All Aboard: The Absolute Best Cruises for Foodies

Seafaring travellers were once restricted to fixed dining times in the ship's grand dining room. Here, you could take your pick off a limited menu, or lose yourself in a buffet that lacked variety, freshness and destination-specific flair. 

Now, your stomach need not be confined to harsh restrictions of set meal times. Want a burger at 2am? Too easy. Keen to sail into the sunset with an intimate supper club? Perhaps you'd prefer an afternoon tea bump of caviar, a chance to sample the flavours of South America for lunch or some Pan-Asian flair in a moody restaurant?

Whatever your tastes, cruise lines have listened to our calls and are ready and waiting to blow you away with some mouth-watering cuisine. 

The cruise dining scene's major glow up means you can devour your holiday through the lens of your stomach. Take a hands-on cooking class, cruise through wine tastings, join food market tours, sample cuisine from Michelin-starred chefs and fill your belly with healthier, more interesting cuisine.

• What dining options should I expect onboard a cruise?
• What cruise lines have the best food options?
• Best luxury cruise dining
• Best dining on river cruises

While onboard, you'll find that most restaurants are included in the fare. Quite often, there will also be a few specialty restaurants that come at an extra cost. Our tip? Share the love and eat at as many different options as possible. 

Specialty restaurants can range from bespoke Italian cuisine to steakhouses, Teppanyaki, gastronomic adventures, wine bars and more. The options are endless, and cruise lines have spared no expense to ensure guests have the best chance to sample flavours from across the globe. 

Some cruise ships may also include a formal or themed night during the itinerary that encourages guests to dress up and join the captain for a meal in the main dining room. 

Tip: If there's a particular venue you are bursting at the seams to try, make sure you book in advance to avoid missing out. Most ships are carrying hundreds, if not thousands, of guests, which means onboard restaurants tend to book out quickly. 

Living your best plant-based life? Perhaps you and gluten don't go well together? If you have food allergies or dietary requirements, rest assured that you will not go hungry. 

Just like dining on land, cruise ships go above and beyond to cater for every guest. In fact, Oceania, Regent Seven Seas and Avalon Waterways boast a wide array of plant-based dishes, while Cunard is known for their specialty vegetarian menu. 

Here are some of our favourite floating flavour stations - from megaships, to luxury liners and river cruises. 

#1 Royal Caribbean: Icon of the Seas

At the time of writing, Royal Caribbean just launched the world's largest cruise ship - Icon of the Seas. Boasting space for 7600 guests and crew, it's no surprise that Royal Caribbean has packed it with a ship load of dining options. 

Take your pick from 14 complimentary restaurants and 12 specialty venues that can be added for an extra cost.

Get a feed on the fly with grab-and-go options from Café Promenade, enjoy old-world Italian restaurant vibes at Giovanni's Kitchen and Wine Bar, take your taste buds on a journey to Japan at Izumi Hibachi & Sushi.

Then, if you're feeling extra fancy, splurge on a 10-course feast at Empire Supper Club. 

#2 Virgin Voyages

A fresh new face on the cruising scene, Virgin Voyages' four ships boast more than 20 onboard dining destinations, no buffets and a Michelin-starred culinary council. 

Marketed towards a younger crowd, these 18+ floating foodie havens cater to all tastes and dietary needs. Each day you can take your pick of fantastic meals from the likes of the coffee shop, fresh food market, ice cream parlor, Korean BBQ, ramen, vegetarian hotspot and more.

Enjoy 24/7 complimentary pizzas, soft pretzels, happy hour mezze platters and a sauced-up hot dogs at your leisure. 

Feeling a big fancy? Try the experimental menu at The Test Kitchen, and swing by the Drag Brunch dining room for some champers and a guaranteed good time.

Oh, and did we mention that all restaurants are included in the cruise fare? 

#3 Holland America Line

If you've ever sailed with Holland America Line (HAL) before, you'll know that eating and dining in style is one of their highest priorities.

A must for gourmands, Holland America boasts a culinary council including world-famous chocolatier Jacques Torres, sushi master Andy Matsudo and three-Michelin star chef Jonnie Boer. 

With Holland America, dining in excellence is a must. Passengers can enjoy the Port to Table program which showcases local cuisine via curated menus, culinary tours and cooking demonstrations.

You're also invited to join exclusive culinary cruises, where celebrity chefs teach you how to slice, dice and sauté like a master while you sample your way through cooking demos and chef's dinners. 

Keen to know where your food comes from? So is HAL, which is why they champion the Global Fresh Fish program and offer more than 80 varieties of freshly caught seafood from a global network of ports. 

#1 Carnival Cruise Line

This family-friendly classic includes heaps of free dining options in your fare. Chow down on burgers from Guy Fieri's joint, Mexican fare from Blue Iguana Cantina and fried chicken from Shaquille O'Neal's Big Chicken. 

Specialty dining options onboard Carnival Cruises include New Orleans-style a la carte fare from Emeril's Bistro, seafood from Rudi's Seagrill, and Japanese food on the fly at Bonsai Teppanyaki restaurant. 

#2 Princess Cruises

When you're not savouring the succulent flavours at steak and seafood house 'Crown Grill', you can dine at Aussie celebrity chef Curtis Stone's restaurant at sea 'Share' while onboard Sun Princess and Ruby Princess.

