MHA Culinary Council to Promote Shipboard Crew Talent

MHA Culinary Council to Promote Shipboard Crew Talent

The Marine Hotel Association’s (MHA) new Culinary Advisory Council will be awarding scholarships to the emerging culinary talent on cruise ships sailing globally in a first-of-its-kind initiative.

The not-for-profit MHA is looking ahead to its annual Conference and Trade Show, taking place in Naples, Florida, April 2-4.

The event brings together food and beverage and hotel vendors along with key decision-makers from cruise lines, and the new Culinary Advisory Council features chefs from a number of cruise brands that will be heavily involved in the Florida event.

The Council will be nominating and recommending chefs working onboard cruise ships for the MHA culinary scholarship.

“This allows us the opportunity to highlight our extraordinary talents onboard and feature their commitment to delivering an ever-evolving world-class experience,” said Eric Barale, Vice President of Culinary for the Apollo Group and Maître Cuisinier de France. “I am truly excited to be able to support and recommend our chefs at sea for the MHA scholarships that focus on the culinary education, development, advocacy and career navigation of our talent.

“The MHA conference and Trade Show will also provide a unique one-on-one networking opportunity for our vendors and teams to address, encourage and visualize the future of trade on the high seas,” he added.

MHA Symposium At Sea Kicks Off On Virgin's Scarlet Lady

The Marine Hotel Association's (MHA) Symposium at Sea is officially underway on the Scarlet Lady from Virgin Voyages, as the event is taking place on the ship's four-night/five-day voyage roundtrip from Miami.

MHA members, mainly composed of food and beverage and hotel supply vendors, will network with cruise line and vessel management decision-makers over the course of the next five days aboard what many consider to be the industry's newest and most exciting ship. 

Events exclusive to MHA members include cocktail receptions, organized dinners rotating between restaurants, panel discussions and an impressive five hours of speed networking between vendors and cruise line decision makers split over two days.

Vendors will look toward the speed network sessions for key one-on-one time with the right decision-makers. 

Panel discussion topics will include a state of the business from each cruise line attendee, plus a deep dive into hotel product and food and beverage innovations, along with touching on the current state of the supply chain with issues, challenges and opportunities set to be discussed.

The four-night cruise includes a call at Nassau, a stop at Bimini, and one day at sea before returning to Miami on Sunday, October 24.

Supply Chain In Focus for MHA Conference at Sea

Supply Chain In Focus for MHA Conference at Sea

Among the topics set for the Marine Hotel Association’s (MHA) Conference at Sea, this December will be the cruise ship supply chain.

The Conference at Sea will run aboard MSC’s Divina on a three-night itinerary in December (Dec. 17-20); port calls will include the brand new Ocean Cay Marine Reserve as well as Nassau, as the cruise sails from Miami roundtrip.

The event brings MHA members together with relevant cruise line purchasing decision-makers.

The first session during the Conference at Sea will focus on the all-important cruise ship supply chain.

The three-hour workshop will discuss the supply chain from start to finish, purchasing to consumption and also include consolidation and loading.

Presentations are scheduled from multiple cruise operators and purchasing entities, and vendors will get the important question and answer time from panel participants ahead of business networking sessions scheduled for Thursday aboard the ship.

Immediately following the supply chain workshop, MHA members will have the opportunity to get a unique behind-the-scenes look aboard with hosted tours of key areas on the ship.

The MHA has thus far confirmed 14 participating cruise lines for its December Conference at Sea, representing 78 ships and nearly half a billion dollars in annual food spending.

Scheduled every other year, this will be the association’s third event hosted aboard a cruise ship, with previous events held with Princess Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line

The MHA is a true not-for-profit organization, with membership dues at $500.

Its not-for-profit status also means that revenue is put back into the organization and into the famed MHA scholarship fund, which has doled out over 8,000 scholarships over 35 years.