Three kosher cruises encountered significant issues last month, turning what were supposed to be relaxing vacations into a series of "vacation worries." All of these incidents involved the cruise company Costa. We delved into what happened on these cruises and explored the broader implications for the kosher cruise industry
First, let’s clarify what a “kosher cruise” entails. On luxury ships carrying more than 2,000 passengers, there is typically a large dining room along with several "subject restaurants"' each for less than 100 dinners. These specialty restaurants offer themed meals, such as Indian, Mexican, French, seafood, etc, for an additional fee. On a kosher cruise, one of these restaurants is dedicated exclusively to the kosher-observant group, and the adjacent kitchen undergoes kosher certification
In last July, two kosher cruises departed from Barcelona, operated in partnership between the Jerusalem-based 'Kosher Cruises,' owned by Michael Tshidler, and the American company Destinations 613, owned by Yossi Zablotsky. Unfortunately, the passengers on these cruises received lower-quality food than promised. Additionally, another kosher cruise, operated by 'David Cruise' and owned by Levi Yitzhak Yifrach, was canceled at the last minute due to issues with kosher food
So, what exactly happened? i
Many months ago, an agreement was signed between Destinations 613 and Costa’s Brazilian branch for group sailings on the Toscana ship. This agreement was accompanied by an appendix with the requirements of the "Mishmeret HaKashrut" (Kashrut Guard) company, which Michael had hired for their expertise. "Kashrut Guard" is a company specializing in organizing kosher events in remote locations, founded by four well-known rabbis: Rabbi Chaim Markowitz, Rabbi Avraham Deri, Rabbi Meir Bar-el, and Rabbi Uri Einhorn. Rabbi Deri was assigned to supervise the kashrut on this cruise
Ten days before the scheduled embarking, Michael Tshidler received an email from Costa stating: “You did not fill all 50 rooms specified in the contract, so you will not receive kosher food. We are exempt from our obligations because you did not meet yours.” Although Michael was not entirely surprised—since cruise companies in the past have deprioritized kosher operations for under-booked cruises—he was confident that a solution could be found. As a result, he did not inform his clients about the crisis or offer them the option to cancel their participation
Two days before the cruise, Costa bypassed Michael and emailed his clients directly, informing them that "There will be no kosher food on this cruise, nor will there be kosher utensils. You and your representatives are not allowed to enter the ship's kitchen." As a result, some passengers canceled their departure from the port in Barcelona. The kashrut team arrived in Marseille just one day before embarkation
Michael recalls: “I arrived on the ship with my team, and I was initially met with a warm reception from the hotel manager and the chef, leading me to believe that everything was resolved. But then the food manager informed me, ‘You will receive nothing. You will not get an oven in the kitchen as ordered, and it is forbidden for you and your rabbi to enter my kitchen.’” i
An argument ensued, during which Michael challenged them, saying, “Stop saying ‘no’, and tell me what ‘yes’.” They responded, “If you have kosher chicken, bring it to us, and we will cook it with our chicken, after which you can serve kosher chicken.
Upon hearing this, Rabbi Deri immediately declared, "I’m canceling the kosher certification, and I’m leaving the ship." i
An emergency meeting was then convened, leading to a flurry of phone calls between France and Israel. After much debate, a compromise proposed by Rabbi Einhorn was accepted: the “Kosher Guard” certification was revoked, but if Rabbi Deri could find a way to kosher the food, he would do so personally, though not under the "Kosher Guard" name
In retrospect, a solution was found. Despite initial instructions from their top management, the kitchen staff were accommodating and allowed Rabbi Deri to enter the kitchen. The kosher team had to work much harder than usual to make the cruise functional. However, the chef refused to allow the kosher pots and utensils onto the ship, contrary to what had been agreed upon. As a result, Michael’s supplier in Marseille had to send a truck full of disposable utensils to the ship. Breakfast was served on disposable cardboard plates, and omelets were dished out in aluminum trays
Dinner was equally limited, with meals served in aluminum trays and on disposable plates. The dessert selection was sparse, limited to chocolate mousse and mousse cake. One passenger messaged me on WhatsApp, saying it felt "like being at a Bnei Akiva summer camp." i
It is inconceivable that a passenger paying around 30,000 shekels for a double room on a vacation cruise would be served on disposable paper plates and offered a limited menu. Some passengers from these cruises are now organizing a lawsuit against Costa, accusing the company of anti-Semitism. One disgruntled passenger wrote to me, "If Costa dared to treat Muslims eating halal this way, they would have burned their ship." i
Michael Tshidler and Yossi Zablotsky booked the cruise through Costa's branch in Brazil. As is well known, Brazil's president, who has expressed anti-Semitic sentiments, recently compared IDF soldiers in Gaza to Nazis. It’s possible that Costa employees in Brazil were influenced by this "spirit of the commander" and decided to act accordingly. While Michael claims this is not anti-Semitism, it seems he is in the minority in this dispute. Even his partner, Yossi, told the American media that this is a case of anti-Semitism
A kosher restaurant onboard another Costa ship
A similar issue arose in July on another kosher cruise with Costa. At the beginning of 2024, an agreement was signed between the Jerusalem-based tourism company 'David Cruise,' which has been working with Costa for ten years, to operate a glatt kosher cruise under the supervision of Rabbi Shlomo Yifrach from France on the Fortuna ship. Ten days before the scheduled embarkation, Costa informed the company’s owner, Levi Yitzhak Yifrach, that they would not provide kosher food for his clients as previously agreed. Their excuse was, "You brought fewer than a hundred passengers, so you won’t get kosher." i
