Top 10 Cruise Destinations for Foodies
No matter if you prefer to eat in the ships MDR’s, in the buffet or in a specialty restaurant, you can be assured a never going hungry on a cruise holiday.
Despite that, one thing that even the best restaurants and chefs onboard a ship cannot match and that is authenticity.
No matter what your favourite cuisine is, to be able to eat it locally is always the best and that is something that cruisers can easily do.
By visiting cruise ports with a strong food scene, you can enjoy top quality food and usually for much cheaper than you can at home but which are the best ports of call for foodies? This list answers just that!
Our Top 10 Cruise Destinations for Foodies
Singapore
Singapore is not only an incredible place to visit and somewhere that is ideal for calling into on a cruise, due to its size, but it is also a must visit destination for food lovers.
If you want to try local food, such as chilli crab, satay, rendang and durian, a hawker centre lets you do just that, with out the need for splashing out.
If you want a more luxurious experience, the city state is home to many upmarket restaurants owned by celebrity chefs that can be visited on a cruise via the clean and safe local transportation system.
Naples
Neapolitans love food and who can blame them as the city offers some of the best Mediterranean food in the world.
Staples such as pizza, pasta, taralli and tomatoes can be found throughout the city but for a full range of local, and international cuisine, we would recommend visiting the Pignasecca market.
For those wanting a more luxurious experience, the city is home to several Michelin starred restaurants.
Barcelona
Barcelona is well known in the cruising industry as been one of the top ports in the world, but the local foodie scene often gets overlooked.
La Boqueria market is just a short stroll from the cruise port, in the middle of the famous Las Ramblas shopping street and offers a good selection of quick and cheap bites of local and international cuisines.
The city is famed for its tapas bars and incredible seafood.
New Orleans
The city offers a truly unique experience when compared to anywhere else as a number of different cultures have melted together over the years to create its own culture.
New Orleans in Louisiana is known for its Creole cuisine and that means visitors can enjoy such scrumptious dishes as gumbo, beignets and jambalaya.
Tokyo (Yokohama)
The city of Tokyo is one of the worlds truly great cities and is a must visit destination for many holidaymakers and thankfully, there are now plenty of cruise line offering stops there on their itinaries, or even homeporting in the cities Yokohama cruise port.
The city offers a great range of food, from high end establishments to a thriving seafood scene where foodies can enjoy local favourites such as sushi and ramen or enjoy a visit to an izakaya bars.
Lisbon
The Portuguese capital city of Lisbon has lots to offer visitors and has long been a regular port of call for cruising heading between Northern Europe and either the Mediterranean or the Canaries.
It is also home to plenty of scrumptious local food options, including local wines, seafood dishes and pastries but it is for the foodie favourite of Pasteis de Natas that it makes this list for, with the sweet custard tart snack a favourite for many food lovers.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is on the bucket list for many cruises as its iconic skyline is something that can only be enjoyed by visiting.
Away from the skyscrapers and neon lights, the city has lots to offer including a thriving street food scene that includes roast meats and dim sum.
Athens (Piraeus)
The historic city of Athens is one of the leading cruise ports in the eastern Mediterranean and the cities numerous tourist attractions attract visitors from around the world.
Local cuisine sits alongside international dishes in the cities taveras, ouzeries and koutoukia’s, with foodies easily been able to experience authentic moussaka, souvlaki and tiropitakia- amongst many many others.
Mumbai
Indian food is popular around the world and where better to try traditional Indian dishes than in India itself?
Mumbai is one of the leading cruise ports in the regions and offers lots of options for trying local food, especially in the numerous street food markets that are found around the city.
Shanghai
There are a few cuisines that have truly gone global and one of those is Chinese food.
With so many great dishes available, that is not too surprising, and it is also not too surprising that so many foodies want the authentic experience when it comes to Chinese food.
Shanghai is the leading cruise port in the country and also has a booming food scene where you can try local cuisines such as xiao long bao and dumplings.
