Cruising during Jewish high holidays

[anoth]

Hi all! Has anyone had experience sailing on Royal for the Jewish high holidays - specifically, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur - and can speak to how the ship handles that? I’m curious if they hold a service and if they have a rabbi on board for those days.

 

Thanks in advance!

[SoccerMom#3]

I'm pretty sure they have services for the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.  They do have Shabbas services during the year.  I can't speak for RCCL but my cousin who is a rabbi has been the rabbi on board for Celebrity.  

[njkruzer]

Sometimes it's a volunteer.   Dh did erev RH on a TA pre-covid.  Fellow passengers wanted it quick so they could get to apples and honey!  Arrived in Boston 2nd day.  What will be interesting is passover on the April 2024 crossing.   Should be interesting.   Not really worried and will start bugging them about 6 mos in advance. 

[1025cruise]

Unfortunately, I've not heard of them holding high holiday services on board. 

[njkruzer]

7 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

Unfortunately, I've not heard of them holding high holiday services on board. 

What they do is provide books. Challah,  wine, etc. Schedule it and then leave it to passengers. 

[Longford]

I'm thinking it's unlikely to find Kosher meals onboard.

[arste]

1 minute ago, Longford said:

I'm thinking it's unlikely to find Kosher meals onboard.

I have seen them serve Kosher meals in the dining room before.  They are served on disposal plates and silverware.  You just have to request before you get onboard.

[njkruzer]

11 minutes ago, arste said:

I have seen them serve Kosher meals in the dining room before.  They are served on disposal plates and silverware.  You just have to request before you get onboard.

Yes but there is a cost.

[time4u2go]

5 minutes ago, njkruzer said:

Yes but there is a cost.

No there's not:

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/aus/en/faq/questions/can-we-offer-kosher-meals?country=AUS

[njkruzer]

1 minute ago, time4u2go said:

No there's not:

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/aus/en/faq/questions/can-we-offer-kosher-meals?country=AUS

I stand corrected.   It's 16 mos before our passover sailihg so have time to think about what we want to do. 

[Stick93]

I am sure for a price you can get a rabbi and full services. Maybe the captain and pull the horn for Shofer!

 

Safer to cruise the 355 solar calendar or 344 lunar calendar days when this isn't an issue - Just a thought. 

[lenquixote66]

5 hours ago, anoth said:

Hi all! Has anyone had experience sailing on Royal for the Jewish high holidays - specifically, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur - and can speak to how the ship handles that? I’m curious if they hold a service and if they have a rabbi on board for those days.

 

Thanks in advance!

You might want to post this on Cruising Jewish in the Floataway Lounge .

 

[Longford]

The meals are not prepared under Kosher supervision, from what I understand ... if that is important.

[Stick93]

2 hours ago, Longford said:

The meals are not prepared under Kosher supervision, from what I understand ... if that is important.

The are prepared under kosher supervision and are packaged in an outside kitchen, sent on to ship frozen. They are then heated up in the original packaging and must be brought to table sealed. But not prepared fresh on ship with supervision. 
 

People who are only eating these meals prob would not be cruising on the high holidays or so I’m told. 

[Merion_Mom]

The kosher meals are basically airplane prepared trays.

 

No rabbi for Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur, unless one just HAPPENS to be cruising and volunteers.  But most would be leading services somewhere at home, so.......

 

Security wouldn't even allow my RH challah on board this past RH!  Infuriating.

[Longford]

10 hours ago, Stick93 said:

The are prepared under kosher supervision and are packaged in an outside kitchen, sent on to ship frozen. They are then heated up in the original packaging and must be brought to table sealed. But not prepared fresh on ship with supervision. 
 

People who are only eating these meals prob would not be cruising on the high holidays or so I’m told. 

The link to Kosher meals available on RCCL  more fully explains the answer to the question.

[anoth]

Thank you all for the feedback! Fun fact, according to their website RCCL does provide a rabbi on board for Chanukah (🤔) and Passover, which they call the high holidays, but I guess not the *actual* high holidays. I know it’s unconventional to cruise during YK, but our school’s weeklong September breaks have now coincidentally fallen over the high holidays two years in a row. I was hopeful if there was a service, I wouldn’t feel quite so guilty about being out of town, but alas. 

[lenquixote66]

14 hours ago, Longford said:

The meals are not prepared under Kosher supervision, from what I understand ... if that is important.

One of my daughters and her husband are Orthodox and they cruise quite often and eat the prepared food.

[cruisegirl1]

 

Every ship seems to do something a little bit different.

 

Last week on Jewel during Hanukkah (of course, not a high holiday), they had a candle lighting every night led by passenger volunteers. Jewel had a holiday menu offered (brisket,  latke,  carrots), every Hanukkah   night in the dining room, and set up a Hanukkah dinner station in the Windjammer annex   Previous years, they’ve hired a rabbi to lead the prayers. I know he was hired as we had dinner with he and his wife one evening. 

 

Last  fall sailed during Yom Kippur. As I expected, no service. I guess anyone who’s really interested in a service on Yom Kippur would not be on a cruise ship.  

