Today's luxury cruise lines are placing an ever-greater emphasis on fine dining — both on board and ashore. A modern cruise is no longer just a trip; it is a full-scale gastronomic experience.
Oceania Cruises is the pioneer of culinary cruising and the first line to introduce an onboard cooking school. The Oceania Allura (1,200 guests) offers 12 dining venues, including the signature French restaurant Jacques by Jacques Pépin, the pan-Asian Red Ginger featuring Nikkei-inspired Japanese-Peruvian cuisine, and seven-course wine-paired tasting dinners. In 2027, Oceania Sonata will join the fleet, home to the first-ever La Table par Maîtres Cuisiniers de France on a cruise ship. Ashore, the "Snap & Savor" program blends a digital food photography workshop with a hands-on cooking class.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises aboard Seven Seas Grandeur delights guests with Compass Rose, where meals are fully customizable, and Chartreuse, offering refined contemporary French cuisine. Executive Chef Kathryn Kelly leads gourmet cooking classes on Grandeur, Splendor, and Explorer. The Epicurean Explorer shore excursions range from foraging wild sea herbs on Belfast's coast to a market tour of Nice followed by lunch in the clifftop village of Eze on the French Riviera. The new Seven Seas Prestige, launching in December 2026, will introduce the Azure Mediterranean restaurant.
Silversea's Silver Ray and Silver Nova (728 guests) offer French gastronomy at La Dame, fresh seafood at Atlantide, and Asian flavours at Indochine. The signature S.A.L.T. (Sea and Land Taste) program shapes each ship's culinary voyage — the S.A.L.T. Kitchen menu changes daily to reflect the ship's regional location, while the S.A.L.T. Lab cooking studio immerses guests in local ingredients and culinary traditions.
Culinary cruises are the perfect choice for travellers who want not only to see the world but to taste it. Contact us to find your ideal itinerary!
