Kosherica Cruises: Fabulous Destinations and Elegant Dining While Observing Strict Standards of Kashrus on the High Seas

The Jewish Voice and Opinion, October 2009
By Menachem Lubinsky

Spending Shabbat on the Aegean Sea with Kosherica wasn’t any different on this huge ocean liner than at any other luxury hotel. For my wife and me and nearly 100 others who were aboard the Costa Fortuna with its passenger load of nearly 3500, the kosher cuisine was remarkable.

Offy Schiffman, part of the family that owns Kosherica, made sure that the visits to ports in Italy, Greece and Croatia amounted to more than just a cruise aboard an elegant ship. He and a team of mashgichim oversaw a glatt-kosher presentation that was sumptuous, fresh, and creative.

Offy guards the kitchens like a hawk to assure quality as well as kashrus. It is standard for Kosherica to have as many as 6 mashgichim aboard its cruises.

Shul and Classes
The Kosherica team had high praise for the ship’s crew and management that enabled the Orthodox Jews to enjoy the upscale glatt-kosher meals as well as a synagogue on board that included Torah lectures and even dance classes for women led by Dassy Schuster. Headed by David Behri, the mashgichim made sure that kashrus standards were scrupulously observed. Glatt kosher meat was from Alle Processing in New York and Cholov Yisroel products were from France. The mashgichim koshered a large barbecue grill that enabled the kosher guests to enjoy two sessions on one of the decks.

But perhaps most intriguing was the kosher bakery that provided fresh breads and pastries every day on the seven-day cruise, including tasty kneaded challah on Shabbat.

Separate Section
Although I have seen kashrus supervision at work first hand in dozens of plants and kitchens of hotels and restaurants, nothing prepared me for the way Kosherica was able to maintain a high standard of kashrus while at the same time offering a culinary experience I will not soon forget. The ship designated specific areas of the kitchen to the Kosherica team with the keys to supplies held by the mashgichim.

While overtly it appeared that the kosher passengers were eating on the same plates as the other travelers, a red dot on the back of each plate indicated that it was part of the Kosherica set. The same was true for utensils and other equipment used by Kosherica.

The cruise industry has for many years courted the kosher traveler, recognizing that it was a growing and loyal clientele. Almost every major cruise company makes arrangement for a kosher traveler much like the airline industry by providing the sealed frozen meals. But the experience offered by Kosherica is unmatched.

Fans
My experience with Kosherica and its cruise to the Greek Isles was like being in a luxury hotel that offers superb kosher dining and touring major destinations without having to pack and re-pack your bags for each magnificent destination. My wife and I have become instant fans in a method of travel that combines the best of kosher with luxury.

As Kosherica prepares for its winter season of cruises, including a sensational Cantorial cruise on January 24th featuring such world class Jewish music stars as Dudu Fisher, Avraham Fried, and a lineup of 16 other artists, the kosher traveler can experience a world-class cruise with superb kashrus standards. It is a further demonstration of just how far kosher travel and entertainment has progressed in the last few years.

For more information visit www.kosherica.com or call 877-SAIL KOSHER.