When the Rotterdam docks in Fort Lauderdale this month, it will come with Chef Rudi Sodamin’s flavors and scents of the Côte d’Azur.

It’s been a long journey since Rudi Sodamin trained as a young cook in Austria, much of it at sea. The master chef for Holland America Line has reached the pinnacle of hospitality, overseeing the cruise line’s culinary program, penning cookbooks (A Taste of Elegance and A Taste of Excellence) and always, always innovating. For years he’s been nudging the onboard gastronomy toward seafood, with flavors and ingredients inspired by his beloved South of France. His latest news: the unveiling of Rudi’s Sel de Mer, an intimate brasserie on the newest Holland America Line ship, the Rotterdam, which sails from Amsterdam to Fort Lauderdale on October 20.