May 12, 2022
Here's what a day ruled by passion and perfection in the kitchen for our expert culinary team on Europe's rivers is like.
As you meander along the breathtaking waterways of Europe and South East Asia, each dish served on our 5-star river ships is reflection of our culinary team’s exceptional passion for cuisine. They are creative geniuses, united with one goal – to ensure every meal and mouthful on board is extraordinary. Scenic's Corporate Executive Chef Jhony Purice for Europe shares insights into the dedication that goes into each day.
Chef Jhony
6am – Breakfast Preparation
I am usually up, dressed and doing the rounds in the galley on our incredible Scenic Space-Ships at 6am each day. The chefs have been in the kitchen before this, doing the breakfast prep and getting a meal ready for the crew. When I arrive, I am putting the finished touches to setting up breakfast for the guests. I make the final checks. I make sure the croissants are nice and freshly baked. The baguettes are fresh and crispy. There should always be the smell of freshly baked croissants in the restaurant when the guests come down. Those details make a difference, and they are very important to me.
11am – Time to Connect as a Team
The post-breakfast clean-up process starts and once completed is replaced by the preparation for lunch. An hour before the guest lunch, the crew come together, and we have a lunch. When you are working and travelling with each other, you do become family. It’s important to take a moment to talk about the day, how you are doing, and what needs to be done next. This time works as a bit of a check-in.
Midday – The Rolling Guest Lunch
There’s a lot of different menus and venues. We have spent months training to ensure we are across the menu cycles, and it runs like a well-oiled machine. The chefs are seamless when it comes to their creations, and there is a synergy to how we work in the kitchen. It is incredible to watch it all come together. It is the result of a lot of hard work and dedication.
3pm – Cooking Class With The Guests
I spend much of the season on Scenic Diamond in Bordeaux where we have Scenic Culinaire cooking classes and Shop with a Chef Scenic Freechoice. This is also available in the south of France on Scenic Sapphire. One of the chefs will take guests to a food market. This is often the highlight of the day. The chance to share with our guests the local produce, the traditions of these regions, and even the seasonality of the produce.
When they return to the ship, the Scenic Culinaire class begins. The guests will then be taught how to prepare a dish influenced by the region we are sailing in. It is always a highlight of guests, and the chefs as well. It’s very immersive. You are learning to cook something in, France, as you sail past that beautiful countryside. It’s very special.
6pm – Time For Dinner
With five different dining venues on board each Scenic Space-Ship, there’s an incredible amount of choice for our guests. But what we’re really proud of is if you were to spend every night at, say, Crystal Dining for your two weeks journey, you could enjoy something different every day. There’s such an abundance of choice, and each dish is created with care. At Scenic we believe every mouthful should be a culinary journey within itself.
8pm – Meet and Greet with our Guests
My favourite part of the day is once we have completed service for dinner, and the culinary team then take a moment to go around the tables and talk to the guests. It’s a great way to collect feedback and to ensure we can grow as a team. But also, after a long day, there’s a satisfaction that comes when guests share their joy from their Scenic dining experience.
It’s More Than a 5-star Europe River Cruise
With Scenic, it’s more than a river cruise, our Space-Ships are akin to a floating 5-star luxury hotel. On board, you can expect impeccable service and outstanding hospitality from world-class staff.
Enjoy an unrivalled range of dining experiences. From relaxed to the fine dining, there’s a venue and menu for every occasion.
Scenic also elevates wellbeing to another level, with state-of-the-art gym and dedicated Wellness Area.
This is truly all-inclusive luxury in a small ship environment, reserved for up to 163 guests in Europe, with an abundance of indulgent spaces. Your home away from home, each suite has been designed with our guest in mind.
Onshore, fully immersive experiences have been created to take guests to the very heart of these remarkable regions. Scenic Freechoice activities can be tailored to each guest’s individual interests, and then pursued at a pace that suits them.
Exploring by e-bike through quaint villages along the Rhine, marvel at a magical chateau in the pretty French countryside or indulging in the spectacular food and exquisite wines at a family-run Quinta in Portugal. Scenic Enrich events are exclusive, and once-in-a-lifetime moments in palaces, castles and historic sites.
When you travel with Scenic, the experience is in a class of its own. It’s more than personalized travel, it’s our guests’ desires taken care of to the Nth Degree.
