CRUISE GPS
Taste the World
Taste the World
Oceania Cruises brings every destination to life through immersive epicurean
adventures and hands-on learning.
Food is central to every Oceania Cruises journey, guided by a world-class Culinary Advisory Board featuring legends including Jacques Pépin, Giada de Laurentiis, Alexis Quaretti, and Eric Barale. Their vision shapes extraordinary experiences that connect travelers with the world’s flavors and food cultures through the lens of local landscapes, markets, ingredients, and people. Aboard Oceania Marina, Oceania Riviera, Oceania Vista, and Oceania Allura, guests explore, taste, and learn in ways that bring each destination vividly to life, from immersive Culinary Discovery Tours™ ashore to hands-on classes in the onboard Culinary Center.
Culinary Discovery Tours
Spanning the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America, Oceania Cruises’ Culinary Discovery Tours™ are chef-led experiences designed to immerse guests in the food and cooking traditions of each region. In Marseille, France, for instance, travelers are invited to explore a historic Aix-en-Provence market with Michelin-starred chef Reine Sammut, followed by a cooking demonstration and private lunch with the famed chef herself. Northern Europe’s itineraries include behind-the-scenes visits to a family-run fish farm in Slovenia’s Piran Bay and tastings of regional gravlax and vodka in Helsinki, Finland. Guests traveling to St. Lucia will learn how to cook traditional dishes influenced by Creole, French, and West Indies practices, while in Roatán, Honduras, a visit to indigenous gardens and a hydroponic greenhouse reveals exotic fruits, cashews, and local cuisine. Each journey culminates back on board at The Culinary Center, where newly discovered flavors are transformed into practical culinary techniques and, of course, a delectable sit-down meal.
The Culinary Center
Oceania Cruises’ Culinary Center is the first hands-on cooking school at sea, where travelers roll up their sleeves and learn directly from master chefs. Step into the ships’ state-of-the-art kitchens to prepare dishes under expert guidance, exploring techniques that span both classic and contemporary cuisines. Signature classes include In the Kitchen with Jacques, inspired by the six-decade career of none other than Jacques Pépin—Oceania Cruises Executive Culinary Director—and focusing on essential skills such as knife work and mastering the perfect emulsion. Meanwhile, the Ancient Cuisines classes draw on Executive Chef Kathryn Kelly’s travels in Morocco and Turkey, guiding guests through ancient cuisines like tagine and traditional practices like preserving lemons. And the Nordic Kitchen takes participants on a journey through the flavors of Scandinavia and Northern Europe, from Estonian fish soup to Swedish meatballs. Whether paired with a Culinary Discovery Tour™ ashore or enjoyed during a day at sea, each class brings regional culture to life through hands-on experience.
Embrace your passion for travel with Oceania Cruises.
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Jessika's enduring passion for travel began on Pine Island in South Florida, where the beauty of the Gulf of Mexico and later the majestic mountains of Wyoming instilled in her a love for exploring new horizons. Growing up near Yellowstone National Park fueled her adventurous spirit, embracing places others dream of visiting. Her journey commenced in 2001 with Cody Trolley Tours, sharing the charm of her hometown in Wyoming.
Her career took a transformative turn in 2010 with Holland America Line, where she thrived as a Librarian, Travel Guide, and Assistant Shore Excursion Manager, traveling across all seven continents, and visiting nearly seventy countries. Meeting her Dutch husband, Marcel, along the way, Jessika embraced life on land and at sea, driven by a shared passion for cultural immersion and exploration.
By 2024, Jessika embraced her role as a Travel Advisor, with a focus on world cruise travel. She revels in crafting seamless back-to-back itineraries for retirees and s ...