar with anyone who practice them daily. I knew there were ways to accommodate modern life to orthodox practices, but this really helps, and I will pass it on to some of my colleagues who still work for the cruise lines.

[vols_159]

Cheng,

 

I am what is commonly known as “modern orthodox”. As you said, there are ways... here's how I keep Shabbat onboard:

 

-Access to cabin. Operating the electronic lock is prohibited. We let the steward know ahead of time that we may need him to open the cabin door for us on Sabbath. As a direct request on Sabbath is prohibited, we also let him know that we will "hint" to him when we need him to open the door e.g. by standing by the door. To avoid bothering him too much, often times we leave someone in the cabin. Each time we have asked, the steward has said they are familiar with this request.

 

-Elevators. Operating the elevator is prohibited. We either take the stairs (good for working off calories) or jump in with others who are taking the elevator, and get off when they do.

 

-Food. Eating food cooked on the Sabbath is prohibited, even if cooked by a non-Jew. We make sure to have Friday night dinner early to avoid this. We bring small challahs from home, and kosher wine for “Kiddush” (blessing) after paying the corkage fee. Cold breakfast is easily found at the buffet. Lunch is the biggest challenge. We usually ask for additional frozen kosher meals at Friday night dinner and then store in our cabin refrigerator overnight. My daughter really liked the kosher blintzes; they serve very well cold. The refrigerator light is a problem; we avoid it by temporarily unscrewing the light bulb or covering the trigger switch with tape; we do the same at home. Saturday night, we eat a later dinner after Sabbath has ended.

 

-What to do. We sleep, hang out in the lounges and sitting areas, read books and play games. We follow a similar schedule at home, so doing it at sea is a bit of an adventure.

 

-Sabbath prayers. On some cruises, there are enough Jews on board to have a “minyan” (prayer quorum). One time, a pax had a compass built in to his prayer book, handy for knowing which way is East. Else, praying alone is permissible.

 

-Sailing Date. Starting a cruise on Saturday is prohibited. Our usual cruise is Sunday to Sunday. One time we boarded on a Friday; this can be permitted if the cruise is for a “mitzvah” or good deed. We fulfilled that by bringing school supplies to donate to the children in the Dominican Republic.

 

If all this seems like a lot, it is! :)But we choose to do it, and it’s not that different from what we’d be doing at home.

 

You may want to peruse this thread for more info.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1694666&highlight=shabbat

 

"Halachic" (Jewish Law) details can be found here:

http://www.star-k.org/kashrus/kk-trav-cruise.htm

 

 

WOW.. Like Ive said before I dumb to Most other religions .. And Im trying not to offended anyone But I would like to know why or what prohibits you doing most these things Like opening a electronic door or pushing a elevator button.. Again not trying to offend.. Just curious..

[chengkp75]

WOW.. Like Ive said before I dumb to Most other religions .. And Im trying not to offended anyone But I would like to know why or what prohibits you doing most these things Like opening a electronic door or pushing a elevator button.. Again not trying to offend.. Just curious..

 

Let me try my hand at this, Joe, and tell me how I'm doing:

 

In the Jewish faith, the Sabbath is a day of rest, you cannot do any work. To orthodox Jews, this has moved into the modern world to mean you cannot turn a door handle (you are working to move the handle), and you cannot push an elevator button, as this causes the elevator to work. As Joe said, even opening the refrigerator door causes the light to go on, which is work. No cooking, and no eating of food cooked on Sabbath even by a non-Jew, as you are forcing them to work.