A renewed partnership has emerged in the kosher cruise sector. 'Asia Travel,' led by Rabbi Benjamin Niazov, has once again joined forces with the French company 'David Cruise,' managed by Levi Yitzhak Ifrach and David Braka. This collaboration, which previously launched two kosher cruises, was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the duo is setting sail again, offering a unique and luxurious kosher cruising experience.
'David Cruise' typically operates seven kosher cruises annually. For this voyage, 'Asia Travel' secured a block of rooms and elevated the cruise experience by adding its signature services and luxuries. I was invited to join the cruise to explore what this revitalized collaboration between two leading travel companies has in store for the future.
'David Cruise' specializes in "dry cruises," which begin at the boarding gate of the ship. Their clientele mainly consists of travelers from France, Belgium, the USA, and Panama. In contrast, 'Asia Travel' offers "wet cruises" or all-inclusive packages, enhancing the base product of 'David Cruise' by incorporating flights from Israel to Barcelona, guided shore excursions, and an overnight hotel stay before returning home. The group from 'Asia Travel,' mostly Israelis with one family from Vienna, was treated to an all-encompassing travel experience, including transfers, a 5-star hotel, and meals at Chabad House before flying back.
The Ship
We embarked in Barcelona on the Costa Toscana, the flagship of the Costa fleet. Check-in and boarding were smooth. Launched at the end of 2021, this floating city accommodates about 7,000 passengers and 1,680 crew members. The Toscana feels open and spacious, with bright, natural light and vibrant colors. A welcome change from Costa’s previous dark, mahogany-heavy ships. Compared to my last Costa experience six years ago, this felt like going from a Fiat to a Ferrari.
The ship spans 18 decks, with most of the 8th floor dedicated to restaurants. Deck 16 features a covered pool, Jacuzzis, a spa, fitness center, and even children’s clubs, one of which served as our synagogue for daily prayers.
The Room
I stayed in a balcony room on the 11th floor, with a comfortable bed, a small wardrobe, and a cozy reading sofa. While the room's design was beautiful, space was tight, and there were only two electrical outlets—insufficient for today’s tech needs. Fortunately, I brought a power strip. Housekeeping was impeccable, with the staff cleaning multiple times a day.
There are three types of cabins: interior, balcony, and suites. The interior room is more cramped than the balcony, without windows, causing a feeling of claustrophobia. Friends who booked such a cheap room explained to me that they only stay there at night to sleep, spending the rest of their time on the deck or on beach tours, so they don't feel the density.
The Food
Food is central to any cruise experience. The Toscana boasts 21 restaurants, but for kosher travelers, only one was relevant- Le Anfore on the 6th floor.
The kitchen underwent strict kosher supervision by Rabbi Yifrach. A team of 3 supervisors worked from 5 am to 11 pm to light the ovens (because of "Bishul Akum"). They divided supervision into different places throughout the ship. For example, the Butchery is located on another floor. A kosher supervisor must be present when the chefs cut the meat for us with kosher knives and equipment. Another supervisor supervised the bakery on another floor of the ship, and an additional supervisor was in the kitchen attached to our restaurant.
Levi Yitzhak says: "Before each cruise, I buy sets of new dishes for kosher keepers, and after the cruise, I leave them on the ship for use by non-Jewish passengers."
The food was very tasty and abundant. Breakfast and lunch in buffet, and dinner served. The plating was luxurious. On days when we disembarked from the ship for excursions, we were allowed to make sandwiches for ourselves and take cakes and fruits as we pleased. 'David Cruise' provided us with insulated backpacks to keep the freshness.
During the cruise, I occasionally joined another table in the dining room and chatted with the diners. From everyone I heard a statement like "I've been on several Asia Travel trips. I follow them blindly. The best food, and the most worthwhile hotels." I didn't tell them that this time the credit for the food goes mainly to 'David Cruise'. Even on this cruise, we enjoyed gourmet meals. The quantities were abundant, but the selection was less than what we are used to from Asia Travel's hospitality in hotels in Batumi and Split. The reason – there is not enough space on the ship for all the luxuries of Asia Travel.
In addition, they made two more kitchens kosher just for a special meal for us. Asia Travel surprised us with dinner and lunch at the 'Tepanyakki' restaurant. It is a Japanese style of cooking in front of diners sitting around the grill table, and the chef prepares the food artistically, with a real show in singing and hand movements, including throwing cooked rice straight into the mouths of some diners. We enjoyed not only the taste of lamb ribs but also the unique experience.
On another evening, they treated us to a pizza restaurant, which was also koshered specifically for us. They served us Italian pizzas with different toppings, some of which are unfamiliar in Israel.
Head Chef, Francesco Fiore, went above and beyond to ensure our group’s satisfaction. Though I’ve never dined at a Michelin-starred restaurant, the experience at Teppanyaki felt like the closest I’ve ever been.
Cruise Itinerary
The journey began in Barcelona and included stops in Ibiza, Palermo, Rome, Savona, and Marseille, with guided tours in each city.
We departed from Barcelona in the evening, and the next morning the ship docked at the island of Ibiza. We disembarked to explore the charming island. The following day was a "sea day," meaning the ship sailed all day without docking. This day was dedicated to enjoying the ship's facilities, including gyms, swimming pools, movies, shows, and even a casino.
