Oceania Cruises Launches 12 Exclusive Chef-Led Culinary Tours Across Global Destinations

Charting the course for immersive gourmet experiences ashore in the world’s most captivating destinations

MIAMI, Feb. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Oceania Cruises^®, the world’s leading culinary- and destination-focused cruise line, has expanded its signature range of immersive Culinary Discovery Tours™ with the addition of 12 new gourmet excursions for 2025.

The new chef-led tours are in diverse locations spanning the globe from Europe and the UK with new excursions in Amsterdam, Belfast, Invergordon, Valencia, and Valletta; to Asia with three new options for Japan sailings in Kobe, Kochi, and Shimizu, plus Busan in South Korea; and North America where new tours are available in Halifax, Quebec City, and Victoria.

The additions mean Oceania Cruises now offers a total of 46 Culinary Discovery Tours, available on its four larger ships, Marina™, Riviera™, Vista™, and Allura™, which debuts in July 2025.

The Culinary Discovery Tours are an integral part of the line’s renowned food-focused enrichment program, which includes The Culinary Center, the first-ever hands-on cooking school at sea, offering unparalleled experiences for gourmands wanting to learn and to explore cultures through food.

Limited to 18 guests and led by Oceania Cruises’ team of expert Chef Instructors, each of the Culinary Discovery Tours goes beyond traditional sightseeing, providing access to local markets, acclaimed restaurants, and hands-on cooking classes, both on board and ashore.

From foraging for wild sea herbs on Belfast’s rugged coast to indulging in a plant-to-plate luncheon inside an Amsterdam greenhouse where ingredients are harvested moments before they reach a guest’s fork, these tours give travelers an intimate look at local life through the lens of food and its impact on the culture and community.

In Japan, witness the precision of traditional knife-making in Kobe before a teppanyaki feast of wagyu beef, or master the art of searing bonito over an open flame in Kochi. Uncover the secrets of authentic paella on a boat ride through Valencia’s rice fields, or explore South Korea’s famed seafood markets.

Jason Montague, Chief Luxury Officer, Oceania Cruises said: “Our guests seek more than just incredible cuisine – they crave authentic connections with food, culture, and people. The Culinary Discovery Tours are true behind-the-scenes experiences, guided by top chefs who bring each destination to life and are eager to share epicurean secrets, one bite at a time. These unique excursions allow travelers to savor the essence of destinations in a way that only Oceania Cruises can deliver.”

Chef Kathryn Kelly, Oceania Cruises’ Director of Culinary Enrichment, is the founder and driving force behind The Culinary Center and the chief architect of the robust range of Culinary Discovery Tours.

She commented: “Food has the power to connect people to places in meaningful ways and our fabulous Culinary Discovery Tours provide an insider’s look at local markets, artisans, and traditions, allowing guests to take a piece of the destination home with them – not just in their memories, but in the skills and recipes they acquire along the way.”

New Culinary Discovery Tour Highlights:

KOBE: NEW CHEF-LED CULINARY JOURNEY THROUGH KOBE (6 hours):
Discover how traditional Japanese kitchen knives are masterfully crafted and watch chefs use these precision tools to expertly prepare dinner. Artisans forge the knives in different shapes and sizes depending on their specialized uses. For instance, a santoku blade is considered an ideal general-purpose knife while the sujihiki may be the best for slicing meats such as beef. Following this immersion into knife-making, dine at Teppan Grill Keyaki, an 18th-floor restaurant that overlooks medieval Osaka Castle.

BUSAN: CHEF-LED BUSAN MARKETS TOUR (4 hours):
To prepare traditional Korean dishes during the onboard cooking class, the Chef Instructor will lead guests through two local markets to forage for ingredients. First stop is the legendary Jagalchi Fish Market. Widely heralded as “the ultimate place to see seafood,” this sprawling waterfront market is the largest of its kind in Korea. As travelers browse the seemingly endless stalls, they can expect to find every imaginable marine creature, including live eels, sea squirts, and skates, which are similar to stingrays. Using a “seafood treasure map,” guests will identify and check off these unique local specimens. After touring the seafood market, stop in at the Gukje Market, known for its international selection of gourmet ingredients before returning to the ship to create authentic Korean dishes.

BELFAST: CHEF-LED TOUR OF COASTAL FLAVORS OF COUNTY DOWN (4 1⁄2 hours):
Join local chef Paul Cunningham – a competitor on the BBC cooking series “Great British Menu” – along the shore to learn about locally sourced ingredients while sampling mussels and oysters and dining on a bowl of his seafood chowder at a nearby restaurant. A pint of Guinness or another stout will be perfectly paired to complement the meal. Afterwards, pause for photos at the atmospheric ruins of Dundrum Castle, a landmark since the 13th century.

