Luxury and tradition at sea

on one Seabourn Encore While the “Craft and the Cherry Blossoms” were sailing around Japan earlier this month, 30 guests gathered around two long tables in the ship’s main dining room to celebrate the Seder, the ritual meal that marks the beginning of the 7-day Passover holiday.

A tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation, the holiday meal includes symbolic food, songs, and the recitation of the Haggadah, a guidebook written in Hebrew and English that provides the “script” for the dinner.

This ritual commemorates the Jews’ escape from slavery in ancient Egypt. While most observant Jewish families celebrate the holidays with extended family at home, these travelers found a way to maintain tradition while living 6,000 miles away.

The pressures and strains of holiday travel

Planning a cruise or any trip that falls on a major religious or secular holiday – such as Easter, Christmas, or Thanksgiving – always requires special considerations. Many travelers view vacations as a welcome respite from the responsibilities of cleaning, cooking, and hosting. However, others are hesitant at the prospect of losing cherished traditions with loved ones.

Marshall Pasternack, a retired Miami attorney, was booked to go on a Seabourn cruise whose dates coincided with Passover.

He said, “When I first realized that my wife Shelley Rubin and I would be on the ship for Passover, my initial inclination was to try to rebook the trip for next year.” Although the couple wanted to experience Japan during cherry blossom season, they were hesitant to leave their family, including their 7- and 9-year-old granddaughters.

“The idea was that Shelley and I would travel with one of our closest friends, my college roommate, Steve Edwards and his wife Debbie from Santa Rosa, California,” he said.

The two men have been friends for over 50 years. During this cruise, Steve will celebrate his 72nd birthday and the fourth anniversary of his successful bone marrow transplant for leukemia (his “anti-transplant”). This convinced Pasternak to proceed with the trip; This will be the first Seder that both families will share together.

make the seder happen

I met Pasternak on the ship Seabourn EncoreThe man who was the driving force behind the Seder proved to be memorable for all who attended.

How did this happened? Pasternak said, referring to the Hebrew phrase, “I wanted to arrange the dinner because as long as I live, I will attend a Seder.” L’ador vadorWhich translates to “from generation to generation”.

Even though it was Pasternax’s 12th trip with the line, he was initially unsure how to approach the idea of ​​requesting a formal Seder. However, during research he learned that Seabourn President Mark Tamis also lived in Miami and the two had a mutual acquaintance. Several months before the trip, Pasternak contacted Tamis via email.

“Two days later, I received a reply from a member of their team informing me that a Seder would be arranged on the ship,” he said. “They confirmed that I did not need to travel with a shank bone (a traditional item for the Seder plate) and said they would have a Seder menu – but I didn’t know what the details might be.”

a hearty seder

During the sailing, the Seder was reported Seabourn HeraldThe ship’s daily newspaper. Anyone who signed up for the cruise received an invitation to meet in a private room one hour before the Seder dinner.

When the group arrived, they found copies of the Haggadah laid out on a long table along with candles, matzoh, charoset, bitter herbs, red wine, and a ceremonial Seder plate. After introduction and sharing of memories

In past Passovers, Mr. Pasternak presided over a brief service.

The group was then led to two assigned tables in the restaurant, the ship’s formal dining room. There, they were served a special seven-course menu prepared by Executive Chef de Cuisine Andrew McQueen and his team.

The meal included traditional holiday dishes: hard-cooked eggs submerged in salt water, gefilte fish with horseradish, matzoh ball soup, and roast spring chicken with carrot kugel and asparagus. The evening concluded with grape sorbet, desserts and kosher wine.

Pasternak said, “I never expected the quality of the menu or service, where all the plates were delivered and opened at the same time. It was a first-class dining experience that far exceeded any reasonable expectation.”

“We always say, when we wonder if we can do X or Y on a Seabourn cruise, the answer is always, ‘Yes, it’s Seabourn.’ The Seder experience was a prime example.

Jan Finkelstein and Alan Neff of Prescott, Arizona, were also guests. Seabourn Encore Cherry Blossom Cruise. After Signature Travel Network agreed to host the group, they realized they would be celebrating Passover with their families for the first time in a decade.

Mr. Neff said they felt connected despite the distance: “Looking around, we recognized (metaphorically) the faces of many fellow travelers who felt like family. Even though we were nearly 6,000 miles from home, we felt at home.”

He said the Seder experience proved it was possible to preserve one’s heritage and traditions while exploring the world. Neff continued, “We met new friends and excelled in the eternal game of ‘Jewish geography.’ “Because, at the end of the day, we are all connected.”