From a plant-based feast to a Mediterranean meal on an Alaskan cruise, cruise lover Amanda Eyre Ward tells us about her most swoon-worthy culinary experiences at sea

Cheeseburger in Paradise

The first cheeseburger I ever ate on a ship was a revelation. I was aboard a bargain cruise to research my novel, The Jetsetters. The mom of three young kids, I hadn’t grocery shopped for the burger, made the patty, or grilled it…and I wouldn’t have to clean up afterward. Instead, my sons and I ate dinner and headed to a comedy show where the headliner announced, “You’re on a cruise, people! Every minute you ain’t eating, you’re losing money!”

In the years since, I have dined under the stars while anchored off volcanic islands, devoured room service in pajamas somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic, and snacked at more midnight buffets than I care to admit…not to mention the 24-hour fro-yo machines. After years of ocean voyages — from massive floating cities to intimate yachts — I have learned that the quality of the food onboard can make or break a trip.

A mediocre meal at sea feels worse than a mediocre meal on land, perhaps because you’re captive, perhaps because the setting raises your expectations. But a transcendent meal at sea? There is nothing like it. Here are the ten most memorable meals I’ve eaten on the water — and the ships that made these culinary experiences possible.

#1 Best Overall Dining: SeaDream Yacht Club

(SeaDream is rated the best restaurant at sea by both me and Forbes Magazine!)

When I saw the menu for my first dinner aboard the SeaDream during a seven-night Leeward Islands adventure — sailing from San Juan to Virgin Gorda, St. Barthélemy, Nevis, and beyond — I understood that I was in for an adventure. SeaDream’s owner, Atle Brynestad, maintains an organic farm at home, and that philosophy permeates every single meal onboard — a commitment to fresh, varied, beautiful meals…ones in which every one of the 122 guests aboard the yacht have “whatever they want to eat whenever they want it,” said Atle.

Every night, four multi-course menus were offered: one plant-based, one featuring fresh catches and chef’s creations, one made to be paired with a selection of wines chosen by Sommelier Nemanja, and one of classic favorites. My protein-loving son was able to order the chicken, the filet mignon, and a chocolate soufflé. Each dish was prepared à la minute, every bite a joy.

I was so entranced by the plant-based recipes that I brought home the cookbook Food for Life (written by mother-daughter team Linn and Sine Stokke, alongside the chefs of SeaDream). Linn and Sine also created the in-room Elm Organics amenities.

One day, the ship anchored off a pristine stretch of Caribbean shoreline, and we were ferried to the beach by tender. Right on the sandy beach, the SeaDream team had arranged ice-cold champagne and gleaming tins of caviar. In the turquoise waves, I raised my glass in gratitude. My son and Chef Elton clinked theirs against mine.

What to Wear: Sea Dream dinners are elegant. Men should buy or rent a suit from The Black Tux. My son wore the Black Suit, but a Mojave Tan Linen would be nice for spring yachting.

Best Culinary Excursion: Sea Cloud Cruises, “Shopping with the Chef”

There are shore excursions, and then there is following Sea Cloud’s executive chef through the cobblestone streets of a tiny Croatian village with a wheeled cart, watching him select truffles. The morning market visit was pure theater — the chef haggling, smelling, approving, rejecting, filling his cart with ingredients that would appear on our dinner plates that same evening. Wildflowers for the dining room tables. Local olive oil. And, most memorably, fat, earthy black truffles.

That night, house-made pasta arrived topped with shaved truffles on Sea Cloud’s elegant china, and I thought about my morning excursion — the cobblestones, the chef’s focused expression, the moment the deal was struck. You cannot buy that context anywhere. It is the difference between a good meal and an unforgettable one.

What to Wear: Good shoes! Trust me: these Aetrex Sydney Quarter Strap Espadrille Wedges were comfortable on cobblestoned streets and could go straight to dinner. My son wears Demming Downtowner Sneakers (they’re the fanciest shoes he owns…and very comfortable!)

Best Onboard Cooking Class: Oceania Cruises

The truth is that, while I adore eating and writing about food, I am a grouchy cook. The measuring, the timing, the inevitable moment when something burns — it all feels like a recipe for anxiety rather than dinner. When I signed up for the cooking class in The Culinary Center aboard Oceania Vista, I braced myself for stress. Instead, I had a wonderful time. Instructor Lori Powell has the rare gift of making technique feel approachable, and by the time we sat down to eat what we’d made together, I felt like a person who might actually cook at home. The Culinary Center offers more than 100 unique classes led by a team of 11 expert chef instructors, and Oceania has built an entire culinary philosophy around the idea that food is the best way to understand a destination, which makes it a foodie’s dream.

What to Wear: This Everlane Midi Shirtdress is effortless chic and wears well from class to lunch. I paired it with a Dolce Vita zebra clutch.

Most Immersive Dining Theater: 360: An Extraordinary Experience, Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises’ 360 is a seven-course Mediterranean journey narrated by a holographic (yes, really!) Brooke Shields, with panoramic LED projections covering every surface — ceiling, walls, tabletop — synchronized with aromas and interactive elements that transform dinner into something closer to performance art. Here is the thing: I experienced this Mediterranean journey on a ship sailing through Alaska. The fjords were outside us; the Amalfi Coast was on the walls. It should not have worked, but the cognitive dissonance became part of the magic.

What to Wear: Break out your fabulous eveningwear for this meal—I was thrilled to have a chance to dress up in my Gilded Butterfly Dress from the Miami brand LuliFama.

Most Cinematic: Seta Su Luminara, Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection

Contemporary Italian theater is the only way to describe Seta Su Luminara aboard the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. Chef Fabio Trabocchi’s team executes handmade pasta, seasonal truffles, and wine pairings, but it is the ceremony that elevates the experience from exceptional to transcendent. The theatrical sauce pours. The presentation of limited-edition steak knives as though they were artifacts. The stories about Chef Trabocchi himself, who conjured one of the most pleasurable meals I’ve ever experienced.

What to Wear: You’re on a Ritz Carlton yacht! Slip on your hand-beaded Songs of Siren Oceana dress or Blue Oracle Trenchcoat over Naked Cashmere Silk PJs…with your highest heels…may I suggest SerpentChic Pointed Toe Heeled Pump? It’s from Cosy Island and actually comfortable! (My husband wore his beautiful Thomas Pink shirt in Pink.)

Most Adventurous: Royal Railway Utopia Station, Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean built a train car inside a ship and that sentence alone should be enough. Utopia Station is a Wild West adventure where guests are literally seated in a period-accurate train car experiencing the sights, sounds, and stories of America’s frontier — filmed partially on the actual Oppenheimer movie set in New Mexico. The eight-course prix-fixe pairs beautifully with the theatrical setting, while a live band plays unexpected contemporary renditions of classic Americana and swanky cocktails arrive as though delivered by a frontier bartender who has somehow mastered mixology. It is gloriously, magnificently ridiculous and I loved every single minute.

What to Wear: I’m a big fan of Santa Barbara based Purnell Work Wear. Their hunter-green Women’s Stretch Corduroy Dress was a perfect look for dinner on a train!

Most Magical: Le Petit Chef, Celebrity Cruises

Imagine a tiny 3D animated chef appearing on your plate, narrating his culinary journey, building the dish course by course through charming animation — and then, just as he finishes cooking, the projection disappears and the actual food materializes in its place. Celebrity Cruises’ Le Petit Chef is the most delightful four-course dinner theater I have ever experienced, and I have watched grown adults giggle with the pure joy of it. It is the rare dining concept that works equally well for children and sophisticated adults, which is the hardest trick in hospitality.

What to Wear: Spiritual Gangster is a playful brand—I wore their Zenith Dress with a Tuckernuck cashmere boyfriend cardigan and Beek Shorebird Leather Sandals. My dinner date headed to Anthony’s Resort Wear for a theme-appropriate Chenille Anchor Sweater.

Freshest Fish at Sea: Morimoto by Sea, Holland America Line

Holland America Line made a bold promise: with 80 types of fresh fish served across their itineraries, they would deliver fresh on a global scale: yellowtail snapper in the Caribbean, barramundi in Australia, whatever the port delivers that day. To anchor the program, they enlisted an inspired ambassador: Iron Chef legend Masaharu Morimoto. The result is Morimoto by Sea, a pop-up dining experience that takes over Tamarind or Pinnacle Grill at least once per cruise. For a cover charge, you get a multi-course celebration of the freshest fish in whatever ocean you happen to be sailing through. A standout is the Ishiyaki Buri Bop — fresh Pacific yellowtail on rice, cooked tableside in a hot stone bowl. It arrives sizzling, dramatic, and completely unforgettable.

What to Wear: The flowing Poema Island Gown from Guava, is a stunner, paired with a Deseri Michele bag.

Multi-Gen Magic: Yacht Club, MSC Cruises

Traveling with three generations can be a challenge: Grandpa wants a sophisticated, quiet steakhouse. The grandkids want pizza and an 80s-themed diner with retro games. The parents want sushi. Someone always wants tacos. MSC Cruises solved this problem elegantly with a fleet of ships that offers, essentially, a small city’s worth of dining — Butcher’s Cut steakhouse, Kaito Teppanyaki, Kaito Sushi Bar, Hola! Tacos & Cantina, and a Pizza & Burger joint that will make you the most popular adult in any child’s life — all accessible to every guest onboard.

But here is the secret weapon for families who want it all: book the MSC Yacht Club. This exclusive ship-within-a-ship concept wraps 24-hour butler service, a private Top Sail Lounge, dedicated restaurant, secluded pool deck, and priority everything into a luxurious enclave. Yacht Club guests get the intimacy and pampering of a boutique cruise — and then step out into the full sprawling ship whenever the grandkids need a water slide, a dessert buffet…or a babysitter!

What to Wear: The SHAN Silk Dress with Boat Neckline is perfection for a yacht dinner, with a Soho Wrap if it’s chilly. My sons and husband love the vibrant, vacation styles from Beach and Barn, like this Flower & Fish Sport Shirt.

Best Kept Secret (Shhh): IYKY, somewhere aboard Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Xcel

I’m going to tell you something, but you didn’t hear it from me. Somewhere aboard the brand-new Celebrity Xcel, behind a photo booth in a venue called The Club, there is a door. And behind that door is one of the most delightfully moody, intimate, speakeasy-style bars I have ever stumbled into on a ship — or anywhere, frankly. There is, occasionally, magic. The cocktails are specialized and the atmosphere is exactly what the name promises: IYKYK. If You Know, You Know.

Now you know.

Find the photo booth. That’s all I’m saying.

What to Wear: Simone Smith, a cancer survivor and the wife of LL Cool J, created the Lady of Serenity Hoops. The Celebrity Excel surprise venue warrants this fabulousness! And I love the Marie Oliver Mora Dress. For men—pull out your Heathlander Quarter-Zip Cashmere Hoodie.

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Amanda Eyre Ward is a New York Times bestselling novelist and travel writer whose work appears in Texas Lifestyle Magazine, Travel + Leisure, Bon Appétit, and Food & Wine. She lives with her family in Austin, Texas. Her newest novel is Arrivals and Departures (Ballantine Books, June 2026).