March 2004

Ship Shape Chefs

Cruise ships offer fabulous food, famous chefsÑand a chance to learn what they know

by Julie Mautner

Two years ago, a 12-year-old stowed away on a luxurious ship in the Caribbean. He slept in a lifeboat, showered in the gym and, for nine days, indulged in all the goodies available to him until his escapade was revealed and he was quietly sent home to the islands. And how was he caught? Not by surveillance cameras or other high-tech security measures but rather because the cabin number he randomly named, when asked, just happened to be unoccupied. The staff was following up because the boy had complained about the way his cheeseburger was cooked.

When it comes to food, everyone is a critic. Nowhere is this truer than on a cruise ship, where the audience is captive and meals are a major recreational and social activity. Even nonpaying passengers, it seems, feel entitled to grouse when they don’t like what’s on the plate.

Years ago, the best thing that could be said for most cruise ship food was that “it was bad but you got a lot of it.”

Things have changed.

For the rest of this story, you can order the March 2004 issue of Hampton Roads Magazine.