Priest on board HAL ships

[Vict0riann]

Our pastor, Fr. Bill MacDonald told us a couple of weeks ago that he had been on an assignment - "hard work, but somebody's got to do it!" on a cruise ship, so yesterday, I asked him which ship. He said it was the Zuiderdam, and he had been amazed at the number of crew who went to Mass at 11 p.m., after their long day of work. He also said how good all the Americans were at participating, doing the readings, etc.

 

Every once in a while, we are asked to remember to put in our final review, how happy we are that HAL does have a priest on board (almost) all of their cruises. It was interesting to get Fr. Bill's side of it. He said he had to be "on call" all the time.

[Himself]

Our pastor, Fr. Bill MacDonald told us a couple of weeks ago that he had been on an assignment - "hard work, but somebody's got to do it!" on a cruise ship, so yesterday, I asked him which ship. He said it was the Zuiderdam, and he had been amazed at the number of crew who went to Mass at 11 p.m., after their long day of work. He also said how good all the Americans were at participating, doing the readings, etc.

 

Every once in a while, we are asked to remember to put in our final review, how happy we are that HAL does have a priest on board (almost) all of their cruises. It was interesting to get Fr. Bill's side of it. He said he had to be "on call" all the time.

 

Chaplain's are on call at all times. However, that does not mean we are on the go all the time. Cahaplains can be paged or called in their room. After Mass one certain chaplain--a priest known on these boards--stops down to the infirmary each day to see if there are any sick in need of a visit. This could be guest or crew member. This Chaplain has had good attendance at the Sunday Mass, daily Mass and crew Mass on Sunday night.

[kazu]

I know my husband is very appreciative of the priests on HAL's ships. I am sure many others are too:D:D Thanks to those who serve:D

[geoherb]

We became friends with a priest on one cruise. He was from a town 20 miles from ours. The way we met was that the Protestant minister did not make it to the ship. The priest filled in for him and mentioned where he was from during the service. (It was a Christmas cruise, so the cruise line decided to go with both Catholic and Protestant clergy.) Fortunately for him, he only had to do one Sunday service for the Protestants on board. But he had daily Masses for the Catholics--one for the passengers and another for the crew members.

[RuthC]

The fact that HAL has a Catholic priest aboard all cruises (barring emergency that keeps the assigned priest away) is one of the things I appreciate greatly on the line.

I'm very glad that in recent years the Saturday Mass has been scheduled for late afternoon, even if it's a sea day, when it would normally be scheduled in the morning. We always have a shot at the Vigil that way.

I always remember to note my appreciation for having a priest in my final comments. This is one cut-back I truly would not want to see.

[Loreto]

I always remember to comment positively on my end of cruise survey and in my follow up letter to HAL. I appreciate the availability of Mass and always volunteer to read (as that is what I do in my home church.)The priests have always been interesting...one suggested making the cruise a mini retreat.

 

Mass has always been well attended by passengers of all ages. I hope HAL continues to offer this to passengers!

 

Karen

[genmasjoy]

I am glad to know this. I am Protestant but have attended Catholic services and feel comfortable there, and would prefer it to not going to church at all. We will be on a 21 day cruise so I will make it a point to attend mass.

[rafinmd]

I've been disappointed recently. HAL used to have Protestant Chaplains on longer cruises but did not on my 14-day Asia cruise. The Priests also used to do interfaith services on Sundays, but that did not happen on my Veendam cruise this summer.

 

Roy

[Loreto]

I've been disappointed recently. HAL used to have Protestant Chaplains on longer cruises but did not on my 14-day Asia cruise. The Priests also used to do interfaith services on Sundays, but that did not happen on my Veendam cruise this summer.

 

Roy

 

Roy, we had a great priest on our Amazon Explorer cruise last year! He was from Australia. I think HAL has one for the Amazon because it tended to be a mature passenger mix. It was the largest group I have ever seen....I would say over 50 at each mass.

Karen

[sevenseasnomad]

We greatly appreciate HA having priest aboard. Celebrity & RC used to engage priests, but no longer. Hence, we switched to HA. As noted by others, we always comment positively.

[MR NW GUY]

I too appreciate HAL's choice to have a priest onboard.

[PunkiC]

We were at a luncheon on the Westerdam with Kruse Stein this spring and he said that HAL has always had, and will always have a commitment to having a priest on board every sailing. Of course, there are last minute issues that might prevent that, but for the most part they will always have a priest on board.

 

I like that a lot and it was one of the big reasons we were thinking of switching from Princess to HAL, but then, no sooner had we booked our first serious HAL cruise, than they came up with this new silly wine policy. It is just too incongruous--all of the Catholics I know love their wine.

 

Oh well, we will enjoy our October/November cruise, along with our own wine and a priest. and hope for a reasonable modification of their new policy.

[casamariposa]

I've been on some of HAL's longer cruises over the past couple of years (40+ days), and in addition to a Catholic priest on board, we've had a Protestant minister and a Jewish rabbi. What was wonderful is the way they worked together, at least on my cruises. On a transatlantic we celebrated Thanksgiving, and they put together a beautiful, interdenominational Thanksgiving service. I've noticed that the clergy, and their spouses, share some dinners together. I will never forget Easter Vigil Mass on the Rotterdam, followed by the Lutheran minister's sunrise service on Easter Morning. Those special services have been very well attended.

