Inside the 24/7 Operation to Feed the World's Largest Cruise Ship | WSJ Booked

Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas carries up to 7,600 passengers and more than 2,300 crew. The world’s largest cruise ship is nearly as long as the Empire State Building is tall and even has a water park on board. But its main amenity is its food; so how does the company plan meals and maintain its 40 restaurants for 10,000 people?
WSJ goes behind the scenes on the Icon of the Seas to see how employees stock, prepare and serve so much food so guests can have an all-you-can-eat experience while minimizing waste.
Chapters:
0:00 Icon of the Seas
0:50 Loading the ship
2:17 Prep and cooking
3:30 Serving and waste
Booked
Your trip may be booked, but there are hundreds of people and processes that help you travel to where you need to go. From airport logistics to cruise ship procedures, WSJ’s Booked peels back the curtain on the travel industry, guiding viewers behind-the-scenes through the lens of industry experts.
#Cruise #Food #WSJ

[@Picsou313]

Respect to the workers who make these trip special

[@___beyondhorizon4664]

Most of the crew are Filipino, whenever the ship docks, they shop at Ross, things they bought are ramen noodles and shoes

[@bryanthughes5799]

💯

[@EldenLord413]

@@___beyondhorizon4664 Filipinos should consume the leftovers

[@drdisresfaketaxi2898]

@@EldenLord413 u should consume the leftovers

[@g4m3r1993]

@@EldenLord413 this comment gave me a good laugh

[@AGreyAlien]

Absolutely right. Food is the #1 thing guests care about in cruises. 24/7 food is amazing

[@jbbolts]

yup and that executive chef isnt diabetic for no reason

[@NotKing-md8wz]

Don't know if you are being sarcastic or actually telling the truth.

[@vyneshindenmc6181]

​@@NotKing-md8wzbeing truth

[@furiousgtz]

I need 3 hours video on this.

[@AkashSingh-uk5ub]

say that DocuSeries

[@mkhanman12345]

then go pay for it

[@___beyondhorizon4664]

To see how they cook and people it or waste it?

[@WaltherPPK909]

I just wish Royal would relax on their staff about the surveys. Getting begged to give them a 10 every sailing is crazy. Sometimes, servers are a 9 or an 8 but Royal sees that as an F.

[@tanishqsagar3440]

nice pics walther

[@diecicatorce6259]

For them, staff is like tissues, if they're not perfect they can fire them and get new hires from developing countries

[@wifisaysbye]

I agree with this. Did my first cruise with royal on wonder last year and my main dining room waiter really pushed the survey. I’m an experienced cruiser and told them we would do the survey and give them good scores and all, but they kept pushing it to the point that it really annoyed me and made me feel uncomfortable. Having said that, my second royal cruise on Oasis I didn’t face this issue. Have also not faced it with Celebrity or Holland. Hopefully it’s not a common issue.

[@GG-qo4qo]

@@wifisaysbye I would give them a low score for that.

[@Hippida]

This actually shows a leadership issue imho, rather then a staff issue. Especially if a 1-10 score is read as black and white. That reflects poor imagination

[@joelvillanueva2435]

As a food scientist I think it’s incredible the amount of logistics that goes to providing food for consumers. Definitely a subject that’s not talked about enough!

[@JTytshorts]

Even after the whole explanation it is hard to truly believe the magnitude of this operation. Congrats to the team who makes it all possible!! 🏆

[@jhaeros]

I am so happy, was waiting for a video like this ever since Icon was finished!

[@cupq]

Seemlingly simple thing, yet so many things need to be considered. Amazing to have a glimpse into how it all works z!

[@overdoseproductions9011]

Great reporting job. Keep up the great content.

[@mkhanman12345]

content for all

[@JJ2023.]

Kudos to the employees that is incredible 🙌🏻

[@AndreaDoesYoga]

Incredible logistics, I'd love to dine on that ship! 🚢

[@PhiLLyPhiLLz]

Going on Icon next year , so excited. Was on Wonderer of the Seas last year and it was incredible. The ship, the staff, the food , everything is jaw dropping and elegant.

[@cpegg5840]

Hope you have an amazing cruise when the time comes!

[@Trey4x4]

Paid commenter

[@cwg73160]

@@Trey4x4You’re being paid by Norwegian to comment on every Icon of the Seas video. What’s the difference?

[@Trey4x4]

@cwg73160 I'm not tho. I'm a drunk observing comments that have very correlating chemistry between one another. You don't see it

[@cwg73160]

@@Trey4x4 You are. I said it, so you are.

