Choosing a good travel agent for scheduling a cruise can mean the difference between a long airline layover or special treatment. Fortunately for us, we chose Zoe’s Cruises & Tours. On their escorted cruises, a client can expect daily goodies, festivities, and special tours—all free. One of our special tours was “The Galley Tour.”
Now, a tour is offered to all
cruise guests. However, for Zoe’s
clients, we have an extended, private tour.
On ours, we not only learned how much of this and that is prepared each
day but also how the galley crew keeps all of us safe from cross-contamination
and nasty germs. Very interesting.
A Shopping List Unlike Any Other
The only
similarity to a home shopping list to the ship’s is that it is a list of food and
beverages. The finest foods from all
over the world—over 110 tons on a single cruise—makes Princess’s list. At first glance, that seems extravagant,
until considering that the menu changes each day in the dining rooms, Horizon
Court (the buffet) and on the deck.
Food Production
Food
production is massive, segregated, and tightly timed into two main galleys. On the front line, the butchers, fish, and
vegetable prep teamwork to prepare all items for the chefs and cooks. Each crew has its own area of the
galley. All areas are separate.
Fresh
fish is prepared by the butchers in their prep area and sent to chefs to wow
guests with the culinary prowess, while in the meat prep area the same tasks
are accomplished before the skillfully prepared meats are forwarded to a crew
of twelve chefs and line cooks.
Fish Prep:
3
butchers
Fish
prepared: 1700 (On Average)
Meat Prep:
5
butchers, 3 assistants & helpers
Daily
amounts are averaged.
Poultry:
1,400 lbs.
Pork/Pork
Products: 1,400 lbs.
Veal:
300 lbs.
Lambs: 200 lbs.
Space for the Cleanup Crew
With all
the food prep and dishes served, you might expect a large cleanup crew. If so, you’re correct. This large crew of 57 crew members must sort,
prewash and pack into dishwashing machines every single dish used each day,
including pots and pans. In another part
of the galley, the “sculleries,” ten crew members do the hard work of scrubbing
and polishing oversized pots. Whew! They also polish flatware all day and
night.
57 crew members in the dishwashing section
10 crew members in the scullery
Daily washed amounts are averaged.
Dishes: 70,000
Glasses: 21,500
Where the Cool People Go
Princess named
their cold dish preparation zone, Gard Manger (cold kitchen in French) and it
is very cool and extremely busy. All the
cold dishes, like salad, fresh fruit, vegetable displays, and sandwiches are
created here.
11 crew members
Daily amounts are averaged.
Salads: 1,600 lbs.
Shrimp: 400 lbs.
Mayonnaise: 13 gals.
Sandwiches: 1,500 each
Lighter Fair: Soups, Pastas & Veggies
All
ingredients are seasonal and fresh.
13 crew members
Daily cooked/made amounts are averaged.
Pastas: 500 lbs.
Potatoes: 2,700 lbs.
Vegetables: 2,500 lbs.
Soup: 550 gals.
Let Them Eat Cake: Bakery & Pastry Shop
You’d
think that the bakery and pastry would be created and baked in the same place,
but no. There is a specific bakery where
ten bakers proof yeast, use dough mixers, and various other tools to create:
Sweet and Bread Rolls
Croissants
Vol-au-Vents
Bread Sticks
Biscuits
Pizza
Flour: roughly 1,500 lbs.
Almond
paste, which is used to enhance beauty, and delicious works of art, and many
high-quality ingredients are used in the pastry shop. This section also has its own ovens,
refrigerators and ice cream machines.
13 daytime crew members & 4 nighttime crew members
Daily amounts are averaged.
Pastries: 6,000
Ice Cream: 100 gal.
Cakes & Pies: 300
Fruit & Cheese Please?
I love a
yummy cheese plate, especially when paired with a nice wine. This ship’s galley lays out a variety of
cheeses native to areas visited. Fresh
fruit bowls are prepared each day by washing and slicing by six crew
members.
6 crew members
Daily amounts are averaged.
Butter: 400 lbs.
Fruit: 6,000 lbs.
Cheese? Sorry, that number was not available
More by The Polite Traveler
Cruise
Review: Panama Canal; Coral Princess
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