Norwegian Cruise Line Chefs to Battle it Out for New Dish on Newest Ship

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Norwegian Cruise Line has officially announced its newest “EMBARK’ episode, set to feature the ultimate kitchen showdown at sea, “The Great Cruise Cookoff.”

The episode will premiere tomorrow, September 15, 2022, with a culinary competition highlighting three NCL chefs battling for a chance to win a dish featured aboard the new 142,500-gross ton Norwegian Prima.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s “The Great Cruise Cookoff”

Airing this Thursday, Norwegian Cruise Line’s โ€œEMBARK with NCLโ€ series has announced its newest episode, “The Great Cruise Cookoff.”

In this episode, three NCL chefs will battle head-to-head in a culinary competition with an opportunity to have their dish featured aboard Norwegian Prima, NCLโ€™s new Prima-class ship.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Harry Sommer stated, “We have a history of delivering some of the best cuisine at sea. In fact, we are investing heavily in our food and beverage experience so what better way to get the creative juices flowing than a friendly competition amongst our talented chefs.

Sommer continued, “The Great Cruise Cookoff’ invites viewers into the kitchen and gives them a seat at the table to witness the behind-the-scenes action. I can’t wait for our guests to see, smell and savor the winning dish.”

“The Great Cruise Cookoff” will be hosted by Norwegian Prima Cruise Director, Simon Akinwolere and Senior Director of Culinary Development and Operations, Christian Pratsch.

Read Also: Norwegian Cruise Line Confirms Major Beverage Switch

Norwegian Cruise Line Cookoff
Photo Courtesy: Norwegian Cruise Line

During this episode, viewers will be able to experience a real cooking showdown, as the selected NCL chefs compete to create three unique dishes for judging.

The single-proclaimed winner will gain the honor of having their dish shared by thousands of NCL guests worldwide aboard Norwegian Prima, which just entered service in August of this year.

For this cookoff, Corporate Executive Chef Michael Koertgen, Director of Culinary Operations Eric Bilodeau, and Corporate Executive Chef Didier Lailheugue will be given 60 minutes to prepare three dishes with three distinct ingredients. 

After the 60 minutes pass, the competing chefs will present their finished plates to the judges, and the winning chef of the very first Great Cruise Cookoff will be announced.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pledge to High-Level Cuisine

The cruise line continues to offer innovative dining concepts with each addition to its fleet, having a long-time history of delivering the highest level of cuisine at sea.

Norwegian Prima, the line’s newest ship, has 18 dining options on board, including the release of new dining options such as Palomar, a high-end Mediterranean-style restaurant, Nama, a contemporary sushi house, and its first Indulge Food Hall, featuring 11 eateries.

Norwegian Prima Delivery
Photo Courtesy: Norwegian Cruise Line

Significant food and beverage investments have been made by the line to elevate guest dining experiences such as increasing staffing levels to provide beyond exceptional service.

Brand-new main dining room menus have also made their first debut aboard Norwegian Prima and will be rolled out across the rest of the fleet in 2023.

As the first of six new ships in its Prima-class, the 143,535-gross ton Norwegian Prima was built in 2022 with a guest capacity of 3,099 at double occupancy.

The ship will make its initial debut in the US in October 2022 sailing to the Caribbean, featuring many firsts such as the fastest slides on the open ocean, the first three-level race track at sea, and the first charcoal sauna at sea.

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Kendall James-Vargas
Kendall James-Vargas
With over 12 years of cruising experience, Kendall James-Vargas began her cruise writing journey with Cruise Hive in June 2022. She has enjoyed traveling abroad on several cruise lines, including Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Costa, and MSC Cruises. Her continued passion for the industry has her sailing the industryโ€™s newest ships, enjoying all the industry has to offer. Kendall loves sharing her cruise passion with others and giving her personal insight within her Cruise Hive articles.

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