Staggering Facts Behind Cruise Ship Cuisine

Every year 20 million people choose to take a cruise for their vacation. Many people are drawn to cruise ships for their luxurious amenities and endless food. We hopped aboard Cunard's Queen Mary 2, one of the largest cruise ships in the world, to meet up with executive chef Nicholas Oldroyd to learn how he feeds so many people and still maintains the high standards that people expect.


Some Surprising Stats

The cruise ship kitchens feed 2,600 guests and 1,200 crew every day.

The kitchen staff represents 55 different nationalities.

During a 7 day voyage, the ship goes through:

  • 13 tons of meat

  • 13 - 14 tons of fish

  • 45,000 eggs

  • 85,000 pieces of china

  • 5,000+ bottles of wine

  • 7,000+ bottles of beer

In one hour the kitchen staff serves 1,200 meals and does this twice per night.

The kitchen staff serves 16,000 meals per day.

Beef Wellington
Beef Wellington

Fun Facts

The most ordered dinner is Beef Wellington.

The most ordered dessert is Baked Alaska.

The ship has two full-time "culinary artists" that make all of the ice sculptures and fruit carvings.

A full stomach lessens your odds of getting seasick.

Crystalized ginger can help cure seasickness.

All of the food that needs to be disposed of is compressed into a "smoothie" and dumped into the sea behind the boat. This can be done when they are 12 miles or more from the nearest port.


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