Celebrity Cruises

Master Chef Spotlight

CORNELIUS GALLAGHER

Master Chef Michelin-Starred Vice President, Food and Beverage Operations Celebrity Cruises

Cruise Ships have always been known for their culinary offerings ranging from fine dining to the more casual options. The competition in the cruise industry is fierce as several main name lines compete for a niche audience of those who will cruise and offer them the best experience for the price and package that they can come up with. To ensure the satisfaction of guests, and to entice the likes of culinary critics, Celebrity Cruises has introduced MichelinStarred Master Chef, Cornelius Gallagher, to enhance their on ship dining experiences and options. We were excited to catch up with Chef Gallagher and hear about his perspective of the culinary world of cruising.

Gaming & Destinations: What is your vision for the dining program on the cruise lines given your 30 years of experience with top restaurants and hotels?

Chef Gallagher: Our mission is to provide the most pleasurable restaurant and bar experiences in the cruise industry, and our vision is aligned with that.At the end of the day, we are not in the cruise business…we are in the hospitality business. The people business. The business of creating long lasting memories and world class experiences. In terms of Food and Beverage, I see us growing our position as leaders within the cruise industry by consistently evolving and elevating our restaurants and bars, while simultaneously creating new, groundbreaking concepts.

G&D: What are your biggest accomplishments in your seven years at Celebrity Cruises?

CG: To have the opportunity to work at a brand with such an amazing history is truly a blessing. Without our brand’s focus on Culinary & Beverage, and without the support of senior leadership, we would not have accomplished what we have. We have received more food and beverage awards than another other cruise brand, but our biggest accomplishment is that guests truly enjoy the experiences that we create, and that they consistently return to sail with Celebrity. The fact that we have such a loyal fanbase with so many repeat cruisers, is truly our biggest accomplishment. We don’t take that loyalty for granted and work diligently to evolve and improve what we do.

G&D: What makes the culinary program onboard Celebrity unique?

CG: There are so many answers to this question, but our team’s successes all start with our people. Talented people are our greatest asset. For us, it all starts with recruiting employees that will treat our guests like family and have hospitality in their DNA. These types of genuinely good human beings are the foundation of our success.

We also focus on top quality ingredients, because as any great Chefs will tell you, great food begins with great ingredients. We work with our global network of suppliers to source the best products available anywhere. It’s the markets and the seasons that inspire us to create our menus.

We also have world class partners in Food and Beverage, like Chef Daniel Boulud, who is our culinary brand ambassador. We have recently announced that we will feature a Daniel Boulud restaurant on our soon to be launched ship “Beyond”. In addition, we have partnered with Tablemation, to bring to life a 3D animated projection mapping restaurant experience we call “Le Petit Chef”. This exclusive partnership allows us to showcase this unique experience onboard all our ships.

In summary, what makes us unique is our extraordinary talent, focus on top quality ingredients, and our open-minded approach to the future of the restaurant and bar industry. We imagine what could be, apply our internal lens of “Finesse” to all of our ideas, and bring these new culinary and beverage experiences to life with passion, focus and pride.

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NOTICE: Prior to booking, please consult all applicable U.S. Centers for Disease Control travel advisories, warnings, or recommendations relating to cruise travel, at cdc.gov/travel/ notices. If a certain threshold level of COVID-19 is detected onboard the ship during your voyage, the voyage will end immediately, the ship will return to the port of embarkation, and your subsequent travel, including your return home, may be restricted or delayed. Health and safety protocols, guest conduct rules, and regional travel restrictions vary by ship and destination, and are subject to change without notice. Due to evolving health protocols, imagery and messaging may not accurately refl ect onboard and destination experiences, offerings, features, or itineraries. These may not be available during your voyage, may vary by ship and destination, and may be subject to change without notice. ©2021 Celebrity Cruises Inc. Ship’s registry: Malta and Ecuador.