Which upscale cruise operator places an emphasis on delicious food and cultural excursions?

Can we say “this and this premium cruise line emphasises BOTH dining and cultural experiences”?

I value cultural experiences and delicious meals equally, so I’d like to know whether there is a cruise line that offers these kinds of services.

I’m searching for a high-end cruise in East Asia (or even globally), and by good food I mean a good buffet that includes some Asian and Indian foods in addition to a few specialty restaurants that serve those cuisines.

Cultural encounters include both onboard lectures about the cultures we are visiting and cultural outings on land.

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You might be considering Regent Seven Seas, Ponant, or Silversea, in my opinion. Additionally, Azamara and Cunard (to varying degrees, based on the itinerary). Numerous (included) excursions are offered by Viking Ocean cruises.

All of them will participate in port excursions and talks and demonstrations pertaining to “enrichment” while on board.

If you’d like, Cunard offers really formal dining; the others have MDR dress code requirements.

These cruises come at a hefty price. A few of the costs are quite exorbitant. But this is the price you have to pay if you really want a five-star dining experience and meals to match.

Since this is Reddit, I’m sure there are others, and someone will inevitably correct me.

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@Adele Regards. I mentioned ‘premium’ cruise lines expressly since I can’t afford luxury ones.

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@Alain How can you distinguish between premium and luxury products?

If that’s what you meant by Premium, you won’t get the kind of good dining on the mid-range lines like Celebrity, etc.

The experiences you want are not sufficiently compensated for by premium lines.

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@Adele I had the impression that there were many cruise line classifications, such as luxury (Oceania, Azamara, etc.) and premium (Celebrity, Holland America, etc.).

Once more, which premium line provides the greatest cuisine and cultural encounters?

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@Alain Equines for instruction The terminology seems a little arbitrary to me. Celebrity is not what I would consider Premium. Although they are categorized as luxury, many claim that Oceania is your best option.

Though not conclusive, but:

Cruise line categories: from mass market to ultra-luxury: Travel Agency & Concierge Travel Services – Cruise & Travel Specialists | Sophisticated Travel - Sophisticated Travel in, luxury car, and ultra-luxury car.

I would go back to the opinions of others regarding Oceania and begin there. I’ve heard, though, that the food isn’t really outstanding.

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@Adele It’s funny that your link verifies all of my knowledge regarding cruise line classifications.

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I think Oceania is a great compromise between luxury lines and excellent food and experiences at a much more affordable price.

There are a relatively small number of larger-ship premium lines (HAL, X, Princess, and both specialized, VV and DCL) if you’re not quite that much up market. Since it depends so much on location, I can’t comment to the caliber of their lectures, but I believe HAL may have an advantage over X when it comes to meals.

Since river cruises concentrate more on the cultural aspects, I would also look at them.

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@Banice Oceania is an amazing deal. It’s barely more expensive than Celebrity once you add on drinks and Internet and dining and excursions and whatever else Oceania includes. Everybody says it’s like a floating retirement home, but that’s not my experience at all. There aren’t a lot of actual children, but it’s not like everybody’s drooling in a wheelchair.

Edit: for destinations in SE Asia I’d also much rather be on a smaller ship. You can get into smaller ports and visit more interesting places, and you’re not going to end up downtown in some city surrounded by 5,000 of your fellow passengers. On my last Mediterranean cruise with O I started dreading the days we were in port at the same time as those huge ships.

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Azamara is very nice and has a lot of East Asia itineraries. There are always cultural excursions, and they usually have an Azamazing Evening event on shore which is always a cultural event. The service is very good and food is also good, although that is subjective. There is not an emphasis on Indian/Asian cuisine and they only have two speciality restaurants - a steak house and a Mediterranean restaurant. The buffet usually has some dishes that reflect the area they are sailing in.

If you are used to big ship lines, you might be disappointed with small ship entertainment, and in Azamara’s case, the small cabins. In general, small ships, which can visit smaller ports, are more expensive, and if price is a concern, even Azamara and Oceania will be out of reach. The luxury lines all likely have what you are looking for, but with associated prices.

What cruise lines have you tried and enjoyed?

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@Candy Regards. I’ve heard that Azamara is a luxury brand, therefore it’s probably beyond my means. I was happy with Celebrity, the only thing I tried.

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@Alain Azamara is below luxury (compared to Silversea, Regent, etc.) but you can occasionally get some deals. The big ship lines like Celebrity will have some onboard lecturers and there are always a large range of excursions that include cultural immersion; small ships are generally just better at it.

Celebrity has some great prices in east Asia. I would suggest you look at the available itineraries and excursions offered by Celebrity and see if any grab you. You can also get some cultural excursions by looking at vendors like Viator, who general price their excursions cheaper than Celebrity.

As for food onboard, Celebrity always has an Asian section at their buffet, at least on Solstice-class and newer; not sure about Millie-class. It’s good but it’s not what I’d call Asian-intensive by any means. I think if you are looking for a cruise line that will serve a lot of Asian cuisine, you may be out of luck. Most cruise lines stick to a fairly standard menu regardless of where they are sailing. One possibility would be booking with an actual Asian line, but then you’ll be struggling with language and a whole different standard of cruising

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The Majestic Princess features a few Asian-focused eating options because it was designed with the Asian market in mind. I’m not sure if it satisfies your other qualifications because it isn’t exclusive to the Asian market.

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@Dacosta Thanks for the tip!

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Oceania precisely fits this.

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@Dorea I mistakenly believed that Oceania was a premium line, but rather a luxury one.

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These days, every cruise ship has luxurious amenities. You pay for what you receive. A mini-suite feels more luxurious to me than an inside cabin or a basic balcony cabin. To me, the term “premium” refers to the assortment of specialist restaurants that require additional payment in contrast to the MDR’s free meals or the buffet. HAL, RC, NCL, and Princess offer these choices.