Royal Caribbean announces new restaurant for Allure of the Seas
In:There will be a new specialty restaurant on the soon-to-be-completed Allure of the Seas, Samba Grill, a Brazilian-style Churrascaria restaurant.
The new restaurant will be a little different depending on the time of day. During the evening, Samba Grill will be adults only while during the day it will revert to being the Solarium Bistro, where it will serve light breakfasts and lunches.
Samba Grill will be a notable difference between what you will find on Allure of the Seas' sister ship, Oasis of the Seas, where the Solarium Bistro serves healthier choices for all three meals during the day and dinner in the evening for a supplementary charge of $20.
While eating at Samba Grill, guests will be served by waiters dressed as gauchos, who will offer grilled meat off skewers while live music is playing.
The new restaurant will have a charge of $25 per person, as well as a vegetarian alternative, featuring a wide-ranging salad bar, for $15 per person.
What's next for Turku shipyard?
In:STX Finland's Torku shipyards are home to the soon to be completed Allure of the Seas. Allure is floated, painted and almost ready to leave for her international press gala and start her service in Royal Caribbean's fleet, but once Allure of the Seas leaves, there's a lot of doubt in the Torku shipyards about what's next.
There isn't any news of any other ships on order and that's been the case now for a few years. The main competitor to the shipyards are in Germany, Italy and France and all of them have received orders over the last few years. Turku shipyard is the only one who has no job pending.
One issue for Torku is that cruise lines tend to build cruise ships where previous ships were built, such as Carnival Cruises, who ordered a new ship to be built at the Italian Fincantieri shipyard because the ship of the previous series of ships was ordered from there.
There's no question that Turku shipyard's future depends largely on Royal Caribbean, the shipowner whose ships have been built in the shipyard for 40 years.
So what are Royal Caribbean's future ship building plans beyond Allure of the Seas? The company has not yet committed to anything since the beginning of the financial crisis ended. It is, however, considering new ships, since the company's main competitor Carinval Cruise Line is looking to take a bigger lead in the cruise market.
Royal Caribbean CEO Adam Goldstein hasn't said much about what the future will hold, opting to focus on what's still in front of him, "We are going to grow as a company and brand, but today we focus on fully Allure of the Seas ship."
Royal Caribbean CEO updates construction progress of Allure of the Seas
In:Royal Caribbean Chairman and CEO Richard Fain posted an update on the construction progress of Allure of the Seas, sister ship to Oasis of the Seas. Allure is scheduled for delivery on October 28th and it sounds like Royal Caribbean is still on progress to meet that date. After a visit to the shipyards in Finland, Fain seemed optimistic about the soon to be released vessel.
She is scheduled for delivery on October 28th and the state of her construction was remarkable. I don’t think that I have ever seen a ship at this stage of construction so ready. Despite regular status reports and photographs from the newbuilding team, I was astounded by how far along she was.
Of real interest was something Fain mentioned about "remarks". Simply put, remarks are little issues that Royal Caribbean needs to address that are caught by the inspection team and can vary in scope from a minor scratch to something major like a broken critical systenm. Fain mentioned when Oasis of the Seas left the shipyards, she had 6,000 remarks to resolve but surprisingly, Fain and his team think there may be zero remarks to worry about.
That would be virtually unthinkable for a normal ship, but for ALLURE it is an amazing target. The beauty of such a target is not that the remarks are an issue (virtually all the remarks would never be noticed by our guests) but that it frees both teams from having to deal with them and allows them to focus on more important things like making the perfect Mojito.
Video of the Day: Alex the Lion from film Madagascar gives you a sneak peek of the Allure of the Seas Fitness Center
In:Royal Caribbean to include the Britto Store on Allure of the Seas
In:Royal Caribbean announced today details of another new venue that will call Allure of the Seas home – the very first Britto Concept store at sea by pop culture icon, Romero Britto.
The new Britto Store onboard Allure of the Seas will be located in Central Park and will be "an engaging and interactive space for guests to enjoy the color, innovation and spirit which encapsulates Britto's art". In the store, you will find display artwork as well as smaller collectible pieces and sculptures of varying sizes. Outside the store and just in front of the entrance, Britto's well-known butterflies will be placed around the gardens of Central Park to welcome guests into the store.
In addition, Britto will be creating two original pieces that will be exclusive to Royal Caribbean for guests to purchase. The first is a custom painting which will be available as canvas Giclees, and the second will be a Royal Caribbean-inspired teddy bear. Romero Britto himself will attend Allure of the Seas' inaugural sailing on December 5, 2010, providing Britto fans a unique opportunity to interact with the artist in painting parties, autograph sessions and meet and greet events
Britto and Royal Caribbean have a history of working together, having started back in 2003 on Mariner of the Seas when the artist designed the pool deck for the then-brand new ship.
