Cruise lines put culinary sailings back on the menu

The global cruise shutdown meant the postponement or cancellation of many sailings.

Food-focused sailings are back on the menu, with creative themes and big-name chefs marking their return, now that the industry is back in partial swing.

Here are a few lines and sailings.

From Tundra to Table with Quark

The farm-to-table and local-everything trend has been embraced by cruise lines for a long time.

The program gives guests on the Ultramarine the chance to learn about the culture and cuisine of the Inuit in the north.

On those itineraries, guests will be able to sample dishes from those regions and learn about the origins of the food and the elements of Inuit cooking.

The dish was prepared for the Tundra to Table experience. The photo is courtesy of Quark.

The $125-per-person experience will be offered in the Ultramarine's main restaurant, Balena; ingredients will feature seafood caught in Arctic waters, such as arctic char in Nunavut, and free-roaming game from the region.

Guests will get four courses of modern Inuit fusion-style cuisine, which may include beer-braised Musk ox served with mashed potatoes, mushroom sauce and berry jam. The dinner will have regional crockery.

Women chefs star with Windstar

Windstar Cruises launched an all-woman trio of guest chefs for this year's culinary cruises as part of its longstanding partnership with the James Beard Foundation.

Each chef will host a sailing on which they will conduct cooking demonstrations, prepare dinners with wine and lead market tours to shop for ingredients. A growing selection of James Beard Foundation-affiliated items will be served on the Windstar menu.

Chef Hill Booker hosted Windstar's "In the Wake of the Spanish Armadas" which was a sailing from Aruba to Panama. The photo is courtesy of Windstar Cruises.

The first sailing in the series was from Aruba to Panama on the Wind Surf. In the Wake of the Spanish Armadas featured chef Jennifer Hill Booker, author of Field Peas to Foie Gras: Southern Recipes With a French Accent and Dinner Deja Vu: Southern Tonight, French Tomorrow.

The chef and restaurant owner will lead a sailing on the west coast in May. The photo is courtesy of Windstar Cruises.

The executive chef and owner of the Brown Sugar Kitchen in Oakland, Calif., will be on the West Coast Epicurean Extravaganza cruise. Holland will lead a 10-day sailing on the Star Breeze to ports in Portland, Ore., Seattle, and Santa Barbara, Calif. Sourdough bread, salmon and apples are not to be missed.

Windstar will sail its Southeast Canadian Explorations in October. The photo is courtesy of Windstar Cruises.

On October 12th, Southeast Canadian Explorations will sail from Montreal to Boston. The owner of a Boston restaurant will host an 11-day cruise on the Star Pride with calls that include Gaspe, Quebec, and Bar Harbor, Maine. Kamouraska lamb, lobster, and Halifax donair are some of the local delicacies.

A 'Top Chef' takes the Scenic route

Bryan Voltaggio will be on a river cruise in the south of France. The photo is courtesy of Scenic Cruises.

The south of France will be the location of a river cruise this fall featuring Bryan Voltaggio, a former Top Chef contestant. During the lecture and cooking demonstrations, he will present new recipes. Guests will be able to eat with the celebrity chef. The cruise will leave from Lyon on October 20.

'Biscuit Queen' sails American Queen

American Queen Voyages will host eight sailings this year. The photo is courtesy of American Queen voyages.

The American Queen voyages will feature cooking demonstrations and discussions on local cuisine with the new chef, Regina Charboneau. She will explore ports with friends and guests.

Charboneau said of her cruises that she will tell the story of the dish, how it has impacted the community and so much more. Charboneau is best known for her specialty of crafting handmade biscuits, and she is based in her hometown of Natchez, Miss., where she owns the Biscuit and Blues restaurant. She has two San Francisco restaurants and is the author of a cookbook.

Pepin family-style dining on Oceania

Jacques and Claudine will each host a sailing this year. The photo is courtesy of Oceania Cruises.

This year, it is aPepin family affair on the cruises.

Claudine Pepin, daughter of JacquesPepin and co- founder of the JacquesPepin Foundation, will host a cruise aboard the Sirena departing July 23 from Edinburgh, Scotland.

On Sept. 10, JacquesPepin will host his own cruise on the Insignia from New York.

Both sailings will feature signature cuisine.