Forget the all-you-can-eat buffets and predictable menus. A new wave of cruises is prioritizing quality over quantity, offering curated dining experiences that rival the best restaurants on land.
Until last spring, the longest I’d spent on a boat was a ferry ride, whose food options are geared toward getting you from A to B. I had never considered myself a “cruise person”—the thought of boarding a gigantic ship catering to thousands of tourists was a turn-off. After all, how good could the food be? That all changed during a recent cruise along the French Riviera, which brought us from Nice to Cassis to Saint-Tropez and back. I realized I’d been wrong all along.
The journey was so peaceful, scenic, and stress-free—and, importantly—filled with countless Mediterranean delicacies such as grilled fish, fresh pasta, and fragrant local cheeses. Le Ponant is not alone in this relatively new, niche approach to dining on the water. A number of companies are leaning into quality over quantity, investing in smaller ships and reimagining their food and beverage offerings. What that means is, if you take a cruise nowadays, you’re more likely to dock in less-frequented ports and be offered local, seasonal foods and beverages on par with those available on dry land. Here are some of the best cruises for food lovers, luxury liners to keep your eye on the next time you’re looking to head out to sea—and eat well while you’re at it. Founded by former officers of the French Merchant Navy, this company first set sail three decades ago. Its flagship, the eponymous three-mast sailing yacht, is now the smallest in the 13-ship fleet and was fully refurbished in 2022. Sixteen staterooms accommodate up to 32 guests, which means the staff remembers your name. Meals are held in Le Diamant, the haute cuisine restaurant, where I savored seafood purchased that very morning at the Saint-Tropez fish market, including local daurade with herb butter sauce. An onboard sommelier is on hand to offer thoughtful pairings; I kept going back to the rosé we drank at Domaine de la Ferme Blanche in Cassis, an excursion highlight. In 2025, this company will ring in its first voyages to Puerto Rico with local guest chef “takeovers” by the likes of José Andrés, making class in addition to rum tastings and a tembleque dessert demo. A favorite of nautical enthusiasts, Sea Cloud spends as much time as possible “under sail”—without engines, a feather in the brand’s sustainability cap. Explora’s two new ships (Explora I and Explora II) boast nine dining options that serve everything from charcuterie to 30-day-aged prime rib to cooked-to-order pasta, in addition to round-the-clock in-suite dining. The Chef’s Kitchen seats up to a dozen guests and enlists those passengers to help source and cook their meals alongside trained instructors. At Anthology, the “global fine dining” venue, passengers can expect buzzy takeovers from Michelin-starred chefs; recent invitees include Emma Bengtsson of Aquavit in New York City and Claude Le Tohic of ONE65 in San Francisco. Silversea’s S.A.L.T. (Sea, Air, Land, Taste) culinary program has been turning heads in recent years with itineraries that put food front and center. Expect curated shore excursions focused on regional ingredients, onboard cooking classes by award-winning chefs, and guest lectures by regional experts—all tied to each location’s culinary heritage (think: ceviche-making workshops on South American itineraries or Moroccan spice-blending primers off the coast of North Africa). River cruises let you explore locales beyond the coast, which can make for less touristy travel experiences. Riviera Cruises gives passengers a taste of mainland Europe via waterways that have fostered trade and commerce for millennia. For instance, on food-themed trips such as Gastronomy of the Seine, passengers tour a historical cider house in Normandy, sample local cheeses, and eat their fill of traditional buckwheat crêpes at the oldest crêperie in Honfleur. Many cruises schedule mealtimes in specific dining areas, but Seabourn gives guests the freedom to dine wherever, sans reservation—room service included. The on-site sushi bar slices and rolls made-to-order sashimi and handrolls, while The Patio offers poolside burgers, pizza, and salads. Beverage-wise, Seabourn is keeping up with the times with its inventive selection of non-alcoholic cocktails such as the Amalfi spritz, with non-alcoholic rosé and Lyre’s Italian Orange non-alcoholic aperitivo. Celestia’s single ship, a phinisi-style wooden sailing yacht that sleeps 14 guests, operates solely in the Indonesian archipelago. There are three itineraries to choose from: Raja Ampat, Komodo National Park, or the Spice Islands. The dishes are designed by Wayan Kresna Yasa, the celebrated Balinese chef and cookbook author who honed his craft in high-end New York City restaurants; some meals are cooked over open flame on the beach. All voyages are via private charter only, so you won’t have to worry about sharing quarters with strangers. Ritz-Carlton presides over a fleet of medium-size ships accommodating 300 to 500 guests, but they don’t feel crowded thanks to soaring public spaces and private terraces in each suite
CRUISES FOOD CULINARY EXPERIENCES LUXURY TRAVEL SMALL SHIP CRUISES FINE DINING SUSTAINABILITY
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