Princess Cruises has appointed Chef Rudi Sodamin as Director of Culinary Arts. Sodamin is currently the Master Chef for Holland America Line, a position he will retain while assuming his new role as Director of Culinary Arts for Princess.
“Chef Rudi is a leader with the ability to motivate teams to reach new levels of creativity and inspiration,” said Jan Swartz, president of the group serving Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, and P&O Cruises Australia. “We are counting on Chef Rudi to create culinary experiences that will impress our guests. He is the perfect person to bring a new level of excellence and innovation to our culinary offerings.”
Sodamin is considered one of the most innovative, energetic, and influential chefs in the hospitality industry. One of his most recent achievements was the successful launch of Rudi's Sel de Mer restaurant aboard three Holland America Line ships. Carnival Cruise Line was so impressed with the restaurant concept that management commissioned Sodamin to create Rudi's Seagrill for their newest Excel-class ship, Mardi Gras, which had its maiden voyage in August 2021.
Sodamin began his career at age 14. At 23, he was appointed chef de cuisine aboard Norwegian American Cruise Line's luxury Vistafjord, becoming the youngest chef ever to hold such a senior position. At 26, he was named corporate executive chef aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2, again the youngest chef at sea to achieve that title. After a dozen years with Cunard Line, Sodamin joined Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and later, with Holland America Line, established the line's first Culinary Council and headed the Holland America Line Culinary Arts Center.
“I believe food is the path to our guests’ hearts,” said Sodamin. “My goal is to take the culinary staff to new heights of performance through innovative approaches to teamwork and creativity, creating new dining experiences and motivating the team to new levels of culinary artistry.”
“Chef Rudi is one of the few who truly understands how to create culinary magic for our guests. We are fortunate to be able to leverage his extensive knowledge and leadership to further elevate the dining experience aboard Princess and inspire our culinary teammates across the fleet,” commented John Padgett, President of Princess Cruises.
