Royal Caribbean International is to rival P&O Cruises’ celebrity chef ‘Food Heroes’ by placing Jamie Oliver’s Italian restaurant on board its two new ships.
Jamie’s Italian will feature on Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas as part of a revamped ‘dynamic dining’ concept.
Anthem of the Seas will be competing with P&O Cruises’ new ship Britannia – which includes dining options backed by Marco Pierre White, James Martin and Atul Kochhar – out of Southampton next summer.
A total of 18 dining options will be available on the pair of new Royal Caribbean including five complimentary, full service restaurants, each with its own cuisine and a new reservations system that enables passengers to decide when, where and with whom to dine each evening.
New restaurants include:
• American Icon Grill for US-style comfort food
• Chic for contemporary cuisine
• Silk for pan-Asian food
• The Grande, where every night is formal night
• Coastal Kitchen, exclusively for suite passengers
• Wonderland, providing an “elaborate feast for the senses”
• Jamie’s Italian
• American gastropub Michael’s Genuine Pub
• Devinly Decadence at Solarium Bistro, offering a calorie-controlled meals designed by Devin Alexander, chef of US TV show The Biggest Loser.
Royal Caribbean favourites, such as Chops Grille steakhouse, Izumi Japanese Cuisine and Chef’s Table, will all return on the Quantum class ships with a revamped look.
The company has also developed a new advance planning and booking tool for on board dining which goes live on May 15.
To mark the introduction of Jamie’s Italian, Royal Caribbean’s sales teams will be delivering trade packs to agents featuring recipe cards and menu style sheets on the new culinary venue.
The top 22 agencies will also receive goodie boxes full of Jaime Oliver merchandise as a starter. The main course will come in the next few days when the sales team will be delivering another big surprise, the line said.
Agents who makes a booking on Anthem of the Seas by April 30 will be entered into a draw to win prizes such as Jamie’s Italian vouchers and tickets to Jamie Oliver’s Big Feastival in Somerset.
The line’s UK and Ireland managing director Stuart Leven said: “Royal Caribbean International is renowned for innovation and bold developments that no one else in the holiday – let alone cruise sector can deliver.
“Britain’s favourite family chef and all around great bloke has chosen Royal Caribbean International for a reason and our collective customers will love his reinvention of the iconic Jamie’s Italian at sea.
“Food is a big part of a holiday experience and with the menu of incentives and rewards on offer we’re confident that agents will be licking their lips and chomping at the bit to start selling the benefits of these fantastic culinary-infused holidays.”