Six Things I Learned from Carnival Conquest Head Chef | #CruisingCarnival

One of my favorite things about cruising is getting to go behind the scenes and learning about how the crew works towards providing a memorable experience for guests on the ship. On the Carnival Magic, I shared about our private menu tasting with the head chef, which was amazing. So when the head hostess offered me the opportunity to visit the galley on the Conquest I jumped at the opportunity.

Before heading into the galley we sign some paperwork and washed our hands at the staff sink. We headed back into the kitchen and was greeted with a spread of dishes that were appearing on the dinner menu for the final night of the cruise.

The Spicy Alligator Fritters were a ‘rare find’ on the menu and one of the top favorites of our group. They were a perfect fit for our fun day at sea, but on days when we are in port, there is a special section of the menu ‘Port of Call’ with dishes that compliment that island’s culture and food scene.

We had a spread of various dishes from the second elegant night dinner menu. It was only a small offering of the entire menu but everything we tasted was a hit. My sister raved over the Caprese Salad. It was delicious. She ate almost the whole dish on her own. And it’s where from this dish where I’ll share the things I learned from the Head Chef.

• Carnival is always looking for ways to improve and bring unique experiences to its guests. Our Caprese Salad that night was prepared using a futuristic cooking method of creating a gel capsule of balsamic vinegar to decorate the salad. When you bit on them there was an explosion of flavor to go along with your bite of salad.
• There is a rotating crew working the kitchen 24/7 to ensure that guests onboard the ship are provided the highest quality dining experience at all times. Each day the chef is responsible for feeding over 2,600 guests and the entire staff and crew aboard the ship.
• To ensure guests dining in the Monet and Renoir Restaurants are provided with the best dining experience, meals are finished when ordered in the dining room. The crew prep items menu items daily but the final meal is finished and served fresh and hot as possible.

Our cruise on the Carnival Conquest was our second cruise and I was surprised that the food we had on this cruise was almost completely different from our meals on board the Carnival Magic. The only things that were the same on both ships were the bread basket options, the signature Carnival Melting Chocolate Cake on the desert menu, the fruit and cheese plate, and a few of the cold soups on the appetizer menu. The Captain’s Dinner menu seemed to be almost the same as our previous cruise, but all of us only wanted lobster so it really didn’t matter. That’s brings me to the other half of my list from the chef.

• The menu in the main dining room on the Conquest is set for two years, however if you’re dining on the Lido Deck it changes every nine months. So if you love cruising as much as we do or even more, try different ships to get a taste of all the variety Carnival has to offer.
• Each night there is a vegetarian option on the menu for guests. According to the chef it’s where you will find most of the Indian inspired cuisine on the menu since the ships are replacing the Tandoori Grill with The Seafood Shack.
• Carnival’s chefs are specially-trained to prepare food options for a variety of diets — vegetarian, gluten-free, kosher, Indian vegetarian, or food low in carbs, fat, sugar or cholesterol — so you don’t have to let your dietary restrictions restrict you when cruising. Guests can request gluten-free items straight from the menu at Guy’s Burger, The Deli on the Lido Deck, BlueIguana Cantina, and Pizza Pirate. Sugar Free deserts are on the menu every night, and guests needing to make specific requests should notify their dining room staff at least 24 hours in advance.

So when you’re ready to book your next cruise, you can rest assured that the dining crew are doing everything to make sure you enjoy your trip. If you require any assistance be sure to ask staff on the ship, all the hostesses, wait staff, and maitre d’ are ready to assist.