Regent Seven Seas taps home port for culinary inspiration

March 9, 2023

The cruise line is sending top culinary experts out into its home port of Miami to gather inspiration for the new menu. Image credit: Regent Seven Seas

By Emily Iris Degn

Regent Seven Seas Cruises is celebrating the food of its host city – Miami.

The Floridian city in the United States is serving as inspiration for the cruise line’s new culinary lineup. Top chefs and members of the brand’s executive culinary team recently met there to explore the local food traditions, gather ideas for new menu offerings, try out regional ingredients and learn from the best culinary minds of Miami.

Fusion food
With this journey through Miami, Regent is working to infuse the cuisine of the city into the brand’s Compass Rose restaurant.

The onboard dining institution is the largest specialty restaurant at sea, allowing luxury travelers to design their own dinner entrées. With the menu changing daily, the expansive customization options rise to the growing demand for luxury purchases and experiences that honor individuality, largely driven by the emerging power of young consumers.

Regent is setting out to offer "exquisite culinary experiences" to stand apart from typical cruise food offerings. Image credit: Regent Seven Seas

In this effort to embrace the new personalization market, Miami is proving to be a source of ample inspiration, the Regent team incorporating the local flavors and techniques of its host city into the evolved menu, set to go live sometime in 2024.

Leading the multi-day excursion was Regent’s food and beverage vice president, Bernhard Klotz.

Regent culinary executives explore Miami in culinary quest

Working with the team, Mr. Klotz scoured the city for new trends and old Miami classics. Together, they ate at top restaurants, looked into new sourcing methods and outlets, tasted local ingredients and got a more intimate look at the city that Regent calls home.

Miami is home to an extremely colorful culinary scene, bringing together cultures from around North America, the Caribbean and Latin America. Travelers can find some of the best tortas, pasta, tacos, pizza, fresh seafood and tapas in the world – all in one locale.

Despite the plethora of nationalities that make up the Miami culinary identity, the flavors are largely oceanic. With the city perched right on the tropical Atlantic Ocean, enjoying the warm currents of the Caribbean, the geography and environmental fingerprint of Miami can be tasted in its cuisine.

The seafood and marine offerings of Miami shape the current culinary scene. Image credit: Regent Seven Seas

This food scene is quite fitting for a cruise line. While the Miami dishes serve as an ode to the brand’s home port, they also pay homage to the sea – something that can work for any cruise adventure, no matter where it docks.

While cruises in general are known to offer an impressive lineup of food and cuisines, bringing in the culinary traditions of Miami amidst the flavors of Regent’s various destinations grounds the menu, offering travelers a taste of the brand’s values and identity.

Miami is home to a colorful food scene, many restaurants incorporating music into the dining experience to reflect the local culture. Image credit: Regen Seven Seas

By giving guests a sense of place through food, Regent has found a way to stand out amidst the slurry of other cruises’ dining options that also offer a variety of choices.

Will travel for food
With the rising resources of the younger generations, immersive travel experiences are increasingly becoming all the rage.

Culinary travel is an essential part of this, as trying local food on vacation can offer a personal and culturally accurate portrait of the destination, while also being highly engaging – all things that are deeply valued by Gen Z and millennial travelers.

The executives explored Miami for new ideas to incorporate into the customization-friendly dining options aboard Regent's cruises. Image credit: Regent Seven Seas

The Six Senses hotel brand is among those platforming culinary-focused travel, having recently concluded the Culinary Sensations Week in Vietnam, educating guests on the food traditions of the country (see story).

Condé Nast-owned Bon Appétit is also taking note, offering chef-led tours to some of the most food-centric places in the world, including Piedmont, Italy (see story). Through the tours, travelers have the chance to get an inside look at the slow food movement, regional cooking techniques and specialized ingredients of the locations.

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Regent Seven Seas taps home port for culinary inspiration

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