Cruise ship near Greece (Photo: Envato)
Kosher cruises have exploded in popularity. There are more kosher cruises than ever before. There are more companies offering more cruises to more destinations and they are selling out. In the months leading up to Pesach we have seen talk of Passover cruises. People ask if there is such a thing as a Passover cruise or if it is even possible to order kosher for Passover food on a cruise ship during the week of Pesach.
Why are kosher cruises so popular?
Vacationers are showing greater interest in kosher cruises because cruise ships offer many advantages. People can take one flight, train or car ride, board the ship and visit multiple cities and countries. You only have to unpack once, no checking in and out of hotels every time you visit a new city. When traveling between destinations, you are enjoying your vacation on the cruise ship instead of dealing with the hassle of flying, driving or taking the train between cities.
Cruise ships are more than “floating hotels”, they are actually more like “floating cities”. Some cruise ships have multiple restaurants, bars, a casino, a water park, spa, games room, movie theaters, concert halls and more. There is tons of entertainment on board and if you go on a kosher cruise then you have freshly prepared kosher food at every meal. Some kosher cruises also offer minyanim and shiurim. With all these benefits, it’s no wonder people are looking for Passover cruises but they don’t seem to exist.
Is there such a thing as a Passover cruise?
The only reference I could find to Pesach cruises was an article in the Jewish News of Northern California from 1996. The article mentions Pesach cruises that had taken place in years past and lists cruise lines offering options for Passover food and Passover services. I don’t think that these options are still being offered. If Pesach cruises were ever a thing and it’s not too clear from the article what kind of services were being offered, they don’t seem to exist anymore. The article also points out the issues that came up with chametz being served during Passover so even then it wasn’t an ideal situation.
Raphi Bloom, co-owner of TJT which has been a leader in the Passover program industry for almost 25 years had this to say about Passover cruises (or lack thereof): "There has not been an organized Pesach cruise under Orthodox supervision in all our years in the business. We know the logistics and planning that goes into organizing a Passover program in a hotel and would imagine that it would be very difficult to do on a cruise ship. The fact that it has not been done over the past 25 years is an indication of how complex it would be. It could always happen in the future. Never say never."
Mr. Bloom added that while there had not been a Pesach cruise under Orthodox supervision in the past 25 years, there used to be a Passover cruise under Conservative supervision. That cruise operated for about 12 years and offered fresh cooked meals, sedarim, lectures and services. The kashrut was under Conservative supervision and the services were Conservative. This option for a Conservative Pesach cruise ended around 10 years ago. I don’t know if they stopped because there wasn’t interest or because of the complexities involved.
TotallyJewishTravel spoke to Nati Bloch from Golden Tours, which operates kosher cruises and kosher riverboat tours during the year, about the issues surrounding Passover cruises:
There are a number of problems that come up when dealing with a Passover cruise. One, that you aren’t allowed to even see bread and everything there is bread and not kosher for Pesach. Two, you usually cook in the same area and there is a chance of a breadcrumb getting into the food even with the supervisor there. It’s a totally different way to kasher a ship. Three, you have to buy everything new even if you have pots and dishes for use during the year. You can’t kasher it for pesach. Four, it’s a lot of days of Shabbat and chag especially for people who live outside of Israel who hold two days then no point in going on the cruise when you can’t really do anything. River ships are a bigger problem because if it’s chag and Shabbat all day long then the ship can’t move because it’s all for Jews.
Riverboat (Photo: Golden Tours)
Do any of the big cruise companies offer kosher for Passover meals or seder on cruises during the Passover holiday?
I found very little information on some popular cruise websites and what information they had was not very clear.
I found this from Royal Caribbean's website:
Passover begins at sundown and will continue for 8 days. All ships organize a Seder service on the first night of Passover and all ships will have a Rabbi or Cantor onboard. In the absence of a Rabbi booked by Royal Caribbean, the ship will ask for volunteers to conduct the Seder service on the first night of Passover. This function is usually held in the Windjammer. Following the Seder service there will be a Seder Dinner - usually in the Windjammer. There will be a traditional meal prepared including brisket, potatoes, etc. The dining room will have baskets of Matzo available upon request during Passover. Information on the place and time of the Seder service and meal will be printed in the Cruise Compass.
When I messaged Royal Caribbean on Facebook, they responded: “We do offer cruises that sail over Passover, but they’re not specifically Passover cruises.” When I asked a follow up question about Kosher for Passover food, the only response I got was “We do provide pre packaged kosher meals as long as two weeks’ notice is provided in advance of your cruise.” Doesn’t seem like an ideal situation for a Pesach vacation.
The only information I could find about Passover cruises on Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) website was on their FAQ page:
Do we serve a special kosher meal for Passover?This can be provided for special group departures.Do we have matzah kosher for Passover?Yes. Available upon request.How many days prior to sailings is the latest it can be added?Up to 30 days prior to sailing.Do we have a rabbi onboard during Jewish holy celebrations?We do not have Rabbis onboard our ships during the Jewish holy celebrations, such as Chanukah and Passover. We do however have dinners to recognise the holidays, decorations, etc.
When I emailed NCL for more information, this is the response that I received: “We do offer Kosher Passover meals, however they must be ordered four months in advance of the guest's sailing. This is all the information we have at this time.” I guess if you want to go on a NCL cruise during Pesach then you better plan in advance. It’s definitely too late for this year.
Passover Seder (Photo: Envato)
Carnival Cruise Line had very little information about kosher food and nothing about Passover:
Special Requests: Special meals including low-calorie, low-fat, low-carbohydrate, low-sugar, vegetarian, low sodium, low/no cholesterol, gluten free and Indian vegetarian can be requested. Kosher meals are available on all ships and itineraries for lunch and dinner only. Kosher meals are available in limited quantities, so it's recommended to request these as soon as possible, and no later than 2 weeks prior to sailing.
Mano Cruise is a cruise line out of Haifa, Israel. All of their dining rooms, restaurants and bars are certified kosher. They also have a dedicated synagogue all year round. The website says that they are kosher for Passover for those that eat kitniyot. Information about Passover on their website only appears in Hebrew. Here is a translation:
Passover: At the holiday meal, there will be a Passover seder that includes the partial reading of the Haggadah by the kosher supervisor. Dining room, bars and an Italian restaurant - all kosher for Passover (for kitniyot eaters).
There are no organized Passover cruises. It does not seem like an ideal situation for Orthodox Jews to celebrate the holiday of Passover. The holiday has very strict prohibitions and requirements, mainly to do with food. It’s not like getting packaged kosher meals on a cruise during the year. When it’s not Passover, many people eat breakfast in the main dining room as there are usually cereals, yogurt and fresh fruits and vegetables that are permitted. However, that’s not possible during Pesach as every item of food needs to be kosher for Pesach. While this doesn’t apply to fresh fruits and vegetables, there would be a problem to take them from the main dining room where bread is nearby.
Conclusion
So, the answer to my original question about Passover cruises is - no. There are no Pesach cruises. I’m not sure that there will ever be a market for Pesach cruises. The logistics of dealing with the kashrut issues, the seder and everything that is involved with making Pesach just makes it too difficult. If you are looking to get away for Pesach, there are amazing Passover programs in cities around the world. If you would like to go on a kosher cruise, there are many kosher cruise options available throughout the year (except for Passover) and to destinations around the world.
To sum it up, join a Passover program if you want to get away from the hassle of making Pesach. Save the kosher cruise for one of the other 51 weeks of the year.