Princess no longer schedules Jewish Sabbath services

[Sillyjilly]

Three cruises this year, one each in Jan., Feb. and March and the Jewish service was published in the Patter every one. (Four weekends involved.)

 

Yup, I saw it published too.

[MJSailors]

It is my understanding that Princess does not schedule a priest to say a Mass for Catholics on Christmas or Easter any longer.

If there is a priest onboard curing those Holydays, then he will offer to say the Mass for a congregation. I am not sure if the Mass schedule is posted in the Patter or not as we have never sailed during those times.

It seems that Princess is leaving the responsibility of conducting religious services up

to the passengers instead of enlisting a rabbi,priest and /or minister to conduct services on cruises.

The priest who married my DH and I 32 years ago, would enjoy cruises where he was compensated by the cruise lines with either a free or reduced cruise fare in return for him conducting services for passengers.

That was a long time ago.

Perhaps Princess and other cruise lines no longer offer this compensation to enlisted clergy as a cost-cutting measure.

[NavyVeteran]

It is my understanding that Princess does not schedule a priest to say a Mass for Catholics on Christmas or Easter any longer.

If there is a priest onboard curing those Holydays, then he will offer to say the Mass for a congregation. I am not sure if the Mass schedule is posted in the Patter or not as we have never sailed during those times.

It seems that Princess is leaving the responsibility of conducting religious services up

to the passengers instead of enlisting a rabbi,priest and /or minister to conduct services on cruises.

The priest who married my DH and I 32 years ago, would enjoy cruises where he was compensated by the cruise lines with either a free or reduced cruise fare in return for him conducting services for passengers.

That was a long time ago.

Perhaps Princess and other cruise lines no longer offer this compensation to enlisted clergy as a cost-cutting measure.

 

It's not just a question of cost. People are much more sensitive today to the diversity in religion as in everything else. There are many different religions. Even within Christianity, there are many different denominations. If Princess paid for a rabbi, priest, or minister to conduct services, that would satisfy only some of the people. If several religious leaders of different religions and/or different denominations wanted to go on the same cruise, how would they decide which one or ones to pay for? I suspect this just got too complicated.

[Colo Cruiser]

Exactly. :)

[caribill]

It seems that Princess is leaving the responsibility of conducting religious services up to the passengers instead of enlisting a rabbi,priest and /or minister to conduct services on cruises.

 

For Sundays that are not disembarkation days, Princess will schedule a Christian service which will be led by a Princess staff member.

[AZbeachboy]

We had one on the Crown in March. It was advertised in the Patter.

 

As to free sailings for clergy, I don't know if they were ever free. I know they did give good discounts depending on the sailings. I never took advantage of it because it stopped before i retired. However many of my friends did and it was always a discounted fare. It was a good discount, but never free and they built up their cruises.

[elliair]

were looking forward to having a sedar aboard the ship--No one to lead- a few of us just sort of took turns-- food horrible--miso soup was served- hard balls- I don't think mazzah was even used for that- the wine clearly said "not for Passover use"--- there was a rabbi there, but he refused to lead the service as a protest because Princess stopped offering a discount for clergy on board their ships. Let's just say, I won't go over Passover time again on Princess-- (We normally don't take cruises during that time any way). But we really were very disappointed with Princess....(Princess had just changed their policy apparently a few weeks earlier--we were all surprised by this. I felt bad for persons looking forward to a service on Easter Sunday as well.

 

I can see where this would be a problem. Every clergy person would demand a discount just to lead a church service. Then I can also see passengers complain that they should get a discount for attending the service. It would be a never ending cycle of people complaining. Princess offers a place to hold the service, they are under no obligation to give discounts for anyone leading the service or even provide special food and wine to hold it. JMHO.

[KruzPrincess]

I was on the Crown Princess for the week following Easter. There was a Passover service listed in the Patter. They asked for a volunteer to lead if I recall correctly. They had the mass from the Vatican on the TV on the Saturday night before Easter. They had a Christian service listed as well. I think it said a Princess staff member would lead.

[loudini56]

My wife and I have done many cruises (8-10 per year in recent years, 59 total), on RCCL, Celebrity, Princess, NCL, Cunard and HAL.

 

All of these lines normally schedule a Jewish Sabbath service on Friday around 5:30pm and put it in the daily newsletter. They provide basic facilities (a place for prayer, prayer books, kosher wine and a few other things) and invite a passenger to lead the service.

 

Since I know how to lead a traditional Jewish service, I usually do so. (Only on certain holidays does the cruise line arrange for a rabbi or cantor to be on board.) This works fine, and it's a nice way for those of us on board who are Jewish to meet each other and have some spiritual time as a community.

 

Recently, however, Princess has stopped scheduling the service. I haven't been on Princess since this happened, but heard about it from others. I contacted Princess Customer Service, and was told that the facilities are available if anyone wants to hold a service: "Supplies are present and available for anyone who wants to lead the service at 5:30 pm on Friday evenings."

