produce and seasonality, have become de rigour. For many cruise lines, food and beverage options are now as much of an on-board selling point as star performers and innovative leisure pursuits. The next big step is rationality. Not only will this demand the development of new supply lines, it also forces chefs on board to adopt a different mindset. “One thing I could not believe upon first entering the industry ten years ago was that executive chefs would come on board and do six month stints without ever going ashore,” exclaims Franck Garanger, fleet corporate chef, culinary development, for Oceania and Regent Seven Seas <strong>Cruise</strong>s. “What is the point of travelling the world if you never leave? I push my guys to get out there, explore and come back with fresh ideas.” Garanger’s insistence upon his team opening themselves up to new experiences is reflected in the cruise line’s culinary offerings. Oceania is beginning to introduce far more options tailored to a ship’s itinerary, a development the lively French chef admits he cannot take full credit for. “People were writing letters demanding to see more of the regions we travelled to reflected on the plate,” he admits. “That is where we have focused a great deal of our attention over the past two years. From the day I became executive chef, I brought a Michelin-star mentality to bear: cutting down on portion size, insisting vegetables and sauces were prepared a la minute, and serving fresh pasta. Looking beyond the traditional dishes to something more local is a natural progression of that.” Local flavour Garanger is not alone in this view. Despite the logistical challenge, a number of cruise lines are beginning to demonstrate far more flexibility in regards to what can be served at sea. In 2008, Holland America Lines master chef Rudi Sodamin introduced menus on the fleet’s premium ships that incorporate flavours, techniques and recipes that reflect each sailing itinerary. Elsewhere, Crystal <strong>Cruise</strong>s’ wine and food voyages have been in operation on select Panama Canal, Asia, Northern and Western Europe and Caribbean voyages during 2009, with a strong focus on regional cuisine, including a Spices of the East tour on board the Crystal Symphony. “One of the most enjoyable ways to immerse oneself in a destination and culture is with food,” says Toni Neumeister, vice-president of food and beverage operations for Crystal <strong>Cruise</strong>s. “The guests not only want to have the cultural experience of seeing new places; they want the culinary element as well. While we have to cover all the traditional bases, we’re also obliged to reflect the area the ship is visiting. Our guests enjoy it, the chefs enjoy it and it also makes perfect sense to source produce in the areas we’re visiting.” But how feasible is this approach when catering for large numbers? While the main dining room on an Oceania ship will always try to have one local speciality on its lunch and dinner menus each day, an expanded repertoire showcased through the chef ‘parfum’ dinners is only available to the top 12 cabins on board. “The chef visits the local market and creates something truly special,” Garanger explains. “It is his night. The hotel manager and captain are not invited. We set up a table on the pool deck with perhaps 20 to 30 covers. The “ chef cooks in front of the guests and introduces what is on the plate: where it was bought, why, and what else one can find in the region.” The line’s new ship, Marina, will have a restaurant dedicated to the programme, but will remain relatively exclusive. The ability to roll out similar initiatives for the majority of guests would require more than a mere market visit by the executive chef and involve a major overhaul of the manner in which ship kitchens manage their supply chains, something that cannot be done overnight. “The challenge of the future is going to be finding supply bases around the world in ports that can supply the specifications and quality we want,” agrees John Meszaros, vice-president of supply chain management for Carnival Corporation. “What we need to do with these ports is either set up a logistics structure to accept inbound supplies or work with vendors to develop these areas.” Insight > Food & beverage The right recipe A short-term solution is the employment of guest chefs chosen to match a ship’s itinerary and employed to school guests in the intricacies of local cuisine through shoreside excursions, cooking demonstrations and alternating daily specials incorporated into more traditional on-board menus. “We really try to replicate the original recipes and buy our spices and speciality ingredients through recommended local suppliers,” Garanger explains. “Having a guest chef on board adds an extra dimension to market trips and the food being served. There may only be one dish a night, but it is always extremely popular.” While it is heartening to hear of local specialities being celebrated on board, the more exotic cuisines can be a challenge to the Western palate. “When it comes to Indian cuisine, for example, I prefer to select recipes that maintain the traditional character and spicing but are not too hot,” admits Garanger. “It is right that we open the guests to new experiences, but we must not push them too far.” The chef visits the local market and creates ” something truly special. Franck Garanger This also applies to regions where the local cuisine is not best suited to the more refined environment of a premiere cruise ship. Sailings to Brazil, for example, see local ingredients brought on board, but prepared in a manner more familiar to US and European guests. This demands a degree of imagination from chefs – another key selling point of taking a regional approach in the eyes of Garanger. “It is a great opportunity for chefs to continue learning,” he enthuses. “Our executive chefs are young and ambitious; they do not want to be stuck cooking the same things day after day. They stay with us not only because we pay them well; they are constantly evolving and are treated like the stars of the show on board.” This is a development that will only gather pace as more fleets begin to address the growing appetite for culinary adventure and provenance and, in turn, demonstrate once again that the cruise ship is far more than a floating resort hotel. � World <strong>Cruise</strong> Industry Review | www.worldcruiseindustryreview.com 71
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