Oceania Cruises commemorates 15 years of The Culinary Centre

Oceania Cruises celebrates 15 years of The Culinary Centre, the first-ever hands-on cooking school at sea, with an array of new classes for 2025 and beyond.

Announced 15 years ago ahead of the launch of Marina, the first purpose-built foodie-ship for the line, Oceania Cruises’ Culinary Centre is now available on four of its elegant ships, Marina, Riviera, Vista, and its newest ship Allura which is due to join the fleet in Summer 2025.

In celebration of this significant milestone, Oceania Cruises added new culinary classes for 2025, putting the spotlight on dishes from the Pacific Northwest of the United States, Polynesia, and Australia, among others.

Oceania Cruises president Frank A Del Rio said of The Culinary Centre: “We are the only cruise built by foodies, for foodies. Food is at the heart of everything we do at Oceania Cruises, as 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 Kathryn Kelly and her creative team, as they continue to drive our culinary legacy.”

Exploring the world through food

Currently, the Culinary Centre offers over 60 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, or to hone core kitchen skills thanks to the faculty of dedicated Chef Instructors.

The talented Culinary Centre Chef Instructors have hundreds of years of experience and fascinating career histories between them. 

Backgrounds include an early career as Julia Child’s executive assistant; executive chef for world-renowned television shows such as “Sesame Street” and “30 Rock”; and leading the food programmes of blue chip companies including Google and Amazon. 

With graduates from The Culinary Institute of America, Le Cordon Bleu, and Boston University’s prestigious gastronomy programme on the team, Oceania Cruises’ guests can truly learn from the best in the business.