Ships seem to make a big deal over Hanukkah. 
m

 

 

 

Edited December 28, 2022 by cruisegirl1

[MommaBear55]

18 hours ago, njkruzer said:

Yes but there is a cost.

It depends ... For regular prepackaged meals, there is no cost. One cruise we looked at an organization booked the Solarium bistro for a kosher group for the entire cruise, and there was a charge to join that group. In that case, the food would be prepared fresh under the over sight of a rabbi. 

[orville99]

19 hours ago, Longford said:

I'm thinking it's unlikely to find Kosher meals onboard.

 

18 hours ago, njkruzer said:

Yes but there is a cost.

 

20 minutes ago, MommaBear55 said:

It depends ... For regular prepackaged meals, there is no cost. One cruise we looked at an organization booked the Solarium bistro for a kosher group for the entire cruise, and there was a charge to join that group. In that case, the food would be prepared fresh under the over sight of a rabbi. 

The 1/15/23 Wonder cruise is a Yeshiva week cruise. Not a charter, but RCL has turned the Solarium Bistro into a Kosher dining facility with all food prepared under the control of a rabbi. The cost is $420/pp for the week (all three meals each day).

Last year, the Yeshiva week cruise was on Harmony. 
 

Other cruise lines also do Yeshiva week cruises.

Edited December 28, 2022 by orville99

[Badatz2]

As mentioned I have not heard of any organized service for the High Holidays  (RH & YK). They are tricky Holidays.

My suggestion would be to speak to the Cruise Director once onboard and ask to reserve a room for Services and that it should be listed on the Cruise Compass similar to the Self Led Sabbath Service on Friday nights.  Every Royal ship I have been on has Siddurim (Prayer Books) either Conservative or Reform or both.  You can also ask that they make Challah and supply wine, usually Manischewitz.

 

As to Kosher Food, the pre prepared, strictly Kosher frozen meals are available all year round and do not cost extra. Kosher for Passover meals are available with a 3 month advance notice.  You get to choose your appetizer, soup, main and dessert, by coordinating with the Maitre D the night before.

 

 

[lenquixote66]

50 minutes ago, Badatz2 said:

As mentioned I have not heard of any organized service for the High Holidays  (RH & YK). They are tricky Holidays.

My suggestion would be to speak to the Cruise Director once onboard and ask to reserve a room for Services and that it should be listed on the Cruise Compass similar to the Self Led Sabbath Service on Friday nights.  Every Royal ship I have been on has Siddurim (Prayer Books) either Conservative or Reform or both.  You can also ask that they make Challah and supply wine, usually Manischewitz.

 

As to Kosher Food, the pre prepared, strictly Kosher frozen meals are available all year round and do not cost extra. Kosher for Passover meals are available with a 3 month advance notice.  You get to choose your appetizer, soup, main and dessert, by coordinating with the Maitre D the night before.

 

 

We encountered a Jewish CD on the Grandeur several years ago.He made sure that our cruise had all the necessities to celebrate Hanukah.

[Longford]

"Kosher meals are available on board all Royal Caribbean International ships at no charge.

 

·         Lunch and Dinner: Pre-packaged, frozen prepared meals are served at lunch and dinner in the main dining room. Lunch is made available in the main dining room when open or in the Windjammer Cafe when the Main Dining Room is closed. Kosher meals are Glatt Kosher and OK certified. They are served sealed in original packaging with disposable cutlery.

 

·         In addition to sealed kosher meals we can prepare hand-torn salads and a daily fish, double wrapped and cooked in aluminium foil. All are served on paper plates and with disposable cutlery. These dishes are prepared in our galleys, NOT UNDER STRICT KOSHER SUPERVISION. See the dinner menu for other options. 

 

Breakfast is the only meal not pre-packaged. Kosher options (such as fresh fruit, cereals, bagels and cream cheese) are available for breakfast in the Windjammer Cafe."

 

 

[Longford]

Just now, Longford said:

"Kosher meals are available on board all Royal Caribbean International ships at no charge.

 

·         Lunch and Dinner: Pre-packaged, frozen prepared meals are served at lunch and dinner in the main dining room. Lunch is made available in the main dining room when open or in the Windjammer Cafe when the Main Dining Room is closed. Kosher meals are Glatt Kosher and OK certified. They are served sealed in original packaging with disposable cutlery.

 

·         In addition to sealed kosher meals we can prepare hand-torn salads and a daily fish, double wrapped and cooked in aluminium foil. All are served on paper plates and with disposable cutlery. These dishes are prepared in our galleys, NOT UNDER STRICT KOSHER SUPERVISION. See the dinner menu for other options. 

 

Breakfast is the only meal not pre-packaged. Kosher options (such as fresh fruit, cereals, bagels and cream cheese) are available for breakfast in the Windjammer Cafe."

 

For some, strict supervision of the creation / preparation / handling of food is unimportant.  For others, it's essential.  For those deeming it essential, they'll verify before cruising.