I found a great cruise for my sister!!

[Bruin Steve]

I seem to be the family cruise expert...Everyone in the family calls me for cruise advice...

This time it was my sister..

She has an interesting problem...

My brother-in-law is fairly religious and has a few guidelines regarding what he will or won't do which inhibit them going on some cruises...

 

Basically, he won't START or END a cruise (or any other vacation) on a Saturday...He won't fly in or out on a Saturday...And, if they're in a port on a Saturday, he'll walk, if the dock is close enough to town, but he won't get on a bus or taxi...

 

Well, it's their 35th Anniversary next summer...and my sister wants to go somewhere special...So, she called me for help...They've cruised the Mediterranean, but never the Baltic...

 

Guess what I found? The July 21 sailing of the Century...it's a 12 night cruise in and out of Amsterdam, calling on Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Copenhagen, Oslo and back to Amsterdam...

 

It starts on a FRIDAY and returns on a WEDNESDAY...and spans TWO Saturdays and BOTH are "at sea" days!!!

Never was an itinerary more custom-made for my brother-in-law...

 

I told my sister to show the itinerary to her husband...

Her response: "No. I'm not waiting for him, I'm calling the travel agent as soon as we hang up!"

[greygypsy]

Steve, it sounds like he is a fairly religious Jew who wants to do his best to keep the Sabbath. Just make sure the plane arrives before sundown on Friday. Jeff

[alpal1993]

Steve

DH and I took that cruise last June and it was wonderful.The weather should be better in July.I am sure they will enjoy it.

That is great 35 years of marriage.

[warmwinds]

Can I ask a really dumb question? I think I understand that on the Sabbath you cannot take a mechanical conveyance (is that the right term?)...in other words, you have to walk everywhere, right? So just the fact that you are on a ship with engines does not cause a problem with complying with your beliefs?

[Bruin Steve]

Can I ask a really dumb question? I think I understand that on the Sabbath you cannot take a mechanical conveyance (is that the right term?)...in other words, you have to walk everywhere, right? So just the fact that you are on a ship with engines does not cause a problem with complying with your beliefs?

Technically, it should...

Maybe, I guess you can say he's not THAT religious...

But, he comes from a family of Rabbis...and he tries to do as much as he can...

While home, he walks to the Synagogue every Shabbat...They keep completely Kosher at home...

But, he does make some compromises...and being on a ship during Shabbat is one of them (Hard to get off Friday afternoon and back on Saturday night)...And, he'll eat in a "traif" (Non-Kosher) restaurant--although he'd prefer Kosher--but he'll order Vegetarian or fish (Same with on the ship)...

 

You know, back in the "old days", when our Grandparents and Great Grandparents came over to America from Europe, EVERYONE was fairly religious...and everyone had to get here by ship...and those ships generally took at least 7 days to make the voyage...So if nobody bent that particular rule a little, none of our ancestors would ever have come to America!

[Tatka]

Bruin Steve,

 

Just want to let you know (if you didn't know that before) that there is special religious services on every Celebrity ship in case he want to attend. I remember it from Mercury cruise.

[CaptData]

Alsocontact Special Services. They may help with the Kosher dining part this must be done at least 60 days before the cruise.

[Longboysfan]

I pretty sure Tatka has it right. They will have a room for the people who want to for their service.

I ran into this on the Zenith when we were requested to move from the card room on Friday - about sun down.

Not a problem.

As long as it improves your cruise expirence.

 

Steve - they may have to fly in the day before though.