Religious services

[cruise.mode]

We'll be at sea on the Navigator on a Sunday (Saturday sailing). Are there any religious services available?

[Schplinky]

There is usually a priest who does interdenominational services.

[Texsungirl]

We'll be at sea on the Navigator on a Sunday (Saturday sailing). Are there any religious services available?

 

There have been a services, Mass and even Shabbat on my two sailings of ROS.

[cruise.mode]

Thanks for letting me know. When we were on the Mariner two years ago, we didn't sail unti late afternoon Sunday, so no services were offered. This time we'll be sailing on a Saturday, and Sunday will be an at sea day. I guess we'll just have to check the Cruise Compass for info.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

On Brilliance of the Seas ten-day cruise to Panama we had a priest who held mass nearly every day. Most masses, held in a lounge, were very well attended. I believe there was a rabbi also. But on other cruises, we were hoping there would be a priest and there wasn't. They were shorter cruises so that may have been the reason.

 

We spoke with the priest on Brilliance. He told us he signs up for cruises a few times a year and as far as he knows Royal Caribbean does not employ full time priests assigned to ships. He said he is offered the cruises through his arch-diocese.

 

My personal guess, based on what he said, is that cruise lines may not be able to place clergy on every cruise even if they would like to. It might just be too hard to keep enough clergy available for the entire fleet all the time.

[cruise.mode]

Heavy Surf, you're probably right. A number of priests who have served in our home parish over the years have been on cruises. They just let the cruise line know that they were onboard and available to say Mass. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it pans out once we get onboard.

[megr1125]

Of a priest or other clergy is aboard then there are services. We had a catholic priest and a couple other clergy on our NOS last oct.