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Topic: Church services at Sea

cncservo
First Class Passenger
Member # 532

posted 01-24-2003 04:46 PM

The recent posting of I have sinned made me think of church services while on a cruise. I have never seen any subject pertaining to this on this web site. On our first cruise on the Ryndam we did attend a Catholic mass, which fit right in because we are Catholics. I believe we did attend service on another cruise but it is difficult to attend service while on a cruise. I guess we were not in the right frame of mind.

Posts: 170 | Registered: May 99 | IP: Logged

Barryboat
First Class Passenger
Member # 33

posted 01-24-2003 05:19 PM

I spent six years in Bible school and I worked as a Single's Pastor and a youth speaker. I used my entertainment skills as an illusionist to create interesting object lessons for the youth. I have also been involved with Christian ministry most of my adult life. While working on the cruise ships it was often a lonely experience because there were few other believers among the crew. I didn't drink, party hard, smoke or engage in sexual activities like most of the staff, while I worked on the ships...but that doesn't mean I didn't have fun. I just didn't choose to participate in many of the common activities the staff engaged in. My church back home would send me sermon tapes so I could at least have some teaching from my pastor and feel somewhat a part of what was going on back home, and of course I enjoyed listening to Christian music with my walkman...usually at the bow of the ship on a deck chair looking out at the stars.

Getting on subject....While working on the Zenith I was elected to coordinate a non-denominational church service, where I would have a musician playing the piano, pop in taped music, I would give a short sermon and have a prayer. The Catholic Priests that were onboard each week usually did the non-denominational service, but they really didn't like to do it, which is why I volunteered to conduct the service. The Priest was delighted that I would do the non-denominational service.

Also while working on the QE2 I met another Christian young man who was one of the entertainers. We met a couple of times to have our own bible study. I also drew up a plan and presented it to the Cruise Director, to coordinate and conduct a special Christian service for other crew members. Those plans didn't ever come together because shortly after that QE2 ran aground and I never went to work on the ships again. (Once I fulfilled my life-long dream of working on QE2 there was no reason for me to continue working on the ships). After my contract with QE2 I started my own cruise-only travel agency.

I know that on QE2 the Captain often conducts a church service for the passengers.

Posts: 1851 | From: Bloomington, Minnesota (Home to the Mall of America) | Registered: Mar 99 | IP: Logged

Amerikanis
First Class Passenger
Member # 1835

posted 01-25-2003 10:31 AM

On the ASTOR last Year, there was an German Protestant Pastor, who offers Church Service
at Sundays and private Hours to talk with him.

In former Times, as Costa was Italian, there was an Catholic Priest on the Ships.

Posts: 1034 | From: Gutach, Black Forest, Germany | Registered: Mar 2001 | IP: Logged

nevadaflip
First Class Passenger
Member # 1682

posted 01-25-2003 08:35 PM

Back in the sixties, on the American President Lines transpacific passenger ships, the Chief Purser or Sr. Asst. Purser conducted Sunday non-denominational church services. On one of our ships on which I was a very junior assistant Purser, our Sr. Asst., Dan Ballentine, was scheduled to conduct his third or fourth Sunday service of the trip. This was always a bit of a nervous time for Danny as he was a rather lapsed Catholic who enjoyed all the fun of shipboard and shoreside life. However he was settling in to his role and receiving good marks for the rather mild and staid protestant services he had been providing.

On this Sunday though, in place of his notes and the open Bible on the dias as usual, he discovered upon entering and approaching the dias that the notes were missing and the open book was the autobiography "My Wicked Wicked Ways" by Errol Flynn.

After first being petrified with shock, Danny gave the sermon of his life on the wicked wicked ways, (much from his own experiences I'm sure), and the passengers raved about the service that Sunday!

And, no one ever discovered who switched books!!

Jerry

Posts: 280 | From: Minden, NV, USA | Registered: Nov 2000 | IP: Logged

Barryboat
First Class Passenger
Member # 33

posted 01-25-2003 10:43 PM

nevadaflip,

Great story!!!!

Posts: 1851 | From: Bloomington, Minnesota (Home to the Mall of America) | Registered: Mar 99 | IP: Logged

lambcom
First Class Passenger
Member # 656

posted 01-26-2003 02:49 PM

It seems that today most of the large cruise ships have a Catholic priest (either retired on on vacation) on board for daily masses and on Sunday to conduct a non-denominational service for the non-Catholics.

To the best of my knowledge, HAL is the only line that has a Protestant chaplain on board for all cruises of 10 days or longer duration.

One of the things that saddens me is the very poor turnout for the non-denominational services. On our last cruise (10 day Caribbean on Celebrity, only about 25 passengers turned out for the service. In talking with the priest after the service, he told me that the Theatre (which must hold upwards of 200) had been filled for the Catholic mass.

Sadly, I have come to the conclusion that the reason why there is non Protestant chaplain on major cruise lines is that there is no demand. Passengers would rather take line-dancing lessons or lie in the sun than spend 30 minutes in worship.

A question for non-Roman Catholic cruise-talkers. If you are a regular church-goer on land do you attend the service, and if not, why do you skip it at sea?

Posts: 179 | From: Montreal, canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

cncservo
First Class Passenger
Member # 532

posted 01-26-2003 04:25 PM

Would'nt it be neat if the open bow ships such as the Explorer of the Seas would have church services weather permitting outside. How about a midnight service on the Voyager bow with the sounds of waves gently slapping against the ship as it slices through the Caribbean seas.

Posts: 170 | Registered: May 99 | IP: Logged

Barryboat
First Class Passenger
Member # 33

posted 01-26-2003 04:40 PM

I too was saddened by the turn-out of people participating in our non-denominational services. On the Zenith for example, there were probably 200 people that showed up for catholic mass, but only about 10 who were there for the interdenominational service. One simple reason for this is the nature of the Catholic faith. The fundamental beliefs in the Catholic faith are that of "works". Mass is a form of worship that can be exagerated to become very "works" oriented...meaning that one could jeprodize their place in heaven if they do not consistently attend mass. (I don't want to generalize here, because many people that follow the Catholic faith do indeed have a wonderful relationship with God) The Catholic church has a strong focus on a relationship with the church, traditions and rituals, whereas the protestant's faith is based on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ directly...and not through a priest or the church....which is why protestants are not compelled to attend interdenominational services.

I want to respond to what cncservo, just posted above. I have been on a number of cruises with a large group of Christians and we have indeed experienced wonderful moments of prayer and praise on deck at night with just the stars, the movement of the ship and the sound of the sea! Someone would have a guitar and lead us in praise songs. It felt like going to camp and singing around the campfire...except without the fire. Yes I think it would be great to have a special praise service on the bow of the Voyager-class vessels!

[ 01-26-2003: Message edited by: Barryboat ]

Posts: 1851 | From: Bloomington, Minnesota (Home to the Mall of America) | Registered: Mar 99 | IP: Logged

Barryboat
First Class Passenger
Member # 33

posted 01-28-2003 10:23 AM

Has anyone else had a spiritual experience at sea?

Posts: 1851 | From: Bloomington, Minnesota (Home to the Mall of America) | Registered: Mar 99 | IP: Logged

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