Oceania Cruises Announces First Annual ‘Culinary Masters’ Cruise

Oceania Cruises, the world’s leading culinary and destination-focused cruise line, has announced that in October 2024, it will host its first annual ‘Culinary Masters Cruise’ onboard Marina. This unique cruise will be hosted by Oceania Cruises’ two Master Chefs of France, Alexis Quaretti and Eric Barale, and provides the ideal chance to study, taste, and be immersed in the culinary arts.

On 16 October 2024, the 1,250-guest ship will set sail from Valletta, Malta, to Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy, pausing at ports in Croatia, Greece, and Italy, allowing visitors to explore local cuisines ashore and on board.

“Oceania Cruises is a cruise line built by foodies, run by foodies, for foodies,” said Oceania Cruises President Frank A. Del Rio. “We have put food at the heart of everything we do since our inception 20 years ago, so hosting our first-ever Culinary Masters’ Cruise is a natural evolution for us.” This special sailing allows us to demonstrate our immense pride in having two of our chefs inducted into the prestigious echelons of the Maîtres Cuisiniers de France and share their wisdom, creative talent, and fantastic culinary connections with our guests.”

Marina and her sister Riviera were the world’s first real foodie ships, and they are now joined by Vista, which debuted to global acclaim in May of this year, and Allura, which will join the fleet in spring 2025. The Marina and Riviera feature any ship’s most galley capacity and fresh food storage. Oceania Cruises has a higher number of culinary professionals dedicated to the dining experience of any cruise line. To ensure the highest quality of each dish, the line has one chef for every ten guests; half of the crew on board is dedicated to food preparation or service.

Marina and her sister ship Riviera were also the first to feature a cooking school on board. The Culinary Centres on board the line’s newest ships, Vista and Allura, have been doubled in size due to their enormous success.

The first Culinary Masters’ Cruise is designed to immerse guests in true gastronomic heaven while learning about Oceania Cruises’ gourmet history and future from the amazing culinary team. There will be onstage panel discussions with experts and live culinary demonstrations with Chef Alex, Oceania Cruises’ Senior Culinary Director, and Chef Eric, Vice President of Culinary, and their special guests.

All guests will be invited to Oceania Cruises’ legendary signature gala seafood brunch, which is usually reserved for ship launches, as well as themed Chef’s Market Dinners in The Terrace Café, which will use ingredients bought from local markets by the onboard culinary team and will be inspired by the destinations visited.

There will also be the opportunity to purchase bespoke experiences available only on this voyage, such as culinary tours in local ports, hands-on cooking workshops guided by Oceania Cruises’ respected culinary staff, expert-led wine tastings, or an exclusive private dinner event.

“Oceania Cruises is already a proven leader in the culinary field, and we are excited to expand our already astounding offering with this exclusive cruise, which focuses on some of the finest destinations and cuisines in the world, to make this the ultimate cruise for food lovers,” said Chef Alex

The Culinary Masters’ Cruise itinerary is as irresistible as the cuisine served on board. Marina will sail from Valletta, Malta’s historic capital, which has numerous international connections through London, Frankfurt, Munich, and Paris, among others, for a day at sea before launching into a spectacular menu of Mediterranean and Adriatic ports of call: beautiful Kotor, Montenegro; Croatian gems Dubrovnik and Split; charming Bari, Italy; the Greek ports of Corfu and Katakolon; and then onto Italy, for the final day in foodie-heaven Naples, before finishing Rome (Civitavecchia).