 

As I explained to Princess, this doesn't work if Princess doesn't put the service into the daily newsletter as a scheduled event, because those on board won't have any way of finding out about there being a service.

 

The answer I got (by phone call) was that if I'm on a cruise and I want to have a Friday service, I should speak to Guest Relations and offer to lead it, and then they'll put it on the schedule.

 

That's fine for the next time we cruise on Princess (provided the cruise doesn't being on a Thursday or Friday so there's time to put it on the schedule). But Jewish travellers on other cruises are not doubt being disappointed when no service is scheduled.

 

So for anyone out there for whom this is an issue: you may wish to email customerrelations@princesscruises.com and ask them to restore having the Sabbath service on the schedule, so that those who want to attend can have one.

 

As far as I know, all the other lines still schedule the Sabbath service. Celebrity stopped (as a corporate decree) for a few months about 5 years ago, but then reinstated it, presumably due to requests from passengers.

 

I just completed a 10 day Caribbean cruise on the Royal Princess. The princess patter, their daily newsletter for Friday did list an evening Sabbath service in the ship's chapel. I attended it and led part of the service.

 

Lou Brill

Finksburg, MD

[joeyancho]

I'm surprised that a religious leader would refuse to lead a service as a protest that he wasn't given a discount. :) (I hope I haven't caused offense by my comment.)

 

 

Why would an observation based on fact be offensive? I thought the same thing when I read it.

[Colo Cruiser]

I just completed a 10 day Caribbean cruise on the Royal Princess. The princess patter, their daily newsletter for Friday did list an evening Sabbath service in the ship's chapel. I attended it and led part of the service.

 

Lou Brill

Finksburg, MD

 

 

Thanks for the update.....

I guess when the thread was created 2 years ago maybe there were less services?

 

It is hit and miss.

[Jimmy Geegitz]

I'm a clergyman and cruise a lot. Would love a discount in exchange to lead a service in Pastafarian. Sabbatinis and Alfredos already serves our holy meal unbeknownst to the masses who consume our holiness.

 

 

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[DUCHESSRN]

Was in the Patter last week on Ruby ..I was a little surprised nothing was done for Ash Wednesday but it did not spoil my great cruise.

[jagsfan]

One of our tablemates years ago on Sky Princess was a Catholic priest. He not only said Mass every morning, he did vow renewal ceremonies for anyone and led nondenominational services. He also heard confessions. He did get a discount on his cruise but worked the entire time.

 

 

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[NavyVeteran]

Was in the Patter last week on Ruby ..I was a little surprised nothing was done for Ash Wednesday but it did not spoil my great cruise.

 

Princess will schedule a service if a passenger contacts them, requests it, and offers to lead it.

[bl413]

We were on Princess in 2015 (Panama Cruise) and requested Services. We had a wonderful Friday night service-led by one of the cruisers. Then for Chanukah we had a large celebration and they provided a Menorah, and potato latkes, wine etc -- we had a great time.

[marco]

It was listed in the "Patter" last month on the Royal.

[jfgdbg]

Just returned from the Star Princess cruise to Hawaii. For both Friday's it was listed in the Patter for passengers to conduct the service.

[SadieN]

It's not just a question of cost. People are much more sensitive today to the diversity in religion as in everything else. There are many different religions. Even within Christianity, there are many different denominations. If Princess paid for a rabbi, priest, or minister to conduct services, that would satisfy only some of the people. If several religious leaders of different religions and/or different denominations wanted to go on the same cruise, how would they decide which one or ones to pay for? I suspect this just got too complicated.

 

 

Not disagreeing with you, just pointing out

Jewish services do not require a Rabbi or even a Cantor. Any Jew over the age of B'nai Mitzvah who knows the service can lead.

[NavyVeteran]

Not disagreeing with you, just pointing out

Jewish services do not require a Rabbi or even a Cantor. Any Jew over the age of B'nai Mitzvah who knows the service can lead.

 

Princess will be happy to schedule a service and provide a location and needed supplies if someone contacts Passenger Services and volunteers to lead it. They will not necessarily schedule it if no one requests it. Sometimes they will put an announcement in the Patter asking for a volunteer leader but not always.

[Brisbane41]

I have the patter from a January cruise on the Emerald Princess that I was on while based in Australia and can confirm that the Jewish services are still published in the patter on that ship for 5:30pm on a Friday with a request that a passenger conduct the service.

[caribill]

Princess will be happy to schedule a service and provide a location and needed supplies if someone contacts Passenger Services and volunteers to lead it. They will not necessarily schedule it if no one requests it. Sometimes they will put an announcement in the Patter asking for a volunteer leader but not always.

 

Princess has always scheduled the service without any request needing to be made.

 

I have always seen it in the Patter. Easy to overlook if you are not looking for it in the schedule of events.