Chefs at sea

I love to look out of the galley window and see a different scene each day," says Martin Hunter, who has been head chef aboard the Hebridean Princess for eight years. But it's not just the change of scenery that makes the working day different for a chef at sea.

On the Princess, a small cruise ship, Hunter has found less budgetary control imposed than there was in restaurants ashore, as it tends to cater for any whim a passenger may have. Consequently, planning is an absolute must and anticipating the needs and demands that come with those whims is something Hunter has learned with years of practice. "As we get supplies only once a week, you have to be quite good at logistics and planning," he says.

Hunter is aboard from mid-February to mid-November, and the time between is spent meeting suppliers, planning menus and recruiting staff.

He met his partner, Lindsay, on board when she was working as an administrative officer. The couple now have a two-year-old child and Lindsay has a land-based job with Hebridean Island Cruises. Although they spend a long time apart, Hunter believes that, overall, he probably has more time with his child than he would if he were working in an onshore restaurant.

"I don't go home for 50 nights at a time, which is a long time away," he says. "But when I come off, I have two weeks at home - a lot of chefs who work shifts don't see as much of their children."

As far as seasickness goes, it's a very individual thing. Some people can handle it, some can't. As Hunter puts it: "It's not necessary to have sea legs, but it helps. I got better over the years. Whereas I used to be bad in a force four or five gale, now I only get ill if it's about eight, which is about seven times a year."

Chris Westrip has just joined the Princess as chef de partie after several months travelling the world on large cruise ships. "I've seen lots of great places that I wouldn't have normally chosen to go to," he says, looking back over the previous year.

Some places he would love to revisit; others, not. "In India, there wasn't a lot of time for the crew, and all we got to see were the ports - they were disgusting," he admits. But he lists the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Rome and Venice as the real highlights in the short time he has spent on cruise ships.

Westrip finds the lifestyle easier than that of a conventional life ashore. "You have nothing to pay, no bills, no tax," he says. "It means that I can work for two months and then have a two-week break."

However, creativity in the kitchen can be limited, particularly on large cruise ships. As he says: "You tend to have set menus for the contract and you stick to those menus every day, day in, day out, and it doesn't change for six months. It can be frustrating, but you get into a system and your job gets easier."

Another eye-opener for Westrip was coping with the movement of the boat while working in the galley. Luckily, he has had no accidents, but working in rough weather can prove arduous, as can the hours. "Working seven days a week takes some getting used to," he says. "If you get on a six-month contract without a day off, and you're up at six every morning, it can be quite tough. You just make the most of your time off. What time you get off in between, you tend to go to bed and catch up on your sleep."

However, Westrip admits there is little he misses from a land-based job - apart from his car.

For more information about Hebridean Island Cruises, visit www.hebridean.co.uk