[@7wpollard]

Simply amazing.

[@temper44]

This Wall-E prequel video was great!

[@cwg73160]

Weak joke.

[@AdamBechtol]

Mmmmm

[@willywatkins-zh9xd]

cruise ships and the military camp videos are the best

[@richardsimms251]

Hard work for food staff

[@EmmaCruises]

Mmm, this made me hungry. Such an interesting well-produced video! 😁

[@antonytsai6611]

I just wish that the mandatory gratuities on royal are included in the fare makes it easier to budget a cruise

[@kevinpillay6103]

Insane operation.

[@lph6202]

I love royal carribean- but also behind the scenes. I hope the discovery channel brings back a new season of mighty cruise ships

[@JPTech933]

Great the analysis of what comes back and the reduction in waste.. I think the best way to reduce this is by letting people order what they want in advance and if they don't consume it, charging them.

[@FraserAtSea]

The scale that these ships are working to is absolutely remarkable. I spent about 10 months last year cruising across 19 ships, and it wasn't just the huge ships that were impressive. It always blows my mind that these ships are getting through so much food - it's amazing how they can do it!

[@riku3716]

19 month and 19 ships? So you are not cruising, you live on ships and took 2 month shore vacation.

[@nosushi4u]

Looking forward to booking this cruise ship once the prices are reasonable.

[@s18169ex3]

Cruise ships are absolutely amazing to be a passenger. Such luxury is such a treat. In the same respect. I wouldn’t mind having the chance to be able to work in the belly of the ship seeing feeling the stress, the success, and all that goes with this kind of volume.

[@randomspace9146]

Amazing period

[@enderzgamez1859]

I need a 9hr video of this

[@jarrettbobbett5230]

I'm hungry now. 😅

[@vasiovasio]

Well... not just you my brother, not just you! 😂😂😂

[@Truckydon]

Can’t wait to see this ship docking in Jamaica peer have to go and take a look at it when it does.

[@inlangford]

Food looks great, one day I'll take a cruise!

[@dmarmartin]

Cruise ships + indoor vertical farming = quality controlled farm to port/table

[@cheryldeboissiere1851]

Could WSJ cover Houthi problem as I just left a story out of New Zealand 🇳🇿, where they are experiencing 2 week shipping delays? Thank you very much beforehand...

[@hello_its_me.]

And the norovirus comments, 'I love big ships, the bigger the better. Well said Mr. Norovirus.

[@tnine3]

Fellow truckers making all this happen! Keep America running! 🦅🇺🇸🚛🫡

[@Alorio-Gori]

Wow!

[@Mike__B]

Curious how much waste they make compared to a standard restaurant on a per person that uses count. Buffets are notorious for having lots of wasted food... at least the good ones, the bad ones re-serve it the next day... and while yeah they mentioned measures to reduce waste I gotta imagine they end up wasting considerably more than a restaurant who's only income is said customers who eat food. Also would be nice to ban dumping at sea, but I guess once you hit international waters all bets are off as far as laws go.

[@AdamBechtol]

Neat.

[@alexeykulikov2739]

Mad world. This exactly what people need to be doing now

[@travelchoice89]

🛳🍽 Fascinating glimpse into the logistics of feeding 10,000 people aboard the world's largest cruise ship! The coordination and efficiency required are truly impressive. Bon appétit, cruisers! 🌊🍴

[@nemo4uall]

Food waste is from people who want everything and then throw half of it away because they are full. Always undertake and you can get more if you need be.

[@KeepRowing247]

Being able to hit up room service at any time of the day for whatever meal you’re looking for is god tier

[@cwg73160]

“God tier”? Cringe. Room service has been around forever. Welcome to Earth.

[@CEOofmyblockchain]

Nice room 👑

[@SquizzMe]

What's the best cruise if I'm from Chicago?

[@italianlifestyle7911]

It's been years since I've been on a cruise😍

[@nasosnasos8054]

Love

[@amz4081]

really interesting it made me want

[@thierryvt]

Neat that they actually bake bread fresh. I always figured they'd bring that in frozen or pre-formed/pre-baked such that it only needs 5 - 10 minutes in an oven to crisp up.

[@cwg73160]

It’s not neat. It’s necessary.

[@SilverHonda0767]

For the price they charge for this ship cruise cabins. I could go on three cruises on Liberty of the Seas from Tampa to Key West to Cozumel.

[@cwg73160]

Then go.

