Oceania Cruises is celebrating 15 years of culinary innovation at sea with exciting new classes and food-focused experiences.
In 2008, the cruise line introduced The Culinary Center aboard Marina, the world’s first purpose-built foodie ship, offering guests a unique opportunity to engage in hands-on cooking courses. Today, the program has expanded to four of Oceania’s ships—Marina, Riviera, Vista and the soon-to-debut Allura, which will join the fleet in Summer 2025.
New Culinary Classes for 2025
To commemorate this milestone, Oceania has introduced a new lineup of culinary classes for 2025 and beyond, spotlighting the flavors and culinary traditions of regions such as the Pacific Northwest, Polynesia and Australia.
The Culinary Center offers more than 60 classes that delve into local cuisine, allowing guests to explore a destination’s culture through food. Whether it’s learning essential kitchen skills or mastering regional specialties, each class is taught in state-of-the-art teaching kitchens equipped with individual cooking stations and professional-grade equipment.
“We are the only cruise line built by foodies, for foodies,” said Frank A. Del Rio, President of Oceania Cruises, in a press statement. “Food is at the heart of everything we do, from designing our ships to offering unparalleled dining experiences. The Culinary Center continues to be a cornerstone of our commitment to exceptional culinary journeys, and we’re thrilled to see its lasting popularity.”
The chef behind this program is Kathryn Kelly, Oceania’s Director of Culinary Enrichment and the founder of The Culinary Center. She and her team of 11 instructors lead a range of cooking classes designed to offer both culinary education and immersion in the local food scene. Chef Kelly is also responsible for the line’s Culinary Discovery Tours, where guests can learn to cook destination-inspired dishes after visiting local markets for ingredients.
Culinary Course Highlights Include:
- Culinary Northwest Passage: This class is inspired by the innovative chefs from Seattle to Anchorage. The Pacific Northwest food scene embraces seasonality and is often revered as the farm- and sea-to-table bedrock of modern American cuisine. This class also includes some of our guests’ favorite fish and seafood fundamentals.
- Down Under Abundance: When our chefs travel to New Zealand and Australia, they marvel at the abundance of ingredients here. The seafood is diverse, and the meats are prized all over the world. Working with our “down under” chef colleagues, we’ve created a class that celebrates the sea, the mountains, and the vineyards of this special region of the world.
- It’s a Dessert Party: Guests join the chefs at 8 p.m. for a dessert and beverages class before the evening show begins. They might prepare a decadent lava cake paired with a glass of Champagne, or make a crêpes Suzette paired with a Grand Marnier spritzer.
For additional information, visit OceaniaCruises.com.
