MSC CRUISES ADDS GERMAN CHEF ROYALTY HARALD WOHLFAHRT TO LINE-UP OF WORLD RENOWNED CHEF PARTNERS

MSC Cruises — the world’s largest privately-owned cruise company and leading cruise brand in Europe, South America, South Africa and the Gulf — has today announced a new partnership with renowned German chef Harald Wohlfahrt. Voted one of the Top 10 Chefs in the World, and the only German chef to hold a three Michelin Star rating for 25 years in a row, Chef Wohlfahrt represents the best of Germany’s cuisine and embodies MSC Cruises’ commitment to offering new and exciting food options for its guests.

Gianni Onorato, MSC Cruises Chief Executive Officer, commented: “The world-class expertise of Chef Wohlfahrt brings an exciting new chapter to our onboard dining experience. Working with partners who embody excellence and innovation, as well as sharing our values, is incredibly important for us, and we are incredibly excited to be working with one of the best chefs in the world to continue delivering unforgettable culinary experiences to our guests.”

Chef Harald Wohlfahrt’s philosophy is that perfection comes from craftsmanship, and he approaches the development of his dishes as a painter approaches a canvas. He commented, “My motivation is to create a perfect starting position for a taste development in every dish! I am delighted to be partnering with MSC Cruises and I am excited to be able to create something for the guests that will delight and amaze their senses.”

Mr. Onorato, concluded: “We look to enable our guests to discover new cultures and tastes through the dining we offer on board and we offer an incredible variety of choice both in terms of dining formats, new concepts and menus that reflect the very best of Mediterranean and international cuisines.”

Chef Wohlfahrt will develop a new menu for the private Yacht Club restaurant of MSC Meraviglia, MSC Splendida and MSC Preziosa while the ships are sailing in Northern Europe, as well as two different main courses for Elegant Night. Working with MSC Cruises’ own team of talented chefs, Harald Wohlfahrt will complete in-depth, interactive training, passing on his skill and expertise to MSC Cruises’ chefs, allowing them to recreate his signature dishes on board to the highest possible standards. Chef Wohlfahrt has trained dozens of Michelin starred German chefs, totaling over 60 Michelin stars between them. Chef Wohlfahrt’s gastronomic delights will be available on board starting early 2019 on all ships in the MSC Cruises fleet.

Aside from captivating foodies on land and now at sea, Harald Wohlfahrt also has the unique experience of developing menus for space travelers. Chef Wohlfahrt was asked to develop meals for astronauts on the international space station (ISS) for the ESA (European Space Agency), trusted to combine nutrition and taste for the astronauts.

Chef Wohlfahrt joins a host of internationally renowned chefs who are currently collaborating with MSC Cruises as part of a strategic focus on working with chefs from around the world, each renowned for their skill and culinary expertise.

The launch of MSC Bellissima in March 2019 marks the opening of two Michelin-starred chef Ramon Freixa’s HOLA! Tapas restaurant, mixing tradition and vanguard and so that guests can enjoy a taste of Spain with a lively social atmosphere. Freixa launched his first restaurant at sea with MSC Cruises on board MSC Seaview with the Ocean Cay fish restaurant.

MSC Bellissima, like her sister ship MSC Meraviglia, will also feature award-winning pastry chef Jean-Philippe Maury’s Chocolaterie and Chocolate Bar, dedicated entirely to unique and elegant chocolate creations and desserts and a delight for anyone with a sweet tooth.

Roy Yamaguchi’s Asian Market Kitchen on board MSC Seaside welcomed its first guests in December 2017. This innovative pan-Asian dining experience features three distinct restaurants — Teppanyaki, Sushi and Asian Fusion. This popular concept is also available on MSC Seaview, which launched earlier this year in June.

Acclaimed Chinese chef Jereme Leung has continued to work with MSC Cruises, and developed a new hot pot restaurant for MSC Splendida, the Sea Pavilion. Michelin-starred chef Carlo Cracco has been collaborating with MSC Cruises for five years with special dishes for the Elegant Night menu and Christmas & New Year menus, as well as the DOREMI Chef by Carlo Cracco, a cooking activity for kids.

These are just a taste of the fine-dining highlights on board the MSC Cruises fleet, which offers internationally-inspired cuisine for every taste with a wide range of dining styles from fast casual to formal haute cuisine.

For more information about MSC Cruises’ dining options, please visit www.msccruises.com.

Since a young age, Harald Wohlfahrt knew that he would become a chef. On the farm of his grandparents’ farm, he developed a love for natural products when he finished his schooling, he studied cooking at Mönchs Waldhotel in Dobel near Baden-Baden in the Black Forest.

After his apprenticeship, he worked as a commis-chef with Willi Schwank in the two Michelin star restaurant Stahlbad in Baden-Baden, from 1974 to 1976. There began his love of high end cuisine. Which prompted his move to Eckart Witzigmann’s Tantris (another three Michelin star restaurant), in Munich, in 1977. In 1978, he got the chance to start as sous-chef at Wolfgang Staudenmaier`s restaurant in Baiersbronn. In 1980, he spent time in France at Alain Chapel in Mionnay and started his Chefs Master Exam, leading him to become the Executive Chef of the Schwarzwaldstube in Baiersbronn at only 24 years of age. This restaurant and this town would become the culinary center of Germany. No other chef in Germany has ever held three Michelin Stars for 26 years in a row, except for Chef Wohlfahrt.