[@SilverHonda0767]

@@cwg73160 you talked me into it I’m going. Happy crusin ‘ 🚢

[@SilverHonda0767]

@@cwg73160 You come with me.

[@Fingerbangpyro]

Give it a couple years. It’ll drop in price

[@SilverHonda0767]

@@cwg73160 ok, you come with me.

[@JJ_Magnificent]

I wish the kitchen I work at ran like this !

[@jacquelyngreen4210]

God loves you and hasn’t forgotten about you. Please don’t forget about him and let him in.

[@cwg73160]

Who?

[@RegulareoldNorseBoy]

@@cwg73160 God

[@jacquelyngreen4210]

@@cwg73160 “Who” as in “who” God or “who” you?

[@Bradgilliswhammyman]

Downside is cruise durations for this ship are extremely short, three days max. There is a much longer documentary that was done about 1 year ago.

[@Sandis_Abele]

Feels like a video that Business Insider made a while back, hearing some word-by-word repetition here ;D

[@rickintexas1584]

The size of these ships is staggering. I’m constantly amazed how efficiently they run.

[@balongride3169]

How to apply their?

[@LMays-cu2hp]

Looking very nice.

[@tarabottogino]

I wonder if the food leftovers can be use as an animal feed instead send it to the land field, or incinerator?

[@Pantomathh]

fun to watch

[@Blitznstitch2]

Getting sick from the food or just germs in general is why I'll never go on one of these

[@Danny-fs1hk]

I’m hungry just watching the first 30 seconds of this video. 😂

[@bertdejesus3578]

You can see a lot of Filipinos in those Cruise Ships because they are hard working and have good palettes!!! Mabuhay Philippines

[@cwg73160]

I’m 100% positive you don’t understand the things you commented.

[@JR-xo4jq]

Im 100% positive and sure that one of the chef that got interview is a Filipino!

[@skoodledoo]

Executive Chef got a promotion from Symphony of the Seas - saw him in another video.

[@rcdenholm]

A Food lovers dream

[@LOVER_LINK]

is there a time zone they stick to if they were to travel over certain zones?

[@wifisaysbye]

Have observed that Royal don’t change time zones if it’s only one time zone change. However if it’s over more time zones, then they would likely change to that zone. The crew are great to let you know if there is a time zone change, or if you are to stay on ‘ship’ time when going ashore.

[@heyyou031]

Hold on you’re telling me cruise ships are just dumping the sewage in the ocean?!

[@webdev217]

Yes, once at a specific distance from the shore it is allowed.

[@bluenycom]

Treated sewage is allowed to release to the ocean just like sewage treatment facilities on land. They are not allowed to release untreated sewages.

[@heyyou031]

@@bluenycomis it really sewage if its been treated?

[@bluenycom]

@@heyyou031 That's is true but treated sewage water still has negative view so many water municipalities won't let it mixed back to 'regular' water supply. My city uses treated water to water city parks only. I believe there is a new law mandating to use treated water as normal drinking water.

[@wifisaysbye]

All vessels discharge treated sewage overboard. Ships are required to follow Marpol legislation on pollution when discharging anything overboard.

[@LG-jb9zs]

Reducing food waste is good for the environment AND the company's bottom line. Perfect example of why being ecologically responsible translates into economic benefits.

[@riskinhos]

a cruise ship is the prime example of waste and ecological disaster. trying to greenwashing by reducing food waste is irrelevant

[@daveb2280]

@LG-jb9zs: I fail to see food waste as bad for the environment. It all breaks down and is consumed by animals and worms which help soil development. If anything, food waste is a positive for the environment. Look at how popular food composts are in home gardens these days. However, the concern for waste is indeed all about the company's bottom line. They just throw in that they are "green' to pretend they are progressive....and probably get carbon tax credits.

[@spacebound1969]

​@@riskinhos So tired of this played out narrative. Cruises are one of the last unique experiences left for middle class Americans to participate in.. You think by getting rid of cruises you're somehow hurting rich people who will charter out a yacht and not count towards any of these negative statistics?

[@___beyondhorizon4664]

Do passengers weight themselves before and after the trip?😅 Do they sell Ozempic? If i have 3 buffet a day, i will feel like a giant balloon 🎈 and sick😅

[@mysticery]

Dayum. My mind is blown.

[@user-dv6pv4rp5q]

It's been years since I've been on a cruise

[@freeagent8225]

More interesting is how do they deal with the waste ?

[@user-el3nu7qp1t]

Kraft Dinner would do the trick.

