February 12, 2004 -- When you think "cruise" probably the last thing that comes to mind is not being able to get enough to eat, but that's exactly the situation observant Jews are in on most ships if they follow kosher laws. Yes, the cruise lines provide special meals by request and some kosher group tours even bring aboard their own chefs, but you never get the range of options enjoyed by the other passengers. No overflowing buffets. No specialty restaurants. No snack stations. It's almost like being on an airplane.
Enter Chosen Voyage. Founded by ordained rabbi and travel-industry veteran Matthew Schollar, the Pittsburgh-based company has just begun offering the cruise industry's only all-kosher experience aboard Windstar's motor-sail vessel Wind Surf, one of the most attractive ships in the Caribbean.
According to Schollar, the ship, which carries only 308 passengers, is absolutely ideal for his purposes.
"Beyond its size, which makes it ideal for a charter, there are separate galleys and dishwashing facilities on different decks for meat and dairy, and three different restaurants so our guests have a lot of choice."
Most kosher cruises are held aboard much larger vessels, with the organizer's own chef commandeering dedicated galley space and the group dining at separate tables. Wind Surf, by contrast, is small enough that Chosen Voyage (866/462 4673, www.chosenvoyage.com) can take her over as a full charter for several voyages per season, adapting Windstar's (800/258-7245, www.windstarcruises.com) own cuisine -- created by renowned chef and restaurateur Joachim Splichal -- to the needs of a kosher clientele. A six-rabbi advisory board from Kosher Supervision of America (KSA) approves all procedures.
Some $10,000 in new kitchen equipment was installed for these cruises, as well as all new porcelain and silverware and a 1,200-bottle kosher wine cellar.
"Most of our customers are avid cruisers," says Schollar, "but they've never before had a completely undiluted cruise experience, where they can take advantage of all the options on board."
In addition to its dining program, Chosen Voyage has scheduled Jewish-themed activities aboard each cruise, such as workshops and lectures with Jewish artists, kosher wine tastings and cooking demonstrations, and tours of historic Jewish landmarks, such as the old Jewish Burial Ground in Nevis, which dates back to 1684.
The company sailed its first cruise in December and had Wind Surf booked up for most of January. Scheduled for 2004 are a July 28 Bermuda sailing from New York on Radisson's luxurious Seven Seas Navigator and a 12-day Baltic cruise August 24 aboard the French ship Le Diamant, which until recently sailed as Radisson's Song of Flower. More Caribbean cruises will be scheduled aboard Wind Surf in January 2005, and further options are in the works, including cruises in the Great Lakes, the Mediterranean, and on the Rhine and Danube rivers.
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