This New Cruise Ship Puts Food Lovers First — In and Out of Its Restaurants

The journalist behind me became my cruise chaperone during the experience. “Every cruise line is different,” she explained. “Oceania’s thing is the food. Some guests come just for the food.”

That’s not just a passenger observation that any quick Google search will confirm. It’s a reputation that Oceania is proud to uphold, going as far as to say on its website that it’s a cruise line “built by foodies, run by foodies, for foodies.”

And according to Oceania Cruises’ Executive Culinary Director, Chef Alexis Quaretti, Allura “represents the next step in [the cruise line’s] culinary evolution.”

Photos: Keven Gungor

When it comes to deciding what culinary offerings a new ship will have, a food-forward cruise line like Oceania has two considerations to weigh: how to evolve onboard dining while continuing to provide guests with the food service they’ve come to expect and love. In Allura’s case, passenger feedback had a big impact.

The ship will feature several dining options, including Toscana (a Tuscan-inspired restaurant serving dishes like pillowy hand-rolled gnocchi), Red Ginger (a pan-Asian restaurant featuring a blend of Thai, Korean, Japanese, and other Asian cuisines), The Crêperie (a new venue that you can only experience on Allura for waffles, Italian ice cream, and of course crépes), and Jacques (a French restaurant sharing regional favorites like coq au vin and duck confit).

The last restaurant in that list is named after the cruise line’s “culinary patriarch,” Jacques Pépin, who served as Oceania’s very first Executive Culinary Director.

Chef Quaretti describes Jacques as one of the cruise line’s “most beloved restaurants.” That’s why it will not only make an appearance on Allura but also be brought to Vista this year. However, in the spirit of evolution, the menu at Allura’s Jacques will weave in “new flavors and experiences” alongside longtime favorites.

My meal at Jacques covered every texture, from crispy flakes enveloping Provençal spinach fritter to lobster bathing in a creamy mushroom sauce, tenderly moist veal medallion, and stuffed cream puffs drenched in a decadent chocolate sauce. Naturally, dishes were paired with wine according to the most patriotic French colors: rosé, white, and red.

Photos: Keven Gungor

Oceania’s culinary staff hails from some of the most celebrated international restaurants, with Chef Quaretti and fellow Executive Culinary Director, Chef Eric Barale, both being official members of the prestigious Maîtres Cuisiniers de France (translating to “Master Chefs of France” in English). Both also have professional experience at Michelin-starred institutions.

Some of the culinary team’s inspiration comes from staying on top of global trends in major food cities like New York City, Paris, and Sydney. But the cruise line also looks to the destinations where its ships travel for culinary inspiration. Perhaps the best example of this is its Chef’s Market Dinners, which are hosted in the Terrace Café found aboard each ship.

Chef Quaretti explains that these dinners have themes centered around “the local ingredients and the regions or country the ship is visiting.” Chefs visit local markets in port to stock up on whatever’s fresh and exciting. Back on the ship, these ingredients are transformed into a multi-course, destination-inspired dinner that connects cruisers with the world around them.

Oenophiles cruising on four of Oceania’s ships, including Allura, can also participate in wine- and Champagne-pairing experiences that make the culinary offerings sing. During these experiences, Chef Quaretti tells Matador Network, “the dishes are created for the wine rather than the other way around.”

One example of this is a Dom Pérignon experience; another is a Cellar Master’s Wine Pairing lunch, which is served alongside a five-course meal.

Photos: Keven Gungor

I thought I’d learned my lesson on Oceania’s culinary highlights when my group was ushered into what looked like a test kitchen from The Food Network, with a bunch of workstations that each had a stove, an apron, and cooking utensils ready for use.

This was the ship’s Culinary Center where passengers can sign up for classes with master chefs. In these adult-only classes, couples, friends, and relatives gather to sip wine while learning to cook both traditional and creative meals via the experts on board.

These classes are not for amateurs hoping to get tipsy while chopping up carrots and gossiping with other passengers, Chef Kathryn Kelly revealed to my group. In this classroom, students are really cooking — learning the ins and outs of the kitchen and the nuances of food preparation to return home with new recipes, techniques, and skills.

For those nervous around knives, Oceania also has Culinary Discovery Tours. According to Chef Kelly, these tours were inspired by passengers’ curiosity regarding where the chefs go when ships dock at port. Where do they hang out when they get to Italy, France, or Greece?

Chef Kelly would tell these inquisitive guests that this is her time to explore local marketplaces and tucked-away food spots. Soon enough, passengers began to join chefs on their excursions, which eventually led to this trademark experience. For well-traveled guests who’ve already been to the port destinations, or who want to live as locals do once they step off the ship, these tours allow for the exploration of fresh ingredients and a taste of authentic regional cuisine.

With an 18-person cap to keep the experience intimate, Oceania’s destination tours are available all over the world, including port stops like Barcelona, Spain; Cozumel, Mexico; and Istanbul, Türkiye.

Allura is the latest example of why Oceania has the reputation it does for being the food lover’s cruise line — and why that reputation continues to grow. The jury’s still out on when my first true cruise expedition will be, but taking another look at the photos I took of the elegant dishes at Jacques makes my stomach grumble enough to consider Allura’s inaugural sailing to Athens, Greece, this July.