Religious services

[ocwave]

Are there religious services on the ships?

if so are they daily or Sunday only

 

 

 

Explorer of the seas July 6 th

[littlestars]

I have read on another thread that you can use the Chapel on board even if there isn't a specified service. Sometimes people have just got together and had their own service :) Hope that helps

[mommabean]

Are there religious services on the ships?

if so are they daily or Sunday only

 

 

 

Explorer of the seas July 6 th

 

Some ships have a Sunday service and some ships don't. Since you mentioned Sunday I'm assuming you mean a Christian service. It depends on who is on board and willing to conduct the service. They don't guarantee it. The priest on board the Enchantment of the Seas conducted 2 Easter Services. He said that RCI doesn't guarantee clergy on board every ship for every sailing but if you want to see them do that, as some other cruise lines do, put that on your comment card.

 

By they way, the Priest conducted a Catholic Mass and a non-denominational Protestant sevice on Easter. DH went to the Mass, I went to the other. We compared notes. :D It was the exact same service - same jokes, too. It's funny how people have issues with sitting in a service they don't perceive to be "their" type of worship service.

 

You can ask about it at guest relations. It will also be listed in your cruise compass as to time and location.

[CPT Trips]

Our Grandeur repo had mass on a couple of the port days. None on Sunday - I guess the island's priests had prior committments.

[Choose2Cruise]

transatlantic 12 day cruise in April, we had a Catholic priest say daily & Sunday masses, and even a non-denominational service once or twice. On the at-sea days, the mass was at 1 PM in the Safari Lounge and on port days, the mass was at 8 AM, same place. I believe some of the Jewish people met on their own for Sabbath services. We have been on 15 cruises in the past 30 years and on most of them, there has been a Catholic priest available. If you want this to continue, it is worth your time and effort to let the cruise lines know this, either in the after-cruise critiques or by email or phone. You know that it is the squeaky wheel that gets the grease!

[ILoveScotland]

I think there should be a Catholic priest and a Protestant minister on every cruise. I'll be the Protestant minister!!! Once or twice a year would be fine since I know some friends who would also like to be the Protestant minister on board, and I don't want to be too greedy.

[ILoveScotland]

I didn't mean to discriminate. There should also be a Rabbi and clergy from Islam, too, plus any other religious folk to lead services.

[yogimax]

The Cruise Director and his wife led a very nice interdenominational service on the Vision on Sunday morning.

 

For those who are Christian, I would hope the "interdenominational" label would cover all bases. I'm a Protestant, but would surely worship in an ecumenical service led by a priest. Similarly, I would hope those who are not Protestant would feel at home in an ecumenical service led by a minister.

 

Yogi

[beachchick]

Some ships have a Sunday service and some ships don't. Since you mentioned Sunday I'm assuming you mean a Christian service. It depends on who is on board and willing to conduct the service. They don't guarantee it. The priest on board the Enchantment of the Seas conducted 2 Easter Services. He said that RCI doesn't guarantee clergy on board every ship for every sailing but if you want to see them do that, as some other cruise lines do, put that on your comment card.

 

By they way, the Priest conducted a Catholic Mass and a non-denominational Protestant sevice on Easter. DH went to the Mass, I went to the other. We compared notes. :D It was the exact same service - same jokes, too. It's funny how people have issues with sitting in a service they don't perceive to be "their" type of worship service.

You can ask about it at guest relations. It will also be listed in your cruise compass as to time and location.

 

Oh gosh, that can be so true. It makes me appreciate my parents (especially my dad) because, although we were confirmed members of the Methodist church and attended our church more often (plus youth group and Christmas pageants, etc.), my parents let us kids go with friends and other family to services of other denominations and even other religions. By the time I was 14, I had attended numerous Episcopal services with my aunt, mass with my best friend several times (and played music with her for their Christmas Eve masses), Lutheran services with another friend, Baptist services with yet another friend, and even synagogue with a Jewish friend. My dad's opinion was that God doesn't care so much where or exactly how you pray, just that you do; and that "faith" is what we have in each other that brings us together. It didn't hurt that our church was on a "church row" with Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran, and Episcopal churches plus a large Synagogue. Even better, our ministers, priests, and rabbis got all the churches together a few times a year for a big "gathering of faith." What wonderful days those were.

 

I think that the cruise lines would be hard pressed to be able to accomodate every single religion and denomination on every cruise. I like that many passengers get together on their own to go to the chapel. I'm positive that God (however we perceive God to be) sees and hears those gatherings and smiles upon them.

 

beachchick

[ILoveScotland]

I am very ecumenical and appreciate many forms of worship. I am United Methodist but went to an ecumenical seminary for that very reason.

 

As long as there is no communion service most Christians are fine with interdenominational services. And that would probably be the case on a cruise ship. However, if people wanted a communion service then you get into issues of who can and can't preside or receive.

[GladysP]

We, too would love to see more religious activity/enrichment/services on our cruises. We will be on the NCL Epic TA cruise October 30th, and have arranged a meeting room to have a daily devotional/discussion/prayer time. NCL was very helpful arranging a room and time for us. It will not be on the daily activities list, but we are hoping by word of mouth anyone interested (all denominations) are welcome. Biscayne room 10 to 11 AM daily.

We will share how this goes when we get home. Christian Cruisers need to start a group (or grow the one already on Cruisecritic)and encourage one another to do activities like this!

Edited October 15, 2016 by GladysP
add a sentence

[Ken at the beach]

We, too would love to see more religious activity/enrichment/services on our cruises. We will be on the NCL Epic TA cruise October 30th, and have arranged a meeting room to have a daily devotional/discussion/prayer time. NCL was very helpful arranging a room and time for us. It will not be on the daily activities list, but we are hoping by word of mouth anyone interested (all denominations) are welcome. Biscayne room 10 to 11 AM daily.

We will share how this goes when we get home. Christian Cruisers need to start a group (or grow the one already on Cruisecritic)and encourage one another to do activities like this!

 

Welcome to cruise critic.:)

 

You can find the message boards related to NCL here,

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=107

[cruisinfanatic]

Our Grandeur repo had mass on a couple of the port days. None on Sunday - I guess the island's priests had prior committments.

priests need vacations too

[Tom_n_Sara]

I am a Baptist pastor. On our last cruise we got to know a couple of priests and a Rabbi who were on vacation. That sounds like the beginning of a joke... :)

[spookwife]

Are there religious services on the ships?

if so are they daily or Sunday only

 

 

 

Explorer of the seas July 6 th

 

High Holy Days only, and only if they can get a Clergyman on board.

 

all other services are self led( for Sabbath they will provide a few items)

 

at any other time if a service is listed it is because a priest/Rabbi is on board as a regular passenger and has offered their services.

[Langley Cruisers]

Just for those coming late to the party, OP has definitely sailed. :) Someone erroneously bumped this thread today (wrong cruise line), which is almost 10 years old. Things have changed in recent years.