INTERV IEW Creating an authentic dining experience Richard Humphreys asks Wesley Cort about the importance of food and drink at sea, and how Norwegian Cruise Line provides passengers with high-quality services For Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), delivering high-quality food and beverage offerings is a key part of its ‘Guests First’ philosophy that is followed onboard all its ships. “We put guests at the heart of every decision, compelling us to innovate our product, dining and destination offering,” says Wesley Cort, vice president food and beverage operations at NCL. “We know that sampling new cuisines helps our guests experience and understand other cultures. It’s therefore important that we not only meet, but also exceed, travellers’ high expectations by delivering an unparalleled onboard experience.” NCL offers a global selection of cuisines onboard its ships, which works well with its Freestyle Dining concept that allows guests to be flexible when choosing the restaurants they want to eat at during their cruise. “Freestyle Dining revolutionised how guests dine on cruises, giving them ultimate freedom and choice,” says Cort. “We were the first cruise line to introduce the concept, allowing guests to select the type of food they fancied – be it exquisite Italian dishes, indulgent ice cream or authentic Japanese cuisine – at whatever time of day best suits them. “When creating dining experiences, our goal is to stay as authentic as possible. Our food and beverage offering is underpinned by four pillars: highquality cuisine, premium beverages, great service and an authentic ambience. Meeting these four pillars ensures we are creating a memorable onboard experience for our guests.” NCL has worked hard to meet all four pillars onboard its newest ship, Norwegian Prima, which began sailing in August 2022. The ship offers NCL’s first-ever Mediterranean seafood restaurant, Palomar. To create this restaurant and the menu, NCL conducted extensive market research and drew upon the knowledge of its culinary team. Guests on Prima will also be able to enjoy the Metropolitan Bar, the cruise line’s first sustainably focused bar, and Indulge Food Hall, its first onboard food hall. The cruise line considers research and feedback from guests as key to delivering a high-quality service. NCL 1 5 6 The Indulge Food Hall on Norwegian Prima includes a seating area next to a fire pit
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