What is it like to Work as a Chef on a Cruise Ship?

What is it like to Work as a Chef on a Cruise Ship?

Professional chefs enjoy a wide range of choices when it comes to work sites. These can include restaurants, institutional kitchens, private households, casinos, and hotels. If you're thinking of parlaying your love of cooking into a life as a chef, you might choose one of these settings. If you're dreaming of a somewhat more adventurous life, you might think of working on a cruise ship.

Why Work on a Cruise Ship?

Do you love to travel? Do you enjoy visiting different countries and meeting people from all over the world? Chances are, a life as a cruise ship chef can provide those opportunities. But most important, a cruise ship chef may have an opportunity to develop professional skills in a rigorous environment that will serve them well in any culinary setting.

Cruise ships typically feature several restaurants, with staff preparing many different types of food during a cruise. Yes, there are breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but also a wide variety of culinary offerings for special parties, buffets, poolside snacks, and other occasions.

Being a cruise ship chef can be demanding. Cruise ships aim for a high standard of culinary preparation, as food is one of the main focuses for the hundreds of guests on board for each cruise. Days can be long, with vast arrays and quantities of dishes to prepare. It's not unusual for a cruise ship to call on its staff to work every day during a three-month contract.

However, most cruise ships do provide ample opportunities for rest and recreation at the end of a shift, and then ship's employees look forward to lengthy time off – typically six weeks to two months – after completing their contract employment.

Job Opportunities on a Cruise Ship

Some of the typical job opportunities on a cruise ship might include the following:

  • Executive Chef: Oversees culinary operations and team, as well as presentations and preparation
  • Baker: Responsible for baking multiple daily bread presentations
  • Cook: All-purpose culinary work
  • Pastry chef: Preparation of a wide variety of pastries
  • Sushi chef: Preparation of sushi or other Asian-inspired cuisine
  • Party chef: Preparation of food for parties and special events
  • Pantry cook: In charge of food forecast and requisitions, budgeting, supervising staff, setting up cold displays at buffet stations
  • Sous chef: Second in command to the executive chef
  • Culinary administrator: Supervising staff, coordinating with the executive chef and other managers, overseeing budget, presentation, quality of food, and sanitation

Living on the High Seas

One of the perks that come with working on a cruise ship are living accommodations. However, as you might guess, accommodations on board a cruise ship are limited for staff, so expect to share space or live in tight quarters. Generally, as staff rise in rank and enter management, living accommodations become more generous.

Staff may also expect to partake in crew mess (cafeterias) for eating, laundry facilities, crew stores, and a pay system so you can manage your finances while at sea. In addition, most cruise ships are likely to provide crew with recreational facilities such as video games, a lounge area, WiFi, a crew bar, and a crew gym.

One great benefit of working on a ship is the opportunity to save money. Many cruise ship staffers report that while taking advantage of the free accommodations and food service, they are focused on their work, and don't spend much of their salary while fulfilling the terms of their contracts.

How to Become a Cruise Ship Chef

If working as a cruise ship chef appeals to you, the next step will be getting the experience and education you need.

Often, chefs get their start by enrolling in a culinary arts program at a college. Depending on the direction you want to focus on, you will learn basic culinary skills, as well as more specialized skills. Some of the coursework is likely to include the following: kitchen organization, cooking methods and principles, baking, pastry fundamentals, preparation of meat, seafood and poultry, nutrition and healthy cooking. Advanced studies will provide instruction on culinary artistry, baking and pastry arts, recipe and menu development, international culinary preparation, and plating and preparation techniques.

If you intend to become a manager, you will need to study kitchen sanitation and safety, purchasing and storeroom management, food service supervision, dining room and service management and supervision for food service.

All Aboard!

Are you ready to sail the high seas, cooking up a storm for waves of hungry cruise ship guests? With accelerated learning and a year-round schedule, you could graduate with a diploma in as little as 15 months. Contact an admissions counselor to see if an Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts degree at ECPI University is right for you. It could be The Best Decision You Ever Make!

Learn more about ECPI's College of Culinary Arts TODAY!

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