Levi Yitzhak was understandably stressed and immediately flew to Costa’s headquarters in Italy. He explained the enormous damage this would cause to his clients and to Costa's reputation. However, he discovered there was no one willing to listen. Reflecting on the situation, Levi Yitzhak said, "It was difficult for us, but I respected Costa’s decision. The contract does indeed have a small clause stating that special food and beverage services are only provided for groups larger than a hundred passengers. But they have never enforced it before. Just last month, in June, I operated a kosher cruise with only 42 passengers without any problems. Costa have the right to enforce this clause, but they should allow us time to adjust. Not cancel ten days before the cruise, when many passengers have already purchased tickets expecting kosher conditions. This is unacceptable in the business world." I
As a result, a week before the cruise, Levi Yitzhak had to cancel the kosher cruise and refund all his clients' payments. i
It’s clear that Costa Cruises is targeting its Jewish customers and has opened a front against us. But how and why is this happening, and why now? Could it be that the shipping company Costa is indeed cruising on waves of anti-Semitism? i
The initial explanation from passengers and some kosher cruise operators is that this is a manifestation of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiment. Yossi Zablotsky announced this to the American media. But Levi Yitzhak argues that there is no anti-Semitism in the company’s main management
Rabbi Uri Einhorn offers a different perspective: "When you help fill a ship, they court you. When the ship is full, they ignore you. In previous years, when the average occupancy on ships was 60-80%, cruise companies courted every agent who could book 10-20 rooms, and those who could fill 100-200 rooms would receive anything they asked for. This is why, in the past, they readily agreed to our requests for a kosher restaurant and kitchen, and to allocate a hall for prayer and Torah lessons. But this summer, the average occupancy on cruises is over 90%, and cruise companies don’t need us like they did before." i
However, this still doesn’t explain why Costa informed the kosher operators only shortly before the departure dates, instead of giving them months to prepare for the new restrictions
It's surprising to encounter such issues, especially in a company with Jewish ownership. As is well known, Costa Cruises was acquired by the Carnival Corporation, founded by the late Ted Arison and currently managed by his son, Micky Arison. (His sister, Shari Arison, owns Bank Hapoalim in Israel.) Ted Arison was regularly attended a Reform synagogue in Miami every Shabbat
Meanwhile, Levi Yitzhak continues to negotiate with Costa management and believes that there are solutions for working together. As proof, he is organizing two more kosher cruises in August and is optimistic that they will proceed as planned since each will have over 100 passengers. He hopes Costa won’t come up with a new excuse to target kosher-keeping Jews passengers
Costa has a GSA representative in Israel, MedCruises in Petah Tikva. When I spoke with MedCruises' manager, Ronit Ifargan, she was hearing about these issues for the first time. I asked her how a reputable company like Costa could dare to breach signed agreements
Ronit responded, "I have been working for years with the office in Italy and have never had any problems there. I don't know why Michael booked with Costa’s branch in Brazil. Maybe they offered him the same cruise for a few dollars less." i
As part of the investigation for this article, I reached out to the president of Costa Cruises, Mario Zanetti, who referred me to the company’s press officer. The press officer wrote: The statement I received read: "We are very familiar with kosher meal requirements, and we have successfully supported kosher meal requests onboard Costa ships multiple times per year for decades and will continue to do so in the future. Unfortunately, last July, Destination 613 Tours failed to reach the minimum cabin booking threshold (50 cabins) necessary for us to provide kosher meal service. Costa was fully transparent with the tour operator, communicating well in advance of departure that if the tour did not meet the required minimum cabin reservations, it would be impossible for us to provide kosher meals." i
I asked Costa why the companies and passengers were informed at the last minute that there would be no kosher food. The response was: "Costa was fully transparent with the tour operator, communicating well in advance of departure that if the tour did not meet the required minimum cabin reservations, it would be impossible for us to provide kosher meals. While we cannot speculate why the tour operator did not notify the tour group of the situation, as guests arrived on board the ship and we learned they had not been notified by the tour operator, we immediately contacted the guests directly to share the information." (Author’s note: This is not true.)
When I inquired whether Costa planned to compensate the passengers on those kosher cruises, the response was clear: "No. While we sincerely regret any disappointment and inconvenience to guests/potential guests, this was not caused by a disruption of the company’s service, but solely by the mismanagement of the tour operator." i
Costa also announced that they are terminating their business relationship with travel agent Yossi Zablocki, effectively boycotting the Jewish tourism company 'Destinations 613'. Meanwhile, a boycott of Costa by Jewish consumers in the United States is currently being organized under the banner "Stay Off." i
The treatment of kosher groups by cruise companies varies significantly, depending on the attitudes of their management and owners. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is known for being very considerate of our community. NCL's CEO, Harry Sommer, was a secular Jew who attended a yeshiva in New York and has a deep understanding of kashrut. On the other hand, MSC Cruises has a reputation for being less accommodating to religious Jewish clients, even charging for kosher meal trays. As a result, the religious public rarely chooses to sail with MSC, despite the fact that the company’s founder and owner is married to a former Israeli, and the company’s CEO is their Jewish son
So, what’s the moral of the story here? i
Respect but suspect! i
Before booking any kosher cruise, it’s essential to thoroughly investigate who is providing the kosher certification and what experience they have with cruises. The prophet Isaiah captures the essence of deep disappointment from unmet expectations in the verse, "Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit" (Isaiah 5:2). This verse perfectly describes the culinary experience on the kosher cruises lately aboard Costa