Royal Caribbean Teams With The Culinary Institute of America to Find Chef for Signature Restaurant Onboard Allure of the Seas

MIAMI, June 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Things are heating up at Royal Caribbean International.  After wowing the world with the debut of Oasis of the Seas last fall, the cruise line is preparing to do it once again this December with the launch of their newest ship, Allure of the Seas.  The sister-ship to Oasis, Allure will share the title of world's largest and most innovative cruise ship and will boast many of the same ground breaking features and amenities, including the highly acclaimed signature restaurant 150 Central Park.  Continuing the tradition that was set onboard Oasis, Royal Caribbean will once again select an up-and-coming culinary superstar to lead the kitchen of 150 Central Park on Allure, and this time has the distinct privilege of partnering with The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), the world's premier culinary college, to find the perfect candidate.      

Today through June 20, 2010, graduates of The Culinary Institute of America with either a bachelor's or associate degree, can show off their culinary prowess and creativity by entering the "Allure of the Seas Culinary Challenge" for a shot at the job of a lifetime – a one-year paid contract to be the Chef de Cuisine of 150 Central Park onboard Royal Caribbean's newest ship, Allure of the Seas.  Entrants are required to create an original, signature recipe that could potentially be featured on the menu of 150 Central Park as well as submit a video entry to www.allureoftheseas.com/culinarychallenge demonstrating the preparation of the dish and explaining why they should be chosen as Chef de Cuisine.  

At the conclusion of the entry period, judges will select 10 semi-finalists, whose videos will be posted to the contest website and open to consumers to vote for their favorite chef between June 28 and July 11.  Consumers who register to vote will have the opportunity to win a trip for two onboard an Allure of the Seas preview sailing this November, including a dinner prepared by the winning chef. The five chefs with the highest number of votes, along with one "judges choice" entrant, will become finalists and will be invited to participate in a final culinary challenge held at The Culinary Institute of America's Hyde Park campus in New York on August 5 and 6.  During the final challenge the finalists will be required to conduct an interview with, as well prepare a three-course meal for, an esteemed panel of judges from Royal Caribbean and The Culinary Institute of America, who will ultimately select the Chef de Cuisine for 150 Central Park on Allure of the Seas.  The culinary challenge will be documented in a series of webisodes on www.AllureOfTheSeas.com.

"We are extraordinarily honored to have support from, and access to the incomparable talent and resources of, The Culinary Institute of America," says Frank Weber, vice president, Food and Beverage Operations, Royal Caribbean International. "Similar to Oasis, rather than partner with a celebrity chef whose schedule would not allow for full time involvement onboard the ship, our objective was to give the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to an extremely talented rising star who would become the face and personality of our signature restaurant.  There is no doubt we will find this among the CIA's alumni."    

"The CIA is excited to work with Royal Caribbean and offer this unique opportunity to the CIA's 40,000 alumni.  This pool of talent will provide Royal Caribbean with a chef who will delight the culinary senses of the ship's guests," says Ron DeSantis, Director of CIA Consulting.

Located in the lush and tropical grounds of the ship's Central Park neighborhood, 150 Central Park will feature decor that will embrace the mellow earth tones, unique textiles and fixtures inspired by nature's four seasons. Inspired by the simple elegance concept of trend-setting restaurants in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, each detail of 150 Central Park will be dedicated to enhancing the dining ambiance, from the tabletops to the service team uniforms. The restaurant menu and certain design aspects will be developed and determined by the winning chef of the Allure of the Seas Culinary Challenge.

Allure of the Seas shares the title of the world's largest and most revolutionary cruise ship with sister-ship Oasis of the Seas. An architectural marvel at sea, she will span 16 decks, encompass 225,282 gross registered tons, carry 5,400 guests at double occupancy, and feature 2,700 staterooms. Allure of the Seas will tout Royal Caribbean's exclusive neighborhood concept of seven distinct themed areas, which will include Central Park, Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, Entertainment Place and Youth Zone. The ship will alternate a Western Caribbean with an Eastern Caribbean seven-night itinerary from her home port of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Additional information is available at www.AllureoftheSeas.com.

Royal Caribbean International is a global cruise brand with 21 ships currently in service and one under construction. The line also offers unique cruisetour land packages in Alaska, Dubai, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and South America. For additional information or to make reservations, call your travel agent, visit www.royalcaribbean.com  or call (800) ROYAL-CARIBBEAN. Travel professionals should go www.cruisingpower.com or call (800) 327-2056.

SOURCE Royal Caribbean International