Norwegian to Revamp Kosher Menu Offerings (UPDATED)

UPDATE: Dani over at Yeah That’s Kosher did a lot of work to gather more information on this situation, head over there for details about this new offering (spoiler: its much less exciting than we had hoped)

For a long time, kosher meals at sea have been a major downside to the otherwise great cruising experience. While many, like Disney Cruise Line (detailed quite extensively on this site), will offer kosher frozen meals that are at best average and at times a disaster, others like Celebrity offer a la cart kosher food for an extra cost. However, according to the Jerusalem Post Norwegian is about to really raise the stakes.

JPost reports:

Norwegian Cruise Line launched a new kosher menu for all passengers for no extra charge, on Tuesday. Furthermore, if there is a group of over 60 people, fresh kosher food will be cooked on board in a kosher kitchen. 

“We are now setting a new standard in the global industry, and now kosher, rich and varied food will be part of the culinary experience we offer in all of our ships,” said Nick Wilkinson, vice president of Norwegian Cruise Line. 

Passengers will be able to have kosher food on all cruises as long as they order them 30-days in advance. The meals will be under the strict supervision of the Orthodox Union and catered by Borenstein Caterers. 

Those who opt for a kosher meal will be able to choose from a variety of options including meat, chicken, fish, etc. The meal will also come packaged with sealed dishes. Each meal will consist of a first course, main course, two additional side dishes and dessert. 

While not Disney specific we are posting about this story because it could be a complete game-changer if the food is good (and Borenstein is already a step up based on my experiences with them on airlines) and if others decide to copy them (PLEASE DISNEY CRUISE LINE!!!). This is especially true during times like yeshiva break where there are many over 60 people on some ships, and thus would trigger the kosher kitchen options. We will be reaching out to DCL to see if they have any response.