On the third morning, the ship docked in Palermo, Sicily. We went ashore for a guided tour in Hebrew, which included the old Jewish quarter, and returned to the ship by evening.
The next morning, we disembarked at Civitavecchia port near Rome and were taken on a bus tour.
In the evening, we returned to the ship to prepare for Shabbat. On Shabbat morning, the ship docked in Savona, but we did not disembark for shore excursions like the other passengers.
The next morning, the ship docked in Marseille, France. The group enjoyed a bus tour along the beautiful coastline.
On the final day, we disembarked in Barcelona with our luggage, and were taken on a bus tour in the city, including the Jewish quarter and the Rashb"a synagogue. We had dinner at Chabad house and stayed overnight at a five-star hotel near the airport. The following day, we flew back to Israel.
Shore Excursions
Just as 'Asia Travel' is renowned for offering the best in cuisine, they have made every effort to provide top-notch shore excursions as well. Onboard the ship, guided tours are available for purchase separately. Especially for our kosher group, at every port, we were met by a dedicated local tour guide, without any additional cost. Asia Travel's operations manager, Shimshon (Shimi) Austoniadzov, ensured in advance that the finest local guides were hired. Some were Hebrew-speaking locals, and I was impressed by their expertise and vast knowledge.
In Palermo, our guide led us through the alleys of the old city, where the Jewish quarter once stood before the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, which also affected Sicily. In Barcelona, another guide took us through the Jewish quarter (El Call). However, I personally felt that more Jewish heritage sites could have been included in the itinerary.
Shabbat on Board
Observing Shabbat on a cruise ship presents unique challenges, but thanks to Levy Yitzhak’s expertise, all needs were accommodated. He is also the son of a rabbi. Here are some of the Shabbat-related challenges and the solutions provided to us:
- Shabbat candles: Lighting an open flame is prohibited on the ship by law. Therefore, we were provided with single-use electronic candles.
- Electronic keys: The cabin doors have electronic locks operated by key cards. Before Shabbat, the housekeepers disabled the locks in our rooms, taping the latch so the doors could be opened with just a push.
- Shabbat elevator: The ship had three areas, each with ten elevators, none of which were Shabbat elevators. In one of the elevators, a non-Jewish staff member was stationed to press the buttons for us. She knew the floors for the synagogue and our dining areas, as well as the floors where most of our group members were staying, so we didn't need "Amira LeGoy" directly. One of the passengers remarked that it would have been better if our group’s rooms were located near the synagogue, so we could use the stairs on Shabbat without relying on the elevator.
- Prayer services: We held Kabbalat Shabbat prayers in the children's club on the 16th floor, followed by a Shabbat dinner in a nearby restaurant, where kosher food from our own restaurant was provided. On Shabbat morning, we prayed in the usual hall. 'David Cruise' even brought a Torah scroll (Ashkenazi) on board, and the Torah reading and prayers were conducted according to the Sephardic Edot Mizrach tradition. They provided us with siddurim and chumashim, and offered kippot, although none were needed.
The ship designated two small halls for us to use as a synagogue when they weren't occupied by other passengers. We held Shacharit prayers in the restaurant hall next to Le Anfore on the 6th floor, while Mincha and Maariv were held on the 16th floor in the children's club.
These solutions were facilitated by Levy Yitzhak, with the help of the ship's hotel manager, Miguel Munir, who went above and beyond to assist our religious group in every way. He even taught his waitstaff to say "Shabbat Shalom" in Hebrew.
Entertainment and Activities
The Toscana offers diverse entertainment, though most performances were in Italian. Every evening, there were entertainment shows on the ship. The Costa Toscana has two grand theaters—one in the middle of the ship on decks 6, 7, and 8, called "The Colosseum," and another named "Poltrone Frau" at the front on decks 6 and 7. Costa is an Italian company, and most of the passengers were Italian. Most of the shows featured singers performing in Italian. Half the audience enthusiastically joined in, while the other half (including us) didn’t know the songs and didn’t understand what was happening on stage.
The announcements over the loudspeaker in the corridors were also in Italian, followed by French and German, and only then in English. For a full minute or two, we didn’t understand a word. It would have been better to announce in English first, a language everyone understands, and then switch to other languages.
Despite the language barrier, there were acrobatic shows, live music at the ship’s bars, and a bustling casino. I didn’t gamble, but one of our kosher group proudly shared that she won back half the cost of her cruise.
One evening was dedicated to Jewish music. It turned out that Levy Yitzhak is also a professional cantor, and he delighted us with songs and Piyutim. This performance took place on the ship’s stern on deck 16, with a special electronic backdrop. Other passengers, not part of our group, also attended the show. Some of the religious passengers even got up to dance to the rhythm of Levy Yitzhak’s tunes, and even the ship's captain, Giulio Valestra, and his wife joined the circle of dancers.
In addition, the ship has bars with small stages, where musicians play instruments like the guitar, harp, or piano each evening. I made it a point to visit these bars every evening, stopping for a few minutes to enjoy the performances.
Conclusion
Kosher cruises offer a stress-free vacation with the comfort of knowing all the details are taken care of. With rising popularity, these trips, though slightly more expensive than regular cruises, are worth every penny. As Holy Bible said, “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand?” (Isaiah 40:12).