COMMENTARY TIM LAKE Tim Lake is head of predevelopment at Almaco Group, turnkey provider for onboard dining services, and has more than 10 years’ experience in cruise catering The predevelopment phase is key to designing highly functional, efficient cruise ship galleys Well planned is half done Cruise ship galleys are used to produce large volumes of food; some operators serve up to 10,000 guests and crew several times per day. Consequently, every galley must be planned, designed, engineered, constructed and delivered carefully. As the saying goes, “well planned is half done”, so the most successful galley projects are those where the team invests extra effort into the initial predevelopment phase. First, it’s vital to understand the galley’s intended purpose and concept. The design should reflect the owner’s requirements, including fleet standards, menus, preferred brands for fixtures, fittings and cooking equipment, and other details. Early discussions must involve the owner and head chef to clarify concepts, menu options, equipment preferences, seating, crew numbers and logistics. Next, the conceptual designs and layout drawings are created, considering space limitations and ship’s structural elements like bulkheads and doors. They are prepared together with detailed equipment lists and specifications, before the capacity calculations are made to optimise energy consumption ensuring appropriate choices. This stage allows owners to explore manufacturers’ latest innovations. Project teams must also future-proof the design by considering lifecycle services, current trends and sustainability. Spaces should enable easy access for maintenance. Properly applied energy monitoring helps owners optimise consumption. Food waste management programmes can track production and help shipowners aim to eliminate waste. Designs must balance flexibility for new trends and catering areas should be designed to comply with marine regulations and guidelines, such as United States Public Health standards. Crucially, the predevelopment phase allows project teams to establish an accurate budget that reflects the owner’s requirements. They can also review and discuss cost comparisons between alternatives in detail. With many factors at play, fine-tuning catering areas is complex and requires deep expertise and teamwork. By focusing on and investing in predevelopment, project teams can lay a crucial foundation for the galley to operate as required after delivery. A detailed plan ensures a successful project, resulting in happy owners, guests and crew. Almaco designed, built and fitted the bar areas and equipment onboard Silver Cruises’ Silver Ray 139
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