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Cruising Jewish


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This is a thread I started on the Princess board that others felt was worth sharing with those who don't follow that board. It started out over how one does passover on a cruise and moved on from there. My thread was about going to Shabbat services on a cruise and went like this.

 

We were very surprised on a first cruise a few years ago that RCL had a Shabbat service. We and the families we travelled with met another 60 or 70 fellow Jews and enjoyed a wonderful experience. Before the service someone volunteered to lead, told us who he was, where he was from and then everyone introduced themselves the same way. The service was a reform style which was very inclusive, candles were blessed and kiddush was said. Everyone seemed happier for attending.

 

So, do you go and what kind of experiences have you had? And when you are taking excursions, do you seek out Jewish sites. Our experiences in Istanbul, Rhodes, Rome, Florence, Athens, St. Petersberg, etc. including Jewish sites among our shore excursions have been very worthwhile.

 

So, if you have things to share about your travels that may be of interest to others, here is a place to put them. I will come back and add some travel details if this thread catches on.

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Haven't gone to the exotic places. We've been to St. Thomas where the second oldest synogague in the W. Hemi. is but we had our little one with us so we went to a beach instead.

BTW, I went to grad school in a town that had no temples...services were held at the college Hillel.

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Didn't see anything posted yet in Floataway lounge, but did enjoy reading your postings on another somewhat similar thread there, Cruisin' Chick!

Anyone know if Shabbat services will still take place on board for ships that leave on Friday afternoons?

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  • 2 weeks later...

I, too, am curious about Friday night services on a Friday departure day. We will be leaving on July 9 from Vancouver for Whittier on the Coral Princess. I don't imagine there will be anything.

In past cruises that departed on Sundays, there was always a small group of us...maybe just a minyan...but the ship had wine, challah and Reform prayer books all set up for us. I have heard that for Passover or other main holidays, there is usually a Rabbi on board.

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  • 2 months later...

about 3 cruises ago on HAL we and another couple we travel with were at a table for 10. The first nite we went thru the usual introductions to each other and the oldest couple at the table introduced themselves as "2 Jews from Joy-Z (New Jersey)" Joe and Violet were 91 and 90 and both used a cane to get around, but were truly young at heart. It was Hannukah and Joe was serving as the cantor at the nightly services. Then toward the end of the week the rabbi had heart problems and had to be airlifted off the ship and Joe ended up presiding at the services. He would sing to us at the dinner table and relate stories of his youth while Vi rolled her eyes. She would show up at the pool every day in her rubber bathing cap and goggles and make about 25 laps around the circumference of the pool using her one good arm as she had had a mild stroke.

 

She also shared with us that as a young girl growing up her mother had taught her never to lie.. and then she'd pause and wink and finish by saying "unless it's absolutely necessary!"

 

We found them out touring every island.. saw them every nite at the midnite buffet.. and by the end of the week they knew everyone on board.

 

When planning our next cruise we called and invited them to join us again. Unfortunately they already had a cruise planned but we went down a day early and even though we were leaving out of Port Canaveral, drove from Orlando down to Boca Raton so that we could see them again and take them out to dinner.

 

Last talked with them about a yr ago but they were still going strong at that point.

 

We only hope that if we make it to 90 we will still enjoy life as much as Joe and Vi are.

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  • 9 years later...

When we travel we look to find Jewish sites, synagogues, and Jewish museums. We will be cruising on Celebrity Equinox Oct. 14 and want to connect with other like-minded fellow travelers who may be interested in a Jewish oriented shore excursion.

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Crystal has many Jewish themed excursions. They provide a Rabbi on many sailings. We are bringing some battery powered flickering candles for our own shabbat lights in our cabin. Crystal provides lots of "Jewish" foods for the holidays and any time on request. They make latkes, matzoh ball soup, challah and roast kosher chicken.

 

We have celebrated holidays on board. It is fun. We are headed on a world cruise and will be gone over passover. We are celebrating the night before in the Italian restaurant with lotsa pasta! :rolleyes:

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