But after several nights aboard Le Ponant, a small French sailing ship that brought us from Nice to Cassis to Saint-Tropez and back, I realized I’d been wrong all along. The journey was so peaceful, scenic, and stress-free—and, importantly—filled with countless Mediterranean delicacies such as grilled squid, braised octopus, and Tunisian brick à l'oeuf.

Le Ponant is not alone in this relatively new, niche approach to dining on the water. A number of companies are leaning into quality over quantity, investing in smaller ships and reimagining their food and beverage offerings. What that means is, if you take a cruise nowadays, you’re more likely to dock in less-frequented ports and be offered local, seasonal foods and beverages on par with those available on dry land. Here are the best cruises for food lovers, luxury liners to keep your eye on the next time you’re looking to head out to sea—and eat well while you’re at it.

Founded by former officers of the French Merchant Navy, this company first set sail three decades ago. Its flagship, the eponymous three-mast sailing yacht, is now the smallest in the 13-ship fleet and was fully refurbished in 2022. Sixteen staterooms accommodate up to 32 guests, which means the staff remembers your name. Meals are held in Le Diamant, the haute cuisine restaurant, where I savored seafood purchased that very morning at the Saint-Tropez fish market, including local daurade with herb butter sauce. An onboard sommelier is on hand to offer thoughtful pairings; I kept going back to the rosé we drank at Domaine de la Ferme Blanche in Cassis, an excursion highlight.

In 2025, this company will ring in its first voyages to Puerto Rico with local guest chef “takeovers” by the likes of Julie Carrion, who will lead a pasteles-making class in addition to rum tastings and a tembleque dessert demo. A favorite of nautical enthusiasts, Sea Cloud spends as much time as possible “under sail”—without engines, a feather in the brand’s sustainability cap. 

Explora’s two new ships (Explora I and Explora II) boast nine dining options that serve everything from charcuterie to 30-day-aged prime rib to cooked-to-order pasta, in addition to round-the-clock in-suite dining. The Chef’s Kitchen seats up to a dozen guests and enlists those passengers to help source and cook their meals alongside trained instructors. At Anthology, the “global fine dining” venue, passengers can expect buzzy takeovers from Michelin-starred chefs; recent invitees include Emma Bengtsson of Aquavit in New York City and Claude Le Tohic of ONE65 in San Francisco. 

Silversea’s S.A.L.T. (Sea, Air, Land, Taste) culinary program has been turning heads in recent years with itineraries that put food front and center. Expect curated shore excursions focused on regional ingredients, onboard cooking classes by award-winning chefs, and guest lectures by regional experts—all tied to each location’s culinary heritage (think: ceviche-making workshops on South American itineraries or Moroccan spice-blending primers off the coast of North Africa).

River cruises let you explore locales beyond the coast, which can make for less touristy travel experiences. Riviera Cruises gives passengers a taste of mainland Europe via waterways that have fostered trade and commerce for millennia. For instance, on food-themed trips such as Gastronomy of the Seine, passengers tour a historical cider house in Normandy, sample local cheeses, and eat their fill of traditional buckwheat crêpes at the oldest crêperie in Honfleur. 

Many cruises schedule mealtimes in specific dining areas, but Seabourn gives guests the freedom to dine wherever, sans reservation—room service included. The on-site sushi bar slices and rolls made-to-order sashimi and handrolls, while The Patio—by Thomas Keller—offers poolside dining. Beverage-wise, Seabourn is keeping up with the times with its inventive selection of non-alcoholic cocktails such as the Amalfi spritz, with non-alcoholic rosé and Lyre’s Italian Orange non-alcoholic aperitivo.

Celestia’s single ship, a phinisi-style wooden sailing yacht that sleeps 14 guests, operates solely in the Indonesian archipelago. There are three itineraries to choose from: Raja Ampat, Komodo National Park, or the Spice Islands. The dishes are designed by Wayan Kresna Yasa, the celebrated Balinese chef and cookbook author who honed his craft in high-end New York City restaurants; some meals are cooked over open flame on the beach. All voyages are via private charter only, so you won’t have to worry about sharing quarters with strangers.

Ritz-Carlton presides over a fleet of medium-size ships accommodating 300 to 500 guests, but they don’t feel crowded thanks to soaring public spaces and private terraces in each suite. Late-night dining and 24-hour room service set this company apart from similarly sized competitors, as do menus by renowned chefs, including Sven Elverfeld of Aqua, the three-Michelin-star restaurant in Wolfsburg, Germany, and James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Mina, whose pan-Latin menu serves such delectable dishes as spiny lobster stew with chile oil and caracara oranges. 

Oceania relies on a “culinary advisory board” presided over by French master chefs, Jacques Pépin among them. Aboard their two larger ships, Marina and Riviera, a private dining venue, aptly named Privée, hosts small groups (up to 10 per night) for low-key chef dinners. By day, the brand’s Culinary Discovery Tours bring passengers to culinary must-see spots. In Catania, Italy, that might mean a chef-led fish market tour followed by a cannoli lunch, while in Helsinki, Finland, guests might sign up for a Nordic cooking class and vodka tasting. 

This small European company specializes in river cruises, the bulk of which wind through Germany, France, and Portugal. With a variety of regional food and wine-centric itineraries, it offers passengers a taste of regional specialties that vary with each port location. Wine lovers will appreciate the advice of on-board sommeliers, who help pair nightly menus with offerings from vineyards on their routes, such as their Rhône Wine & Gusto itinerary, where bottles from La Maison Ogier and Cave de Tain are featured as the boat makes stops in Lyon, Avignon, Arles, and beyond. From a sustainability standpoint, we like that A-Rosa ships connect to a power source at each stop, which eliminates the need to run the engines while docked. 

A cruise doesn’t get more boutique than these charming riverboats that accommodate four to 12 passengers. They exclusively travel the waterways of France and are ideal for small group trips. Every vessel has a dedicated chef—a luxury that allows for ultra-personalized meals and face time with a local pro. On the Amaryllis journey, guests meander through Burgundy while sampling wines from all 33 Grand Cru vineyards—with plenty of winery tours, gougères, and Kir Royales along the way.