Meals Onboard
How’s the Food?
At Sail Caribbean we aim to provide fresh, healthy, and delicious food for everyone! Fresh food is provisioned throughout the program when the boats dock overnight. Students will use our ever-evolving Sail Caribbean Cookbook under the supervision of staff to prepare wonderful meals for the entire crew. Take a look at our sample menu to see what the meals look like during one of our programs! Our students enjoy taking on the challenge of mastering the galley to provide nutritious meals to fuel their team straight through action-packed days.
Taking On The Galley
Our meals aren’t just delicious – they are prepared by the students themselves! At Sail Caribbean, our kids take on the role of chef, preparing and cooking meals within the unique atmosphere of a yacht. As programs’ days go by, students quickly familiarize themselves with galley know-how, gaining expertise, resourcefulness, and creativity with their provisions. A beginner in the kitchen? We won’t let that intimidate you! Soon, you’ll be mastering meal preparation times, enjoying the pride that comes from providing for your team, introducing new, unique items, and adding style to your crew’s menu.
Special Diets
If you’re vegetarian, vegan, kosher, gluten-free, or have other special dietary requirements, we can accommodate most needs. We have lots of experience providing for students with dietary restrictions including peanut allergies, gluten intolerance, and other specific food allergies. Students with food allergies have all joined us successfully, sharing cooking responsibilities and enjoying customized meals, too. When there is a severe allergy on the fleet, we remove the allergen completely. Also, students are encouraged to mention special foods that they like or don’t like to make their experience more comfortable. We learn all students’ limitations before the program so we can plan and provision accordingly. If you’d like more information regarding a particular dietary requirement, please contact us.
Picky Eaters
Picky eaters are not uncharted territory for us. We’ve had Sail Caribbean attendees come to our programs with selective food pallets and they have flourished during their time with us. Many of our picky eaters have even dared to step out of their comfort zones and try new dishes, fruits, and vegetables that they took a liking to by the end of their programs! What new foods could be on your horizon?
Snack trays filled with:
Frequently Asked Questions
On all of our programs, we provide high-quality meat, poultry, fruit, and vegetables so that you and your crew mates can prepare fresh, well-balanced meals. About every 3 days, we get a new order of provisions from local vendors so the boats are always stocked with fresh food. Everybody helps cook and many bring home new-found recipes, from banana pancakes to curried chicken Caribbean style. On each voyage, there are several opportunities to eat ashore and taste the unique flavors of the Caribbean. These meals are optional and are not included in the tuition.
Aboard the boats, students do all of the cooking with instruction and guidance from of our staff. Students take turns with meal preparation, so everyone has an opportunity to pitch in with the more experienced kids helping those less experienced. Each boat has a copy of Sail Caribbean’s very own cookbook – full of tried and true recipes. Often, students return home able to cook a few meals for their family! Each program has a Provisions Manager on staff who is responsible for ordering provisions, planning menus, and working with any special dietary requirements.
Before the program begins, parents need to alert us to any dietary needs and food allergies their teen may have. Our Provisions Managers use this information to plan and provision accordingly. The captains also check with their crews at the start of the program. Each boat may request special items, and if it is within reason and available, our Provisions Manager will get it. They meet with students and staff throughout the program to ensure that their dietary needs are being met.
If there’s a food allergy, please make certain that you describe it clearly and thoroughly on your signed medical form. Our Provisions Managers, Medical Officers, trip leaders and boat captains are informed of all dietary needs and medical concerns of all our students. We will work closely with you to ensure the healthiest possible arrangement.
Students with prescriptions to carry EPI pens for allergies must bring a supply of 3 EPI pens with them to the Caribbean – one to be carried by the student, one to be kept by the student’s captain or trip leader and one to be kept by the staff Medical Officer. Unused EPI pens will be returned to the student at the end of the program.