From the inception of Oceania in 2003, food and catering have been at the top of the agenda. Garanger insists: “The message from Frank is very clear. He wants the best food on all of these ves- sels.”
Del Rio pursued his idea from the outset: haute cuisine on the high seas. The money would go on the plate, not so much on entertainment or side- shows. Wining and dining is the primary occupa- tion on board any luxury ship and this is where both client and company focus the greatest attention.
M
ost cruise lines claim to have the finest cuisine at sea and the biggest culinary spend per passenger. “But we are a step
ahead,” says Garanger. Indeed, Oceania is the sole cruise line to have been inducted into the Maitre Cuisiniers de France. On board Marina, launched in January, the cook-to-passenger ratio is one to ten, the highest in the cruise business. The greater density of kitchen staff means each dish can be finished and refined as it is ordered. The result is fresher, the look more immediate. At La Toscana, you can order giant hand-made tortellini laced in sage butter. Next door at Red Ginger, you can try the Miso-glazed Sea Bass. Or drop into Jacques Parisian bistro for a traditional Dover Sole Grenobloise. All will have received the same attention. The ship actually features seven open-seating
restaurants, all without a surcharge: the Grand Dining Room, La Toscana, Red Ginger, Polo Grill, Waves, Terrace Grill and Jacques, the line’s bistro homage to Jacques Pepin, Oceania’s Executive Culinary Director. Two additional, specialised boutique dining rooms present something unique among cruise operators. Privée, orientated around a white, custom-made oval table perched on Deck 14, is for a maximum of eight guests and can be reserved for $1,000 per evening. The seven-course degustation menu is devised by the Executive Chef in tandem with the ship’s sommelier.
62 WORLD OF CRUISING I Autumn 2011
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100