areas are always improved to ensure that the quality of life is as high as possible. The reputation of cruise ships is often unfair. There are always very specific rules in place regarding how many hours crew members work, how much free time they receive and what their duties entail. Every effort is made to ensure high-quality working conditions for staff on cruise ships because, in such a closed environment, good morale is especially important.
Derek McKnight is the Executive Head Chef of ‘The Allure of the Seas’, the world’s largest ocean liner. He is responsible for the 17 restaurants and 24 kitchens on board. With a staff of 350, his team feeds the 8,500 guests 24 hours a day.
“We all talk about what is needed on the ship, and we listen to each other. I look after my staff and they look after me,” Derek says.
Derek started his life on the open seas on the QE2, sailing out of Tokyo. He then worked on Cunard’s flagship until 1996. In 2003, he moved back to Ireland and opened his own bar and restaurant in West Cork but the call of the seas proved too much for him. In 2008 he returned to the seas and joined Royal Caribbean.
Derek works demanding hours: four months on and two off but has noticed that, with the rise of modern technology, keeping in touch with his family is much easier. “With Skype and Facebook, we keep in touch every day and, last Christmas, the entire family came out to the ship for two weeks,” he says.
