Catering on the High Seas...
Believe it or not , I am actually taking a pseudo-vacation on the Norwegian Sky as a member of Vistage International. What is Vistage? Vistage is a executive leadership organization comprised of more than 14,500 members. Basically, the network allows non-competitive presidents, CEOs and top-level executives to share ideas and strategies.
Sounds pretty fancy, right? Ha! Its should be a great time and I am looking forward to a little networking and a little R & R. Okay, well more like a lot of networking and a little R & R.
As I was boarding the 853-foot ship this afternoon I naturally got to thinking about the monumental task of feeding the 2,000+ passengers that crowded around me. Having catered events as large as 3,000, I understand that it is no easy fete. But the task of serving 2,000 guests and 750 crew members for a constant seven days got my head spinning (pre Bahama Mama) with curiosity.
Port Everglades, Pre-Embarkement
Check out these staggering facts and figures about catering at sea...
- It takes 60 men to load in about 35 tons of supplies (325 to 400 pallets) the day of embarkment
- 36,000 eggs
- 2,400 lbs of prime rib
- 2,500 steaks
- 1,000 lbs of lobster tail
- 4,900 hamburgers
- 5,000 lbs of chicken
- 2,500 hotdogs
- 900 lbs of salmon
- 1,000 melons
- 1,000 pineapples
- 36,000 slices of bacon
- 900 gallons of milk
- 1,480 bottles of champagne
- 30,000 cans/bottles of beer
- 3,500 bottles of wine
- 24,500 cans of soda
- 1,300 lbs of coffee
- (Quantities are approximations and based on a 2,000 passenger 7-day cruise)
- The ship has 10 bars and 10 restaurants, each with its own cold and dry storage.
- Approximately one week in advance the crew gets a passenger manifest. Food orders are based upon passenger demographics and origin.
- Every cruise is stocked with at least 4 days of backup food supply in case of emergencies.
- The average industrial dishwasher onboard is over 50 feet long.
Bon Voyage! Check back at the end of the week for a recap of my travels!
Comments