His world expanded when his family emigrated from France to Reunion, a tiny island in the ocean between Madagascar and Mauritius, a French overseas territory.
“I was 13 and had never eaten chili in my life,” he says. “My friends at school would make fun of me and call me a chicken.” So he took a bite of the pepper. “My mouth hurt for hours!”
More than 400 recipes have been developed for the newly launched Vista.
It was the start of something for him – the beginning of everything. “I discovered amazing foods – vanilla, ginger, turmeric – with Indian, Mauritian, Chinese and Arab influences.” It opened his mind to different types of cuisine from around the world.
After returning to France to train as a chef, he worked in some of the most prestigious Michelin-starred restaurants in the country, always planning his path forward: every action was planned to achieve a specific result.
“I studied plant-based cooking at Alain Passard’s L’Arpège in Paris, then went to Burgundy’s famous La Pyramide to learn traditional French cuisine,” he says.[Then] “I moved to London to practice my English and learn the difference between an ‘apple’ and a ‘potato.'” She jokes that she found it very rainy when she arrived in England.
It’s one of several refreshing, light and delicious new dishes created for Oceania Cruise Line.
By the time Quaretti joined Oceania Cruises in 2012, his ambition and experience were matched by new creative opportunities. He doubled down on his achievements, becoming a member of the prestigious Maître Cuisinier de France in 2023, making Oceania Cruises the only cruise line to employ two culinary masters (the other is Ballale).
Gastronomic adventure
“We have the same resources as a grand palace or a luxury hotel,” Quaretti says, “which means we can make many things from scratch: breads, pastries, sauces, soups.”
The chef spent a year overseeing the development of more than 400 recipes for the newly launched Vista, adding to the fleet’s 4,000 recipes.
Enjoy fine dining at Polo Grill at Oceania Vista. Nick Tortajada
The line’s eight small luxury ships, each capable of carrying 1,250 passengers or less, already offer a premium experience, but with Quaretti firmly on board (figuratively speaking), we can expect a flurry of new culinary concepts (and $150 Versace plates) to come.
At Vista and Alura, for example, classic fine dining Jacques Pépin has been replaced by the health-conscious Aquamar Kitchen. Goodbye Oysters Rockefeller and Salmon Supreme with rice pilaf. New dishes include Buddha bowls and pita sabich with falafel and tahini yogurt. There’s even avocado toast on the menu.
The ship’s new Aquamar Kitchen will be serving a variety of avocado toast dishes, including classics and Ocean Signature dishes.
It’s a long way from boeuf bourguignon, but Quaretti argues there’s room for both. “I’m not the kind of chef who changes classical French cuisine,” he says. “We have to protect our traditions and our heritage, but we also have to evolve.”
If that means avocado toast (according to the French!), then by all means, have it.
Need to know
- Oceania Cruises’ inaugural Culinary Masters Cruise will sail from Valletta, Malta to Rome aboard the Marina from October 16th to 26th.
- Billed as the ultimate gourmet cruise, the cruise will be hosted by two French Oceanian chefs, Alexis Quaretti and Eric Barralle, and will feature on-stage panel discussions, live cooking demonstrations, culinary tours, wine tastings and a gala dinner.
- Concierge Level Veranda Staterooms, starting at $8,190 per person;
