Fab four: The best gourmet cruises

Can you really enjoy a foodie holiday when cruising? Yes, if you join the likes of one of these journeys.

Forage for berries, hike over the spongy tundra to collect herbs and mushrooms, and learn more about the indigenous peoples of the Arctic onboard Quark Expeditions' Ultramarine. Although the menu is seasonal, you should expect to sample dishes such as dry-aged caribou, beer-braised musk ox and Greenlandic mashed potatoes on select Tundra to Table sailings around Greenland and Arctic Canada. The epicurean experience onboard the 199-passenger ship is designed to showcase the cuisine and cultural heritage of the Inuit in Greenland and Nunavut in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Profits from the culinary program, which sources food from local hunters and food producers, goes towards grassroots initiatives that support local chefs in Greenland and Nunavut. quarkexpeditions.com

Set sail with European Waterways onboard Enchante to enjoy a culinary cruise around the waterways of France that includes a truffle hunt in Mas d'Antonin, wine tastings in a chateau in Minervois and forays to farmers' markets. The eight-passenger hotel barge, which pootles along the sun-splashed Canal du Midi between Salleles d'Aude and Trebes from April to October, has a chef on hand to help passengers better appreciate the country's bounty. Highlights of this seven-day epicurean itinerary include an excursion to a boulangerie in the village of Homps, a canal-side French cooking class, and a visit to an olive grove to see the production process and sample the olives, olive oils and tapenades for which the Occitanie region is renowned. europeanwaterways.com

The taste-makers at Oceania Cruises have bolstered the brand's reputation for fine-dining with the addition of a raft of new foodie itineraries. From a seafood tagine in Tangiers to a cooking class in an Estonian fishing village, Oceania is so serious about its food and wine offerings that it's trademarked the line, Finest Cuisine at Sea. Oceania also invites gourmands to elevate their knowledge about artisan ingredients such as olive oil, during a sommelier-led table-side tasting in restaurant Toscana. The extravagant six-course Dom Perignon degustation is another onboard experience that takes place on Oceania's O Class vessels, Riviera and Marina. Bookmark the Barcelona to Rome Riviera cruise led by Oceania's executive culinary director, Jacques Pepin from October 10 to 20. oceaniacruises.com

S.A.L.T. stands for Sea and Land Taste, an immersive culinary program that includes workshops and classes that take inspiration from Silversea's food-focused shore excursions. What distinguishes the program devised by Adam Sachs, former editor-in-chief of Saveur magazine, is it is peppered with immersive and compelling excursions and experiences that reflect the regions you are travelling to. In addition to inviting experts onboard Silver Moon and Silver Dawn to conduct cooking classes designed around different cuisines, expect the immersive off-ship SALT excursions to provide a gateway to rediscovering different destinations through food. Get a taste of the Mediterranean on a 28-day cruise that sails from Venice to Barcelona departing August 21, 2023 on the all-new Silver Nova. silversea.com