Cruising On By: Cruises And Culinary Go Hand In Hand

"When people think of cruises, they tend to think of buffet lines," John Suley, the Culinary Director for Celebrity Cruises.

To change that image, Suley and the creative team of Celebrity Cruises is expanding their reach and began with with the 50 Yard Lounge, a Super Bowl charged extravaganza that is bringing more than just a game to foot ball fans. Over the weekend, the menu includes:

• Beer and Cheddar cheese soup with smoked bacon, jalapeño, and pumpernickle crouton
• Smoked sausage chili wtih caramelized onion and aged Cheddar panini
• Spicy shrimp roll with miso, sambal, and masago
• Kobe beef hot dog with a poppy seed bun, togarashi, kewpie mayonnaise, and nori flakes

"We went for a theme with game-day comfort food," confirms Suley. It isn't a concept that Celebrity Cruises is foreign too, as they try to create that experience aboard as well. They work with a number of local ports and docks dealers to have fresh, flavorful food available to the masses.

"If we are on smooth sailing water, with the ambiance and the beauty of our dining experience, you'd have no idea that you were aboard a cruise ship."

Suley helped perfect the process by making consistency key in a very unstable environment, as supplies can be tricky to come by if ports are closed due to ill weather conditions.

"Sometimes ports are closed and things happen. But we have it down to such a science that anyone aboard our chip can meld and mesh with each other to make it happen." 

No matter what cruise spot your bound for, one thing is for certain: you are in for the experience of a lifetime.