Dining onboard cruise ships

A century ago steerage-class passengers were served hot soup and stew during voyages, while those in first class were treated to lavish multi-course meals. Today the stores of the armada of cruise ships that grace our oceans are filled to overflowing with enough high-quality produce to satisfy the whims and caprices of the most demanding seaborne palates.

There’s no disputing that in recent years, the demand for additional onboard venues offering fine cuisine has increased and cruise lines have listened. When you pick up a brochure it’s a given there will be plenty of boasting about epicurean excellence. And it’s not just ultra-luxury ships that cook up superlatives when referring to their gastronomy – most premium cruise lines have a variety of speciality restaurants where dining pleasures are writ large.

One culinary fad that’s been increasingly flaunted by cruise lines are designated ‘gourmet cruises’ where the emphasis is on epicurean delights as much as idyllic destinations. This on-trend concept not only ensures the cuisine goes up a notch or two, guest chefs revel in this schmooze fest by talking shop and sharing a laugh, while many ports of call lend themselves to culinary explorations.

Crystal Cruises’ ‘Wine & Food Festival’ brings together culinary experts from around the world on selected sailings; Oceania Cruises offer ‘Culinary Masterpiece’ cruises; Seabourn Cruise Line offer ‘Epicurean Quest’ sailings, and Silversea Cruises frequently add ‘Culinary Expeditions’ to their roster of voyages.

However for most Brit’s it’s P&O Cruises’ ‘Food Heroes’ concept that’s raised the bar when it comes to cuisine at sea. These dedicated cruises include cookery demonstrations, master-classes, hosted dinners, book signings, Q&A sessions and hosted food or wine-related shore excursions in specific ports of call. Among the brightest lights of the British culinary scene, each ‘Food Hero’ creates an exciting array of dishes to suit all tastes.

The roll-call of celebrity chefs includes: James Martin, Marco Pierre White, Atul Kochhar, Eric Lanlard, Charlie Turnbull and Olly Smith. Passengers sailing aboard Azura, Britannia and Ventura can enjoy ‘The Epicurean’ where the P&O Cruises’ team of executive chefs have come up with a menu where fresh, seasonal British ingredients are presented to achieve maximum flavour. For more details about cruise cuisine speak to our experienced team on 0800 484 0370.