When you think about nonstop access to food, there's probably no one that does it better than the cruising industry. Yes, with its exotic destinations, electrifying entertainment and its dynamite excursions; some of the highest expectations for cruising the ocean blue is the eating experience. That's why the Multi Cultural Cooking Network contacted 
At first glance of the Carnival Pride, it is truly breathtaking. As unsophisticated as it might sound, the initial reaction is simply "Wow!" Whether it's walking up the glassy, spiral steps, to see an impressive statue of David or taking a walk along the promenade where a spiraling slide empties thrill-seekers into a swimming pool; it's one impressive sight after another that lends to the idea that Carnival has been rightly dubbed — the "Fun Ship." Although it may be fun and games for the guests, there are others that are hard at work, and Carnival Pride's Food and Beverage Manager, Goran Kliskic (pictured to the right with MCCN Associate Editor, Monica Johnson and Food History Managing Editor, Catrina Sally), credits great logistics and a good team as the most important part of controlling and maintaining a 24-hour food operation.
The logistics Kliskic refers to include planning in advance, accumulating a history of results, and using those results to plan for the future. However, as important as the logistics may be, Kliskic says having a good team in place is ultimately more important: "Even if you do have good logistics, if you don't have a team who will be performing this operation for 24 hours, it's too difficult to put it in place," Kliskic explains. "So when it comes to the team...it's really important for us as the management on the ship that we have a good team that we motivate consistently and that we keep them happy..." Happiness is a huge factor when it comes to crew members and staff that are away from their families for sometimes as long as six to eight months out of the year.
Standards are high for Carnival Cruise Lines. There are all kinds of checks and balances in place, including quality standards which start from the purchasing and the ordering of the food to the delivery, storage, preparation and service of the food. These standards and procedures have to be followed to maintain the consistency and quality of the products for the guests. There are also public health standards to consider because the ship is an enclosed space where on any given seven-day cruise there are 2,600 guests on-board (on the Pride) as well as an estimated 1,000 crew members. It's a huge job and every crew member and vendor is integral to the compliance and success of the agenda.
Communication is the key to having it your way aboard the Carnival Pride. Guests are implored to communicate their needs, likes or dislikes to the staff, management, or to the maitre d'. In fact, long before the guest sets foot on the ship, during the booking process, they are asked about any food allergies or restrictions. The information is then forwarded, and by the time the guests arrive, the maitre d' and chef (Chef de Cuisine on the Carnival Pride is Dias Wellington) are fully aware of their requests; therefore, the meal is cooked separately in a very kosher way.
Another way Carnival has opened up the lines of communication for their guests is through a program called "Your Choice Dining," which allows more freedom to the cruise-goers to control the "What? When? Where? and How's?" of their dining experience. Kliskic says,"With Your Choice Dining we are giving our guest a free choice of what type of dining they would like to have during the cruise every night." The program includes room service, elegant dining in the steakhouse, which has a huge selection of quality prime beef and prime cuts (rsvp required). Then there is the main dining room (family style), and casual buffet style dining in the Little Deck.
If you are feeling for Asian, Italian, or Caribbean cuisine, this too, can be accommodated, the Little Deck features its multicultural aptitude with "A Taste of the Nations," an international culinary experience, which offers tastes from around the world. Kliskic has a laser-beam focus on what impression he wants first-time visitor to walk away with... and that is: "the experience that the value is great." He explains, "We want to make sure that the value of the money they invested in the vacation, especially when it comes to food, but not only food, is great."
Summarizing the depth of an operation like Carnival Cruise Lines is nearly impossible, but what can be said? It is an organization that runs like clockwork combining trends, guest input, research, hard work and the highest of standards to culminate in a food experience that offers something for everyone.
Article by Monica Johnson