[Fargo55]

We did the Grand Med on Prinsendam and they had a priest, protestant and rabbi for the entire cruise

[lcand1923]

A seminarian was helping in the kitchen at our local parish carnival. As we did the dishes one day, he mentioned that he had taken a cruise the previous summer. I told him that cruising was my favorite vacation. I asked him which line he had cruised with and where he had gone. He then asked me what lines I had sailed and which was my favorite. I listed all of the lines and said that my favorite was HAL. He asked why, I told him it was because HAL tried to have a priest on board each cruise and would normally schedule daily Mass. He said he was going to tell his Mom and Dad about HAL.

[hrhdhd]

I like that a lot and it was one of the big reasons we were thinking of switching from Princess to HAL, but then, no sooner had we booked our first serious HAL cruise, than they came up with this new silly wine policy. It is just too incongruous--all of the Catholics I know love their wine.

 

Well, here's one Catholic who hates wine--and most of the Catholics I know don't drink wine, either.

 

I don't think there's a correlation between being Catholic and drinking wine. :cool:

[shrimp56]

Well, here's one Catholic who hates wine--and most of the Catholics I know don't drink wine, either.

 

I don't think there's a correlation between being Catholic and drinking wine. :cool:

 

It's Anglicans and Episcopalians that drink it LOL. And before you jump all over me I'm an Episcopalian. There is a saying... "Whenever 2 or 3 are gathered together there's always a fifth."

[twodogmom]

I find it very insulting that Catholics get a priest on all cruises and the other religions don't. It isn't right that one religious group gets special treatment.

[myheart53]

We went to an interdenominational service on our recent cruise on the Westerdam in August. There was an interdenominational service but I do believe the person performing the service was a priest. No singing, only a couple of prayers and mostly he was telling us about how he became to be on the ship and some of his history. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful they had something. We are Protestant but we do have communion every Lord's day so we went back to our stateroom and finished our worship. I am looking forward to our upcoming cruise in November for 14 days but there will be two Sunday's, since we board on a Sunday, do you think they will have any service that day in the evening?

[Himself]

We went to an interdenominational service on our recent cruise on the Westerdam in August. There was an interdenominational service but I do believe the person performing the service was a priest. No singing, only a couple of prayers and mostly he was telling us about how he became to be on the ship and some of his history. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful they had something. We are Protestant but we do have communion every Lord's day so we went back to our stateroom and finished our worship. I am looking forward to our upcoming cruise in November for 14 days but there will be two Sunday's, since we board on a Sunday, do you think they will have any service that day in the evening?

 

When I do an interdenominational service, I always have a lot of singing as I know my Protestant Brothers and Sisters are used to this. I have the people pick out the Hymns and they teach them to my. By the thrird verse I have the tune down and join in the singing. I give a Christo-Centric Sermon and my Interdenominational service always goes at least a half an hour.

[Himself]

so.....gets points for that...

 

????????????

[carri cruiser]

I find it very insulting that Catholics get a priest on all cruises and the other religions don't. It isn't right that one religious group gets special treatment.

 

I have been on a cruise from NY through the PC, and HAL had a protestant service, I know they usually have a priest, and Rabbi, and usually if you watch for it, there will be a protestant service, I was surprised to find the guy from the piano bar was our musician for hymns!!

pleasantly surprised!! I think I have seen that they have had a protestant service with congregation leading.

[travelnap]

When I do an interdenominational service, I always have a lot of singing as I know my Protestant Brothers and Sisters are used to this. I have the people pick out the Hymns and they teach them to my. By the thrird verse I have the tune down and join in the singing. I give a Christo-Centric Sermon and my Interdenominational service always goes at least a half an hour.

 

I have attended the interdenominational services that were conducted by a priest and also those that were conducted by a protestant minister, and I was thankful for both services, and quite comfortable at both of them. I am protestant but have always appreciated the priests that were willing to conduct an interdenominational service when a protestant minister was not available. On other cruises that did not offer the interdenominational services I just attended the catholic mass instead, and just abstained from taking communion. I have always felt welcome at those services as well. That is one of the reasons I do like sailing with HAL, because you don't have the option for worship services on some of the other lines. Thank you for your ministry father.

[rafinmd]

When I do an interdenominational service, I always have a lot of singing as I know my Protestant Brothers and Sisters are used to this. I have the people pick out the Hymns and they teach them to my. By the thrird verse I have the tune down and join in the singing. I give a Christo-Centric Sermon and my Interdenominational service always goes at least a half an hour.

 

Father, I hope we wind up on the same ship some time.

 

Roy

[Boytjie]

Well, here's one Catholic who hates wine--and most of the Catholics I know don't drink wine, either.

 

I don't think there's a correlation between being Catholic and drinking wine. :cool:

 

I think there is a bigger correlation between Episcopalians and wine. :D