There are a lot of cruise lines to choose from, but Oceania Cruises stands out as one of the world’s leading culinary- and destination-focused operators. Its premium ships offer only the very best cuisine, served in distinctive open-seating restaurants.
The gourmet menu is curated by Oceania Cruises’ executive culinary director, the renowned French chef Jacques Pépin, who tasks top chefs from around the world with creating regionally inspired dishes that feature local artisanal ingredients.
Oceania Cruises also runs award-winning itineraries on expertly crafted voyages to ports across Europe, Alaska, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, New England, the Caribbean, the Panama Canal, the South Pacific and South America. The cruise line’s standout voyage may be its signature 180-day Around the World trip, visiting practically the whole planet. Wherever it is in the world you’ve been wanting to go, Oceania Cruises can almost certainly get you there aboard its award-winning, eight-strong fleet of luxurious small ships.
The cruise line also recently launched its new Vista ship, in May last year, featuring even more dining venues. Its latest vessel, Allura, will launch in 2025, featuring five specialty dining venues, including the main Grand Dining Room, inspired by the Belle Époque era in Paris, with a ceiling almost two decks high.
Oceania Cruises will host its first Culinary Luminaries Cruise, taking place on its Marina vessel, in October this year. This is a must for gourmands, with the cruise line’s two French chefs, Alexis Quaretti and Eric Barale, hosting the delectable journey, offering an opportunity to learn (and taste) from the world’s best. The 1,250-guest ship will set sail from Valletta in Malta, heading to Rome (Civitavecchia), on October 16. Stopping at ports in Croatia, Greece and Italy, passengers will have the opportunity to explore local cuisine ashore as well as dining experiences on board.
Oceania Cruises’ Marina and Riviera ships were some of the world’s first true gourmet vessels, said to feature more galley space and fresh-food storage than any other ship. They were recently joined by the cruise line’s new vessel, Vista, which delivers a fresh perspective on the operator’s gourmet tradition via imaginative bar and dining spaces. Compared with other cruise companies, Oceania Cruises has the highest percentage of culinary personnel devoted to the dining experience. Each ship has one chef for every 10 guests, and half of the crew on board is dedicated to the cooking or serving of food. Marina and Riviera were also the first ships in the world to have onboard cooking schools. Due to the huge success of these ventures, Oceania Cruises has doubled the size of its Culinary Centers on Vista and Allura.
The first Culinary Luminaries Cruise is designed so guests can immerse themselves entirely in food. They can hear expert food insights during onstage panel discussions, as well as during live cooking demonstrations featuring chefs and special guests. All passengers can attend Oceania Cruises’ iconic signature gala seafood brunch — usually reserved for ship launches — and eat at themed Chef’s Market Dinners, spotlighting ingredients purchased from local markets and turned into dishes inspired by the destinations you just visited. www.oceaniacruises.com.
