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All being well regards to the current epidemic I shall be embarking on a cruise this November 24th which includes a two day stop in Israel. Obviously as a middle aged male the all inclusive drinks package will be one of the highlights of the cruise over that of the free water flumes. However, I have been informed by an unofficial source that whilst in Israeli waters the cruise line will not be allowed to sell alcohol, and certain foods will also be banned until back out of Israeli waters. This could mean two or three days without alcohol which makes an all inclusive drinks package less beneficial, so thus I may pass up on the all inclusive drinks package and simply pay as I go, unless of course it is not true that they will be required to stop serving alcohol.

So do cruise lines traveling to Israel need to stop serving alcohol whilst in Israeli waters?

John Strachan
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1 Answers1

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No. And there shouldn't be any reason for it.

Alcohol is sold freely in Israel without any serious prohibition except for the usual underage and licensing rules. This includes an Israeli cruise line company that operates from Israel and sells alcohol at all times, including in the territorial waters of Israel.

All food is generally allowed to be sold, including specifically non-kosher food. There are some rules regarding food that is not kosher for Pesah during the holiday, but it wouldn't apply to a cruise ship, and it only regulates its display, not its sale or consumption.

There might be issues with very specific individual items that are regulated, as are the quirks of every country and its food and safety regulations (like with kinder surprise eggs being illegal in the US) but not something broad that should affect the food in a major way and for sure not prohibit the sale of alcohol entirely.

SIMEL
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