News
Luxury cruising has always been synonymous with exceptional food. Standards of dining on board luxury small ships are always rising, and this means the cruise lines are constantly innovating in order to delight repeat guests and attract a new clientele who are looking for an experience that can match or surpass the very best land-based options. Recently there have been some interesting developments from several of our favourite lines to achieve just this, from Michel Roux to chefs from Top Chef USA, so here we take a look at the some of the most exciting…
Explora Journeys
Chef Claude Le Tohic has been unveiled as the third guest chef of Anthology, Explora Journeys' exceptional restaurant that hosts short tenures of the world's most talented chefs.
Having earned three Michelin stars at Joël Robuchon at the MGM Grand Las Vegas, he'll be taking time away from the single Michelin star O' by Claude Le Tohic in San Francisco to curate speciality menus with wine parings on board Explora I until June this year, sailing the North and Central American Pacific coast, transiting the Panama Canal, and crossing to the Mediterranean.
Crystal
Crystal have announced a partnership with the global brand Beefbar which has locations including Paris, Milan, Hong Kong, London and more, offering an exquisite selection of prime cuts and innovative culinary creations including a variety of vegetarian and vegan options as well as speciality cocktails.
Open for lunch and dinner, this exciting new offering will be available in Tastes, alongside the venue's existing signature dishes, and debuts later this year.
Cunard
Anyone upset by the closure of Mayfair's Le Gavroche will be relieved to hear that two Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux will be offering his exclusive series of Le Gavroche residencies at sea on board Cunard's newest ship, Queen Anne during Norwegian Fjords sailings on 29 May, 30 August, and 13 November 2026, as well as an Iceland voyage on 26 July 2026, all with convenient round-trip Southampton departures.
Enjoy a curated menu showcasing a beautiful variety of Michel Roux's signature seafood specialities and elevated culinary classics along with talks from Michel who will share stories from his illustrious 40-plus-year career.
Scenic
Scenic's charismatic VP Oceans Hotel Operations and mastermind of the Scenic Eclipse's outstanding culinary offering, Tom Götter, will be joined by guest chefs for culinary fun on two expeditions with a variety of enhancements, including a pop-up restaurant and a live Chef's Challenge which will see Chef Tom go head-to-head in a live challenge against his esteemed guests.
The first voyage is the soon-to-depart 20th May 2024 Kimberley sailing which will welcome alongside Dale MacKay, winner of Top Chef Canada, and the second is the 12th November 2024 Rhythms of the Brazilian Coastline voyage with runner-up of the U.S.-based Top Chef World All-Stars competition, Gabri Rodriguez.
Seabourn
Seabourn have begun their roll out of Solis, a new dining concept that commenced on Seabourn Quest in January and is currently being introduced to Seabourn Encore, Seabourn Ovation and Seabourn Sojourn.
Offering light, modern Mediterranean cuisine bursting with colour and character it's the brainchild of longtime Seabourn partners, Master Chef Anton Egger and Senior Corporate Chef Franck Salein, the culinary masterminds behind two of Seabourn's most popular dining concepts - Earth & Ocean and Sushi. Hosted in the former Thomas Keller restaurant, delicious dishes, an accompanying vintage cocktail menu and alfresco dining area ideal for a late sail away are proving popular.
Oceania
Founding father of Oceania's 'the finest cuisine at sea' philosophy Jacques Pépin, a legend in the culinary world, has recently taken a step back from his duties at Oceania, handing the baton of culinary excellence over to French Master Chefs Eric Barale and Alexis Quaretti who have been promoted to Executive Culinary Directors.
Having worked together for the past 20 years we expect to see an evolution rather than revolution of Oceania's highly regarded dining experience.
