How The World's Largest Cruise Ship Makes 30,000 Meals Every Day

Summary

The world's largest cruise ship, accommodating over 6,600 vacationers weekly, operates 24/7 kitchens manned by a 1,000-strong culinary team. They prepare over 30,000 meals daily, sourced from a $1 million weekly shopping budget. The ship's 'secret highway', I-95, facilitates the movement of over 600,000 pounds of food and drinks for a week's sailing. The diverse menus cater to international passengers, with 36 kitchens, including 12 specialty restaurants, ensuring a seamless dining experience despite the ship's constant motion.

Takeaways

• 🚢 Over 6,600 people vacation on the world's largest cruise ship weekly, requiring a massive food supply.
• 🍽 The ship's culinary team serves over 30,000 meals daily from compact kitchens on a moving vessel.
• 💼 Allan Gentile, a key team member, manages the complex task of feeding thousands with a 24/7 operation.
• 🛒 Jaret de Silva, in charge of food ordering, has a $1 million weekly budget for seven days of food supply.
• 📈 Orders are adjusted based on passenger demographics, such as the number of children on board.
• 🚚 On turnaround day, 30 trucks with 500 pallets of inventory must be loaded onto the ship by 4 p.m.
• 🍲 Over 600,000 pounds of food and drinks are provisioned for a single week of sailing.
• 🍏 The ship has 20 different storerooms, including freezers, fridges, walk-in fridges, and dry stores for organized storage.
• 👨‍🍳 German Eladio Rijo oversees the kitchen operations with a team of 280 chefs working 10- to 12-hour days.
• 🌐 The food is diverse, with nearly 100 different menus developed to cater to the international passengers' tastes.
• 🍽️ The main dining room, part of the 36 galleys on the ship, serves up to 6,000 people each night with a variety of dishes.

Q & A

How many people typically vacation on the world's largest cruise ship each week?

Over 6,600 people vacation on the world's largest cruise ship each week.

How many meals are prepared daily by the culinary team on the cruise ship?

The culinary team prepares over 30,000 meals every single day.

What is the size of the shopping budget for food for the ship's 23 different restaurants each week?

Jaret, who orders food for the ship, has a $1 million shopping budget each week for seven days of food.

How does the food inventory get loaded onto the ship?

On turnaround day, 30 trucks arrive at Miami Port carrying 500 pallets worth of inventory, which must be loaded onto the ship by 4 p.m.

What is the total weight of food and drinks provisioned for one week of sailing?

Over 600,000 pounds of food and drinks are provisioned for just one week of sailing.

How are the different types of food stored on the ship?

Seafood, meat, vegetables, and fruit are stored in separate fridges, while dry goods are stored on deck one, and there are six freezers for items like ice cream.

What is the role of German Eladio Rijo on the ship?

German Eladio Rijo is responsible for all the food on board the ship, including dishes like potato fries, rice, pâté, pastry, salad, shrimp, and more.

How many hours do chefs typically work each day, and what is the typical contract length?

Each chef works 10- to 12-hour days, and contracts typically last four months without a single day off.

How many different menus do the chefs cook up each week?

Chefs on board cook up nearly 100 different menus every week.

How many pounds of lobster tails does the ship go through each week?

The ship goes through about 2,100 pounds of lobster tails every week.

What is the total number of people involved in the food service operation on the ship?

It takes a team of 1,085 people, including chefs, inventory crew, waiters, and dishwashers, to keep the food service operation going.