Cruise holidays: The best ships and itineraries for foodies

European Waterways' luxury hotel barges offer culinary cruises in Burgundy or along the Canal du Midi or Canal de Briare, France's oldest canal. Photo / Supplied

Indulge your appetite during grand gourmet dinners, meet Michelin-star chefs and attend events including chef demonstrations, vintner lectures, intimate tastings and food and beer pairings on these culinary-focused adventures around the world and closer to home.

Cunard: Great Australian Culinary Voyage

Some of Australia's leading food experts are set to bring the country's drinking and dining culture to life on Cunard's inaugural Great Australian Culinary Voyage departing Sydney on January 28, 2023. Highlights include curated menus and events, tailored shore excursions and insightful talks by chefs such as Matt Moran and Bundjalung Man and Indigenous chef Mark Olive, who will host a native Australian barbecue on deck.

Wine expert Huon Hooke, one of Australia's most respected wine critics, together with writers and esteemed food writer and critic duo Jill Dupleix and Terry Durack will also join the sailing to host events and talks, and offer up culinary wisdom and insights.
Priced from $1510pp. cunard.com

Some of Australia's leading food experts are set to bring the country's drinking and dining culture to life on Cunard's inaugural Great Australian Culinary Voyage. Photo / Supplied

Avalon Waterways: German Grandeur Beer Tasting Cruise

Enjoy exclusive onboard beer tastings, visit historic breweries and learn about brewing techniques as you travel through Switzerland, Germany and France, sampling superb regional beers along the way. Ports on this eight-night river cruise departing Nuremberg on July 21, 2023 include Bamberg, where you'll visit a family-run hop garden, and Frankfurt for a day trip to Seligenstadt for a brewery tour that ventures beyond traditional pilsener.

With a specialist beer guide to host lectures, beer tastings and introduce you to food and beer pairing, you'll find plenty of reasons to raise a glass to Europe's excellent beers on this trip.
Priced from $4940pp. avalonwaterways.com.au

Carnival Cruises: Cruise to Nowhere

Foodies seeking a taste of the champagne life on a beer budget should look no further than Carnival Cruises, a well-priced line that excels at delivering delicious dining at a modest price. On a Cruise to Nowhere from Sydney or Brisbane, there are no ports to distract you from the tasty delights onboard.

Book into a specialty restaurant or stick with the many complimentary dining options including Pizzeria del Capitano, Guy's Burger Joint, Masala Tiger and The Carnival Deli. The superb chef's table includes wine matching and is worth the splurge, plus it comes with a magician who drops in to perform table magic for the group. Speciality steakhouse Fahrenheit 555 is also great value with an extensive menu, personal service and classy surrounds.
Priced from $400pp. carnival.com.au

Foodies seeking a taste of the Champagne life on a beer budget should look no further than Carnival Cruises. Photo / Supplied

European Waterways: French Culinary Cruise

Few countries can compete in quality and popularity with France when it comes to food and wine and European Waterways' luxury hotel barges make the most of every delicious mouthful. Culinary cruises are available in Burgundy or along the Canal du Midi or Canal de Briare, France's oldest canal, which connects with the Seine and Loire Rivers.

There are plenty of opportunities to sample France's famous food and wine, with excursions to prestigious vineyards, gastronomic meals paired with carefully selected local vintages and guided tours that reveal the country's culinary traditions as the barge sails through a landscape filled with elegant chateaux and picturesque villages.
Priced from $6240pp. europeanwaterways.com

Oceania Cruises: France or Italy Cruise

Oceania Cruises has long been famous for its onboard cuisine but foodies can step it up a notch – and loosen their belt a notch – on Italy and France cruises which feature loads of the line's legendary Culinary Discovery Tours. These foodie-focused adventures combine all the key ingredients for a perfect culinary excursion: traditional cuisine, hands-on learning, local markets, passionate guides and plenty of eating and drinking.

Choose from options such as a Venetian Master Cooking Class & Market Tour, which includes a cooking demonstration at a Venetian master chef's private villa and lunch at a local home or an Aix Market Tour & Provencal Lunch with a gluten-free cooking demonstration conducted by a famous Michelin-star chef.
Cruise prices vary depending on the itinerary. oceaniacruises.com

Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours: Tastes of Southern France with Gabriel Gate

Departing Lyon on June 14 2023, this 10-night round-trip cruise travels through the south of France and is led by Gabriel Gate, one of the region's most famous French culinary experts. Along with exclusive activities hosted by Gate, such as onboard cooking demonstrations and guided tours, you can meet a truffle farmer and their specially trained dog, taste wines with a local vintner in Beaujolais or participate in an interactive workshop at the Valrhona Cite du Chocolate Museum.

Your famous guide and celebrity chef loves nothing more than wandering off the typical tourist trail to uncover lesser-known food markets and culinary curiosities.
Priced from $8740pp. scenic.com.au

Tasmanian Expedition Cruises: Port Davey Escape

Get ready for adventure and some of Australia's best food and wine when you board Tasmanian Expedition Cruises' new high-end luxury vessel for a four- or six-night cruise to Port Davey. Odalisque III takes a maximum of 12 guests on food and wine focused adventures through Tasmania's most pristine wilderness areas, including Southwest National Park, which is one of the most remote and most renowned Tasmania Wilderness World Heritage Areas.

On board the ship, specialist chefs seconded from some of Hobart's top restaurants dish up superb meals starring Tasmania's famous produce accompanied by the region's cool-climate wines, crisp craft beers and award-winning spirits.
Priced from $12345pp. onboardexpeditions.com.au

Tasmanian Expedition Cruises' new high-end luxury vessel takes guests on a four- or six-night cruise to Port Davey. Photo / Mark Daffey

P&O Cruises Australia: Sapphire Coast Food Festival

Join fellow foodies on Pacific Adventure for plenty of eating, drinking and making merry on a food focused three-night round-trip cruise from Sydney to the town of Eden, which is part of the scenic Sapphire Coast and renowned for its superb local produce. Sign up for a shore excursion that visits Kameruka Estate, a working sheep and cattle station where you can learn about life on the land. Or you could join local oyster farmer Brett Weingarth, aka "Captain Sponge", to learn about oysters and oyster farming and sample a Pambula Lake Sydney Rock oyster straight from the lake's pristine waters. Several departures are available for this itinerary in 2022 and 2023.

Priced from $500pp. pocruises.com.au

Join fellow foodies on a P&O Pacific Adventure for plenty of eating, drinking and making merry on a food focussed three-night round-trip cruise from Sydney. Photo / Supplied

Azamara: Wine & Culture Voyage

Discover the culinary culture of Spain, Portugal and France on a 14-night Wine & Culture Voyage from Barcelona to Dublin onboard Azamara Pursuit, departing on May 30, 2023. Breathe in the fresh sea air at a White Night barbecue party on the top deck, drop into traditional English pubs in Gibraltar, sample authentic port in the town of Porto in Portugal or dine at family-run pintxo bars and Michelin-starred restaurants in Bilbao, which produces some of Spain's best Rioja wines.

The cruise also includes three days in Bordeaux where you'll have plenty of time to tour local vineyards and sample outstanding local drops. If you prefer more spirited entertainment, visit Chateau Royal de Cognac and Maison Hennessy, two of the world's most famous cognac producers.

For those who love food, wine and golf in equal measure, there's also the option to purchase a Golf Package and play a round at some of the world's best courses, with everything taken care of, from green fees and caddies to an open bar at each golf course.
Priced from $6445pp. azamara.com