Tag: culinary cruise

Oceania Cruises adds 12 gourmet excursions for 2025

Oceania Cruises has expanded its signature range of immersive Culinary Discovery Tours with the addition of 12 new gourmet excursions for 2025.

The new chef-led tours are in diverse locations spanning the globe from Europe and the UK with new excursions in Amsterdam, BelfastInvergordonValencia, and Valletta; to Asia with three new options for Japan sailings in Kobe, Kochi, and Shimizu, plus Busan in South Korea; and North America where new tours are available in HalifaxQuebec City, and Victoria.

The additions mean Oceania Cruises now offers a total of 46 Culinary Discovery Tours, available on its four larger ships, Marina,  ships, MarinaRiviera, Vista, and Allura, which debuts July 2025.

About the Culinary Discovery Tours

The Culinary Discovery Tours are an integral part of the line’s renowned food-focused enrichment program, which includes The Culinary Center, the first-ever hands-on cooking school at sea, offering unparalleled experiences for gourmands wanting to learn and to explore cultures through food.

Limited to 18 guests and led by Oceania Cruises’ team of expert Chef Instructors, each of the Culinary Discovery Tours goes beyond traditional sightseeing, providing access to local markets, acclaimed restaurants, and hands-on cooking classes, both on board and ashore.

From foraging for wild sea herbs on Belfast’s rugged coast to indulging in a plant-to-plate luncheon inside an Amsterdam greenhouse where ingredients are harvested moments before they reach a guest’s fork, these tours give travellers an intimate look at local life through the lens of food and its impact on the culture and community.

In Japan, witness the precision of traditional knife-making in Kobe before a teppanyaki feast of wagyu beef, or master the art of searing bonito over an open flame in Kochi. Uncover the secrets of authentic paella on a boat ride through Valencia’s rice fields, or explore South Korea’s famed seafood markets.

Jason Montague, Chief Luxury Officer, Oceania Cruises said: “Our guests seek more than just incredible cuisine – they crave authentic connections with food, culture, and people. The Culinary Discovery Tours are true behind-the-scenes experiences, guided by top chefs who bring each destination to life and are eager to share epicurean secrets, one bite at a time. These unique excursions allow travelers to savor the essence of destinations in a way that only Oceania Cruises can deliver.”

Chef Kathryn Kelly, Oceania Cruises’ Director of Culinary Enrichment, is the founder and driving force behind The Culinary Center and the chief architect of the robust range of Culinary Discovery Tours.

She commented: “Food has the power to connect people to places in meaningful ways and our fabulous Culinary Discovery Tours provide an insider’s look at local markets, artisans, and traditions, allowing guests to take a piece of the destination home with them – not just in their memories, but in the skills and recipes they acquire along the way.”

 

New Culinary Discovery Tour highlights

KOBE: NEW CHEF-LED CULINARY JOURNEY THROUGH KOBE (6 hours):
Discover how traditional Japanese kitchen knives are masterfully crafted and watch chefs use these precision tools to expertly prepare dinner. Artisans forge the knives in different shapes and sizes depending on their specialized uses. For instance, a santoku blade is considered an ideal general-purpose knife while the sujihiki may be the best for slicing meats such as beef. Following this immersion into knife-making, dine at Teppan Grill Keyaki, an 18th-floor restaurant that overlooks medieval Osaka Castle.

BUSAN: CHEF-LED BUSAN MARKETS TOUR (4 hours):
To prepare traditional Korean dishes during the onboard cooking class, the Chef Instructor will lead guests through two local markets to forage for ingredients. First stop is the legendary Jagalchi Fish Market. Widely heralded as “the ultimate place to see seafood,” this sprawling waterfront market is the largest of its kind in Korea. As travelers browse the seemingly endless stalls, they can expect to find every imaginable marine creature, including live eels, sea squirts, and skates, which are similar to stingrays. Using a “seafood treasure map,” guests will identify and check off these unique local specimens. After touring the seafood market, stop in at the Gukje Market, known for its international selection of gourmet ingredients before returning to the ship to create authentic Korean dishes.

BELFAST: CHEF-LED TOUR OF COASTAL FLAVORS OF COUNTY DOWN (4 1⁄2 hours):
Join local chef Paul Cunningham – a competitor on the BBC cooking series “Great British Menu” – along the shore to learn about locally sourced ingredients while sampling mussels and oysters and dining on a bowl of his seafood chowder at a nearby restaurant. A pint of Guinness or another stout will be perfectly paired to complement the meal. Afterwards, pause for photos at the atmospheric ruins of Dundrum Castle, a landmark since the 13th century.

HALIFAX: CHEF-LED TOUR CIDER & CHOWDER: AUTHENTIC NOVA SCOTIA (3 hours):
Learn about the “chowder trail” and artesian cider trends that define the modern culinary scene in Nova Scotia. Guests will leave the ship and meet a local foodie guide for the first stop at the taproom of an artisanal cider maker where they will be served a flight of four vastly different hard ciders. These may be seasonal pours, year-round favorites, or mixed into cocktails such as the Apple Spice, a concoction of spiced cider, ginger kombucha, and cinnamon liqueur. Other possibilities include a non-alcoholic cranberry cider and a watermelon cider mimosa. A short walk will bring guests to a famed local restaurant, a “fixture” in the trendy Dartmouth neighborhood, where they can watch the chefs preparing various dishes from their reserved seating area.

