Chef Gary Thomas is better known around Royal Caribbean as “The General.” Why? Because he commands 10,000 chefs across the 23 ships of the fleet. Zagat recently followed Chef Thomas aboard Explorer of the Seas for a look at how the team behind the restaurants turns out 30,000 amazing meals in just one day.
“The Captain steers the ship, but the Chef drives it,” says Chef Thomas. “If the engine ran low for a couple of hours, the ship would still float and nobody would notice. If everybody woke up this morning and there was no food, I’m sure there would be a lot of unhappy guests.”
The mission for the veteran chef of 26 years is not just to get breakfast on the table, but also tasty and creative meals at all hours of the day, including silky soups with just the right seasoning, hundreds of blueberry muffins, and staples to keep the kids happy. To make it all happen, Chef Thomas conducts menu tastings and critiques at all hours — whether the venue is serving 3,000 pizzas or 700 steaks in a single day.
Check out a day in the life of Chef Thomas to see how he commands his culinary troops.
Feeling hungry? Check out the 11 dishes you have to try on Anthem of the Seas.
