A spectacular day of sailing in the calm, blue waters off the southern coast of Japan. Dolphins jumping and diving, views of mountains and chalk cliffs lining the coastline of one of the islands. We saw no evidence from the eruption of Mount Shinmoedake.
So far we’ve had a very enjoyable time meeting people from many different countries and walks of life. Some we meet in passing over a meal, others we reconnect with.
…and an interesting tour of the galley. We discovered that all waste is collected, reduced and sold at a receiving port. Food waste is kept in barrels with a bacteria that removes all moisture so that it ends up like pellets and is sold to companies that recycle such waste for fertilizer, animal food, etc. Cans, plastic and cardboard are crushed and packaged. Broken glass and dishes are ground and recycled. Proceeds from the sale of these recycled materials go to a fund that is used for crew members for emergency travel or parties!
The chef on the left is the Executive Chef and is responsible for all the menu planning based on passenger demographics, cruise location, etc., for all the galley staff, and just about everything involving food on board. The man in the black shirt is responsible for all the breakfast food and works from 2-10a.m.
It is a mammoth operation and seems to work quite seamlessly despite the need for adhering to USDA regulations and the need for absolute sterility.