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Pretty much all the major cruise lines operate on the basis that food is a big part of the appeal, but some go the extra mile with their culinary offerings. Here are some of the top food & wine cruises that are whetting our appetite right now.
The best pizza at sea
Princess Cruises claims to offer the Best Pizza at Sea and although we’re by no means qualified to comment on that, it would seem they are doing their best to consolidate their reputation by hiring one of the big guns of pizza-making. Earlier this year, Princess embarked on a culinary collaboration with 13-time World Pizza Champion, Tony Gemignani.
The chef and cookbook author, who hails from Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco, has created five unique pizzas for Princess, each with an exciting blend of flavours and premium ingredients from Soppressata sausage and hot honey to Gorgonzola and sweet fig preserve.
Gemignani’s artisan, hand-crafted pizzas initially debuted at Alfredo’s, on board the new Sun Princess, with plans to extend to the rest of the fleet. Princess’s other recent culinary collaborations include world-famous butcher Dario Cecchini, sushi master Makoto Okuwa, celebrity mixologist Rob Floyd, world-renowned artist Romero Britto, master winemaker Gerard Bertrand, and chef Rudi Sodamin.
We had the pleasure of meeting Sodamin when we cruised from Vancouver to Los Angeles on board Discovery Princess with the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association last year. What a character he is (not to mention a very fine chef). While on that cruise, we had the opportunity to do Princess’s 360 Dining Experience, a multi-sensory 7-course experience which is truly extraordinary.
The head of culinary arts for Princess, Sodamin collaborated with artist Romero Britto in creating Love by Britto, a high-end specialty restaurant on the Sun Princess. Showcasing the harmony between food, art and love, the 7-course menu is said to be a feast for the eyes and the palate. If it’s anything like the quality of the 360 Dining Experience, we can believe it.
More information: Tel: 13 24 88 or www.princess.com
Gastronomy of Switzerland and the Rhine
Riviera Travel River Cruises has given its popular Rhine Cruise to Switzerland a delicious foodie twist, and the good news is that there are some great discounts to be had if you book by December 15. For a group of 8 travelling on the 8-day ‘Gastronomy of Switzerland and the Rhine’ cruise, one in 8 travels free plus a discount of $1,000 off per person is on offer for the other 7 in the group.
Pairing scenery and gastronomy, the cruise sails from Basel to Cologne, departing on August 12, 2025. Along the way, guests will dive deeper into the history and culture of the region and enjoy authentic culinary experiences. Highlights include a mountain-top feast in Stanserhorn where guests will sample Älplermagronen, a Swiss alpine version of macaroni and cheese in a revolving restaurant 1,900 metres above sea level.
Guests will also get to sample Black Forest cake in the Black Forest, tour the cellars of an artisan vinegar manufacturer in Speyer, visit a renowned chocolate museum in Cologne, and enjoy local delicacies such as tarte flambee, Munster cheese and kugelhopf (sweet bun) in Strasbourg.
Riviera Travel River cruises is the United Kingdom’s leading cruise operator with a dedicated sales team across the Australian market. The company also offers gourmet cruises on the Danube, Seine and Douro Rivers, and a combined Rhine/Moselle cruise.
More information: 1300 749 097 (in Australia) or www.rivieratravel.com.au
Oceania’s cooking school at sea
Fifteen years ago, Oceania Cruises introduced The Culinary Center, the first-ever hands-on cooking school at sea, on board Marina, Oceania’s first purpose-built foodie-ship. The Culinary Center has since expanded to three more Oceania ships, Riviera, Vista, and Allura, the latter due to join the fleet in 2025.
Classes in The Culinary Center offer the chance to explore a destination’s culture and history through food, and to hone core kitchen skills with dedicated Chef Instructors. The custom-built teaching kitchens have individual stations and professional-grade equipment.
Culinary Discovery Tours are a key part of the culinary program. These chef-led excursions visit local markets and artisans before returning to the ship to cook destination-inspired dishes. Culinary tours are available in more than 40 destinations worldwide.
Classes in Oceania’s 2025 culinary program include Culinary Northwest Passage, inspired by innovative chefs from Seattle to Anchorage; Down Under Abundance, celebrating the sea, the mountains, and the vineyards of Australia and New Zealand; It’s a Dessert Party; South Seas Salt Life, celebrating Polynesian cuisine; and Snow Days Brunch, complete with warming cocktails. Sounds divine!
More information: www.oceaniacruises.com
Epicurean Expeditions to the Mediterranean
Atlas Ocean Voyages caters to culinary connoisseurs with its 2025 program of Epicurean Expeditions to the Mediterranean, featuring immersive food and wine experiences from the bustling markets of Barcelona to the historic streets of Rome.
Every Epicurean Expedition features cooking demonstrations, tastings, and an impressive line-up of guest chefs, vintners, and culinary experts guiding explorations onboard and ashore. Atlas offers an intimate yachting experience with fewer than 200 guests per cruise.
The 2025 itineraries include a 15-night Ionian Interlude departing Barcelona on May 5; 11-night Adriatic Wine Routes departing Venice on June 10; and 14-night Spanish Horizons departing Lisbon on October 15.
More information: www.atlasoceanvoyages.com
West Australian seafood extravaganza
Closer to home, Sea West promises a feast of fabulous Western Australian produce on its half-day cruises out of Mandurah and Rottnest Island.
Mandurah Cruises’ Murray River Lunch Cruise is a leisurely cruise (on a different Murray from the one in the east), passing beautiful natural scenery, historic points of interest, and luxury canal homes. Enjoy a buffet lunch while bottlenose dolphins play around the bow.
More luxe is Mandurah Cruises’ Wild Seafood Experience and Rottnest Cruises’ Luxe Island Seafood Cruise, both of which offer guests the opportunity of catching a Western Rock Lobster before enjoying a seafood extravaganza.
Reel Affair II, departing from Mandurah, one hour south of Perth, serves a deluxe 8-course lunch starring lobster straight out of the ocean, along with other local seafood including Abrolhos Island scallops, Fremantle octopus, Shark Bay tiger prawns, Cone Bay barramundi, and premium WA wines.
A similar offering is served on board Crusader III out of Rottnest Island, with executive chef Tony Howell designing the four-hour epicurean odyssey menu. The all-inclusive drinks list includes house-made gin cocktails, premium Margaret River wines and locally brewed craft beer.
While anchored in a pristine bay off Rottnest Island, guests have the option for a swim or to blissfully relax on a sundeck while taking in sweeping island views. It sounds like bliss indeed.
More information: www.mandurahcruises.com.au and www.rottnestcruises.com
