Catholic Mass on Cruise Ships

[workinprogress8]

I went on a cruise about a month ago, and there was no church service Catholic or otherwise aboard the ship. On Sunday, the ship was in Nassau. We looked all over for a Catholic church, but couldn’t find one.

I have a couple of questions:

First, do you know of any cruises that offer Catholic mass aboard?

Secondly, If no mass is available on the ship or at port, is it a sin?

Lastly, is it better to go to a non-Catholic Christian church then no church at all?

 

[Marauder]

work(name removed by moderator)rogress8:

First, do you know of any cruises that offer Catholic mass aboard?

The Catholic Answers cruise

Secondly, If no mass is available on the ship or at port, is it a sin?

No, you are dispensed from your Sunday obligation as long as you make every effort to attend. The are areas of the world that it is almost impossible to find a Catholic church (i.e. China, Middle East, etc.) It is also possible that travel itself (i.e. on planes) can make it impossible to attend Mass.

However you aren’t dispensed of your Sunday obligation if you purposely make your travel plans and schedule such that you will miss Mass (i.e. when making plans, you say “If I fly back on Sunday I don’t have to go to church, so lets do it that way.”)

Lastly, is it better to go to a non-Catholic Christian church then no church at all?

If you are dispensed of your Sunday obligation it would probably be better to pray in private, or with a group of Catholics, watch EWTN or some other Catholic station if available. Unless you are in a country that has some of the Orthodox/valid order churches that the Catholic church does allow you to recieve communion (just make sure that group allows Catholics to receive Communion. Just because the Catholic church allows you to receive in certain Orthodox churches, doesn’t mean that Orthodox church allows Catholics to receive.)

P.S. But next time you might want to check masstimes.org first to verify there are no churches in a particular country/area you are visiting. Here is a list of churches in Nassau.

 

[arso347]

The only cruise I have been on was a 7 day Holland America cruise to Alaska. The cruise line had a priest on board, and it was such a blessing to have daily Mass.

I’m sure there are times when they can’t get a priest to go, but every Holland America cruise I have looked into has had daily Mass advertised (this was planned, not just some random priest who happened to be on board), and everyone I know who has take one has been treated to daily Mass. It was printed right there in the daily guide of activities they slip under your door every night. It seems to be the norm.

The CA cruise is with Holland America also.

I was so impressed with the whole experience. My next cruise will definitely be with Holland America.

No, I was not paid for this advertisement. . .

 

[workinprogress8]

Marauder:

P.S. But next time you might want to check masstimes.org first to verify there are no churches in a particular country/area you are visiting. Here is a list of churches in Nassau.

That’s a great website! Thanks, I’ll definetly check it before I travel next time.

 

[T.A.Stobie_SFO]

I would recommend calling the cruiseline about the particular ship in question prior to booking. Having a priest onboard makes a huge difference.

 

[baltobetsy]

My daughter recently went on a cruise with Royal Caribbean, and she said there was a Sunday Mass in one of the lounges on board. A strange setting, but way better than no Mass at all!

Betsy

 

[workinprogress8]

baltobetsy:

My daughter recently went on a cruise with Royal Caribbean, and she said there was a Sunday Mass in one of the lounges on board. A strange setting, but way better than no Mass at all!

Betsy

That’s weird… I went on Royal Caribbean too. Maybe it just depends on the dates of the cruise.

 

[mercygate]

T.A.Stobie:

I would recommend calling the cruiseline about the particular ship in question prior to booking. Having a priest onboard makes a huge difference.

You bet it does! A young Catholic priest sat on the deck of the Titanic and heard confessions for three hours while the ship was going down!

 

[Marie]

baltobetsy:

My daughter recently went on a cruise with Royal Caribbean, and she said there was a Sunday Mass in one of the lounges on board. A strange setting, but way better than no Mass at all!

Betsy

It may have been “Not a real or sanctioned Mass” at all unfortunately. There has been quite a scandal reported over the last year about this. At present the only two cruise lines you can be sure the priest is a real bonified Catholic priest is *“Celebrity” * and *“Holland America.” *

You can read more about it at these link

Apostleship of the Sea

Cruise Line Rent-a-Priest

 

[workinprogress8]

mercygate:

You bet it does! A young Catholic priest sat on the deck of the Titanic and heard confessions for three hours while the ship was going down!

Really? That’s very interesting. Do you know of a website or something I could find more info on this?

 

[Deacon_Scott]

We were on the Norwegian Sun for a western Caribean cruise last spring.

There was a Catholic Priest on board & he offered Mass twice during our 7 day cruise. He was wonderful. I believe he was from the east coast.

It was a little different to be in the lounge, but it was very spiritual since all in attendance wanted to truely worship together.

Blessings to all!!!
Deacon Scott

 

[oremus]

I do not know what cruise lines he was on, but our priest had mass on several cruises that he took for his vacations.

God bless,
oremus

 

[Irish_Melkite]

Marauder:

If you are dispensed of your Sunday obligation it would probably be better to pray in private, or with a group of Catholics, watch EWTN or some other Catholic station if available. Unless you are in a country that has some of the Orthodox/valid order churches that the Catholic church does allow you to recieve communion (just make sure that group allows Catholics to receive Communion. Just because the Catholic church allows you to receive in certain Orthodox churches, doesn’t mean that Orthodox church allows Catholics to receive.)

Marauder,

Why do you suggest that attendance at a valid Orthodox Divine Liturgy will only satisfy one’s Sunday obligation if one will receive the Mystery of the Eucharist there (which, generally, one cannot, as the Orthodox will not commune Catholics except under extraordinary circumstances and that isn’t one)?

Under the provisions of Canon Law, in the absence of access to a Catholic church, a Latin Catholic can attend the Divine Liturgy in a parish of any of the Eastern or Oriental Orthodox Churches and satisfy his/her Sunday obligation. (The same is true, in the US, of parishes of the Polish National Catholic Church and, in Europe, of parishes of the Old Catholic Church of the Utrecht Confession; although the likelihood of being unable to find a Catholic church in either of those circumstances is unlikely.)

Many years,

Neil

btw, a retired Melkite Catholic priest with bi-ritual Latin faculties is presently serving as a chaplain on various cruise ships.

 

[Marauder]

Irish Melkite:

Marauder,

Why do you suggest that attendance at a valid Orthodox Divine Liturgy will only satisfy one’s Sunday obligation if one will receive the Mystery of the Eucharist there (which, generally, one cannot, as the Orthodox will not commune Catholics except under extraordinary circumstances and that isn’t one)?

I didn’t suggest that. You may have read that from my post but it wasn’t there. I didn’t say that receiving communion fulfills the Sunday obligation. If I had had used the long form in my post I would have said “In the absence of a Catholic church, you can go to any Orthodox or other Valid order churches that the Vatican recognizes their communion as valid to fulfil your obligation. But you must remember that not all of these groups allow for Catholics to receive communion even though the Vatican allows them to receive and you to receive theirs. You are supposed to respect their custom.”

I just said it in a quicker brief way.

 

[Erich]

work(name removed by moderator)rogress8:

First, do you know of any cruises that offer Catholic mass aboard?

I can vouch for Celebrity Cruises offering Catholic Mass aboard. Earlier this summer we were on a Celebrity cruise. Not only was there a priest on board, but he didn’t even have to bring his own crucifix/chalice/paten/etc… Celebrity provided them!