Day In The Life of Crew During Cancelled Cruises

A lot happened in a week in the cruise industry.  The week started with a meeting between CLIA members and VP Pence to discuss industry response to COVID-19 outbreak.  The next day, the State Department recommended that people don't take a cruise.   The week ended with a National Emergency being declared by the President,  and cruise lines voluntarily ceasing operations for a month.

Cruises that were in progress would continue for the most part, but the remainder would be cancelled.  That meant ships would have to find a place to anchor or wander about the oceans for the next 30 days without passengers.

Chris Wong is an Assistant Casino Host on Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas.  He publishes a VLOG on YouTube on a regular basis.   Here's a look at his day now that the industry has taken a pause.

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Love That New Ship Smell

Remember when you bought your first brand-new car?  You opened the door and were greeted by that amazing new car smell.   How would you like to experience that same sense of smell on a brand-new cruise ship?

What's It Like Sailing on a Brand-New Ship

We can't share that new-ship smell with you here, but we can share some of the sights and sounds from onboard Carnival Cruise Line's newest ship, Carnival Vista.  Watch this video to experience this brand-new ship, which is currently in Europe, but soon will be sailing to the Caribbean out of the port of Miami.   We will be onboard in December for it's first Caribbean sailing during our National Conference.


     

When sailing on a brand-new ship, you are among the first to experience the latest innovations.  As you've seen in this video, Carnival takes things to new heights - literally in their latest fleet addition.  

If you've ever thought you'd be bored on a ship, guess again.  When we started cruising over 30 years ago, we would never had imagined the types of activities that are now commonplace on most cruise lines.   What do you like to do on vacation?  Odds are you can find it onboard a brand-new ship.

 

National Plan a Cruise Month Continues

 

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#CruiseSmile #Sweepstakes – A Cruise-A-Day Giveaway (click here)

National Plan A Cruise Month Promotions 

Cruise lines are offering special promotions and pricing on popular cruises to encourage consumers to plan their next cruise vacation now.

We'll be featuring promotions on our website and social media.  Click here to see current offers. 

Avalon Artistry II Galley Tour

Chef Takes Us

Behind the Scenes

What does it take to feed the passengers and crew of Avalon Artistry II?

A small galley crew prepares fresh meals from regional menus each day of the cruise.  Each dinner menu consists of appetizers & starters, a main entree, and desserts.  Breakfast and lunches have several choices which are served buffet style.  It is also possible to order from a daily menu of optional choices.

We got the opportunity to go behinds the scenes for a closeup look at the galley.  It's much smaller than galleys on ocean ships, as you might expect.   What it lacks in size is made up by talented chefs and assistants with the desire to make every meal special for their guests.  Click on the image below for a closer look at the galley.
 

Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page:

Avalon Artistry II Galley

 

Artistry II - Chef's Dinner

Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

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Not To Be Missed Culinary Extravaganza At Sea

Culinary Extravaganza

Caribbean Princess

As you sit down to dinner in the main dining room you wonder...

"My delicious meals arrive in front of me, but how do they get there?"

Come with us for a "taste" of two of the culinary extravaganzas that await you on your Princess cruise.


Culinary Demonstration and Galley Tour

Giuseppe Pollara, Executive Chef, and Angelo Balbiani, Maitre D' Hotel (MDH), on Caribbean Princess during a recent voyage presented an exciting cooking demonstration in the Princess Theater, followed by the Tour of the "Caribbean" Galley.   We joined the demonstration and tour as part of my ongoing Princess Commodore training, where I strive to keep up to date with behind the scenes information for my guests.   Fortunately, this event is open to the public, so you too could go behind the scenes.

Click on any image in this article to see it in Larger Size

Dave, our Cruise Director, and Angelo, our MDH, set the stage for what we were about to see in the theater and afterwards in the galley.   We were able to watch on the big screen as the Chef and his assistants prepared a couple dishes from the Princess cookbook which we would be able to purchase following the tour.

Entering the galley, following the cooking demonstration, the first thing that strikes me is how spotless all the counters and equipment are.   Having worked in a kitchen or two in the past, I really appreciate the effort that went into keeping the galley in such condition.

There are several "stations" throughout the galley, each of which is dedicated to a particular task and type of food.   We passed by meat, fish, vegetable, and many other preparation and storage areas.

Courses A Culinary Journey

Following the galley tour we had the opportunity to speak with Executive Chef  Giuseppe Pollara and Maitre D' Hotel Angelo.

The answer to your question:

234 Galley Personnel under the supervision of the Executive Chef prepares all your delicious dishes!

274 Dining Personnel under the supervision of the MDH serves all your delicious dishes!

Armed with our autographed copy of the Princess cookbook, the goal was to keep the cruise lasting beyond disembarkation.