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- Shabbat and Holidays
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- Laws of Shabbat
Answer: We will all but ignore halachically complicated issues about pleasure cruises for which there are legitimate lenient opinions. One is setting sail within three days of Shabbat (see Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 248:1-2; Shemirat Shabbat K’hilchata 30:66; Yalkut Yosef, Shabbat I, pp. 48-52). We will focus on seeing if there are cases where we cannot find any legitimate leniency.
Operating the motor is among full melachot that are done while sailing. If a Jew is performing these actions, it is forbidden to benefit from them, and so if that may be the case, one may not go on the cruise (see Yalkut Yosef ibid.). What if the relevant crew includes no Jews?
There are two issues with using a non-Jew’s work on Shabbat. 1) Telling the non-Jew to do the work. 2) Receiving benefit from the work a non-Jew did on behalf of a Jew (Shabbat 122a). There are more possible ways around the former, and we will focus on the latter.
The gemara (ibid.) says that if a non-Jew does melacha on behalf of a group including Jews and non-Jews, we consider it as being performed on behalf of the majority. Thus, if the majority of a ship are Jews, it forbidden to benefit from the sailing done on their behalf. Now, let us clarify two points. First, regarding each melacha done, we have to consider who the beneficiaries are. Some (e.g., putting on the cabin air-conditioning) are done for all aboard, including staff. However, the sailing, as opposed to docking or anchoring at sea, is done because the vacationers want to arrive at a good time at the next destination. The second point is that when the benefit comes, it is too late for the individual, who cannot change the itinerary mid-cruise or jump ship, to do anything. Therefore, if he knows he will get forbidden benefit, he must not get on the ship.
Bemare Habazak - Rabbis Questions (652)
Rabbi Daniel Mann
169 - Obtaining Arba’ah Minim for the Sukkot after Shemitta
170 - Shabbat Cruises
171 - Automatic Payment on Shabbat or Yom Tov
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Presumably, a round-trip pleasure cruise from Israel would not set sail without passengers or plan to continue sailing on Shabbat if all prospective Jewish passengers objected to it. The problem comes up when many of the passengers are unaware of the halachic issues and others are not Shabbat observant and are thus unwilling to sacrifice "covering ground" to keep Shabbat. I heard a suggestion that, statistically, some of the Israelis must not be Jewish. However, it is hard to believe that there are enough non-Jews on a round-trip Israeli cruise to be able to implement the above leniency. (Also, who will check lineage or cancel the cruise if too many clearly Jewish people participate?).
Therefore, we do not see a legitimate heter for going on thestandard cruise that fits your description.
Rabbis in Midrash
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Ein Aya One Humanity, One Creator, One Jerusalem
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