Religious Service

[Traveling Dot]

Are there still going to be Religious Services on all the sailings?  This is one reason I only sail on HAL.

[HAL4NOW]

3 minutes ago, Traveling Dot said:

Are there still going to be Religious Services on all the sailings?  This is one reason I only sail on HAL.

HAL has largely relied on Apostleship of the Sea to facilitate their religious services over the past few years, with the protestant services being congregationally led.

I haven't seen any changes in that plan.

Here is a link to Apostleship of the Sea: Apostleship of the Sea of the United States of America (aos-usa.org)

[CruiserBruce]

There is a member of Apostleship of the Sea active on this board. A couple of days ago, he said bookings/scheduling of members had resumed for HAL cruises.

[Traveling Dot]

Thank you that is good to know.😇

[sail7seas]

24 minutes ago, HAL4NOW said:

HAL has largely relied on Apostleship of the Sea to facilitate their religious services over the past few years, with the protestant services being congregationally led.

I haven't seen any changes in that plan.

Here is a link to Apostleship of the Sea: Apostleship of the Sea of the United States of America (aos-usa.org)

 

 

Suggsestion:  🙂 

 

Why  not call HAL and ask  ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kochleffel]

38 minutes ago, HAL4NOW said:

with the protestant services being congregationally led.

 Same with Jewish services.

[Cajuntraveler]

2 hours ago, Traveling Dot said:

Are there still going to be Religious Services on all the sailings?  This is one reason I only sail on HAL.

A week ago, I contacted Apostleship of the Sea and they confirmed that they were working on having a Catholic priest on our August 14th Alaska sailing.  They indicated that HAL is continuing it's policy of having a priest on board its ships.   

[rkacruiser]

4 hours ago, kochleffel said:

 Same with Jewish services.

 

This is correct.  The Protestant services are usually Interdenominational.  The Catholic Priest, if there is one, may agree to lead such a service.  With respect to those lay people on my cruises that have attempted to lead such a service, thank you for your efforts.  However.....

[kochleffel]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

With respect to those lay people on my cruises that have attempted to lead such a service, thank you for your efforts.  However.....

I've done it, but I'm technically professional, although I don't work in a clergy job. At this point, I will use  anything short of physical violence to get control away from someone who feels obligated to do it even though he (never she) doesn't know how.

 

[Dismomx5]

Thank you for the information. I recalled that we'll be sailing at Easter next year, so this is a relief for us both.

[AV8rix]

18 hours ago, kochleffel said:

 Same with Jewish services.

I've been on a few cruises that encompassed the  High Holy Days and, at those times, a rabbi has always been provided to lead the services.  But that's in the past.  No way to know their policy going forward in these crazy times.

Edited June 11, 2021 by Av8rix

[Himself]

18 hours ago, sail7seas said:

 

 

Suggsestion:  🙂 

 

Why  not call HAL and ask  ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As mentioned earlier, The List for open HAL Sailings have all ready been sent out to priests who do these Chaplaincies.  I know this for a fact because I am A Catholic Priest who is a member of the AOSUSA and I have that list. Priest Chaplains will be on the Nieuw Amsterdam and the Eurodam. 

[kochleffel]

2 hours ago, Av8rix said:

I've been on a few cruises that encompassed the  High Holy Days and, at those times, a rabbi has always been provided to lead the services.  But that's in the past.  No way to know their policy going forward in these crazy times.

 

Yes. Quite a few cruise lines do that, but I don't know any reliable way to find out in advance.

[atexsix]

We had a Catholic priest for our last Hawaii sailing that did daily mass, but I have no idea if he led the Protestant service or if there even was one, now to think of it I don't even recall seeing an announcement for it.

[cruisin'teach]

We have had some wonderful lay people lead services on our cruises. Several also had Bible study times on sea days.

On our longer cruises there was usually a Protestant pastor to provide services and to care for any spiritual needs, injury or death on the sailing.

Our prayer is that HAL will continue this as part of our cruising experience!

[Btimmer]

I've been a lay leader on a number of HAL cruises since they discontinued the Protestant chaplains several years ago.  We've met a number of wonderful people while providing this gratis service.

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, Btimmer said:

I've been a lay leader on a number of HAL cruises since they discontinued the Protestant chaplains several years ago.  We've met a number of wonderful people while providing this gratis service.

 

Thank you for your efforts and service.  Personally, attending a Protestant service without an ordained Protestant minister has little meaning for me.  An interdenominational service led by a Priest is just a bit better for me.  While I would prefer a Minister of my faith to lead whatever service I attend, it's not necessary for me to continue my relationship with my God in my own way.

 

Isn't that better than attending a service when I leave wondering:  well, what was that all about?  Why did I attend?  I have felt that too often after attending Protestant lay lead services as well as Interdenominational services led by a Priest.  

[cruisin'teach]

A retired pastor at our church has done Prot. services twice on the Grand South America. And has plans to do it again this year if it sails. We really enjoy him when he fills in for our regular pastor during vacations. I think HAL tries to bring highly qualified pastors to the ships!

[rkacruiser]

21 hours ago, cruisin'teach said:

I think HAL tries to bring highly qualified pastors to the ships!

 

I think that those of us who sailed on a Prinsendam's Christmas/New Year's Cruise 

late in her HAL career would disagree with such a statement.  There was only one type of service regardless if it was a Sunday service, a Christmas Eve service, etc.  No message; it was just a Communion Service over and over again.  If you think that such a couple were "highly qualified pastors", then, we will have to respectfully disagree.  

[iancal]

My spouse has attended a number of those interdenominational services on various cruise lines.  I have never been to one so cannot comment.

 

She has never been very pleased with them.   She always came away somewhat-very disappointed.  She no longer bothers with them based on her past on board experiences.  Based on her comments I very much doubt whether she would have described any of the leaders as 'highly qualified ministers'.

