Oceania Cruises® to Reveal Food & Wine Best New Chefs as Godparents of Newest Ship, Oceania Allura™, on October 13

SINGAPORE, 16 September, 2025 – Oceania Cruises®, the world’s leading culinary- and destination-focused luxury cruise line, will team up with a selection of Food & Wine Best New Chefs alumni who will serve as godparents of its newest ship, Oceania Allura™ which is to be christened in Miami on 13 November, 2025.  In a groundbreaking move that reflects the brand’s unwavering dedication to gastronomy and innovation, Oceania Allura will be christened not by one godmother, but by a group of Food & Wine Best New Chefs alumni. The announcement was heralded by Oceania Cruises and Food & Wine executives at the Food & Wine Best New Chefs Gala in New York City, one of the industry’s most prestigious culinary festivals, a fitting backdrop for celebrating the chefs shaping the future of dining.

“The soul of Oceania Cruises has always been deeply rooted in extraordinary cuisine,” said Jason Montague, Chief Luxury Officer of Oceania Cruises. “By naming Food & Wine Best New Chefs alumni as the godparents of Oceania Allura, we’re paying homage to the future of food and the creative forces driving it forward. It’s a celebration of passion, talent and the global language of gastronomy.”

Since 1988, the Food & Wine Best New Chefs programme has honoured more than 400 rising culinary stars who are redefining how we cook, eat and connect through food. Alumni include some of the most influential figures in modern cuisine. Now, in a first for the cruise industry, a group of these culinary innovators will serve as the ceremonial godparents of Oceania Allura, marking the first time this prestigious title has been awarded to a group of chefs.

“Food & Wine Best New Chefs have helped shape the future of dining through their creativity, innovation and bold ideas for more than three decades,” said Hunter Lewis, Editor in Chief of Food & Wine. “Oceania Cruises shares that same spirit of discovery, creativity and excellence, making this a meaningful opportunity to honor the lasting impact these chefs have had on the culinary world. We’re thrilled to team up with Oceania Cruises in this unprecedented tribute to the visionaries behind today’s most exciting cuisine.”

Oceania Allura, Oceania Cruises’ newest 1,200-guest ship, promises an elevated onboard experience defined by exceptional personalised service, an elegantly relaxed ambiance and The Finest Cuisine at Sea®.

With more than 270 brand-new recipes in its marquee Grand Dining Room, an expansive hands-on Culinary Center and accompanying Chef's Studio, the return of Oceania Cruises’ signature French restaurant, Jacques, and new inventive Nikkei dishes recently announced as additions to the menu in its popular pan-Asian venue, Red Ginger, Oceania Allura embodies the cruise line’s culinary excellence while pushing the boundaries of innovation. Her christening and naming ceremony will take place on 13 November, 2025, in Miami, Florida.

With this announcement, Oceania Cruises not only redefines the traditional role of a ship’s godparent, it reaffirms its status as the cruise line created for foodies by foodies. 2023 Food & Wine Best New Chef, Aisha Ibrahim, recently hosted Oceania Cruises’ first-ever Best New Chefs Cruise which sailed to Alaska this past August. Lovers of extraordinary culinary and travel experiences will be able to partake in two new Best New Chefs Cruises, which will debut on Oceania Allura in 2026, with more details to be announced later this year.