Within the store, which will be outfitted in black and white as a contrast to Britto's exceptionally colorful artwork, guests will have the opportunity to learn about the artist himself from a documentary of Britto's accomplishments as well as participate in wine and champagne events, art discussions, and other activities related to Romero Britto. A wide array of artwork, posters, giftware, collectibles and luggage will be available for purchase, ranging from original and limited edition Giclees, to tableware such as teapots and coasters; collectible figurines and sculptures; stationery; umbrellas; children's books; pet toys and much more. A modern day pop culture icon, Romero Britto creates contemporary masterpieces that evoke a spirit of hope and convey a sense of warmth. Embraced by the international community, Britto's paintings and sculptures are currently featured on five continents in more than 100 galleries worldwide. His original artwork, dubbed "the art of healing," brings together bright colors and playful themes with compositional elements of Cubism. Britto's artwork conveys an honesty that reflects his desire to use colors which exude happiness. His belief that "art should be accessible to all, and enjoyed by people of all ages" is a key reason his artwork appeals to art lovers ages eight to eighty.
Interview with Maureen Brandt, new chef at 150 Central Park on Allure of the Seas
In:Today we have the exclusive opportunity to interview Maureen Brandt, who just won the Allure of the Seas Culinary Challenge, and is the new Chef de Cuisine for 150 Central Park onboard the soon to launch Allure of the Seas. Maureen was generous enough to give us some of her time and offer us a look into how she managed to win this highly touted contest.
Provencal Lamb Loin, Dijon Potato Puree, Ratatouille, Pattypan Squash, and Olive Tapenade
I worked as a teaching assistant at the Culinary Institute of America so being back was so much fun. I got to see so many of the chefs and administrators that I spent a lot of time with and they all had pearls of wisdom for me. I'm not going to lie though, it was very stressful! The waiting was the hardest. When I was in the kitchen prepping the first day, and cooking the second I was fine. I was focused and ready. I had mise en place lists for myself and my assistants, as well as the photos of the actual dish. I had already labeled containers and was as organized as possible. Which was a good thing because I used every second they gave me! I can't thank my assistants enough, particularly Viraj Borkar. I knew we were going to be okay when he told me about his personal kitchen experience and when he walked around the corner before we started and he had his headphones on listening to music to get focused just like me!
- Favorite food cuisine (Mexican, Italian, chinese, etc)
I'm not sure I have one. I call myself a human garbage can because I'll eat anything. But I really do like bold flavors so I'm a fan of Mexican, Indian, and Thai. - Favorite drink to have on a cruise (either one you've had or one you think would be great on a cruise)
Corona's in the sunshine, wine pairings at dinner, and a specialty cocktail in a lounge. I take the same unbiased approach to drinking as I do to eating. I like it all! Dark beer, light beer, clear liquor, brown liquor, bubbles, white, and red wine. No I am not an alcoholic! I think the drink I most often order is a Manhattan on the rocks just like my dad! - Favorite port of call to visit
Monte Carlo. I loved the luxury of it, seeing the palace and the casino, and driving the roads! How fabulous! Plus it's just a hop skip and a jump to France and Italy. - Favorite song on the radio/iPod today
Somewhat embarrassing, but I'll give. Right before I walked in to the kitchen before the finals I listened to Dynamite from Taio Cruz 3 times as loud as possible. There's a line in it where he sings that he'll be the last one standing, I just took that and ran with it!
You can visit Maureen's company, Cook in the Kitchen, as well as follow her on Facebook and Twitter. Congratulations Maureen!
Royal Caribbean and The Culinary Institute of America formally name Maureen Brandt winner of the Allure of the Seas Culinary Challenge
In:Maureen Brandt of Stillwater, Minn. Nabs Job as Chef de Cuisine for 150 Central Park Onboard Allure of the Seas
Maureen Brandt wins final cooking competition to become chef of 150 Central Park
In:The final cooking competition is over to become the next chef at 150 Central Park on the soon to be launched Allure of the Seas and it's Maureen Brandt of Stillwater, Minnesota. Brandt won the fan vote last month and today competed with five other chefs for the right to become the next Chef de Cuisine of 150 Central Park, the signature restaurant onboard Allure of the Seas.
Brandt competed in a day long competition and cooked three meals for the panel of judges. Her specialties included chilled Lobster, provencial Lamb Loin and a pistachio cake.
Chef Daniel Fein came in second place and CruseCritic is reporting he has accepted the position of Chef of 150 Central Park on Oasis of the Seas, whose chef has announced previously that he will be leaving.
With Brandt winning, she completes a long trek of winning the Allure of the Seas Culinary Challenge, which started back in early July 2010. She submitted a video of her cooking a dish and explaining why she should be considered for the contest. She then made it to the final six competitors, won the fan vote and today has won the cooking competition.
Brandt is a 1999 graduate of Stillwater Area High School and she is also a "Certified ProChef Level Three" by the Culinary Institute of America and CEC through the American Culinary Federation.
The panel of judges for the cooking competition included Culinary Institute of America Chef Lou Jones and Dr. Victor Gielisse and from Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President of Hotel Operations, Lisa Bauer; Vice President of Food & Beverage Operations Frank Weber.