Have you ever booked a cruise, 1-2 years in the future, and then as it got closer you realized it falls out on a Jewish Holiday? So, what are your options?
If you are an Orthodox Jew, your only option is to cancel the trip (unless you are taking one of the Kosher Chartered cruises).
Now, for the rest of you, let’s assume you are on a major cruise line like: Princess, Holland, Celebrity, NCL, Royal Caribbean, Cunard, MSC, Carnival, Oceania, Regent Seven Seas, Silversea etc.
1. You can go with your original plans and hope there are some “Holiday Accommodations” for those who want to observe on board.
2. You can sit in your stateroom and connect in remotely since with the high-speed WiFi access offered by all cruise lines these days and many Synagogues offering virtual remote capabilities, you can experience your Congregation’s observance remotely, just like many people that are ill or not willing to go out to their Synagogue in person.
3. You can try to find other “like-minded passengers on board and find a place to meet and share some holiday prayers, songs and/or traditions.
OR … “the best of all worlds” is that, surprisingly, you can definitely observe all of the Jewish holidays on cruise ship in a way that is meaningful and fulfilling for most Jews. What do I mean by “fulfilling”?
In the old days, if you cruised in the 60’s and 70’s, you remember when all ships had a Priest, a Rabbi and a Minister onboard for trips of a week or more in length on most Jewish holidays (and sometimes even for Shabbat). That turned into Priest and Minister (because there were not a large enough percentage of Jews) and then just a Minister who performed a non- denomination Service for everyone. Some ships still have a salaried person from onboard (often the Cruise Director or other staff person) that runs these Sunday Services.
Most cruise lines tended to stop most of their Rabbi or Staff-led Jewish Services but would provide a challah if asked by enough passengers on that trip and maybe provide a place for them to celebrate the way they wished.
The “good news” is that all the major cruise lines NOW offer LIVE Services and celebrations that the passengers enjoy and find inspiring as they share this special time with other Jews and non- Jews on the ship. Cruise lines provide “almost anything you need to have “fulfilling” Services and will even advertise them so all those interested will know about it but they will always says it is “led by your fellow passenger” and hope someone “steps up to the bima”.
What has been our experience?
To focus on three special and unique Holidays that we have enjoyed onboard, I want to share our (my wife and my) recent stories on Oceania Cruises cruise line.
Purim 2023, Passover 2023, and High Holidays 2024. Purim was very special for us. We met with the head pastry chef, Shiela (a good person to know at ANY time on a ship) and described the cookie that is made on our holiday, Purim. I tried to explain that the dough is different, and the fillings are unique and without missing a beat, she said “don’t worry but please write down that long name of the cookie so I can get a recipe”. She came through in flying colors, providing us a variety of flavors of hamantaschen. I even had to call Shiela a few times when the ”interest in those Jewish cookies” spread around the ship to increase my order (that’s an entirely different and interesting story) and my wife, Karen, was getting cookie order calls to our room for days. I did a writeup, explaining the holiday and the story and the significance of the cookies, Karen bagged them in ship provided bags and I personally delivered each one to every room that showed interest, including many non-Jews. People talked about it for days!!!
Passover was also quite memorable. Oceania has a set procedure for Passover for all their ships (whether or not there is someone to lead Services) including a Seder with a 2-page Service and a meal “with all the fixins”. Believe it or not, this included white and red kosher wine (in quantity), matzo, chopped liver, gefilte fish, horseradish, Kosher Empire Chickens, choice of entrees (see photos for full menu) and beautiful “pesachdik” desserts. We were in Cape Town, South Africa at the time and I’m pretty sure they didn’t pick-up Kosher/Jewish foods there. They even provided Seder plates with ALL the symbolic foods for every table … and we had more than 20 tables and 20 Seder plates! I wasn’t pleased with their “very abbreviated” Haggadah which I’m sure is fine for most of their ships that don’t have someone focused on leading a full Seder. They were happy to take my custom 16-page Haggadah (still abbreviated) and print up copies for everyone. Which we utilized.
We had a dedicated maître d and many servers, and they timed all the food to be served just as we wished. It was an incredible evening for Jews and the many non-Jews (for many people, it was their first Seder, and they appreciated the opportunity to experience something they would never had the chance to do at home and I was asked questions about Passover for days) that attended. I had to cap-off attendance at 85 due to room restrictions. The afikomen was “really fun” with an entire ship for the cruise director to hide it, with a bag full of ship merchandise as the prize. I have heard that most ships provide some version of a Seder and traditional foods but check in advance, before you leave home, if that it is what you are looking for in a Seder. My wife, Karen, even taught the chef how to make Matzo Brei the next morning for breakfast!!
Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur 2024- Once again, Oceania did a fabulous job in dedicating a room on the ship and appropriate resources to making it a special occasion. We had a Rosh Hashanah Dinner, Kol Nidre Dinner, and a Break Fast. They provided a “Bima” and a setup with all the holiday needs (beautiful tables with table clothes, flameless candles, challah, wine, microphones, and they printed up the Service I had put together and even had a Shofar to blow). Again, there is a standard setup that they have for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur on all their ships and they are more than willing to accommodate almost any special request. If there are no volunteers, their standard is a Service that can be done as a group.
