Oceania Cruises Marks 15 Years of Its Culinary Center

Oceania Cruises marks 15 years of The Culinary Center, the first hands-on cooking school at sea, with new classes for 2025 and beyond.

Originally launched with Marina, The Culinary Center is now featured on Riviera, Vista, and the upcoming Allura, set to join the fleet in Summer 2025.

To celebrate this milestone, Oceania Cruises is introducing new culinary classes for 2025 that focus on dishes from the Pacific Northwest, Polynesia, and Australia. The Culinary Center offers over 60 classes in custom-designed teaching kitchens with professional-grade tools. Guests can explore a destination’s culture and cuisine or enhance their culinary skills under the guidance of skilled Chef Instructors.

Chef Kathryn Kelly, the Director of Culinary Enrichment and founder of The Culinary Center, leads a team of 11 Chef Instructors. She also develops the Culinary Discovery Tours, chef-led excursions in over 40 destinations, allowing participants to shop for local ingredients and learn about regional cuisine. New chef-led tours for 2025 will be announced soon.

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

The Culinary Center team resides globally, from Christchurch, New Zealand, to Riga, Latvia, and San Francisco, California, keeping them connected to culinary trends.

The Chef Instructors have diverse backgrounds, including experience as Julia Child’s executive assistant, executive chefs for shows like “Sesame Street” and “30 Rock,” and leading culinary programs for major companies like Google and Amazon. With graduates from top culinary institutions, guests can learn from industry experts.

Chef Kelly added: “It’s been an amazing evolution over the past 15 years, from the first Culinary Center aboard Marina, followed by Riviera, to the even more expansive Culinary Centers on board Vista and her sister Allura, which have twice the number of individual stations. I am thrilled to be working with such a creative and collaborative team as we constantly look for new dishes and class themes to introduce to our curious guests.”

New Classes for 2025

Culinary Northwest Passage
Explore the Pacific Northwest’s food culture, focusing on seasonal ingredients, fish and seafood fundamentals, and “deep dish” desserts.

Down Under Abundance
Discover the culinary offerings of New Zealand and Australia, emphasizing diverse seafood and meats and the region’s unique flavors.

It’s a Dessert Party
After dinner, join a dessert class featuring treats like lava cake with Champagne or crêpes Suzette with a Grand Marnier spritzer.

South Seas Salt Life
Experience the fresh flavors of Polynesian cuisine with influences from French and Chinese cooking, enjoying grilled seafood and fruit drinks.

Snow Days Brunch
Celebrate winter with family favorites like cinnamon rolls, egg casseroles, and warming cocktail brunch recipes.

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ABOUT CHEF KATHRYN KELLY

• Chef Kathryn Kelly founded The Culinary Center, overseeing the Chef Instructors at Oceania Cruises.
• She has developed over 100 unique culinary classes and created the Culinary Discovery Tours™, immersive excursions offered in more than 40 destinations.
• Chef Kelly has been inducted into Oceania Cruises’ Culinary Advisory Board, where she shares her expertise alongside notable co-chairs such as Master Chef Jacques Pépin and chef Giada De Laurentiis.
• She holds a doctoral degree in Epidemiology from Johns Hopkins University and earned master’s degrees in Community Medicine and Biostatistics.
• After achieving success in her healthcare career, Chef Kelly pursued her passion for cooking, graduating with honors from The Culinary Institute of America.
• She currently divides her time between Amelia Island, Florida, and Austin, Texas, and enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, whom she affectionately calls her “little sous chefs.”