Taste why regional cuisine is hot at Cruising Innovations Theater case study

CMI Leisure's Dietmar Wertanzl will lead the case study based on how CMI Leisure creates a memorable culinary experience for guests on expedition ship Ocean Diamond in Iceland

Honing in on several key culinary trends, an interactive (and tasty) case study in Seatrade Cruise Global's new Cruising Innovations Theater will look at enhancing the on-board experience with regional and farm-to-table cuisine to create memorable experiences for guests.

The presentation, by cruise hospitality experts CMI Leisure, will demonstrate the importance of staging culinary experiences to engage today's travelers, given the fact that dining is the single most talked- and written-about aspect of cruising. It will tell how culinary trends like mindfulness/quality awareness, sense of touch, where food comes from and neuronutrition are making the leap to sea.

The case study is based on the real-life example of CMI Leisure-managed expedition ship Ocean Diamond in Iceland.

Iceland is booming as a cruise destination. In 2017, there were 620 calls at 20 ports and 400,998 passengers, up from 437 calls and 285,903 passengers in 2015, according to Cruise Iceland.

Case study participants will get to taste specialty dishes like Icelandic lamb soup, salmon marinated in Icelandic aquavit and Icelandic yogurt for dessert. Wine will be served with tastings sponsored by Vintners Alliance.

Culinary innovator Dietmar Wertanzl, president and CEO, CMI Leisure, will present, with the support of VP hotel operations Donald Cameron and corporate executive chef Peter Hoefler.

CMI Leisure, a Miami-based firm that focuses on quality hospitality for specialized itineraries and challenging operating environments, will spearhead this first Cruising Innovations Theater educational and interactive experience on Tuesday, from 12:30 to 1 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center.

Currently operating eight ships, CMI Leisure was just selected by Aurora Expeditions to handle hotel operations development for its newbuild.

Posted 02 March 2018

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Anne Kalosh

Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor Seatrade Cruise Review