If you have special requirements, which I did, the cruise line provided a special contact for me that I contacted months before the cruise even began and then facilitated a meeting once we got on the ship.
The menu was very special, and we were given as much time as we wanted in the dedicated area. The Assistant Cruise Director was very helpful in the setup of the room and the General Manager and Cruise Director as well as others stopped by during the Service to make sure everything was perfect and running smoothly. The meal was beautiful and once again even on this bigger newer ship with our taking up a key dining area, was perfect in every way. This was the first time Aquamar Kitchen Restaurant was used for this gathering and meal, and they realized after the first Service that a microphone/speaker setup was needed and took care of it without asking. Everyone had a very meaningful holiday. Did I mention they made the most delicious special homemade bagels for Break Fast? We asked the chef why we can’t get those every day. OF COURSE, the most difficult part was fasting on a Cruise Ship…on Yom Kippur!!
What do most cruise ships offer year-round?
Shabbat- Almost EVERY cruise line and every ship offer Friday night Services. It is most often “passenger-led” and the cruise ship provides Siddurs (either a variety of different books from different branches of Judaism or printed up copies of a custom written Service that has prayers and songs to share) and flameless candles, wine and challah as well as a dedicated place on the ship where the Cruise Director will do the setup and a team will cleanup and provide anything else you need. I have led over 90 of these Services over the years on various ships and have found that although the attendance varies from 4-40 guests, it is always a lovely way to meet your fellow passengers that enjoy meeting other Jews and celebrate Shabbat with others.
Hanukkah- Menorah lighting for all 8 days of Hanukkah is offered in a large public area of each ship with games for children and singing the traditional prayers and songs and serving latkes with all the fixings and some even provide sufganiyot (donuts). Some of the cruise lines will hire a Rabbi for the week of Hanukkah too.
Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Passover- you probably would not even consider being away for these holidays (unless you bring your family with you) but many of the cruise lines host Erev and Rosh Hashanah Day Services and special meals both nights. As for Passover, many cruises offer a Seder with special meals customized for the Holiday as well as matzo and kosher wine for the week.
Other holidays- Shavuot was also celebrated on our voyage last year with a special meal. We asked for a special brunch with all dairy foods and about 50 of us attended and were pleased by the offerings of multiple kugels, blintzes, lox and bagels, cheesecake and more.
For Holocaust Remembrance Day, a passenger who was a survivor told his story to a full audience in the main theatre. For Israeli Independence Day we got together and shared readings and prayers. For Lag B’Omer, Simchat Torah, Tish B’Av and Tu B’Av, the cruise lines are happy to provide a space for Services. Sukkot is easy because you can have a meal in the open air on a deck at any time!
The bottom line is that Jewish Holidays are respected by all the cruise lines and every one of them go out of their way to make it a special experience for everyone involved. If you ask for any special holiday requests, by calling in advance or asking your travel agent to call for you, chances are they will accommodate your request. You don’t have to be the most “observant” Jew to just want to celebrate the holidays in a special way with other Jews and those that recognize the importance of these holidays.
I always ask in advance (before we leave home) and then confirm details with the General Manager and Cruise Director when I get on the ship so there are no surprises.
So go book your next cruise, maybe for the Next High Holidays or Passover. As we say at the end of the Haggadah, Next Year on the High Seas!
List of Holidays for 2025, 2026 and 2027:
2025
Rosh Hashanah- Jewish New Year -September 23-24
Yom Kippur- Day of Atonement-October 2
Sukkot-Feast of Tabernacles- October 7-8
Simchat Torah-End of High Holidays-October 15
Hanukkah-Festival of Lights- December 15-22
2026
Purim- Festival of Esther-March 3
Passover- Recount of Egypt-April 2-9
Lag B’Omer-Period of Counting Omer-May 5
Shavuot- Feast of Weeks May 22-23
Tish B’Av-Period of Mourning-July 23
Tu B’Av-Day of Love- July 29
Rosh Hashanah- Jewish New Year -September 12-13
Yom Kippur- Day of Atonement-September 21
Sukkot-Feast of Tabernacles- September 26-27
Simchat Torah-End of High Holidays-October 4
Hanukkah-Festival of Lights- December 5-12
2027
Purim- Festival of Esther-March 23
Passover- Recount of Egypt-April 22-29
Lag B’Omer-Period of Counting Omer-May 25
Shavuot- Feast of Weeks June 11-12
Tish B’Av-Period of Mourning-August 12
Tu B’Av-Day of Love- August 18
Rosh Hashanah- Jewish New Year-October 2-3
Yom Kippur- Day of Atonement-October 11
Sukkot-Feast of Tabernacles- October 16-17
Simchat Torah-End of High Holidays-October 24
BRUCE WINTERS is lifelong cruiser and a contributing writer to Jlife magazine.
