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This is the fifth installment of our new bimonthly column Crews on Cruise, spotlighting the people who work behind the scenes of the world’s most memorable voyages—from bartenders and entertainers to ship captains and expedition leaders.
Ronald Smith first became interested in the food world back when he was in high school and participating in cultural showcases at resorts in Jamaica. He was gobsmacked by the hotel’s sprawling buffet spreads, especially their glittering ice sculptures and ornate fruit and vegetable carvings. “It was all so beautiful,” he says. “I knew right then: This is exactly what I want to do with my life.”
After studying at the Culinary Arts Institute in Jamaica, Smith climbed the ranks through hotel kitchens, where he won multiple carving competitions. His talent and drive helped land him his first job at sea in 1999, with the now-defunct Sun Cruises, where he studied carving alongside skilled artisans from Indonesia and the Philippines. At first the transition to sea life was difficult: “The hours, the timing, the work environment—it really takes time to adjust,” Smith recalls. “I knew how fast-paced kitchens were, but speed is even more important on a cruise ship.”
Five years into it, Smith switched from Sun Cruises to Oceania Cruises, where he’ll celebrate his 21st anniversary this August. Now, as the Senior Executive Chef of Marina, he oversees the 1,250-passenger ship’s extensive culinary operations, ranging from casual poolside burgers to the hautest fine dining.
We caught up with Smith in his hometown of Discovery Bay, Jamaica, where he lives with his wife and their two children, to talk about frog legs, his love for Japan, and the unique challenges of managing such a diverse team at sea.
What does a typical day on the job look like?
“I’m in charge of 138 crew members, but I started out as an assistant CDP [chef de partie] and came up through the ranks. I’ve worked in every department, so now I do a lot of the training and development of new crew.
My regular routine goes like this: I start at 6 o’clock in the morning because I like to see the breakfast setup for all the restaurants that are open. Then at 8 o’clock I meet with my sous chefs to go over the activities of the day, the menu sequence, and the numbers that we should create and serve. Around lunchtime, I’ll check all the restaurants again—especially the Terrace Cafe, which is one of the busiest because it has an open-deck verandah. I might take a break from 3 to 4 p.m. and have a coffee or do a little shopping in port, but then I need to check on afternoon tea. I’ll have another break from 5 to 6 p.m., and then I check on all of the dinner outlets from 6 until 10:30 p.m. I’m pretty much always on the floor.
I had to learn how to navigate a lot of different personalities, nationalities, cultures, and religions in this role. On Marina, 85% of my galley staff is Indian. But we also have Filipinos, Indonesians, Burmese, Latin Americans, and Caribbeans. We try not to engage in conversations about religion or politics because you can accidentally insult people. Even with food, you have to be aware: Some cooks from India don’t eat beef because the cow is sacred; others don’t eat pork. So when you’re assigning them to different areas, you can’t put them on, say, roasted meats. You might put them on the vegetarian line or on soups and sauces. This is also important because they must taste what they cook—otherwise I have to go in and taste it for them. It’s tricky.”
What is your favorite part about this job?
“Interacting with people. I like to pass along my knowledge to other crew members and help them gain self-esteem, because I know what it’s like to start out as an apprentice. Encouragement is very, very important for new crew members, especially those who are in a low position like assistant cooks. I want to inspire them not to think of themselves as a cook but as a chef.”
What is the most challenging part about working at sea?
“Sourcing all the products you need to create your menu. The logistics for loadings can be very difficult. If you’re going to be in Antarctica for 18 days, and the ship is full but your storage capacity is not the size you need, you’re going to have shortages. And the majority of our guests are repeaters, so they know what to expect: the finest cuisine at sea. The other challenge is manpower. If we’re short one crew member in a particular restaurant, it shows. We do everything from scratch and we don’t cut corners.”
What is the coolest or weirdest thing about living on a ship?
“The coolest thing is waking up every morning in a new country or port. You’re in Barcelona today and wake up in Venice tomorrow—like, oh my god, how cool is that? You take a photo, like ‘Hey! Look, I’m in Venice!’ and send it to your friend; everybody starts to get a bit jealous. There’s just always something new to see, too, especially marine life. Dolphins, whales—all these things that people are just dying to see, right off your balcony.
The weirdest thing for me is trying to learn new languages: a little Hindi, a little Chinese, a little Indonesian, a little Filipino. Sometimes I mispronounce words and accidentally say things I shouldn’t!”
What is your favorite place you’ve traveled so far?
“Japan. Japanese people are the most disciplined in the world when it comes to respect. You walk on the street, they show you respect. You go to a restaurant, they show you respect. They also tend to be perfectionists, and as a chef, this is something I appreciate.
Tokyo, in particular, is always a highlight for me: the lifestyle, the technology, the lighting. It’s one of the most beautiful cities at night. And do you know they have one vending machine for every person? That’s, like, 15 million vending machines. Can you imagine?!
Kobe is another one of my favorite ports because there’s a restaurant right near the pier that serves the best meat in the world. And I love Mykonos because they have the best roasted octopus.
I also like shopping for our Chef’s Market Dinners. I go to the markets and buy local items, then come back to the ship and create a menu for guests inspired by all these new things. It’s pretty cool because a lot of the ingredients are ones guests maybe haven’t tried before. In Vietnam, for example, I brought back frog legs. People go ‘Whoa, this is delicious—but they seem a little small for chicken wings.’ And I say, ‘Sir, that’s not chicken—it’s actually frog.’ They’ll pause for a moment and then they go for more because it’s that fantastic.”
What is your favorite place to hang out on the ship?
“The crew bar. That’s the only place where you get to see all of your friends. Everyone works very long days and the ship is huge, so sometimes you won’t see a friend for weeks. But you can always call him up and say, ‘What’s up, man? Let’s go to the crew bar and have a drink.’
Tell us about a memorable passenger interaction that sticks out to you.
“I’ve known this one guest for years and he’s one of my favorite passengers. Very friendly, very approachable. When I became Senior Executive Chef on the Marina, he booked back-to-back cruises on my ship. When I told him I was getting married, he said ‘Welcome to the club!’ and he invited me to have dinner with him that night. He booked La Reserve, one of the most expensive restaurants on the ship, for 12 people and made an announcement to everyone: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, my friend here is getting married!’ And he bought me two bottles of Shafer wine. Did you know I still have those wines today? I told him I will not open these wines until I retire, because I want to remember him like this. I’m giving myself another five years.”
What’s your top tip for first-time cruisers?
“Don't just book a cruise to cruise; book a cruise to see and hear things that you’ve never seen and heard before. Sign up for shore excursions; do some sightseeing; learn new cultures; touch the land; interact with local people. There’s a whole wide world out there.”
