The Trip To Spain

Liz Jarvis joins a short sailing on board Oceania Cruises for a taste of the luxury cruise line’s cuisine and lifestyle

- Liz Jarvis

We’re sitting in a tapas bar in the centre of Barcelona, being plied with copious quantities of pan con tomate, tangy chorizo and salami, calamari, sizzling flame grilled garlic prawns and local wine. It’s basically foodie heaven, and it’s all part of an excursion on a cruise line renowned for its onboard food, too.

Oceania Cruises won the hotly contested Best for Food accolade at the Cruise International Awards 2016, so I couldn’t wait to try out their cuisine for myself. Sailing on board Insignia from Civitavecchia, we had the opportunity to dine at several of the cruise line’s speciality restaurants, including the Polo Grill, where I choose Oysters Rockefeller to start, followed by filet mignon – with a side order of beautifully whipped truffle mashed potatoes. And another side order of lobster mac and cheese (yes, really), so tangy and moreish it’s impossible not to finish, which I do with a little help from my friends. I’m not even sorry.

Of course, it’s not just about the food. What Oceania Cruises offers is a luxurious but relaxed style of cruising. It’s not remotely stuffy, it’s just comfortable elegance. The cruise line defines it as ‘country club casual’, and that sums it up perfectly.