The Appeal of Mediterranean Cruises for “Foodies”

Are you searching for a holiday idea which allows you to indulge in your passion for food and travel? Why not consider Mediterranean Cruises as your next holiday plan, and discover some of the best cuisine of the region.

While trying new cuisine and ingredients has become easier over the past decades, and even the most exotic foods can be found in your local supermarket, there is nothing like trying speciality dishes in the country they originate from. My husband and I are dedicated “foodies” – we wouldn’t consider ourselves as connoisseurs, but we certainly enjoy experimenting with new ingredients.

When planning our vacation, we decided that Mediterranean Cruises would be a perfect way to combine visits to see some of the best architecture and cultural heritage of Europe, but also to enjoy a taste of each country on our itinerary. The beauty of Mediterranean Cruises is that you are not limited to visiting one country, but rack up an impressive list of destinations in a relatively short time. Our most recent cruise took us to France, Spain, Italy, Gibraltar and Portugal, over the course of 14 days, making it an exciting tour full of memorable sights…and of course cuisine.

During the offshore excursions and land tours that we’d booked as part of our Mediterranean Cruises package, we had the opportunity to try typical dishes cooked in the local style. Our knowledgeable guide was able to advise us of restaurants to try, and we were highly impressed. Some of our favourite holiday memories are focused on food – the beautiful, home-made pasta served with field mushrooms in family-owned bistro in Florence and the lightest, fluffiest Tortilla de Patatas from a Spanish tapas bar are both dishes that we will recreate at home.

Dining on-board during Mediterranean Cruises has a huge advantage over staying in a hotel, where often you’ll be served the same few dishes on regular basis. On the cruise ship, we found an excellent range of restaurants offering high quality international cuisine with distinctive styles.  This allows passengers to pick and choose to suit their mood – although we did note that if you want to dine in a specific restaurant it is worth booking in advance to reserve your table and prevent disappointment.  You should also bear in mind that additional fees are payable in selected restaurants or for certain dishes.

As an added bonus for us foodies, the cruise line we travelled with offered a number of food and wine focused activities. We were amazed at the expertise of the staff, who were genuinely enthusiastic about the subject matter and happy to answer questions from participants. We found that taking part in these activities really added value to our  Mediterranean holiday.

Overall, we rate Mediterranean Cruises highly for anyone who loves to eat and learn about food during their vacations. The quality and variety of cuisine on-board is excellent, and being able to discover the real character of a country through excursions on land makes this an unforgettable choice.