Eating Kosher on NCL

[Ba' Datz]

My wife and I sailed on the NCL Sky 12/6/10. We preordered our Kosher meals. we were surprised by the variety that was offered. Upon boarding we went to the Crossings DR. The MDR Head waiter, Richard Bul showed us a framed menu with choices of 4 appetizers, 4 soups, 8 or 9 entrées and 4 deserts. We would select the Weberman meals a day in advance. Additionally wrapped fish and a sealed whole glatt kosher chicken, double wrapped in foil was available. He gave us plenty of disposable cutlery, cups and plates. He fussed over us like we were royalty. We will definitely sail NCL again. These meals were available for lunch and supper. he even arranged for kosher meals to be delivered to the private island for lunch.

We did not bother with the breakfast meals, but they were available.:)

 

Glad to see that you managed nicely, and enjoyed the food. I will be on my first NCL cruise on the Pearl in two months and already arranged for the meals

 

Did you see anything about a special room service menu? I heard that there is one.

 

Were you able to check if any items at the buffet had a Hashgacha (Kosher Certification) such as ice cream, bagels, jams, cream cheese etc?

[Froggitt]

You cant really go wrong with soup, but you shouldnt expect gourmet food from what is in effect airline cuisine.

 

Most of the buffet food is "bulk" rather than individually packaged, and youre therefore unable to see the label if there is one.....on many catering packs its often just a short name of the product. Bagels are baked on board as are the other bread products.....I doubt you will ever know if the same trays are used for pepperoni pizzas the day before.

 

If you are lucky, you might be able to chat with the catering staff, and have a look around the freezers eg the large ice cream tubs/soft scoop mix might be fine.

 

I think Celebrity are about to start operating a proper Kosher kitchen on some cruises, at extra cost.

[Ba' Datz]

Most of the buffet food is "bulk" rather than individually packaged, and youre therefore unable to see the label if there is one.....on many catering packs its often just a short name of the product. Bagels are baked on board as are the other bread products.....I doubt you will ever know if the same trays are used for pepperoni pizzas the day before.

 

If you are lucky, you might be able to chat with the catering staff, and have a look around the freezers eg the large ice cream tubs/soft scoop mix might be fine.

 

I was told by someone who travelled NCL in the past that the bagels were prepackaged and had a Hashgacha

 

If they weremade on board I would not eat it as well as any other prepared food, regardless of the serving tray

[Froggitt]

I may be wrong. But I cant see them loading ten thousand or so pre-packed bagels into the fridge. I assumed they baked all their bread on board.

 

And I meant cooked on the same baking tray, rather than serving tray.

 

I *think* they do airline breakfast meals in the MDR that probably will include pre-packed bagels.

[newmexicoNita]

I may be wrong. But I cant see them loading ten thousand or so pre-packed bagels into the fridge. I assumed they baked all their bread on board.

 

And I meant cooked on the same baking tray, rather than serving tray.

 

I *think* they do airline breakfast meals in the MDR that probably will include pre-packed bagels.

 

No, they do not serve anything that resembles "airline" breakfasts and my guess, which I could be wrong, the bagels are pre-packaged. I guess to get a true answer one needs to email the food and beverage manager on a particular ship. I will add, much of the bread is baked on board.

 

Nita

[JFontaine]

You might be interested in the Kosher food program that Celebrity offers. Their "Premium" program is advertised as made "from scratch" (freshly prepared?) but it doesn't say where. There is a separate menu, and cost, and you need to order a day in advance. I can't vouch for anything about the program, other than they offer it on their website.

 

http://media.celebritycruises.com/celebrity/content/en_US/pdf/Kosher_menu_%20a_la_carte.pdf

[Ba' Datz]

You might be interested in the Kosher food program that Celebrity offers. Their "Premium" program is advertised as made "from scratch" (freshly prepared?) but it doesn't say where. There is a separate menu, and cost, and you need to order a day in advance. I can't vouch for anything about the program, other than they offer it on their website.

 

http://media.celebritycruises.com/celebrity/content/en_US/pdf/Kosher_menu_%20a_la_carte.pdf

 

 

I checked out the link and to be honest it does not make any sense.

