Princess Cruises is proud to announce that Chef Pierre-Marie Leprince, Director of Guest Culinary Experience, has been honored with the distinction of Master Chef of France by the prestigious culinary organization, the Association of the Master Chefs of France (L ’Association des Maîtres Cuisiniers de France). He was inducted into the association at the organization’s 63rd International Congress of Macau on March 12. Chef Leprince is the only U.S.-based chef de cuisine to be awarded this year and one of only two U.S.-based chefs overall to be named in 2018.

This year, Chef Leprince will be one of 30 chefs from around the world who will be admitted into the prestigious association, whose mission is to “preserve and spread French culinary arts, encourage training in cuisine, and assist professional development.” Members are often given the highest classification in restaurant guides and are considered noted authorities on French cuisine. They are frequently asked to judge national and international cooking competitions.

“The goal of the Master Chefs of France is to educate young chefs about the value and art of French cuisine and to share and maintain our culinary practices and methods with chefs who are skilled in the art of French cooking,” said Association President Christian Têtedoie. “Association members are excellent French chefs and dynamic promoters of French cuisine, the importance of training, and the use of high quality cooking tools. We take great pride in our membership and are pleased to have such an accomplished professional as Chef Leprince become a member.”

Leprince, who was born in Brittany, France, is just one of four chefs affiliated with cruise lines to be admitted. There are 560 members worldwide in the association and other noted members include Daniel Boulud, Éric Ripert, Jean Joho, and Joël Robuchon, who was awarded Chef of the Year at the March 12 event. Also newly named to the association is Chef Emmanuel Renaut, who partnered with Princess Cruises and Leprince on “La Mer,” a French bistro on its newest ship, Majestic Princess.

“This distinction for my professional work is a wonderful honor,” said Pierre-Marie Leprince. “It is one of the top designations for French chefs and I am proud to work for Princess Cruises who has a commitment to global cuisine that allows me to create recipes that reflect our ships’ worldwide destinations.”

Pierre-Marie’s training and early experiences are rooted in French culinary tradition. He began his training in 1984 in the southwest of France in the region of Perigord. Upon completion of his apprenticeship in 1986, he was awarded the Gold Medal of Hospitality of Aquitaine, the Silver Medal of Bordeaux, and the Tourism Trophy of Aquitaine at the national food show of Exp’hotel in Bordeaux. He then moved to Paris and began working at Maxim’s, after which he brought the acclaimed restaurant’s French cuisine to Maxim’s of Beijing. He joined Princess Cruises in 2010, after working for resorts and travel companies around the world including Disneyland Paris, Disney Cruise Lines, and Sandals Resorts. He left Princess after four years but returned in 2016.

As Director of Guest Culinary Experience, Chef Leprince works with Princess Cruises’ executive and onboard culinary teams to ensure they are maintaining the finest standards. Princess Cruises is one of the few cruise lines whose ships were built with the delivery of fresh cuisine in mind. The line’s culinary approach is “Designed for Fresh,” with breads baked freshly all day, sauces made from scratch using the freshest ingredients, steaks aged and hand cut onboard, and homemade ice cream made daily. Chef Leprince and his team strive to ensure that guests discover the unique flavors of the places they visit while dining onboard Princess ships. He is also responsible for developing and updating the menus onboard all 17 Princess Cruises ships.

Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel agent, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237), or by visiting the company’s website at princess.com.

Additional information about the Association of the Master Chefs of France is available at www.maitrescuisiniersdefrance.com/.