What a Filipino crew provisioning list looks like vs a European one — and why getting it wrong costs morale
A crew fed the wrong way for two weeks is a slower crew. The mix of rice, protein, condiments and comfort items varies more than you would think.
Ship provisioning is not just calories — it is culture. A generic "provisions for 20 crew, 30 days" that ignores nationality mix produces a delivery the Chief Cook cannot really use. Here is how we scope it.
The rice question
A majority-Filipino crew consumes roughly 150 – 200 g of rice per person per meal, three meals a day. That is closer to 250 kg per crew of 20 for a month, and it is jasmine or long-grain, not risotto rice. A European-dominant crew consumes a third of that, mostly at lunch, in a different variety.
Getting this wrong means either running out of the staple or over-shipping a variety the crew does not eat.
Protein mix
Filipino crews expect a heavier rotation of chicken, pork and fish, with beef featuring less often. European crews expect the reverse. Both expect fresh, not frozen, where possible. The tropical humidity means you have to be honest with the Chief Cook about how much fresh will actually keep.
Condiments and small comforts
Soy sauce, vinegar (specifically cane vinegar for Filipino crews), fish sauce, dried fish, instant noodles — these are morale items, not filler. Under-shipping them registers as an insult. Same for European crews with certain cheeses, cured meats and coffee.
Halal and dietary
Crew mix is not always uniform. Ask the Master, not the previous requisition. A single Muslim engineer needs halal-certified protein separated from the main galley stock. This is a coordination item, not an inconvenience.
The document that fixes this
We keep a nationality-aware provisioning template per client. First requisition sets the baseline. Every subsequent call adjusts on actual consumption from the last voyage's stores report. Over three calls, waste drops noticeably and complaints stop.
Send us your last two months of stores consumption and we will build the template for your fleet's actual mix.