 

Firstly the reference to the "world reknowned NESTOVA CUISINE". If you check google, this is the only reference to NESTOVA. It does not appear anywhere else and there is no company by that name

 

Secondly, what does "Is the provenience of all our Kosher Premium items" mean? Maybe they mean, provider.

 

Thirdly the menu is way too extensive to be prepared freshly on board. I never heard to the OU having a Mashgiah on a regular line cruise ship (all products are OU supervised). Also did the USDA send a supervisor onboard to check the preparation?

 

What this probably is, is prepackaged food food similar to Webermans or maybe even Webermans itself. Someone at Celebrity just copied what it says on the packages without really understanding it, hence the OU appearing next to each individual item on the menu.

 

The difference between this program and NCL's is that with NCL and most other cruise lines you have to order up to two months in advance and here you can decide one day in advance.

 

I would love for this to be real fresh food but I dont think it is. And the cost is prohibitive, About $60 a day above the regular cruise fees.

 

I think I'll be happy with my Webermans on my May cruise.

[Froggitt]

Prepared from scratch in Glatt Kosher certified kitchens, dishes are likely to include herb-roasted salmon, barbecue quartered chicken, beef brisket, citrus-glazed chicken breast, and citrus-glazed tilapia. It’s not just the menu that is to receive a make-over - Celebrity’s expert sommeliers now feature a selection of Kosher wines and champagnes on their extensive wine lists. Breakfast too will see the addition of kosher food items, with delicacies such as traditional lox and bagels, Belgian waffles, wild mushroom omelettes and pancakes putting in an appearance on the breakfast menu. The arrangements have been made under the strict supervision of the Orthodox Union and the United States Department of Agriculture.

There is something in-between prepared from scratch in a full fresh kitchen, and airline meals.....where they freshly prepare rather than freshly cook. eg for lunch they take a pre-cooked joint of cooked roast beef out of the kosher fridge, slice six slices off, put it in a bread roll, and serve it with chips and pickles and mayo on a nice plate.

 

I think the cost is mainly to pay for the added cost of preparation and supervision.

 

I am sure the logistics of washing the plates etc separately afterwards would be a nightmare.

[Ba' Datz]

There is something in-between prepared from scratch in a full fresh kitchen, and airline meals.....where they freshly prepare rather than freshly cook. eg for lunch they take a pre-cooked joint of cooked roast beef out of the kosher fridge, slice six slices off, put it in a bread roll, and serve it with chips and pickles and mayo on a nice plate.

 

I think the cost is mainly to pay for the added cost of preparation and supervision.

 

I am sure the logistics of washing the plates etc separately afterwards would be a nightmare.

 

I do not wish to go into a full blown discussion of the laws of Kashrut which is totally not in the scope of this thread.

 

However for anyone who adheres strictly to Kashrut, what you are suggesting is completely unacceptable and would probably render what was Kosher food, unkosher.

 

Is there a Mashgiach (Kosher Supervisor) onboard and in the kitchen at all hours? Is there a completely seperate Kosher kitchen for meat and dairy with ovens, prep and steam tables and dishwashers? I highly doubt it. What do they do on Shabbat?

 

It still sounds like total prepacked to me although it is not Webermans as they are under the supervion of the OK and not the OU. And we still did not address the question of who the unheard of "NESTOVA CUISINE" is and what is their part in the whole story

 

Additionally your quote of what is included does not appear on the menu page which I get when I go to the link posted. Where did you see it?

[Froggitt]

However for anyone who adheres strictly to Kashrut, what you are suggesting is completely unacceptable and would probably render what was Kosher food, unkosher.

Not if its

under the strict supervision of the Orthodox Union

as it says it is, and of course it would need

seperate Kosher kitchen for meat and dairy with ovens, prep and steam tables and dishwashers

which was the assumption I made for the "assembling" of the food.

 

The quote I included was a link on a cruise TA email I received.

[bob brown]

not being Jewish I can not address some of the issues, but I do know NCL as well as most cruise lines do a great job with porviding Kosher foods as long as they are made aware of the need prior to cruising, just like they do with any special diets. This is a wonderful improvement over about 10 years ago when almost no lines provided much if any Kowher foods.

 

Nita

I read this thread because my mother has to order low sodium meals. All we had to do was preorder her meals with the assistant maitre'd a day ahead of time, and they accommodated her very nicely.

