Galley Challenge

Cooking up a storm on Pacific Jewel is no easy exercise. And for the contestants, cooking 4,000 canapes for 2,000 people during Sail Away proved to be one of the toughest challenges yet.

So what's it like to cook in a ship galley for thousands of passengers?

"It's a completely different way of working and if there's bad weather, we put railings around stoves and take precautions. The staff have to be mindful of taking care of each other."
Uwe Stiefel, Corporate Executive Chef, P&O Cruises Australia

Galley Tour

In this video we take you on a tour of a ship galley and explore some of the logistical challenges involved in serving food to thousands every day.

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Life Onboard

Food Facts

· 80 tonnes of food and drink are consumed on each cruise

· The ship’s 93 chefs, cooks and bakers prepare more than 8600 meals a day for passengers and crew

· The meals are served to passengers by 146 waiters and the 13,000 plates, 10,000 glasses and 15,000 pieces of cutlery are cleaned by 29 dishwashers each day

· On an average South Pacific cruise, Pacific Jewel’s culinary masters will use around: 50,000 eggs, 1000kg of bacon, 2800kg of chicken, 1000kg of lettuce, 2500kg of rice, 375kg of coffee, 1500 kg of pineapples and 5000 litres of milk.

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Salt Grill by Luke Mangan

Nautical Glossary

Above-water hull: The hull section of a vessel above waterline, the visible part of a ship. Also, topsides.
Act of Pardon / Act of Grace: A letter from a state or power authorising action by a privateer. Also see Letter of Marque.
Abaft the beam: Further aft than the beam: a relative bearing of greater than 90 degrees from the bow: "two points abaft the port beam".
Beam ends: The sides of a ship. "On her beam ends" may mean the vessel is literally on her side and possibly about to capsize; more often, the phrase means the vessel is listing 45 degrees or more.
Daggerboard: A type of centerboard that is lifted vertically; often used in pairs.
Fender: An air or foam filled bumper used in boating to keep boats from banging into docks or each other.
Hand bomber: A ship using coal-fired boilers shoveled in by hand.
Beating to windward: Making progress against the direction of the wind, by steering alternately close-hauled on the starboard and larboard tacks.
Lee-side: The half of a ship, lengthwise, which lies between a line drawn through the middle of her length and the side, which is farthest from the point of wind.
Fresh away: When your ship increases its velocity.

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