 

 Besides, she is far more interested in the satisfying service than she is with the so called qualifications of the presenter.  Be it nine months of a  Bible School or 4 years university along with  post graduate studies (not from some on line degree mill).

Edited June 13, 2021 by iancal

[bcummin]

We used to be able to count on ministers to lead the interdenominational services.  That has changed.

Now it is wise to check with the front desk to learn what is planned.  On one cruise the CD forgot about us on the first segment, but an opportunity was presented after we asked.  Different people have different expectations, but whenever "two or more gather" we can inspire each other.  A lot depends on what we put into the gathering.

Onboard we also have opportunities to rub shoulders with different religious leaders.

Barbara

[St. Louis Sal]

Because many of my cruises were either holiday sailings or extended cruises I have had the opportunity to observe how the Protestant pastors have served. In fact I did not immediately realize there weren’t ministers on all cruises because many of my shorter cruises sailed on Sundays and I thought I just missed the service.

 

Except for one instance, all the pastors (many of whom were retired) that I met did an excellent job. On my 32 day cruise, the pastor even offered a Bible study which was very good. 
 

It is much harder to lead a nondenominational service. You must take into account the wide variation in worship experience everyone is used to, the hymns people will know, etc., music is often an issue (have so appreciated when crew musicians have stepped in as it is not in their job description). I do wish HAL always had a minister onboard.

 

My one bad experience: on a Christmas cruise we had a pastor supposedly from a large non-denominational church (odd that he wasn’t preaching at his own church for Christmas). His message was off putting, had nothing to do with Christ or Christmas. (His comments about his wife were creepy.)  And he offered no communion on Christmas Eve. We were so unsettled we decided to remain for the Midnight Mass which was immediately after. The priest had been present during the Protestant service, standing in the back. Quite a few people stayed like us. The priest made an unusual announcement; he said that if a non-Catholic had no other opportunity to receive communion, they could join in the Mass and receive communion. I was amazed. I have not ever found whether that it is true in the Catholic Church or just something that particular priest offered, but I know I felt blessed to be welcomed in such a manner. The meditation he gave lifted my spirit. I ultimately didn’t join in communion, but I felt blessed anyway.

 

One pastor gave a message that reminded us that we had a common experience in worshiping together on a ship surrounded by the vastness of the sea and the magnificence of all of nature that we were experiencing. God is as much with us on a cruise ship as anywhere in our daily life.
 

St Louis Sal 

[RevNeal]

20 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I think that those of us who sailed on a Prinsendam's Christmas/New Year's Cruise 

late in her HAL career would disagree with such a statement.  There was only one type of service regardless if it was a Sunday service, a Christmas Eve service, etc.  No message; it was just a Communion Service over and over again.  If you think that such a couple were "highly qualified pastors", then, we will have to respectfully disagree.  

 

I am one of the clergy who used to serve as a protestant guest minister on HAL cruises. For my part, I tried to conduct a service that addressed a broad cross-section of denominational backgrounds, including a homily, hymns, and a Eucharistic liturgy which followed the BEM (Baptism-Eucharist-Ministry) guidelines. I conducted services for both protestant passengers and crew (the latter usually took place VERY late at night), and was always told how much appreciated those services were.

 

 In January 2020, just prior to the pandemic, I took a cruise aboard the Konningsdam and was asked by the Cruise Director (whom I knew) if I would conduct services for protestant passengers and crew (the crew, particularly, because most of the protestants among them hadn't had the opportunity to receive communion in several months).  By that time HAL had quit contracting with protestant guest ministers on all but a handful select cruises per-year, and that cruise didn't have one assigned.

 

For several reasons (mostly due to prior poor experiences with other protestant clergy), in the future I will probably offer my services to the Cruise Director via email before boarding.

 

  

[rkacruiser]

5 hours ago, bcummin said:

Onboard we also have opportunities to rub shoulders with different religious leaders.

 

Not just different "leaders", but with other guests whose faith is different than mine.  

 

There was one cruise whose services were provided by a Methodist Minister who was from Texas.  His wife assisted him at times.  It was a long cruise; I can't accurately recall which I have sailed--maybe a repositioning cruise from Australia/New Zealand to North America.  It was on a R Class ship.  I looked forward to his services.  They well served their purpose.  The couple were very approachable and visible daily. 

 

One day, I asked him:  why are you here and not at your home Church as its Senior Pastor?  His response was:  I had to get approval from my Church's Administrative Board as well as from the Methodist hierarchy for that area.  It was a situation where others realized that the man needed a "change of scene" for awhile because of his local Church's challenges with which he had been dealing.   

[Mr. Boston]

4 hours ago, RevNeal said:

 

I am one of the clergy who used to serve as a protestant guest minister on HAL cruises. For my part, I tried to conduct a service that addressed a broad cross-section of denominational backgrounds, including a homily, hymns, and a Eucharistic liturgy which followed the BEM (Baptism-Eucharist-Ministry) guidelines. I conducted services for both protestant passengers and crew (the latter usually took place VERY late at night), and was always told how much appreciated those services were.

 

 In January 2020, just prior to the pandemic, I took a cruise aboard the Konningsdam and was asked by the Cruise Director (whom I knew) if I would conduct services for protestant passengers and crew (the crew, particularly, because most of the protestants among them hadn't had the opportunity to receive communion in several months).  By that time HAL had quit contracting with protestant guest ministers on all but a handful select cruises per-year, and that cruise didn't have one assigned.

 

For several reasons (mostly due to prior poor experiences with other protestant clergy), in the future I will probably offer my services to the Cruise Director via email before boarding.

 

  

So nice to “see” you again Rev Neal. Your work is so important and I hope to attend one of your services someday.