I'm a good Catholic - BUT----

[kryos]

Rita,

 

Your penance is 3 Hail Marys and 2 bowls of bread pudding.

 

Roz

Okay, I just blew through the three hail marys ... and I'll take a voluntary double on the bread pudding once onboard. :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Beckey]

Boy, had to go back and read the post again - I thought for a few minutes I was going to have to go to confession if I ate the Bread Pudding! :eek: And I plan on eating LOTS of bread pudding.

Roz - you crack me up!

And yes I am sure my husband and I were the topic of many a discussion over dinners of all sorts after we left the Baptist church. I can not tell you how many people they sent over from the Southern Baptist Convention to talk to him. Still don't think they have been able to get their small minds around it.

TomC - you sound like a Priest I know - hates to get up early in the morning for prayer and he keeps telling the other Priest - It was the LAST SUPPER!!

[General Max]

Do the Catholic priests get a free cruise from HAL for coming on board and saying daily Mass? Also. if they do, how much on board credit do they get on their account? Maybe Reverand neal has done one of these cruises for HAL and performed the non denominational services.

 

What category cabin does HAL give the participating clergy. Maybe we can get one or two to respond.

 

General Max

[Roz]

Based on remarks I've heard from the priests, I think they get the cruise for a reduced fee. But I'd like to hear that from a clergyman firsthand.

 

Besides saying Mass, the priest also serves as a chaplain. So for instance, if someone became seriously ill onboard or died, the chaplain would offer to pray with/assist the family, if they so desired. Just like in the Armed Forces, they are at times called to be interdenominational in their approach.

 

I talked to a Jewish couple on a cruise who told me a horror story about their mother passing away on the ship, and they mentioned that both the Catholic priest and Presbyterian minister onboard at the time were of immense help to them.

 

Roz

[tomc]

I've got some second-hand knowledge of that. I teach part-time (Speech, of course) at a local college, which happens to be Catholic. One of the priests was just on a cruise in Alaska as chaplain and said he got it for free, but had to be available 24/7 for passenger needs, infirmary visits, Mass and nondenominational services (it was seven days; more than that, there is a minister onboard). He could not be in the casino or play bingo, could not take shorex unless there were empty spots. A whole bunch of rules; he showed me the sheet. He is considered "part of the crew," in a way, and expected to act as such and be available as needed. (During port stops, when he wanders around on shore, he is on his own; he is not shackled to the ship.)

[CatherineNOLA]

So does HAL guarantee that there will be a priest on every ship and on every trip? Crystal will have a priest on their upcoming Christmas cruise only if space permits.

[tomc]

HAL's policy is to have a priest on board every cruise.

 

(1) If the ship goes down, you'll "go up."

(2) If you do something naughty, you can get onboard forgiveness without charge.

[Roz]

Catherine, they don't guarantee it but they make every attempt to have a priest onboard. As far as I know, HAL is the only cruise line that consistently has a priest onboard. There's a "Diocese of the Maritimes", based in Seattle, that coordinates things. They're also responsible for placing priests on merchant marine vessels.

 

The Netherlands is often thought of a Protestant country, because of the Dutch Reformation. In fact, a little over half of the country is Catholic, but very liberal. The Pope gets heartburn from his kielbassi every time a Dutch theologian opens their mouth!

 

Roz

[General Max]

tomc, very good information on the rules and regulations of the on board Catholic priests. I especially liked the ones about staying out of the casino and bingo game areas. Can they spend any time in the lounges or crow's nest in the evenings? What category cabin does HAL provide for the onboard clergy?

 

General Max

[tomc]

I don't know much more than that. I'll have to ask the fellow next time I see him, which will be this coming semester when classes start up (he's in the English Department full-time; I'm an adjunct with Speech and Theater). I think they have the run of the ship except for the gambling, but I really have no reason to say that one way or another. Cabins, don't know, but I think they are steerage or a single somewhere. There are a few singles that are not passenger on the diagram, probably for entertainers and suchlike. I can ask the chaplain on my next cruise.

