We’ve always found cruising an educational experience, for a myriad of reasons. New countries, new experiences, new people or just plain new knowledge. On cruise ships, there are amply opportunities.
Today, it’s new people.
Okay, do you know who Rudi Sodamin, Jonnie Boer, David Burke, Marcus Samuelsson, Jacques Torres and Charlie Trotter are? Neither did we, other than they were members of Holland America’s Culinary Council, charged with creating new dishes for the main dining room on 
15 cruise ships.
A little education then…
Rudi Sodamin (left), Holland America’s Master Chef, was this year named the “best cruise line chef” by Porthole Magazine.
Jonnie Boer is a Michelin-star chef who co-owns De Librijie, an upscale restaurant in Zwolle, the Netherlands.
David Burke (right), who at 26 won a culinary award in France, has been in the “Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America,” for two years.
Marcus Samuelsson, a fascinating story even if he wasn’t a chef, was born in Ethiopia and raised in Sweden and now co-owns restaurants in New York and Chicago and is a “food activist.”
Jacques Torres (top) goes by “Mr. Chocolate” (we like this guy already) is a former Master Pastry Chef (we like him more!) from the south of France and has been on his own for 10 years since leaving “Cirque” in New York to form Jacques 
Torres Chocolate.
Charlie Trotter (left) has owned a restaurant of his own name in Chicago for 24 years, a restaurant that Wine Spectator called “The Best Restaurant in the World for Wine and Food.” He is a self-taught cook whose foundation supplies cooking scholarships.
See what you learned today?
And if you’re wondering why all these people have smiles on their faces…this is all about food, people!