I understand that ordering kosher meals is a lot more complicated than that.

As for years ago.....I saw an old documentary on the Travel Channel on the now retired QE2. Not only did it have a synagogue on board, but it had a separate kosher galley. The captain was taking the TV reporter on a ship tour, and when entering that galley, asked the chef "How's the kosher section doing?"

[Ba' Datz]

Not if its as it says it is, and of course it would need which was the assumption I made for the "assembling" of the food.

 

The quote I included was a link on a cruise TA email I received.

 

I agree with you that if all these conditions were met then it would be acceptable.

What bothers me is that I have searched all over including the OU website and cannot find any reference to NESTOVA CUISINE or the OU directly supervising food operations on Celebrity.

How can it be that they only exist on the Celebrity menu?

[Froggitt]

Heres a couple of links......

 

http://www.gillscruise.com/news/317-celebrity-cruises-expands-kosher-menu-inanother-industry-first

 

http://www.cruises.co.uk/109-cruise_news/16927-celebrity_gets_kosher_cost.html

 

Glatt Kosher certified and made from scratch in kosher kitchens under the supervision of the O.U. and USDA

 

Doing some investigation :) nestova.com is registered to a Michael Chase (email manddchase@xxxxxx), and a Michael Chase (with a wife whos first name begins with D) is "the hottest young independent restaurateur in one of the three fastest projected growth states".

 

Unfortunately thats where it goes cold.....his restaurants are more lobster and ribs rather than kosher :)

 

Other than that, Nestova doesnt exist.

[erdoran]

Nowhere does it say that the alternative Kosher meals are prepared onboard. It may just be another prepackaged supplier with more variety.

[Ba' Datz]

Nowhere does it say that the alternative Kosher meals are prepared onboard. It may just be another prepackaged supplier with more variety.

 

That was my thought from the beginning

 

I reread the menu and it says "all items were prepared", in the past tense, and not are prepared in the present tense. The word "onboard" is never mentioned.

 

It is probably some anonymous caterer providing a different prepackaged menu than the regular one from Weberman's and at a very high cost if eaten throughout the cruise.

[Barb Nahoumi]

When I did the "Behind the Scenes" tour, they took us to the kitchens. We were told that the bakers prepare challah bread every Friday. This is served at the Sabbath services. The service is listed on the Daily for Friday.

 

Also Cagneys features Kosher Chicken on its menu.

[tokidoki]

:confused::confused::confused:I don't get it, why would a restaurant that charges a cover of $25.00 have a frozen kosher meal that is free is the 2 MDR's and I have even had it in the garden cafe? A kosher diner would not be able to take advantage of the other gourmet items! :confused::confused::confused:

[njhorseman]

:confused::confused::confused:I don't get it, why would a restaurant that charges a cover of $25.00 have a frozen kosher meal that is free is the 2 MDR's and I have even had it in the garden cafe? A kosher diner would not be able to take advantage of the other gourmet items! :confused::confused::confused:

 

The "kosher" chicken in Cagney's isn't a frozen meal, and even though it says "kosher" on the menu it would not satisfy the requirements of someone who is strictly kosher as it is prepared in the same kitchen as everything else. Use of the word "kosher" in this instance is just fanciful wording on the menu. The chicken probably been supplied by a kosher slaughterhouse, so they use the term on the menu. I suppose some might view this "kosher" chicken to be somehow superior to other chicken because it came from a kosher slaughterhouse.

[bones774]

Can I ask for kosher and also dine regularly? I like to eat some ethnic foods but would also like regular stuff.

[njhorseman]

Can I ask for kosher and also dine regularly? I like to eat some ethnic foods but would also like regular stuff.

 

Kosher food isn't necessarily "ethnic". It can be food of almost any ethnic origin that has been prepared and contains only ingredients that conform to religious practice. So, you can have kosher Chinese food, kosher Italian food, etc.

[jdough789]

Glad to see that you managed nicely, and enjoyed the food. I will be on my first NCL cruise on the Pearl in two months and already arranged for the meals

 

Did you see anything about a special room service menu? I heard that there is one.

 

Were you able to check if any items at the buffet had a Hashgacha (Kosher Certification) such as ice cream, bagels, jams, cream cheese etc?

