Princess no longer schedules Jewish Sabbath services

[magnifibeast]

My wife and I have done many cruises (8-10 per year in recent years, 59 total), on RCCL, Celebrity, Princess, NCL, Cunard and HAL.

 

All of these lines normally schedule a Jewish Sabbath service on Friday around 5:30pm and put it in the daily newsletter. They provide basic facilities (a place for prayer, prayer books, kosher wine and a few other things) and invite a passenger to lead the service.

 

Since I know how to lead a traditional Jewish service, I usually do so. (Only on certain holidays does the cruise line arrange for a rabbi or cantor to be on board.) This works fine, and it's a nice way for those of us on board who are Jewish to meet each other and have some spiritual time as a community.

 

Recently, however, Princess has stopped scheduling the service. I haven't been on Princess since this happened, but heard about it from others. I contacted Princess Customer Service, and was told that the facilities are available if anyone wants to hold a service: "Supplies are present and available for anyone who wants to lead the service at 5:30 pm on Friday evenings."

 

As I explained to Princess, this doesn't work if Princess doesn't put the service into the daily newsletter as a scheduled event, because those on board won't have any way of finding out about there being a service.

 

The answer I got (by phone call) was that if I'm on a cruise and I want to have a Friday service, I should speak to Guest Relations and offer to lead it, and then they'll put it on the schedule.

 

That's fine for the next time we cruise on Princess (provided the cruise doesn't being on a Thursday or Friday so there's time to put it on the schedule). But Jewish travellers on other cruises are not doubt being disappointed when no service is scheduled.

 

So for anyone out there for whom this is an issue: you may wish to email customerrelations@princesscruises.com and ask them to restore having the Sabbath service on the schedule, so that those who want to attend can have one.

 

As far as I know, all the other lines still schedule the Sabbath service. Celebrity stopped (as a corporate decree) for a few months about 5 years ago, but then reinstated it, presumably due to requests from passengers.

[debjo]

While I am not of the Jewish Faith, I have just returned from sailing on the CARIBBEAN PRINCESS on April 25, 2015. Our PRINCESS PATTER did list a Jewish Sabbath Service in the paper...so perhaps your discussion with Customer Services did have some bearing. The Service was held in the Wedding Chapel...and while awaiting the elevator outside the Spa on that deck, we did see a number of people participating in the Service through the open door.

 

Good luck with your efforts...they were working last week!

 

Debjo

[magnifibeast]

Thanks, Debjo. It was a few weeks ago so perhaps they have indeed reverted to putting it on the schedule.

[shredie]

Three cruises this year, one each in Jan., Feb. and March and the Jewish service was published in the Patter every one. (Four weekends involved.)

[two_black_dogs]

Was listed twice in the patter on the two week trans canal Coral journey just de-boarded today.

[skynight]

Go to Princess.com, FAQ's, onboard experience, religious services. Believe this explains Princess' policy and agrees with what you mention.

 

If you wish to have an announcement in the Princess Patter you must contact the Cruise Director once on board. I believe the CD will be accommodating providing enough lead time is provided. What appears in the Patter is the CD's responsibility, it does not come from the home office. I have seen religious services in the Patter on recent cruises.

[RDC1]

What happens if it is in the schedule, but no one volunteers to lead it?

 

Any possibility that they might have gotten negative feedback in those cases? Thus the change in practice. Putting it in the schedule if someone requests.

[Cruisin' Chick]

What happens if it is in the schedule, but no one volunteers to lead it?

 

Any possibility that they might have gotten negative feedback in those cases? Thus the change in practice. Putting it in the schedule if someone requests.

 

It would be strange if someone gave them negative feedback about having an announcement in the Patter (which I've seen on all my Princess cruises). If someone is complaining because they don't want to lead a service or if there isn't a minyan (enough men), that's another issue, but I imagine with a ship of a couple thousand cruisers that surely there's a number of Jewish passengers and crew members that want to hold a Shabbat service.

[NavyVeteran]

I have also seen this service listed on several recent cruises with a note that they were looking for a volunteer to lead it.

[golfb4cruzing]

Just had them this past week on the Caribbean Princess.

[fishywood]

This information has been in the FAQ section of Princess' website since last year

http://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/onboard/experience.jsp (select Religious Services):

 

We respect our guests' religious beliefs and invite them to practice on their own or with their fellow guests. Guests who wish to lead religious services may volunteer by contacting the Guest Services desk or a member of the Cruise Staff. In some cases, our shipboard staff will lead services. However, Princess Cruises does not place clergy on board our vessels.

