Life of a chef on board a cruise liner

Among cruise ship jobs, working in the culinary section is one of the most satisfying, involving the creation and service of quality meals to suit all types of palates. But what is life like for someone who dedicates much of his/her work life in a floating kitchen for the gustatory enjoyment of others?

The life of a Cruise Line Chef involves touching breath-taking ports, sampling delicious food, meeting new people and experiencing a multi-cultural work environment. But it’s also a hard life and cruise ship employees need to have stamina to work long hours, determination to be away from home for months at a time and the commitment to ensure impeccable service day after day.

Some cruise lines have around 4,000-5,000 guests on board each ship, and cruise ship chefs could oversee the making of up to 20,000 meals a day! Wait staff in restaurants often have to serve up to 2,000 diners at each of the two evening sittings for dinner, not counting breakfast, lunch and resetting of tables.

This means there are no days off for those with cruise ship jobs, but only when at sea for about 4-6 months. Yet, cooking and serving dozens upon dozens of meals a day means that the staff learns new culinary arts quicker than their land-based counterparts.

There are no bills to pay when working cruise ship jobs, but cooks or chefs often work fairly long hours to keep up with demand.It is not uncommon for chefs and service staff to work 10-hour shifts every day, with workers in the preparation kitchen involved in washing, trimming, peeling and slicing vegetables all day. The pay, however, compensates.

After all, this is a job. But it stands out as a wealth of experience and enjoyment. During time off, cruise ship crew know where the best Wi-Fi spots are, enjoy the best local fare on land, and head to beaches and activities little known to passengers. And best of all, they enjoy free or very cheap drinks and meals at parties in the crew bar!

As a cruise ship chef, you might have to serve up exquisite meals to passengers, but you can cook up a wild storm during your time off.

Touching breath-taking ports

In the early days of modern cruise lines, meals were dreary affairs. They were boringly predictable and consisted mainly of buffets. Today, cruise ships look at dining as a culinary art with great promise.

Many large cruise lines have nearly two dozen restaurants and eateries what with eating one of the most popular activities on board. But despite the many choices, all meals follow a standard description to be considered worthy of being placed in front of a guest.

Without visual appeal, no guest will come back for more. Cruise ship galley staff learn from the beginning to create designs that are literally good enough to eat. One of the most important cruise ship jobs is a food artist who creates sculptures out of fruit and vegetables. But this isn’t all. Each dish must entice guests in such a way that they are impressed even before the first bite.

It follows then that the guest must enjoy the taste of each morsel in their mouth. Ingredients fresh off the market may be hard to come by, but cruise ships often take on stores at each port. Basics such as bread, stocks, ice cream and sauces are sometimes made on the go due to the large volumes required. Taking on ingredients at each port also means offering fare reflective of the port you are in to give guests an interesting travel experience.

Service is as important as the food itself. One of the most important cruise ship jobs is done by service staff since they deal directly with hungry guests. Apart from being polite and courteous, knowledge of food and beverages is key, as well as the ingredients in all the dishes being served. Some guests may have special dietary requests – such as health restrictions, veganism or allergens, and ensuring these are stuck to leaves them with a very pleasant experience.

Above all, hygiene and cleanliness must be maintained at all times. While all cruise ships have galley utility staff to help keep the area clean, all employees are required to maintain the highest standards possible.

Cruise ships are multi-cultural spaces catering to various tastes and offering new culinary experiences to guests. Each dish is expected to speak for itself and be representative of the quality and standards of its cruise line.