Courtesy of Oceania Cruises.

Oceania Cruises continues to demonstrate its commitment to create the finest cuisine at sea by honoring Food Network’s only female Iron Chef, Cat Cora, as godmother of their newest ship Riviera.

Cora will name the ship in Barcelona at a lavish, invitation-only christening ceremony on May 11, which will culminate with a 15-liter Nebuchadnezzar of champagne, custom-made by Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, commemoratively breaking against the hull of the 1,250-guest ship.

Riviera is the second new ship launched by Oceania Cruises in under 18 months. Designed for epicureans, Riviera features 10 dining venues – six of which are gourmet restaurants – plus a Bon Appétit Culinary Center for hands-on learning and La Reserve by Wine Spectator, a professional facility for wine tastings and pairing dinners.

“Cat Cora’s passion for fine cuisine and her focus on the dining experience captures the essence of what we do every day,” stated Kunal S. Kamlani, Oceania Cruises’ president. “We are all excited to have her christen our newest ship and are proud to welcome her to the Oceania Cruises family.” [Read more →]

Courtesy of Celebrity Cruises.

Celebrity Cruises wants its guests to spend more of their time enjoying their vacation on its luxurious ships, and less time arranging the details of what they are going to do onboard. Following the success of its award-winning beverage package program, Celebrity has added new flavor to its packaging strategy by introducing a new specialty dining package program aimed at offering vacationers a simple way to explore fresh tastes while at sea. [Read more →]

Courtesy of Holland America Line.

This summer, tantalizing new dishes from Holland America Line’s esteemed Culinary Council will begin to be featured on the main dining room menu of the line’s 15 ships. The six Culinary Council chefs are each providing recipes for signature dishes and desserts that showcase their expertise and specialties.

Culinary Council members include Council Chairman and Holland America Line Master Chef Rudi Sodamin, along with renowned international chefs Jonnie Boer, David Burke, Marcus Samuelsson, Jacques Torres and Charlie Trotter.

“Our Culinary Council is a ‘dream team’ of chefs from around the world, and the exceptional dishes they have shared are unique expressions of their cultural backgrounds, skills and passion for the culinary arts,” said Richard Meadows, CTC, executive vice president, marketing, sales and guests programs. “We continuously strive to provide our guests with exclusive experiences, and offering them the chance to enjoy the delights of these celebrated chefs during their cruise is an incredible opportunity.” [Read more →]

Courtesy of Oceania Cruises.

Oceania Cruises’ new Marina is destined to set new standards for culinary excellence at sea with 10 dining venues, six of which are no-charge, gourmet restaurants. The 1,250-guest ship, which debuts later this month, was designed for food and wine lovers with an ambitious goal to offer dining experiences comparable to the very best shore-side restaurants.

[Read more →]

Courtesy of Holland America Line.

Holland America Line is adding another famous partnership to its innovative culinary program as it enters into an exclusive agreement with the illustrious Le Cirque restaurant to offer “An Evening at Le Cirque” in the Pinnacle Grill aboard its fleet of 15 ships.

Holland America Line’s Master Chef Rudi Sodamin is working with Le Cirque’s Executive Chef Craig Hopson to re-create the legendary eatery’s whimsical ambiance and award-winning dining experience on board — from serving the cuisine on fanciful orange Le Cirque china to featuring the restaurant’s famous crème brûlée. [Read more →]

By: The Cruise Web, Inc.

There are lots of attractions on a cruise, but one of the best can be the dining experience. Whenever I cruise I try and sample one or more of the specialty restaurants on the ship. This gives you a change of pace in the decor and cuisine as well as service. Especially if you want to celebrate a birthday, anniversary or some other milestone, the specialty restaurant makes a good choice. I am frankly not a “foodie,” a food snob, or for that matter much of a cook. I love diner burgers and fries as well as the next guy. But evenings I’ve spent at specialty restaurants have given me more of an appreciation for the artistry and subtlety of fine cuisine.

Although you may pay a bit extra (about $15 – $30 per passenger) for the experience, you often can get a six-star dining evening at a fraction of the cost you would pay to do so on land. Although there is always plenty to eat, the emphasis is on the quality of the cuisine. The presentation and unobtrusive yet consistent service contribute to a memorable dinner as you leisurely linger through each course. I always enjoy the palate cleansers mid-meal that typically are part of the experience. This comes from the French custom, to remove lingering flavors from the mouth so your next course can be enjoyed with a fresh perspective. It also serves as a digestive–to avoid heartburn or indigestion, plus to stimulate the appetite. It might be sorbet, a neutral food, or a light beverage. [Read more →]

A compilation from The Cruise Web employees.

Whether it’s a romantic candlelit dinner with champagne or breakfast in bed, indulging in cruise ship cuisine, or “cruisine,” is always one of the most rewarding cruise experiences. No where else combines the unparalleled food, service, and atmosphere delivered with cruise ship dining, and no one knows this better than our veteran cruisers. We hope you’ll enjoy reading as The Cruise Web’s employees look back on some of their most memorable dining experiences:

Heather Wasson
The level of service and quality of food in the Crown’s Grill was comparable to a Ruth’s Chris here at 1/4 of the price!

Check your daily newsletter for the midnight buffet.  It’s a highlight of the trip!  Even if you’re not hungry, go up for the show.  The chefs spend all day prepping food and making really cool displays.  It’s amazing to see the watermelons cut out into works of art.  It’s hilarious to see little creatures created from food.  I’m awed by how creative they are. [Read more →]

Courtesy of Celebrity Cruises.

The world’s top-rated restaurants are often showplaces for art and design, and beginning April 26, in-the-know food followers can experience a new venue whose cuisine is an engaging combination of both. But they won’t find it through MapQuest, and their GPS will find it tough to track, too…since it’s moving. That’s because the new restaurant, “Qsine,” can be found only on Celebrity Eclipse, the third of five ships in Celebrity Cruises’ stylish, $3.7-billion Solstice Class fleet.

The brainchild of Celebrity’s Vice President of Culinary Operations, Chef Jacques Van Staden, Qsine presents guests with an unexpected, modern approach to familiar dishes from around the world.

“Our guests love new and different dining experiences, and we’ve designed Qsine to deliver that in a big way,” said Van Staden. “Qsine is designed to offer a globally-influenced blend of nostalgic and contemporary favorites, artfully presented with elements of surprise.” [Read more →]

By The Cruise Web, Inc.

Food… cruising… food… cruising… food… cruising. Everyone associates cruising with food. “Oh my, I ate so much on my cruise.” “I gained 5 pounds on my cruise.” “When I moved from the front to the back of the ship I think I felt the ship tip a bit.” There is always an abundance of food choices on a cruise.  From the vast breakfast buffets to the elegant gourmet dinners, a cruiser is faced with an endless parade of goodies!! Fear not, you can enjoy it all and NOT gain weight. [Read more →]