 

unfortunately, as others have written, most of the stuff is bulk, however the yogurts had a hechsher. the milk came in half pint containers. the cereals were in those little boxes from Kellogg's and general mills. most have kosher symbols. if you require cholov yisroel, FUGGETTABOUTIT!!!

the bagels and cream cheese were of undetermined origin. lox was available, again, loose.

room service can be used to deliver the kosher meals or whatever you may want. i hope this was helpful. bon voyage.;)

[Ba' Datz]

When I did the "Behind the Scenes" tour, they took us to the kitchens. We were told that the bakers prepare challah bread every Friday. This is served at the Sabbath services. The service is listed on the Daily for Friday.

 

Also Cagneys features Kosher Chicken on its menu.

 

It is very nice and appreciated that NCL goes to the trouble of baking Challah bread on Friday's however for the strictly Kosher traveller it would probably be unacceptable owing to the many regulations concerning the baking of Kosher breads and cakes. These include among others, the fine sifting of the flour, the taking of a certain amount of the dough and ceremoniously burning it, the Kosher status of the utensils and most importantly of the oven. If the bakers fulfilled all these and other items then it would be okay even for the strictest person. I for one would volunteer to help them out on my upcoming trip on the Pearl

 

Additionally Challah bread is not part of the Sabbath service in the synagogue. A blessing is made and it is eaten at the Sabbath meal.

[agabbymama]

How to cruise and still keep strictly kosher.

2 Caveats:

 

 

 

There are several other issues for observant Jews to be aware of.

Sabbath observance:

The ship has 11 floors. Be prepared to walk stairs.

We ate our shabbos meals in our room, and arranged before shabbos that these meals not be heated.

All cabin door locks are electronic. We did not carry the key, and had the room steward open the door for us as needed. The room stewards were all aware of these Sabbath rules and were very accommodating.

Tznius:

Check the floor plan, and plan your elevator use accordingly. The Lido, buffet restaurant was adjacent to the pool area, and if you want to avoid the sights there, avoid the aft (back) elevators.

 

I just finished searching for Kosher on the Internet. Lots of varying information out there, and I get all the preparation that you must go through for the Kosher lifestyle. I have highlighted where my question lies. What does the door being electronic & carrying the key card come into play? Is it simply that your hands would be contaminated? And the same question for the elevator, is it pushing the button? Just my curiousity.

[Ba' Datz]

I just finished searching for Kosher on the Internet. Lots of varying information out there, and I get all the preparation that you must go through for the Kosher lifestyle. I have highlighted where my question lies. What does the door being electronic & carrying the key card come into play? Is it simply that your hands would be contaminated? And the same question for the elevator, is it pushing the button? Just my curiousity.

 

I will try to answer your question as simply as possible without getting into tons of details, so please take my answer at face value as the full reasoning concerning this issue could fill books.

 

The issue of electronic locks and elevators has nothing to do with keeping Kosher. It is a prohibition of the Sabbath observance laws. Basically it is prohibited to create fire on the Sabbath and the turning on of electrical items such as elevator circuits and electronic locks is considered in Orthodox doctrine to be similar to the starting of a fire.

 

I realize that this might seem a little strange to you but this is the rule as observed by Orthodox Jews and it goes to the turning on of all electrical items such as lights, TV, cars etc. during the 25 hour period of the Sabbath

[agabbymama]

I will try to answer your question as simply as possible without getting into tons of details, so please take my answer at face value as the full reasoning concerning this issue could fill books.

 

The issue of electronic locks and elevators has nothing to do with keeping Kosher. It is a prohibition of the Sabbath observance laws. Basically it is prohibited to create fire on the Sabbath and the turning on of electrical items such as elevator circuits and electronic locks is considered in Orthodox doctrine to be similar to the starting of a fire.

 

I realize that this might seem a little strange to you but this is the rule as observed by Orthodox Jews and it goes to the turning on of all electrical items such as lights, TV, cars etc. during the 25 hour period of the Sabbath

 

WOW, thank you for the enlightenment. What do they do for that 25 hour period? Sleep? I can't begin to imagine not having a light, car, computer, etc for that long of a time span. Do they eat their meals cold? Any idea of the number of "Orthodox Jews" that practice this? All the questions buzzing in my head, again, WOW!