Matzah on Board

[Carol28]

We are cruising during Passover and wonder if RCCL has Matzah on board? 

[Badatz2]

I have cruised a number of times over parts of Passover and there has always been Matzah.

Ask your waiter or Maitre D'

 

Edited April 15 by Badatz2

[sisocialworker]

but none of the food is kosher of Passover? 

[Biker19]

32 minutes ago, sisocialworker said:

but none of the food is kosher of Passover? 

You have to ask specially for that.

[sisocialworker]

34 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

You have to ask specially for that.

they would all be boxed food with plastic "dinnerware", and not much choices for 3 meals...no snacks or drinks......very restrictive time to cruise, IMO

[lenquixote66]

7 hours ago, Carol28 said:

We are cruising during Passover and wonder if RCCL has Matzah on board? 

I was on a cruise once where there was a group of members of an Orthodox Synagogue in Boynton Beach.They arranged for kosher food to be available for them on the cruise.

[1025cruise]

2 hours ago, sisocialworker said:

they would all be boxed food with plastic "dinnerware", and not much choices for 3 meals...no snacks or drinks......very restrictive time to cruise, IMO

This is assuming the caterer that Royal uses can even provide Kosher for Passover meals. 

 

1 minute ago, lenquixote66 said:

I was on a cruise once where there was a group of members of an Orthodox Synagogue in Boynton Beach.They arranged for kosher food to be available for them on the cruise.

Generally speaking, Kosher meals are basically frozen dinners. Unless they arrange to Kosher a galley and have it unavailable for the cruise to anyone else, and bring the appropriate food/dishes/etc on themselves. This can be very expensive.

[chengkp75]

19 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

This is assuming the caterer that Royal uses can even provide Kosher for Passover meals. 

Some eat kosher all year long, so RCI is very used to providing kosher meals, upon prior notification, just like any other dietary restriction.  They are frozen, and double wrapped, where the inner wrapping is removed by the diner.

 

If I remember correctly, RCI does 2 or 3 cruises a year where one venue is cleaned and certified as kosher for large groups.

[kitkat343]

1 hour ago, chengkp75 said:

Some eat kosher all year long, so RCI is very used to providing kosher meals, upon prior notification, just like any other dietary restriction.  They are frozen, and double wrapped, where the inner wrapping is removed by the diner.

 

If I remember correctly, RCI does 2 or 3 cruises a year where one venue is cleaned and certified as kosher for large groups.

You can find the kosher sailings here:  https://loyaltoyoualways.com/news/kosher-dining/

[goldfish65]

One could bring a box of the crackers onto the ship. 

[Badatz2]

2 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Some eat kosher all year long, so RCI is very used to providing kosher meals, upon prior notification, just like any other dietary restriction.  They are frozen, and double wrapped, where the inner wrapping is removed by the diner.

 

If I remember correctly, RCI does 2 or 3 cruises a year where one venue is cleaned and certified as kosher for large groups.

Regular pre packaged Kosher meals must be ordered through the Special Needs department about 2 to 3 months before sailing and more than that for cruises starting outside the US.

Kosher for Passover pre packaged meals need more time than that.  Details can be found on the Royal website.

 

Edited April 15 by Badatz2

[cruisegirl1]

 Matzo will be available, but to be on the safe side, you can always bring a box with. If you are observing Passover, you might consider some Passover packaged cookies/candies as I don't recall the availability of kosher for Passover baked deserts.     There has been a "Passover" cooked meal with Matzo Ball soup, Brisket, carrots, but I don't know if the food was  Kosher for Passover or even Kosher.  I know the Channukah meal offered on many ships is not kosher. 

 

There are Kosher cruises during the year with an extensive array of freshly  prepared  kosher foods.  A designated venue is closed to the public and certified Kosher with properly prepared foods.  There is even a pizza oven  at Sorrento's certified  Kosher .   We sailed in January  and there was a large group requiring kosher meals.   Solarium Cafe was designated for the group and closed to the public during the cruise.  There was a hefty food charge for the meals, I want to say an additional $70/day/ per person.

 

Other kosher meals  ordered for general cruising will be a frozen  and heated for passengers. 

M

[Carol28]

Two years ago during Chanukah RCCL offered a brisket dinner. My Catholic girlfriend ordered it.  It was SO edible that the Maitre'd gave her a Chops steak the next night.  (It was too late to have it the same night.)

[mil76]

Don't count on them having a clue what kosher for Passover is.  I'll never forget the "Happy Passover" sheet cake at the on-board seder a few years back.

[1025cruise]

Kosher for Passover is harder to do. Even a Kosher kitchen will need to properly cleaned in order to be able to provide Kosher for Passover food. So while the caterer can provide Kosher meals year round, they might not do Kosher for Passover. 

With that said, my guess is those who are cruising over Passover on a non chartered group, are probably ok with what the ship will serve.

[njkruzer]

We were supposed to be on a TA leaving on Passover and I contacted Royal, Mbayley@rcci.com. someone contacted me, gave me a number to call and they were very helpfu. l made reservations for the seder that they were doing.  No I don't think it was going to be very kosher but they are trying.  Heading to family in Wisconsin for the seders.  Not quite the same but nice.

[Badatz2]

An easy rule of thumb to go by is that if it is not pre packaged but cooked on the ship and there is not a special group kitchen as mentioned above, then it probably is not Kosher all year round and especially on Passover.

However, we know that everyone's definition of Kosher varies, and you can always ask to speak to the Executive Chef to see what arrangement might have been made.

[lenquixote66]

On 4/15/2024 at 1:49 PM, 1025cruise said:

This is assuming the caterer that Royal uses can even provide Kosher for Passover meals. 

 

Generally speaking, Kosher meals are basically frozen dinners. Unless they arrange to Kosher a galley and have it unavailable for the cruise to anyone else, and bring the appropriate food/dishes/etc on themselves. This can be very expensive.

My daughter and son in law who only eat kosher food had frozen food on their one and only cruise.

[CynBeth6]

Happy Passover!