 

Clergy traveling as Guests onboard our vessels are welcome to conduct services while sailing. They should leave their name, cabin number, and services offered at the Guest Services Desk and they will be contacted by a member of the Cruise Director's Staff. Approval of services will be made based on schedule suitability, appropriate onboard supplies, etc. Please bring your Letter of Celebret or Letter of Good Standing with you to provide to the onboard staff.

 

Please note that during Passover, there will be a Seder service (including Passover meal) held onboard. For Hanukkah, services are available and will be guest-led with wine, Challah bread, prayers and an electric Menorah (no candles or live flames) provided by Princess. Supplies are present and available for anyone who wants to lead the service at 5:30 PM on Friday evenings.

 

If you would like to bring on your own Menorah, you may. However, since candles are prohibited onboard all Princess ships, it must be electric (no live flame).

 

Their current policy is to reserve a place and time, and to print it in the patter, whenever a guest volunteers to lead the service. Obviously based on the feedback above there are plenty of volunteers. I also am absolutely certain that RC and X have had the same policy for longer than Princess to only post the information about Shabbat services when requested. Presumably you have been lucky on all your previous cruises that someone else spoke up on embarkation day. Next cruise it will be your turn.

[Jetswdo]

were looking forward to having a sedar aboard the ship--No one to lead- a few of us just sort of took turns-- food horrible--miso soup was served- hard balls- I don't think mazzah was even used for that- the wine clearly said "not for Passover use"--- there was a rabbi there, but he refused to lead the service as a protest because Princess stopped offering a discount for clergy on board their ships. Let's just say, I won't go over Passover time again on Princess-- (We normally don't take cruises during that time any way). But we really were very disappointed with Princess....(Princess had just changed their policy apparently a few weeks earlier--we were all surprised by this. I felt bad for persons looking forward to a service on Easter Sunday as well.

Edited April 28, 2015 by Jetswdo

[Aus Traveller]

there was a rabbi there, but he refused to lead the service as a protest because Princess stopped offering a discount for clergy on board their ships.

I'm surprised that a religious leader would refuse to lead a service as a protest that he wasn't given a discount. :) (I hope I haven't caused offense by my comment.)

[GUT2407]

I cannot imagine what a difficult issue religious observation must be for the cruise lines.

 

f they miss out on one religion, sect or denomination, the likelihood of a complaint is, I suspect high.

 

I often wonder why they don't simply put an add in the newsletter indicating that some form of sign up for anyone wishing to partake of any sort of religious observance provided there is a volunteer to run a service.

[Aus Traveller]

I cannot imagine what a difficult issue religious observation must be for the cruise lines.

 

f they miss out on one religion, sect or denomination, the likelihood of a complaint is, I suspect high.

 

I often wonder why they don't simply put an add in the newsletter indicating that some form of sign up for anyone wishing to partake of any sort of religious observance provided there is a volunteer to run a service.

I think that is what Princess does now. They ask for volunteers.

 

A couple of years ago, rabbis and church ministers used to cruise for free in return for conducting a few services. It appears that this doesn't happen any more and maybe this has been a 'cost-cutting' measure. Cruise fares don't seem to have risen much but I am sure costs have. So, either the company has to cut a few expenses or increase cruise fares. With the competition in the market, increasing cruise fares mightn't work very well.:) Passengers can still have their religious services, even if they are conducted by a volunteer or (in some cases) by the Cruise Director.

[GUT2407]

I think that is what Princess does now. They ask for volunteers.

 

A couple of years ago, rabbis and church ministers used to cruise for free in return for conducting a few services. It appears that this doesn't happen any more and maybe this has been a 'cost-cutting' measure. Cruise fares don't seem to have risen much but I am sure costs have. So, either the company has to cut a few expenses or increase cruise fares. With the competition in the market, increasing cruise fares mightn't work very well.:) Passengers can still have their religious services, even if they are conducted by a volunteer or (in some cases) by the Cruise Director.

 

 

Yes but they don't seem to offer it for all religions/denominations, or more accurately advertise that it is available for all. I have only ever seen adds for a couple at most, on any cruise.

[magnifibeast]

I have also seen this service listed on several recent cruises with a note that they were looking for a volunteer to lead it.

