Sea travel has always posed formidable challenges—especially for Jews. Keeping kosher, observing Shabbat and venturing into a sea of people who aren’t Jewish isn’t easy for the strictly observant. The challenges are compounded on cruises, where numerous questions come up.
If most of the passengers are Jewish and the staff is not, is it permissible to cruise on Shabbat? If the ship docks on Shabbat, can you disembark? How do you light candles when you are forbidden to light a flame? How do you negotiate the electronic locks on your cabin doors? But most importantly, how do you keep kosher and still feel like you’re on a luxury vacation? Let’s face it—food is a big part of the cruise experience, but for the kosher, it can pose challenges.
