Celebrity Cruises Cooking Classes: A Foodie Heaven at Sea

Have you ever wanted to take a cooking class on a cruise? I have and so I was delighted to learn that Celebrity Cruises cooking classes exist! We signed up for one, and here’s how the class went.

About The Class

While Myron and I were eating lunch at the Oceanview Café on Day Two of our recent Baltic cruise, we were approached by a crew member asking if we’d like to take a cooking class. After a few questions and a brief discussion, we happily signed up for the Ultimate Culinary Series after learning that: (1) the course was in three parts that took place on sea days, (2) on the last day we’d be cooking too, and (3), the class was only $59 per person.

So, on the sea days during our Baltic cruise, we spent an hour or so each morning for three days taking an exclusive small-group cooking class. Taught by the head chef of the Eden restaurant, Nicolas Bejarano, the class covered the cooking basics needed to prepare several dishes that might be served at Eden, the premiere specialty restaurant on Celebrity’s Edge-class ships: the Edge, the Apex, the Beyond, and coming soon, the Ascent.

Session One

On the first day of the cooking class, Day Three of our cruise, we walked into Eden not knowing quite what to expect. The open kitchen area had been transformed, the pass covered with fresh seafood and other ingredients. As we waited for the other class participants to arrive, we took our seats in the semicircle of ten chairs that were arranged in front of the pass and tried to guess what the chef was going to cook for us.

Soon, we learned that Session One was all about seafood: how to select the freshest seafood, how to shuck an oyster or break down a lobster or shrimp, and how to choose the best ingredients such as the right olive oil. Over the course of an hour, Chef Nicolas prepared for us a mussels dish, a lobster dish, and a carabineros shrimp dish, explaining in detail each step as he went.

By the end of the session, we were completely wowed…and hungry. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the opportunity to taste the dishes on this first day.

Session Two

On Day Two of our cooking class with Chef Nicolas, which was Day Eight of our cruise, we learned the basics of making a good risotto, including choosing the best rice and the best olive oil, and how to time the cooking stages to create the perfect dish.

This time, we actually got to taste the risotto in various cooking stages as the chef demonstrated to us how to get the perfect bite, which is past al dente. Even with truffle oil and mushrooms, which I don’t eat (yes, I’m a picky eater), the risotto Chef Nicolas created was sublime.

Session Three

On the third and final day of our cooking course with Chef Nicolas, which was Day Twelve of our cruise, the five of us who were left were given chef hats and aprons, as well as our own prep station.

As we donned the aprons, we noticed a tag that revealed that Celebrity Cruises had partnered with Cooks Who Feed for these courses and that purchasing these handmade aprons provided ten meals for those who suffer from food insecurity. Yet another good reason to take the course – it helps feed the world.

This time, Chef Nicolas was joined by chefs from Raw on 5, who taught us how to create a tempura shrimp sushi roll. I had the hardest time following all the steps, but Myron was a champ.

Being an excellent cook himself, Myron was a little nervous about cooking for the chefs, but he ended up making the perfect sushi roll. He picked up the technique so quickly that he was told he could have a job today in the sushi restaurant, which is amazing considering he’s never eaten sushi, nor has he seen it prepared before. He’s still beaming over that compliment. 

Not being a seafood eater, I wasn’t thrilled at the thought of tasting sushi for the first time, even a California roll, which is basically what I made. I did manage to eat a whole slice of it, though, the seaweed wrap turning me off a bit.

After we’d eaten, it was back to work. Chef Nicolas was joined by Chef Sekaran, the ship’s head pastry chef, who gave us a demonstration of how to make the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Finally, I was in my comfort zone! I love to bake.

Then Chef Nicolas walked us through how to create a Caesar salad from dressing to plating.

Of course, not being a seafood eater, I eliminated the anchovies from the dressing ingredients. The Caesar salad was still delicious, and I’m looking forward to making it at home.

Then Chef Nicolas demonstrated how to make a spicy shrimp dish we’d eat during lunch. It’s surprising what a long process it is to create some of these amazing dishes!

After-Class Meal

After the class, we students were invited to sit for a nice lunch and enjoy the food that had been made that day. Since I don’t eat seafood, he was kind enough to prepare a short rib and polenta dish for me that was oh-so-good.

And the dessert? The chocolate chip cookies we saw being made were absolutely divine. I managed to snag the recipe and am looking forward to making the cookies at home.

How to Sign Up for Celebrity Cruises Cooking Classes

Celebrity offers the Ultimate Culinary Series on several of their ships that we know of – Apex, Solstice, Millennium, and possibly more.

As these cooking classes weren’t advertised in the daily newsletter, Celebrity Today, we wouldn’t have known about them if we hadn’t been recruited at the Oceanview Café. So, if you’re interested in taking the classes, I’d suggest going to a specialty restaurant onboard and speaking with the maître d’. They can help you get signed up.

Final Thoughts on Celebrity Cruises Cooking Classes

If you’re looking for cruises with cooking classes, check into Celebrity’s. Overall, the Celebrity Cruises cooking classes were exciting and fun, not to mention incredibly informative. The meal we ate on the last day was worth the $59 each we paid for the course.

We loved this cooking class so much that we attended another on the Millennium a few months later.

Bon appétit, and happy cruising!