Oceania Cruises Unveils New Hands-On Cooking Classes for 2025
Oceania Cruises, known for its culinary and destination-focused voyages, has special plans to celebrate its 15 years of The Culinary Center in 2025.
Oceania’s The Culinary Center is the first-ever hands-on cooking school at sea. The programs, currently on three of their ships- Marina, Riviera and Vista will also be on their newest ship, Allura, which joins the fleet in Summer 2025.
In celebration of this 15-year anniversary, Oceania Cruises has added new culinary classes for 2025, putting the spotlight on dishes from the Pacific Northwest of the United States, Polynesia, and Australia, among other regions.
The Culinary Center boasts more than 60 current classes taught in custom-built teaching kitchens with individual stations and professional-grade equipment. The classes offer the chance to explore a destination's culture and history through food. Of course, an added benefit is a faculty of dedicated Chef Instructors to also help you strengthen your kitchen skills.
Chef Kathryn Kelly, Director of Culinary Enrichment at Oceania Cruises, founded The Culinary Center and leads a team of 11 expert Chef Instructors who are ready to help you experience this added depth to your vacation experience.
Chef Kelly also designed Oceania’s signature Culinary Discovery Tours™, a key part of The Culinary Center program. These popular chef-led excursions, offered in over 40 destinations, let guests cook region-inspired dishes on board after sourcing ingredients at local markets or learning from local experts. Chef also plans to introduce new tours for 2025, with details coming soon.
Frank A. Del Rio, President of Oceania included the line’s tag line in his comment, "We are the only cruise built by foodies, for foodies.” He continued with, “Food is at the heart of everything we do at Oceania Cruises - we have literally built our ships around the culinary experience, from vast galley spaces to an unparalleled range of restaurants. I am so proud to say we were the first line ever to have a hands-on cooking school at sea, and the popularity of The Culinary Center shows no sign of abating. This is testament to the incredible work done by Chef Kelly and her creative team, as they continue to drive our culinary legacy.”
When not on board, the Culinary Center Chef Instructors team lives in locations all over the world, from Christchurch, New Zealand, to Riga, Latvia, to San Francisco, California, making them ideally placed to keep their fingers on the global food pulse to bring the latest culinary trends to the kitchen classrooms on board.
New Oceania Cruises Cooking Classes for 2025
Culinary Northwest Passage
One of the trendiest regions in the culinary world today is the Pacific Northwest. Truly a celebration of the farmer and the fisherman, 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 guest favorite fish and seafood fundamentals. And the "deep dish" signature desserts are bound to be some of the first recipes you will want to make when you return home.
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
Make your early dinner plans as usual, then join us at 8:00 p.m. for a dessert and beverages class before the evening show begins. You might prepare a decadent lava cake paired with a glass of Champagne, or you might make a crêpes Suzette paired with a Grand Marnier spritzer. Join us for a marvelously sweet way to spend your evening between dinner and the show.
South Seas Salt Life
After a day lounging on a pristine white beach, complete with a swim in a blue lagoon, doesn't some grilled seafood and an exotic fruit drink sound divine? Polynesian cuisine celebrates fresh, seasonal, and local ingredients with subtle influences from France and China. Tradition and family gatherings dictate the Polynesian "salt lifestyle." Join us as we Tama'a Maitai – enjoy our meal Polynesian style.
Snow Days Brunch
Is there any better feeling than the first snowfall? For many of us, it makes us want to bake our favorite cinnamon rolls or egg casserole. Join us in celebrating those leisurely days when it is snowy outside. We want to share family favorites with loved ones and warm our toes by the fire. No snow day brunch is complete without warming or bubbly cocktails, so we'll share some of our mixologists' most popular recipes for taking the chill off. See you at brunch.
You can also see some examples of existing classes.
Would you like to make 2025 a year of culinary exploration with Oceania Cruises? From market tours to chef-led lessons, these experiences promise unforgettable memories. Contact me today to reserve your cabin and lock in these exclusive culinary adventures. Spaces are expected to fill quickly. Let's craft your perfect cruise vacation together. Call or email now to get started!
Happy Traveling!
-Connie
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