Norwegian Cruise Line Ends Restaurant Deal With Chef Geoffrey Zakarian

UPDATE, Aug. 11 at 5:00 p.m.: One of Geoffrey Zakarian's spokespersons told The Daily Meal, "During his contract with NCL, Geoffrey was very active on board with cooking demos in the theater, Q&A's in the lobby and chef's tasting dinners. His current consulting contract has come to an end and he is currently discussing other options in the cruising industry."

Chef Geoffrey Zakarian's restaurants aboard two Norwegian Cruise Line ships are no longer in operation.

The deal between Zakarian and the cruise ship company quietly ended a few months ago, according to USA Today. He had two restaurants — Ocean Blue and The Raw Bar — on the Norwegian Breakaway and its sister ship, Norwegian Getaway.

It's unclear exactly why the restaurants are closing, though Norwegian Cruise Lines released the following statement to USA Today: "After several successful years, Norwegian's engagement with Chef Geoffrey Zakarian has concluded. Geoffrey has been a great partner and we are very appreciative of his work to create a luxury dining experience on our newest vessels."

Zakarian was recently sued by Donald Trump for canceling plans to open a restaurant at his new luxury hotel in Washington, D.C.

Norwegian will continue to operate Ocean Blue and has expanded the menu. The restaurant will adopt à la carte pricing on October 3; currently, they charge per person.

While the partnership with Zakarian is ending, Norwegian Cruise Line is planning to collaborate with chef Jose Garces to open a Latin seafood restaurant and tapas bar aboard the new Norwegian Escape ship, expected to set sail this October.