For those enthusiasts seeking enlightenment beyond that found in a library or a lecture, Riviera and Marina offer the first custom-designed and truly hands-on cooking school at sea. At The Culinary Center, you will learn how to prepare a variety of exquisite dishes at your own fully equipped workstation in a state-of-the-art teaching kitchen. Master Chefs from around the world offer guidance and inspiration to fine-tune your techniques, but you will actually prepare the dishes yourself. It’s the ultimate way to learn and truly absorb every step of each recipe, especially since at select ports you may accompany the instructor chefs while shopping for fresh ingredients ashore at local markets on our exclusive Culinary Discovery Tours™.

Onboard Cooking Classes

Across the Isles 
Seasonal farm-to-table recipes personify the cuisine and traditions of the British Isles. In more recent times, the region has embraced the myriad cuisines of the cultural melting pot that has shaped the isles and made cities like Dublin and London destination cities for foodies. Inspired by Darina Allen of Ballymaloe in Cork, Ireland and other revered chefs of the region, this class is a far cry from bangers and mash.

Austin Renaissance: A Tex-Mex Fiesta
Executive Chef Kelly has had a chance to get to know this emerging culinary darling since her daughter and family have re-located to the Texas capital. As she samples the city’s most notable restaurants, she is constantly on the look-out for flavorful, savory Tex-Mex recipes you can easily make at home. In addition to learning her favorite recipes, you’ll also try a featured cocktail from one of Austin’s mixology masters. If you love Tex-Mex food but are reluctant to try it at home, then this class is for you.

Discover Patagonia 
The culinary world has its eyes on the cuisine of the Patagonia region. Regarded as the hot new cuisine, chefs have traveled to these remote parts to learn the secrets of Argentine grilling, as well as Chilean roasting and baking. Attend this cook-out class that features delicious and hearty dishes that you will definitely want to make at home to impress your friends. No meal in Patagonia is complete without wine, so a special focus will be made on sampling and pairing the region’s varietals.

In the Kitchen with Jacques
Help us celebrate the glorious career of our Executive Culinary Director, Jacques Pépin. Regarded in the chef community as the master of technique, Jacques has demonstrated a lifelong passion for culinary technique that inspired this class. Brush up on your knife skills and master the emulsion – the secret to perfect salad dressings. Prepare a collection of delicious dishes while practicing the basic techniques that chefs have learned from Jacques over the past six decades.

Mediterranean Journey
The Mediterranean is revered for its cuisine and this class allows you to take a epicurean journey around the region, celebrating signature dishes from France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Morocco, Spain and Turkey. Each class reflects your Chef Instructor’s personal favorites from their years of tasting and traveling throughout the Mediterranean. Without a doubt, this class is a guest favorite and the chefs enjoy featuring wines and recipes from their most recent journeys across the majestic Mediterranean Sea.

Most Requested Red Ginger
Our famed restaurant Red Ginger is the inspiration for our class devoted to Asian cuisine. In this class you will explore two diverse cuisines: Chinese and Thai. You will master classic Asian ingredients as well as fundamental cooking techniques such as knife skills, mise en place and high-heat cooking. You also will learn how to work with rice paper and pad Thai noodles.

Northeast Feast
This unique class casts the spotlight on one of life’s great luxuries: indulging in fine wines paired with delicious food. Whether you are interested in learning how to select wines for a dinner party or are searching for the right recipes to highlight your favorite wines, this class will expand your food and wine pairing horizons as you learn the secret to creating your own perfect pairings. You’ll not only prepare several dishes, but you’ll also taste and evaluate several carefully matched pairings.

Slice: Mastering Chef Knife Skills
Oceania Cruises is proud to partner with Zwilling Company, makers of the chef-favorite J.A. Henckels knives, to develop one of our top guest-requested classes – a comprehensive knife skills class. You’ll get a chef’s look at a complete pantry of knives and enjoy the chance to try out a few chef knives to discover the best option for you. You’ll also learn how to sharpen and maintain this essential kitchen tool, practice various knife cuts and discover how to safely use the mandolin slicer – Chef Pépin’s favorite kitchen tool. At the conclusion of your class, you’ll receive a special Knife Skills certificate along with a savings voucher for your favorite Zwilling Company knives.