[cruiser02]

I am thrilled HAL has daily mass. It is so nice to go to mass just because...not because it is Sunday or a Holy Day. I find mass a calming break in a unusally busy day on board. A cruise is the perfect setting

[Beckey]

Hi, guys the Priest at our Church cruise a couple of times a year and they go FREE! Have never ask one of them about the restrictions they have placed on them - but it must not be too bad because they keep cruising :D

As for what type cabin do they get - must be pretty nice because sometimes 2 of them go.

Hey, I had not even thought about the fact that I can on to confession while I am on a cruise. That could sure make things easier when I get back home :p

[sheldrvrT6A]

Becky/Roz

If you cannot find the right time for Mass remember the old saying "If you see four catholics around you will probably find a "fifth". Have fun.

Jerry 57 year catholic!

[fjb3cpa]

Just off of the Amsterdam this Sunday. The priest on board was Rev. Rick Spicer, who is based on an island north of Seattle. We enjoyed his company immensely, and he encouraged us to mention this in our satisfaction survey. It seems HAL is considering dropping the on board priest for most cruises. He conducted a Mass on Saturday at 4 PM for the Sunday obligation and the Wajaing Theatre was full. Hopefully HAL will continue to carry a priest on board for all future cruises.

 

To answer a question posted, we invited him to join our family group of 20 for cocktails in the Crow's nest on Friday evening, and he was excited to join us. We also walked with him in Victoria as he was familiar with the area.

[Roz]

Jerry, thanks for the laugh...there's a kernel of truth in that saying!

 

fjb, that's disheartening to hear that HAL is considering doing away with the priest onboard. What about other clergy? A priest onboard is a HAL tradition, but it sounds like they're going the way of the Dover sole on Dutch night.

 

Maybe Rev. Neal can shed some (divine) light on this.

 

Roz

[jhannah]

Wonder if there have been complaints about having a priest and not routinely having a rabbi and protestant clergyman as well.

[FlorenceItaly]

The priest conducted the protestant service on the Maasdam last month...I attended.

Marie

[Roz]

I'm guessing that one of the reasons there's a priest onboard, as opposed to a rabbi or Protestant clergyperson, is that Mass is celebrated every day in the Catholic faith, as opposed to once or twice a week services in other denominations.

The priest on my last cruise also mentioned that he would be conducting the Protestant service. He told us he regularly did that when he was an Army chaplain.

Roz

[tomc]

I know someone who was a chaplain (and knows the person who assigns them). He should be able to find out.

[CrabbyHarper]

One of the best things about my cruise on the Maasdam over Holy Week and Easter 2004 was having a great priest aboard and mass every day. The community of friends that formed from the daily mass-goers was wonderful.

When I got ready to book my next cruise I wanted to cruise a ship and line that had a priest - so I booked on Maasdam again for Nov 9.

This is really a highlight for me because although I usually attend up to four Masses on a weekend - I'm an organist - I live far enough away from the church that weekday masses are very difficult. So being on vacation means a treat that I do not often have - an easily accessble mass every day.

It's an individual decision - God wants us to have relaxation and recreation! He set the example by resting on the seventh day, ya know! For me it's mass, but for others it may be bingo!

I sure hope that HAL will continue to have priests aboard - for the sake of the crew members as well as for the passengers.

[sheldrvrT6A]

Roz/TomC
Been off line for a week as I was in San Antonio on business.
What I did not understand at mass (on board) was the idea of "gift giving"? After the service I would always see the priest in the casino. Conicidence?
(just kidding)!!!

Tom
Was the priest your talking about from a small college in Montana? On the O at the beginning of July ours was a nice guy from their.
Have fun.
Jerry.

[tomc]

No, he was from the east. If he were from Montana, he would have been using cow chips at the gambling table.