Hanukkah

[Ombud]

I made a mistake ... okay, I get it. My cruise starts next week during HANUKKAH! Does Princess have the traditional foods, can I bring an electric menorah, will it just be Christmas?  Air quality here is 288 so I'm going to get clean air but will I miss holidays? 

Edited November 18, 2018 by Ombud

[pris993]

Princess will provide what is needed for a service, provided someone volunteers to lead the service.  My husand's son and grandson did this one year and it was something they enjoyed.  So if you want to volunteer, Princess with respond in setting something up in one of the public rooms.

 

[Ombud]

Thank you. I'll pack my Siddur. Easier to use mine than one I'm not that familiar with & theirs was incomplete on the last cruise (just papers stapled together) 🙂

[jlp20]

3 hours ago, Ombud said:

I made a mistake ... okay, I get it. My cruise starts next week during HANUKKAH! Does Princess have the traditional foods, can I bring an electric menorah, will it just be Christmas?  Air quality here is 288 so I'm going to get clean air but will I miss holidays? 

Menorah should be no problem. Battery powered would be better. Kosher preped food food out of the question. MANY years ago we cruised during Hanukkah, nothing stood out on the ship in general or with the food.

[Essiesmom]

Next week?  My calendar says it starts Dec. 2.  EM

[Micahs Grandad]

For a short service like this just need one sheet of paper. Would be nice if they made jelly donuts and latkes at least for one night. We will be on Princess ship for Chanukah next month for first time 

[1025cruise]

We cruised over Chanukah a good number of years ago, so this info might be dated.

 

The first night, there was a "candle lighting" in one of the lounges (idea was to be open for the whole ship). Challah, wine (you know, the typical Jewish wine), and latkes were made available for nibbling.

 

On subsequent nights, we had a section of the buffet.

[2theship]

While we haven't been on Princess during Hanukkah, we've sailed Royal Caribbean and Celebrity at that time and there would be a service every night. There were no real candles to be lit, just an electric menorah but it was fun to get together with other passengers at the same time each evening. The food provided was often a little weird, one night there were some cookies that looked a lot like hamentaschen but there were also attempts at latkes and sufganiyot. On one of the cruises, the Rabbi's wife gave the chef her latke recipe and they got a lot better after that.

[Ombud]

1 hour ago, Micah's Grandad said:

For a short service like this just need one sheet of paper. Would be nice if they made jelly donuts and latkes at least for one night. We will be on Princess ship for Chanukah next month for first time 

Yes but the Siddur will come in handy on Friday night. 

[bapaleg]

We will be going to Panama Canal for the last few nights of Hanukkah and will be bringing our electric menorah. When we went to Hawaii one year they had a bigger menorah in the foyer which they occasionally lit. They didn’t know when to do it so I told them. I suppose it will be the same this year. Mostly it will be Christmas trees and decorations 

[rbslos18]

Every ship has an electric hanukkiyah. They will provide latkes,  jelly donuts, a brief Hanukkah service and hallah (The staff gets confused between shabbat and hanukkah. I usually meet with the Cruise Director to remind them what is needed. They always accomodate the holiday.

[donaldsc]

4 hours ago, jlp20 said:

Menorah should be no problem. Battery powered would be better. Kosher preped food food out of the question. MANY years ago we cruised during Hanukkah, nothing stood out on the ship in general or with the food.

 

Your verbiage implies that they might allow candles as you say the "battery powered would be better".  Not true.  Battery powered is required.  I know someone who lit a real menorah on a cruise.  It did not take long for security to knock on his door and tell him to douse the candles.

 

DON

[rbslos18]

2 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

Your verbiage implies that they might allow candles as you say the "battery powered would be better".  Not true.  Battery powered is required.  I know someone who lit a real menorah on a cruise.  It did not take long for security to knock on his door and tell him to douse the candles.

 

DON

Correct. Battery powered is required and candles of any kind are forbidden.

[jlp20]

4 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

Your verbiage implies that they might allow candles...

Please refer to original post. "can I bring an electric menorah,". I answered that question.

[CineGraphic]

BYOD (Bring Your Own Dreidel)

There will be a small electric menorah on a table off to the side somewhere in the piazza.

Kosher meals can be pre-ordered, but they are prepared elsewhere, frozen, and reheated on the ship....they come out looking like TV dinners, wrapped in foil.

[jlp20]

14 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

 

Kosher meals can be pre-ordered, but they are prepared elsewhere, frozen, and reheated on the ship....they come out looking like TV dinners, wrapped in foil.

Asking from ignorance. Understand food and cooking supplies and stoves  does the "TV tray" and foil keep things OK when it's put into non Kosher microwave, oven or steamer?

[CineGraphic]

11 minutes ago, jlp20 said:

Asking from ignorance. Understand food and cooking supplies and stoves  does the "TV tray" and foil keep things OK when it's put into non Kosher microwave, oven or steamer?

I was raised a reformed jew, so I can't help you there, but I'm sure someone with knowledge of what's truly Kosher and what's not will chime in.

[Ombud]

OP here: I'm vegetarian so can go lite on kashrut when traveling. Basically thats fine IMHO. I will bring my siddur because what they hand out for a Friday night service is woefully inadequate. I will go to Target tomorrow after minyan to see if I can find a battery powered menorah.

Edited November 19, 2018 by Ombud

[Essiesmom]

Try Amazon if you can't find one at Target

 

https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=usb+menorah&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=232519875027&hvpos=1t1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13863572530752717491&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9011267&hvtargid=aud-563137475691:kwd-386087934895&ref=pd_sl_2rsmkq7uxz_e

[jlp20]

3 hours ago, Ombud said:

OP here: I'm vegetarian so can go lite on kashrut when traveling. Basically thats fine IMHO. I will bring my siddur because what they hand out for a Friday night service is woefully inadequate. I will go to Target tomorrow after minyan to see if I can find a battery powered menorah.

Thanks to Google, figured out what you said. 

[caribill]

4 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 Battery powered is required.

It also can be electric with a cord to an electrical outlet.

[Lucky TGO]

Happy Hanukkah!!!

Ed & Margaret and to all my Jewish Cruises Critic Friends!!

The Captain of The Rowboat,

Tony

 

Edited November 19, 2018 by Lucky TGO

[rbslos18]

6 hours ago, caribill said:

It also can be electric with a cord to an electrical outlet.

Yes. This is also an option but usually heavier. Many synagogue gift shops carry them.

[Fxlady]

We have been on several cruises during Chanukah....It differs from one to the other, however, Princess has always been quite helpful by making latkes, sufgoniot and arranging for nightly candle lighting. One year we got so lucky that a pax, former Rabbi, and fun chap from the UK watched the small crowd grow daily!  It was fun and met so many ppl. 

[1025cruise]

12 hours ago, jlp20 said:

Asking from ignorance. Understand food and cooking supplies and stoves  does the "TV tray" and foil keep things OK when it's put into non Kosher microwave, oven or steamer?

 

The meals come double wrapped from the vendor. The outer wrap is removed in the kitchen for heating, and then the packaged food is brought out to the passenger to unwrap themselves. This method maintains the food as Kosher. 

 

While I don't partake in Kosher meals myself, my understanding is that if you order anything with gefilte fish, you need to tell them explicitly to NOT heat it 🙂