HALIFAX: CHEF-LED TOUR CIDER & CHOWDER: AUTHENTIC NOVA SCOTIA (3 hours):
Learn about the “chowder trail” and artesian cider trends that define the modern culinary scene in Nova Scotia. Guests will leave the ship and meet a local foodie guide for the first stop at the taproom of an artisanal cider maker where they will be served a flight of four vastly different hard ciders. These may be seasonal pours, year-round favorites, or mixed into cocktails such as the Apple Spice, a concoction of spiced cider, ginger kombucha, and cinnamon liqueur. Other possibilities include a non-alcoholic cranberry cider and a watermelon cider mimosa. A short walk will bring guests to a famed local restaurant, a “fixture” in the trendy Dartmouth neighborhood, where they can watch the chefs preparing various dishes from their reserved seating area.

INVERGORDON: CHEF-LED FORAGING & ONBOARD SCOTTISH COOKING CLASS (4 hours):
Shop in Invergordon for ingredients traditionally found in a classic Scottish chowder and learn to prepare it in a hands-on cooking class onboard. The soup Cullen Skink is named for the nearby village of Cullen and skink, a term for the beef from the front legs of a cow. While shopping for haddock and other items at George Cockburn & Son, guests will sample the butcher’s award-winning haggis, another classic Scottish dish. Select the vegetables for the soup at Black Isle, an organic brewery that also grows organic produce, before meeting back onboard and learning to prepare the soup.

VALLETTA: CHEF-LED TOUR ARTISANAL MALTA TREASURES (3 hours):
This carefully curated, small-group experience introduces guests to Maltese cuisine while sampling artisanal foods in a stunning grotto that was transformed into a restaurant decades ago. A short but scenic drive inland brings travelers to Rabat, where they will first visit a bakery that has been in the same family for generations. While showing how traditional Maltese breads are made, the baker will invite guests to help prepare a loaf and sample another bread straight from the oven. Indulge in more local specialties in the Grotto Tavern, which occupies a cave once used as a bomb shelter in World War II. In this unusual setting, guests will watch the chef prepare pastizzi – a flaky pastry stuffed with ricotta cheese or curried peas – and then enjoy samples. As an accompaniment, local cheeses such as gbejna and a special tomato paste to slather on bread will be offered. Maltese wines that may include a ruby-red melqart will also be served. 

For additional information on Oceania Cruises’ small-ship luxury, exquisitely crafted cuisine, and expertly refined travel experiences, visit OceaniaCruises.com, call 855-OCEANIA, or speak with a professional travel advisor.

Biography

Chef Kathryn Kelly, Director of Culinary Enrichment
Chef Kathryn Kelly is the founder and driving force behind The Culinary Center, overseeing Oceania Cruises’ faculty of dedicated Chef Instructors. She is the chief architect of more than 100 unique culinary classes as well as Oceania Cruises’ signature range of Culinary Discovery Tours™, immersive chef-led excursions offered in more than 40 destinations worldwide.

Chef Kelly was one of the first members to be inducted into Oceania Cruises’ Culinary Advisory Board in 2024 thanks to her inherent passion for food, for learning, and for sharing her incredible knowledge and skills in inclusive, lively, and informative ways.

She serves alongside the Board’s co-chairs – Master Chef Jacques Pépin, chef and television personality Giada De Laurentiis, and the line’s two Master Chefs of France and Executive Culinary Directors, Alex Quaretti and Eric Barale.

Chef Kelly completed her doctoral studies in Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and holds two master’s degrees in Community Medicine and Biostatistics. After a fulfilling career in health care, she pursued her lifelong dream of becoming a chef, graduating with honors from The Culinary Institute of America in the fifth decade of her life. Chef Kelly resides on Amelia Island, Florida, and in Austin, Texas. She is an avid golfer and the proud grandmother of her three “little sous chefs,” Kate, Luke, and Jack.

About Oceania Cruises
Oceania Cruises^® is the world’s leading culinary- and destination-focused cruise line. The line’s eight small, luxurious ships carry a maximum of 1,250 guests and feature The Finest Cuisine at Sea^® and destination-rich itineraries that span the globe. Expertly curated travel experiences are available aboard the designer-inspired, small ships, which call on more than 600 marquee and boutique ports in more than 100 countries on seven continents, on voyages that range from seven to more than 200 days. Oceania Cruises^® has two additional ships on order scheduled for delivery in 2027 and 2028 or 2029¹. Oceania Cruises^® is a wholly owned subsidiary of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: NCLH). To learn more, visit www.nclhltd.com.

¹ Delivery for the second Oceania Cruises ship is contractually scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2028, but may be delayed to 2029.

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SOURCE Oceania Cruises