Here you can enjoy fresh cuisine in an intimate setting against ever-changing ocean views. Better yet, treat yourself to the chef's table experience with paired wines. 

#3 Disney Cruise Line

You've heard of world-class chefs, but what about a world-famous rat cooking your dinner? Well, sort of.

Taking inspiration from Ratatouille, Disney Cruise Line offers a luxurious adults-only dining experience at Remy, serving fine French fare and seasonal ingredients.

Think cheese trolleys, a five-course dessert menu, Champagne brunch and six courses of small plates with wine pairings. Talk about a fairytale ending. 

When a cruise is known for their routine 'Caviar in the Surf' regime where waiters wade into the water and offer passengers caviar and hors d'oeuvres, you know you're in for a good time. 

Renowned amongst fine dining fans, Seabourn has partnered with American chef, Thomas Keller (otherwise known as the guy that created The French Laundry, Ad Hoc and Per Se), to offer delicious onboard experiences. 

Indulge in some lobster thermidor at Chef Keller's, 'The Grill' at least once during your sailing (which also happens to be complimentary). Join onboard chefs as they head to shore and go shopping at local food markets, or simply order a free caviar bump if and when the craving hits. 

Celebrity Cruises has a longstanding commitment to good food, which is why they have partnered with the James Beard Foundation to help educate and inspire guests about the delicious world of culinary culture. 

Trust that your stomach is in good hands, as a James Beard chef has curated every menu across Celebrity's wide range of restaurants. Beyond caring about good food and supporting a not-for-profit culinary centre, Celebrity also boasts the largest team of sommeliers in the world.

Offering a number of programs and wine-themed sailings, your palette will have a field day swirling, sniffing and sipping more than 500 different choices. 

When you're not sampling fine wines, we also recommend devouring the six-course tasting menu at Murano, joining the quickfire cooking challenges against fellow passengers and even taking a foodie shore excursion. 

With multiple sailings from Australia each year, guests on board Silversea Cruises are invited to the SALT 'Sea and Land Taste' program which takes passengers deep into the culinary traditions of each destination. 

Available on board Silver Moon and Silver Dawn, SALT is set to woo gastronomes with daily menus reflecting the port of call, mixologists crafting locally-inspired cocktails, unique food excursions and more. 

With a huge focus on details and high-quality cuisine, no meal on Oceania Cruises will ever disappoint. Add in the fact that French-born American chef Jacques Pepin has crafted the onboard menus, and you can understand why hungry travellers flock to Oceania Cruises. 

When you're not feasting at the high-end buffet (yes they do exist) serving sushi, French cheeses and gourmet ice cream, or sampling the expansive vegan menu, be sure to join the Culinary Discovery Tours program for local tours and culinary classes. 

Even the smaller venues don't skimp on quality, swapping classic burgers and fries for fresh salmon sandwiches and wagyu beef burgers. Top off the immersive culinary experiences with a wine-paired dinner or two, and you'll see why Oceania sets the standard for other cruise lines. 

This all-inclusive cruise line is one of the world's premier luxury cruising experiences and, as you can imagine, the food and wine doesn't disappoint. Join in culinary classes with acclaimed chefs and sharpen your skills aboard the Seven Seas Explorer Culinary Arts Kitchen. 

While the fleet of luxury yachts might be small, it doesn't skimp on flavour while sailing to more than 150 ports through Europe, the South Pacific, Caribbean and Central America. As the official cruise line of the James Beard Foundation, Windstar brings some of the world's most acclaimed chefs and mixologists onboard for all-inclusive boutique experiences. 

Bite into a a journey of delight with an Avalon river cruise. While the standard itineraries include access to fresh, five star meals, the real magic happens aboard Avalon's specialised wine, culinary and beer cruises. 

Consider yourself a bit of an oenophile? Join an itinerary overflowing with wine tastings that will have you sniffing, swirling and sipping your way through European vineyards and ancient cellars under the guidance of a certified Master of Wine (dream job, anyone?).

Food cruises will take you on a culinary adventure along the Danube, where you can break bread with local chefs while feasting on fromage, fondue, croissants, crepes, goulash and more. 

If beer is more your style, take pleasure in bar hopping through famous and emerging breweries, beer halls, gardens, pubs and everything in between. We'll cheers to that. 

Offering both ocean and river cruising itineraries, Viking is renowned for facilitating immersive, destination-focused dining options. In fact, one of the most highly sort-after activities on board is 'The Kitchen Table', an exclusive shopping and dining experience where you can learn and cook with the ship's chef. Not only will you head to the local market to purchase ingredients, but you'll enjoy regional-focused cooking classes that culminates in a decadent meal. 

With a focus on exquisite cuisine and truly all-inclusive beverages, Scenic exudes nothing but sophistication when it comes to dining. Focusing on regional cuisine, guests can take their pick from up to five dining experiences on board. One of which is the intimate six-course degustation with the executive chef. 

If you're joining Scenic through Southeast Asia, we also highly recommend the Chef's Table dining, which features a 10-course degustation dinner with matched wines.

Alternatively, keep your eyes peeled for specialised European itineraries, like the Tastes of Southern France, which include after-hours access to Cite du Chocolat, interactive workshops and French cuisine cooking classes onboard.