Last week I wrote about some of the great dining we enjoyed on board the ms Noordam during our May cruise in the Mediterranean. On our first at sea day, we jumped at the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes tour of one of the galleys which prepares 90 percent of the food for the nearly 2,000 passengers and over 800 crew members on the ship. Our tour took place mid-morning, after the breakfast rush and before lunch service, so we could only imagine the bustle that must exist during meal service times, but it was a fascinating look at the organization and scale of such an operation.

We were given a handout which provided some basic numbers and a general description of each area we walked through. (Oh, and they were kind enough to serve us a few treats along the way: a little lox, a little caviar . . . you know, the kind of thing you throw together when friends drop by unexpectedly.) The main Dining Room and specialty restaurant, the Pinnacle Grill, alone require 173 service personal (table stewards, wine stewards, runners and managers), while the galley, under the executive chef, boasts a staff of 134, including butchers, bakers and numerous chefs and cooks. Apart from them, 28 crew each work 10-hour shifts washing (on just one of three levels) 3,000 dinner plates; 7,000 dessert plates; 2,000 side plates and 5,000 glasses (plus all the silverware and serving pieces).

Everything in the gleaming, stainless steel spaces was spotless, and we passed from the Garde Manger — the Cold Kitchen — to the Hot Kitchen, where each of eight service counters is staffed by a chef de partie who is responsible for specific hot dishes, prepared in small batches to preserve the perfect taste, temperature and texture of the servings. Beyond that area we passed two large elevators which connect the galley to lower decks on which storerooms, the butcher shop (11,830 pounds of meat products consumed in a week), vegetable (137,500 pounds consumed in a week) and fish prep areas, and the bakery are located. (Over 20 different kinds of bread are baked daily, including 4,000 dinner rolls; 800 croissants; 120 loaves of bread and 100 loaves of French bread.)

After passing a crew member creating an ice sculpture, we moved on to the pastry shop, where all of the cakes, cookies, pies and special desserts are created. We watched as a pastry chef worked with fondant to create a display for the upcoming Dessert Extravangza, held one evening during every cruise. We also passed a display of the delightful fruit and vegetable “sculptures” which adorn many of the buffet tables in the Lido restaurant (why couldn’t I do that at home?), and drooled over the platter of prime meat cuts set out to remind us of the fantastic offerings available from the Pinnacle Grill’s 1,600-degree grill.

It was an enlightening and entertaining peek behind the curtain at the wizardry which is performed daily for our dining pleasure on the ship, and it made me even more appreciative of the great food we enjoyed there.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor