New floating culinary festivals
Gastronomy has become one of the most compelling reasons to cruise, and Holland America Line is doubling down on this trend with its new Culinary Ambassador program. These special sailings, launching across select 2025 and 2026 itineraries, transform ordinary cruises into floating culinary festivals helmed by some of the industry’s most celebrated talents.
World-renowned chefs and mixologists bring their expertise to sea
The concept is elegantly simple: bring renowned chefs and beverage experts aboard for segments of longer voyages, where they’ll host intimate dinners, lead hands-on cooking demonstrations, and share their expertise with passengers eager to expand their palates. Think of it as having your own personal master class with culinary luminaries while sailing to extraordinary destinations.
The roster reads like a who’s who of the culinary world. Iron Chef legend Masaharu Morimoto will grace the 2026 Grand World Voyage during Japan segments, while Pacific Northwest virtuoso Ethan Stowell will host a West Coast sailing from Seattle to San Diego. Celebrity chef David Burke brings his innovative American cuisine to the Viking-themed route from Dublin to Reykjavik, and master mixologist Ivy Mix will shake up a Baja Peninsula cruise with her expertise in agave spirits.
Intimate experiences replace ship-wide demonstrations
What sets these experiences apart is their exclusivity. Rather than massive ship-wide events, the program focuses on intimate encounters – private dinners with curated menus, small-group cooking demonstrations, and casual coffee chats where passengers can pick the experts’ brains. It’s culinary tourism at its most refined.
Our recommendation: Book a suite for the complete culinary experience
For these exclusive Culinary Ambassador cruises, we strongly recommend upgrading to a Neptune or Pinnacle Suite to fully maximise your gastronomic journey.
Those staying in suites enjoy elevated perks such as complimentary floral arrangements, a selection of pillow types to ensure perfect rest, curated in-room refreshments, and high-quality binoculars to better appreciate scenic views during the voyage. But it is access to the exclusive Neptune Lounge that is the true coup de grâce, where the concierge team seem to anticipate your every whim. From securing those hard-to-get restaurant reservations to orchestrating bespoke shore excursions, they transform cruise vacation planning from chore to choreographed pleasure.
This concierge service becomes invaluable during Culinary Ambassador cruises, as they can secure coveted reservations for the exclusive chef dinners and special tastings that define these voyages.
Suite guests enjoy priority dining across multiple venues
Neptune Suite guests slip past the dining queues with enviable ease, their priority seating requests granted with a knowing nod.
On newer ships like the Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam, and Rotterdam, they gain access to Club Orange – a refined private dining room where breakfast and dinner unfold away from the crowds, creating an extra layer of culinary exclusivity that perfectly complements the Culinary Ambassador experience.
A new paradigm for cruise dining
The Culinary Ambassador cruises identify the shift in on board dining expectations, transforming the traditional cruise dining experience into something far more immersive and educational.
“Dining has become an essential part of how people explore the world, and our Culinary Ambassador program allows us to offer something truly special — an experience that goes beyond the plate.”
Michael Stendebach, vice president of food, beverage and rooms division for Holland America Line.
For those seeking a different angle on their next cruise, these sailings offer something beyond the usual shore excursions and shipboard entertainment. Here, the journey itself becomes the destination, with world-class cuisine serving as your compass – especially when experienced from the elevated vantage point of a luxury suite.
Culinary Ambassador cruises begin in August 2025, with bookings now open through Holland America Line.
About the Author: Jason Kerr
