Cruise Weekly editor Louise Goldsbury is treated to a private tour of Allure of the Seas’ bridge, with Captain Johnny, and the galley, with executive chef Lorenzo Dearie.
At 225,282 gross registered tonnes and spanning 16 decks with 2,700 staterooms and seven “neighbourhoods”, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class ships are extraordinary maritime masterpieces. Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas were the first to introduce zip lines, carousels, elevating bars, high-diving performance venues, and a park with more than 12,000 trees and plants. Add in 14 pools and hot tubs, ice-skating rinks, surf simulators and an interior boulevard of designer shops, bars and 25 dining venues, and you wonder how this floating city stays afloat.
I also wonder how they feed up to 8,460 passengers and crew! To find out, I stepped backstage with executive chef Lorenzo Dearie, from New Zealand, who splits his time between Oasis and Allure. He previously worked on Voyager, Explorer and Mariner of the Seas.
“Working on the two biggest ships in the world is completely different,” Lorenzo said. “There are so many people in management that I’ve got more time to be hands-on, and less time stuck in an office doing paperwork. It’s a lot of fun.”
Allure of the Seas has 350 kitchen staff (including 250 cooks and 22 managers, with the rest employed as dishwashers and cleaners). Working across 28 galleys (kitchens), they produce a mind-blowing 45,000 meals a day.
Adagio, the main dining venue, sprawls over three storeys, with 1,000 diners on each level. Passengers tend to eat an average four courses for dinner, served over 1.5 hours.
Kevin Cole, from Jamaica, oversees 25 chefs in the pastry and bakery sections. They make everything from scratch, from the bread and croissants to the cakes and cookies, spending US$45,000 per week on ingredients. How’s that for a grocery bill!
The ship takes on a full loading of fresh produce every seven days.
“Our fridges are as big as football fields,” said Lorenzo. “We have millions and millions of dollars worth of food down there.”
This huge stack of cooking wine will be used up in four days.
Next, I headed up to the bridge, where the captain and his officers “drive” the ship. Captain Johnny is somewhat of a celebrity on Allure and is often seen mingling with guests in the Royal Promenade. On the last day of the voyage, I spotted him at the pop-up spa getting his teeth whitened in front of passing passengers. He keeps onboard two Harleys and an electric scooter, which he uses to explore ports when he has a spare hour off the ship.
Captain Johnny asked if I’d like to sit in the driving seat of the world’s biggest cruise ship. I think I leapt into position before he finished his sentence.
“Australia is the one of the places I have never sailed but would love to,” Captain Johnny said. So, will Allure ever cruise down under?
“I have to be careful not to say never, because the way the industry is going, who knows? We didn’t anticipate a Voyager-class would ever go to Australia, but soon you’ll have two of them,” he said.
“Allure of the Seas is a sunny ship – there is so much space on outdoor decks and so many things to do outside, so we wouldn’t send her somewhere like Alaska, because without year-round sunshine, it would be weird.”
Allure of the Seas will sail an inaugural summer season in Europe next year, following its regular series of seven-night Caribbean cruises out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. For bookings, contact a travel agent or see www.royalcaribbean.com.au.