[@Quan-bo4np]

Just came off today 🥺

[@auro1986]

how? wsj booked all of ship for this video

[@lencicollier6492]

A-MAY-ZING 👀

[@florianhug8069]

and while you pay thousands of dollar for the cruise, depending on your "level", you still gotta pay ridicoulus amounts extra for these foods and drinks...

[@user-gn6ut9ts8e]

수소 전기 크루즈 선 양자 전기 크루즈 선

[@SenyorArvin]

Most of their staff are Filipinoes 🇵🇭 So proud and happy

[@Chris-de2qc]

Bc most people won't do it for such low wages

[@shreckm6470]

At what stage does it just become a fun park on the water and the cruising experience just disappears.

[@ianhamilton396]

Sounds like Non Stop Dan got a new gig ??

[@jarrodyuki7081]

I want to join!!!!!!!

[@islandboss876]

Big up Mr Cole can here the Jamaican 💪🇯🇲

[@starlyfe6777]

🇯🇲 🇯🇲

[@cwg73160]

Google isn’t translating this comment. Which language is it?

[@Thebranch1]

I would love to be the taster 😮‍💨

[@MattGarcyaDC]

i could never do logistics with food

[@SolaceEasy]

Why would you go on vacation in such a crowded place?

[@chiluco2000]

Because kids. You can let them roam free and parents can finally have a few hours of rest and entertainment

[@method341]

​@@chiluco2000because you can only do that on a cruise ship......... 🤔

[@slimpickens01]

​@@method341yes. You can't visit say Bahamas and let your kids roam by themselves. On a cruise you can let them go and explore. I've seen kids as young as 8 allowed to roam with other kids. Allow kids to be kids.

[@templar1694]

Time to buy cruise ship firm stocks.

[@SERGIO-cr6uy]

that was a way too short video. 🤨

[@chuyenpham3336]

Greatttt

[@designeedesigner6182]

People complain about capitalism, about waste, this process is amazing and shows how profits encourage a lack of waste while ensuring everyone is able to eat amazing food, unimaginable to people just 100 years ago.

[@menikmati789]

I think their main criticism is the amount of fuel burned; cruise ships release more co2 per year than all the cars in North America combined..

[@alphawhiskey3311]

No the bigger complaint is how workers don't get to share in the profits and since wages don't keep up with inflation it's only a matter of time you have a mass up rising against the rich

[@communismisthefuture6503]

Only because it aligned with their profits. Now examine the insane mind-boggling amount of waste it took to raise and feed the animals that made the beef on that ship, there’s the real problem.

[@zapfanzapfan]

Some people on there should definitely not be near all-you-can-eat buffets...

[@user-pt3oc6zk1u]

Lots of Filipino in the crew.

[@DetectiveConan990v3]

the logistics of these cruise ships seems overwhelming

[@oneshothunter9877]

Russian army could learn something here. 😀

[@DetectiveConan990v3]

@@oneshothunter9877 what do you mean, I am not very knowledgeable of the Russian army

[@cwg73160]

@@oneshothunter9877About buffets?

[@oneshothunter9877]

@@cwg73160 Well, that too :) - but mostly logistics.

[@angiepatterson6338]

Fun fact: Most people think I-95 is named after the highway but it’s really the number of the immigration/customs form for the US (or it used to be).

[@ObjectiveTrade]

That doesn't really make sense. Wouldn't it be named after the highway given that it is a long stretch of "road" that takes employees from one end of the ship to the other? What does the immigration form have to do with a long hallway?

[@MultiMattman68]

And ppl get pissy when portions get smaller. They should really watch this video then they shouldn't complain

[@HKim0072]

It's labor arbitrage company. Customers are paying US prices for vacations. The companies are paying foreign workers a lower wage vs if it was US land based. Mixed feelings about this. The workers are getting paid more than their home country, but I'm sure there is "some" exploitation going on.

[@nahilmannan2030]

Modern Day Titanic.

[@calebhernandez187]

The only reason there’s food waste,is cause the guests take more than they can eat🤣

[@BryceLovesTech]

Bill Burr has a solution for cruise ships lol

[@henryzhao4622]

Can we get some story about WORKING PEOPLE

[@samwestfahl3959]

What a waste of food. People dont need 8 meals a day.

[@bochen0210]

I’ve never been on a cruise. Two months ago I watched the movie called Triangle of Sadness and decided I would never be on one😅

[@Vkpz]

Interesting video but those hard working crew members probably get paid 3 dollars an hour

[@slimpickens01]

Wrong. They are actually compensated more than you think.

[@cesaru3619]

100 chefs EASY!