 

Yes, that's standard on all the big cruise lines. It's clear from the newsletter that it will be run by whoever from the passengers steps forward to run it. My objection was that Princess was saying they wouldn't even do this unless someone approaches the cruise director ahead of time. People don't think of doing this, especially since most of the cruise lines list it automatically. My request is that Princess should revert to doing that in all cases, as the other lines do.

[magnifibeast]

I also am absolutely certain that RC and X have had the same policy for longer than Princess to only post the information about Shabbat services when requested. Presumably you have been lucky on all your previous cruises that someone else spoke up on embarkation day.

 

No, that's definitely not the case. I've done 59 cruises including 41 on RCCL, Celebrity and Princess in the past 10 years, and the Friday night services has ALWAYS been scheduled automatically, with no special request made by anyone. Sometimes almost no-one else shows up, sometimes there are lots of people, but it's never scheduled merely because of a request. Shabbat morning services do get scheduled by request; I've been on several cruises where there were enough of us there Friday night that we agreed to have a Shabbat morning service, and approached Guest Relations to have a room allocated (though usually since that's not done until Friday night, it doesn't go into the newsletter unless there's a second Shabbat on board).

[magnifibeast]

"If you would like to bring on your own Menorah, you may. However, since candles are prohibited onboard all Princess ships, it must be electric (no live flame)."

 

Most ships say this. But three years ago we were on the Queen Mary 2 during Chanukah (Brooklyn to Caribbean and back). In the dining room on formal nights, they had real lit candlebras on every table. Since live flames were obviously being permitted, I brought our menorah to dinner and we lit our Chanukah candles during dinner every night.

 

(Some ships have real candles in their Friday night service supplies, and have a staff member keep an eye on them and blow them out after the service. Most don't, however.)

Edited April 28, 2015 by magnifibeast

[Cruisin' Chick]

We were on the Island Princess during Hanukkah 2005 and a menorah lighting service was held every night led by a retired rabbi. Many families brought their menorahs, and I was surprised by the many that held candles. The rabbi invited the kinder in the room to come up to help him light the candles. He did seem apologetic that he couldn't get jelly filled donuts from the kitchen.

 

We didn't bring our menorah but I did find a foam sticky menorah kit at Michaels so we put that up in our cabin and "lit" a candle each night.

[Loonbeam]

It's the Cruise Director who decides what goes into each patter. Some CDs may not post the service unless they have a volunteer, some will.

[donaldsc]

 

 

The answer I got (by phone call) was that if I'm on a cruise and I want to have a Friday service, I should speak to Guest Relations and offer to lead it, and then they'll put it on the schedule.

 

.

 

Seems like this should solve the problem. What is wrong w this solution?

 

DON

[hm9912]

My wife and I were on the Caribbean Princess during Hanukkah last December.

The Hanukkah service was listed in the Princess Patter. There was a pretty well attended crowd and the potato pancakes went quickly. The service was led by the son of a Rabbi. Perhaps some who attended are Jewish by now. :)

 

Howard

[caribill]

All of these lines normally schedule a Jewish Sabbath service on Friday around 5:30pm and put it in the daily newsletter. They provide basic facilities (a place for prayer, prayer books, kosher wine and a few other things) and invite a passenger to lead the service.

 

Since I know how to lead a traditional Jewish service, I usually do so. (Only on certain holidays does the cruise line arrange for a rabbi or cantor to be on board.) This works fine, and it's a nice way for those of us on board who are Jewish to meet each other and have some spiritual time as a community.

 

Recently, however, Princess has stopped scheduling the service. I haven't been on Princess since this happened, but heard about it from others. I contacted Princess Customer Service, and was told that the facilities are available if anyone wants to hold a service: "Supplies are present and available for anyone who wants to lead the service at 5:30 pm on Friday evenings."

 

As I explained to Princess, this doesn't work if Princess doesn't put the service into the daily newsletter as a scheduled event, because those on board won't have any way of finding out about there being a service.

 

 

It was in the Patter on the Royal in January and on the Emerald in April.

 

Maybe the ones who told you it was not listed did not see it in the Patter.

[caribill]

It's the Cruise Director who decides what goes into each patter. Some CDs may not post the service unless they have a volunteer, some will.

 

It has always been in the Patter when we have cruised.

 

There is no volunteer until the actual service when there might be a real volunteer or just someone who reluctantly agrees to lead the service.