Our expert on the cruise restaurant that's ‘refreshingly different'
This article is part of Traveller's guide to luxury cruising. See all stories.
I can't tell you exactly what kind of restaurant Earth & Ocean is. It's Mediterranean and Asian, and sometimes a little South American or African. It's sophisticated dining, but oh so simple. It's no pool grill, yet you could almost dangle your legs in the pool from some tables. It's upmarket but relaxed: fine dining without the starch.
I can tell you what Earth & Ocean isn't, though. You expect certain hallmarks of upmarket cruise-ship dining. French or Italian. Predictable, international-bland dishes and sumptuous salad buffets. Sedate service. Menus pages long. This restaurant meets none of them.
After dozens of cruise ships and thousands of meals, I've finally found cruising's most interesting restaurant aboard the ocean ships of Seabourn Cruise Line. Earth & Ocean has the nerve to provide something refreshingly different. It dishes up the unexpected every night, and all without foam, fuss and pretentious tricks.
Earth & Ocean is a modest affair. I suspect even my fellow cruise guests remain unaware of its flair, assuming perhaps that it's merely an extension of The Patio, the lunchtime pool grill.
Most pool grills close at night on luxury ships, but The Patio transforms itself into an alternative venue. Tables are still cloth-less but nicely set, and candles flicker. The swimming pool glows, and through big windows the ocean glimmers as the light fades.
Already I'm relaxed, and I know the menu won't stress me. I don't have to leaf through endless choices. There's just a single printed page: three entrees, three mains, three desserts, and a good accompanying red or white – although if guests want, waiters will find other wines.
The only thing that unifies the dishes is their deep flavours, inventiveness and eclectic range of influences. The chefs' range is impressive: baked, braised, smoked, stuffed, slow-cooked, stir-fried, grilled. I never know how the results will be served: in a tagine, on a hot stone or skillet, on a wooden paddle, in a ceramic pot.
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The French Riviera resort of Cannes is imposing what its city council calls "drastic regulation" on cruise ships, banning any vessels carrying more than 1000 people from its harbour from next year. The home of the world's premier film festival is joining a growing global backlash against overtourism, which recently saw uproar over Jeff Bezos' and Lauren Sanchez' Venice wedding this weekend, water-gun protests in Spain and a surprise strike at the Louvre Museum. "Less numerous, less big, less polluting and more esthetic" - that's the aim of Cannes city councillors who voted on Friday to introduce new limits on cruise ships in its ports starting January 1. Only ships with fewer than 1000 passengers will be allowed in the port, with a maximum of 6000 passengers disembarking per day. Larger ships will be expected to transfer passengers to smaller boats to enter Cannes. France - which drew in some 100 million visitors last year, more than any other European country and more than the country's population - is on the front line of efforts to balance economic benefits of tourism with environmental concerns while managing ever-growing crowds. "Cannes has become a major cruise ship destination, with real economic benefits," Mayor David Lisnard said in a statement. "It's not about banning cruise ships, but about regulating, organising, setting guidelines for their navigation." Cruise operators have called such restrictions damaging for destinations and for passengers. Two cruise ships were scheduled to dock in Cannes on Sunday, each bigger than the upcoming 1000-passenger limit and with a combined capacity of more than 7000 people. Their owners did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the new restrictions. The nearby Mediterranean city of Nice announced limits on cruise ships earlier this year, as have some other European cities. The French Riviera resort of Cannes is imposing what its city council calls "drastic regulation" on cruise ships, banning any vessels carrying more than 1000 people from its harbour from next year. The home of the world's premier film festival is joining a growing global backlash against overtourism, which recently saw uproar over Jeff Bezos' and Lauren Sanchez' Venice wedding this weekend, water-gun protests in Spain and a surprise strike at the Louvre Museum. "Less numerous, less big, less polluting and more esthetic" - that's the aim of Cannes city councillors who voted on Friday to introduce new limits on cruise ships in its ports starting January 1. Only ships with fewer than 1000 passengers will be allowed in the port, with a maximum of 6000 passengers disembarking per day. Larger ships will be expected to transfer passengers to smaller boats to enter Cannes. 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This article is part of Traveller's guide to luxury cruising. See all stories. I can't tell you exactly what kind of restaurant Earth & Ocean is. It's Mediterranean and Asian, and sometimes a little South American or African. It's sophisticated dining, but oh so simple. It's no pool grill, yet you could almost dangle your legs in the pool from some tables. It's upmarket but relaxed: fine dining without the starch. I can tell you what Earth & Ocean isn't, though. You expect certain hallmarks of upmarket cruise-ship dining. French or Italian. Predictable, international-bland dishes and sumptuous salad buffets. Sedate service. Menus pages long. This restaurant meets none of them. After dozens of cruise ships and thousands of meals, I've finally found cruising's most interesting restaurant aboard the ocean ships of Seabourn Cruise Line. Earth & Ocean has the nerve to provide something refreshingly different. It dishes up the unexpected every night, and all without foam, fuss and pretentious tricks. Earth & Ocean is a modest affair. I suspect even my fellow cruise guests remain unaware of its flair, assuming perhaps that it's merely an extension of The Patio, the lunchtime pool grill. Most pool grills close at night on luxury ships, but The Patio transforms itself into an alternative venue. Tables are still cloth-less but nicely set, and candles flicker. The swimming pool glows, and through big windows the ocean glimmers as the light fades. Already I'm relaxed, and I know the menu won't stress me. I don't have to leaf through endless choices. There's just a single printed page: three entrees, three mains, three desserts, and a good accompanying red or white – although if guests want, waiters will find other wines. The only thing that unifies the dishes is their deep flavours, inventiveness and eclectic range of influences. The chefs' range is impressive: baked, braised, smoked, stuffed, slow-cooked, stir-fried, grilled. I never know how the results will be served: in a tagine, on a hot stone or skillet, on a wooden paddle, in a ceramic pot.