INVERGORDON: CHEF-LED FORAGING & ONBOARD SCOTTISH COOKING CLASS (4 hours):
Shop in Invergordon for ingredients traditionally found in a classic Scottish chowder and learn to prepare it in a hands-on cooking class onboard. The soup Cullen Skink is named for the nearby village of Cullen and skink, a term for the beef from the front legs of a cow. While shopping for haddock and other items at George Cockburn & Son, guests will sample the butcher’s award-winning haggis, another classic Scottish dish. Select the vegetables for the soup at Black Isle, an organic brewery that also grows organic produce, before meeting back onboard and learning to prepare the soup.

VALLETTA: CHEF-LED TOUR ARTISANAL MALTA TREASURES (3 hours):
This carefully curated, small-group experience introduces guests to Maltese cuisine while sampling artisanal foods in a stunning grotto that was transformed into a restaurant decades ago. A short but scenic drive inland brings travelers to Rabat, where they will first visit a bakery that has been in the same family for generations. While showing how traditional Maltese breads are made, the baker will invite guests to help prepare a loaf and sample another bread straight from the oven. Indulge in more local specialties in the Grotto Tavern, which occupies a cave once used as a bomb shelter in World War II. In this unusual setting, guests will watch the chef prepare pastizzi – a flaky pastry stuffed with ricotta cheese or curried peas – and then enjoy samples. As an accompaniment, local cheeses such as gbejna and a special tomato paste to slather on bread will be offered. Maltese wines that may include a ruby-red melqart will also be served.

For additional information on Oceania Cruises’ small-ship luxury, exquisitely crafted cuisine, and expertly refined travel experiences, visit OceaniaCruises.com, call 855-OCEANIA, or speak with a professional travel advisor.

Aqua Expeditions adds three chef-hosted departures for 2025

Aqua Expeditions has revealed three exclusive chef-hosted departures, with two renowned gastronomic masterminds: Australian chef and restaurateur Benjamin Cross (on Aqua Blu in East Indonesia) and Peruvian legend chef Pedro Miguel (on Aqua Nera in the Peruvian Amazon).

Each chef-hosted sailing will include opportunities to personally connect with Schiaffino or Cross, to learn about the creation of their destination-specific menus, and to attend guided market tours where travelers gain a deeper understanding of local flavours.

Chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino on Aqua Nera 

  • Destination: Peruvian Amazon 
  • Dates: June 3-7, 2025; September 30- October 4, 2025 

The pioneer of rainforest-to-table cuisine, chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino creates wildly original menus that are steeped in Peruvian tradition when it comes to techniques and ingredients (some 70 percent used on board are sourced within Amazonia). Schiaffino’s razor focus is on locally sourced produce — from the rainforest straight to the dining table — and his talent for transforming unusual ingredients into authentic dishes is echoed in Aqua Nera’s culinary offerings. Menu highlights include grilled tiger catfish wrapped in bijao leaf, causa with shrimp cocktail, and paiche fish ceviche with sweet potatoes and fresh corn.  

Chef Schiaffino has always been trailblazer and deeply inspiring personality at the intersection of gastronomy and conservation, and his partnership with Aqua Expeditions extends far beyond the kitchen. Meaningful collaborations include conservation projects, such as the protection and rehabilitation of native paiche fish population, as well as work with local river communities to foster sustainably sourced produce in the Amazon take centre stage. For gourmands, aspiring chefs and travellers interested in connecting the dots between food, conservationism and sustainability, these two special sailings are not to be missed. Rates start from US$6,560 per person based on double cabin occupancy.  

Chef Benjamin Cross on Aqua Blu 

  • Destination: Komodo National Park, East Indonesia 
  • Dates: August 23 – 30, 2025 

 A region’s soul is captured not only in its landscapes and waterways but in its cuisine. In the nutmeg- and Pandan-infused dishes of Aqua Blu, guests find stories of ancient spice routes across the islands of Indonesia — over which wars were fought and kingdoms rose and fell. Aboard Aqua Blu, East Indonesia’s first resident long-range ocean explorer yacht, each meal is an adventure of its own. Guests will experience remarkable cuisine curated by chef Benjamin Cross, whose menus draw inspiration from Indonesian, European, and Mediterranean palettes. (Originally from New South Wales, Cross got his start in some of Sydney’s most acclaimed eateries before moving and settling down in Bali in 2008; he’s been a consulting chef for Aqua Blu since 2019).  

With over 160 recipes crafted exclusively for Aqua Blu’s Indonesian expeditions, chef Cross presents highlights including the 48-hour beef short rib rendang, Balinese suckling pig with bumbu Bali (Balinese spices) and organic Javanese prawns marinated in fragrant oil and lime. His personal favorite? Fresh, handline-caught fish grilled with Balinese sambal. Incorporating a variety of the region’s signature spices and flavors, the onboard menus allow explorers to embark on a multi-sensory journey of this incredible archipelago. Rates start from US$9,800 per person based on double cabin occupancy.