Our expert on the cruise restaurant that's ‘refreshingly different'

Sydney Morning Herald

29-06-2025

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.