Travelers aboard Oceania Cruises ships Marina and Riviera during the 2018 European season can choose from an expanded selection of culinary classes. The cruise line has added 16 new hands-on experiences designed to deepen guests’ knowledge of global cooking techniques and regional flavors.
“In The Culinary Center, guests cook under the instruction of faculty members who are experienced chefs and restaurateurs who have apprenticed under some of the world’s most renowned chefs,” said Kathryn Kelly, director of culinary enrichment at Oceania Cruises. “We continually introduce new classes to keep the program fresh for returning guests. This season we’re especially proud to offer our most diverse line-up yet, including the first-ever knife-skills-only class available at sea.”
Featured classes include Slice: Mastering Chef Knife Skills, Rethink the Crêpe and The Nordic Kitchen. For Slice, Oceania Cruises partnered with the Zwilling Company, maker of J.A. Henckels knives, to teach sharpening and maintenance, a range of professional knife cuts and safe mandolin use. Every participant receives a voucher for Zwilling knives as a takeaway from the class.
Rethink the Crêpe examines how crêpes are interpreted around the world, exploring both sweet and savory variations and regional techniques that transform a simple batter into diverse dishes.
The Nordic Kitchen introduces guests to Scandinavian and Baltic specialties, such as Estonian fish soup, Nordic salmon rillettes, traditionally cured gravlax and classic Swedish meatballs, highlighting preservation methods and flavor profiles unique to the region.
“As the only cruise line focused specifically on food, we aim to offer guests authentic, hands-on culinary experiences that immerse them in the food cultures they visit,” said Bob Binder, president and CEO of Oceania Cruises. “Cuisine is central to European culture, and our faculty convey that passion through classes that feel celebratory rather than purely instructional—combining tasting, a bit of wine and practical learning for memorable experiences.”
Beyond those highlights, the new offerings span a wide range of cuisines and techniques. Additional classes cover Mediterranean cooking, Moroccan and Turkish specialties, dishes inspired by the ancient Roman Empire, brunch hosting and service, techniques for cooking with fresh market ingredients, traditional and modern Greek cuisine, grilling methods, seafood selection and preparation, Spanish and Sicilian regional cooking, and sessions led by the cruise line’s executive culinary director.
These expanded culinary programs are designed for a variety of skill levels, from curious home cooks seeking inspiration to more experienced food enthusiasts looking to refine technique. Onboard sessions emphasize practical instruction, cultural context and tasting opportunities so participants leave with new skills and recipes they can recreate at home.
By pairing expert instructors with themed classes and local culinary traditions, Oceania Cruises’ enhanced itinerary offerings aim to turn every voyage into a flavorful journey—where guests not only visit regional ports but also take part in immersive food experiences that reflect the destinations they explore.