Cruise Ship Chef Jobs
Chef de cuisine onboard a cruise ship is a senior member of the cruise line culinary team and is responsible for all other functional Chefs in the cruise ship kitchen. Chef de cuisine oversees the overall production of all foods in the galley/kitchen.
Working as a Chef on a cruise ship
Cruise ship Chef de Cuisine heads up a brigade composed of Sous Chefs, Chefs de Partie and Demi Chefs de Partie. Chef de cuisine ultimately reports to the executive cruise ship Chef.
The job of the cruise line Chef is to ensure the smooth day-to-day operation of the kitchen he/she is assigned to. Other cruise ship Chef job responsibilities include: staff management, production of managerial reports, menu costing, portion standardization, supervision of food preparation and hygiene standards.
Chef de Cuisine working on a cruise ship are expected to be proficient in all aspects of food preparation and on large vessels, oversee the production from scratch of meals for a population of up to 6000 passengers and crew.
On large cruise ships, a Chef de Cuisine can be assigned to a specific food outlet or can sometimes be responsible for several outlets. These outlets may include specialty restaurants (French, Italian Asian), buffets, dining rooms, Officers Mess, etc.
Cruise Chef job description
Cruise ship Chef is responsible for the production of all foods available to passengers in the various food outlets and buffets found on the ship.
The principal cruise ship Chef job is the management of the day-to-day operation of the galley.
Other cruise Chef job responsibilities include:
- Management of the culinary brigade, duty allocations, time management, evaluation of performance of direct reports, training and coaching of direct reports.
- Ensuring that all foods produced meet the high culinary standards and cost and quality control guidelines established by the corporate office of the cruise line.
- Production of daily and weekly reports as instructed by head office
- Overall monitoring of all stocks for all ingredients required for the production of all food goods
- Ensuring that the culinary team members are in adherence and compliance with all hygiene, safety and environmental regulations and all guidelines established by company and governmental bodies such as USPH.
- Overall responsibility for inventory management, waste management, cleanliness of all working areas, handling and care of all equipment in the Galley.
Cruise ship Chef job requirements
A minimum of 5 years of experience in the position of Chef de Cuisine in high-end establishments. Experience working as a Chef on cruise ships and hotels is preferred.
- Experience in managing a culinary team is required
- A Culinary diploma
- National Culinary certificates
- Experience with high-volume food production whilst maintaining high standards
- HACCP Training
- Good interpersonal, customer service and communication skills
- Fluency in English (written, grammar and spoken language)
Benefits of working as a Chef on a cruise ship
Along with a challenging career and worldwide travel opportunities, cruise lines offer many other benefits. Chefs de Cuisine are offered single cabin accommodation and competitive remuneration packages. Travel to and from the cruise ships to the nearest international airport is paid in addition to a uniform set.
Salary of a Chef on a cruise ship
Cruise ship Chef’s salary varies between cruise line companies. In addition to the monthly salary paid by the cruise lines, all other expenses such as flights to and from the ship, single status accommodation and uniforms are provided by the cruise lines at no cost.
Factors such as previous experience working as a Chef on a cruise ship, number of years of experience and certifications may be taken into consideration when determining the starting salary.
The salary will be discussed during the interview with a member of the recruitment team at Pro Sea Staff.
If you are looking for cruise ship Chef career opportunities, read about all cruise ship culinary jobs and check our list of vacancies on cruise ships available now!