Savoring An Epicurean Expedition On World Traveller From Barcelona To Nice With Atlas Ocean Voyages — Anne Kalosh Was Impressed!

Epicurean Expedition On World Traveller

By Anne Kalosh

Les Halles, the big covered market in Sète, France, was hopping on a Thursday last May. Families clustered around small tables with big plates of mussels from the nearby Thau Lagoon, couples slurped oysters and shoppers clutched packets of zézettes de Sète, crispy, cigar-shaped biscuits made with white wine.

I was mesmerized by a stand offering more kinds of olives than I’ve ever seen before when someone asked “What’s your favorite thing to eat?” I turned to find Rudi Scholdis, a noted Belgian-born chef/restaurateur and the “gastronomic guest” aboard World Traveller, the small ship where I was traveling aboard a weeklong Mediterranean “epicurean expedition.”

The 196-passenger World Traveller. * Photo: Atlas Ocean Voyages

From Market to Plate

Knowing I’m vegetarian from a chat we’d had on board, Rudi steered me to a produce stall bursting with color: lemons, radishes, artichokes, asparagus, lettuce, melons, peaches and Gariguette strawberries, the earliest variety of spring strawberries.

Strawberries from the market in Sète turned up on the table that night. * Photo: Anne Kalosh

And the tomatoes — in every size and shape, from big, fat coeur de boeuf (beefsteak) to ruby-red cherry varieties.

“These tomatoes are very special,” Rudi said, cradling a big, meaty capestay in his hand. “These are all heirloom tomatoes … They have about 500 different tomatoes in France.”

Bantering in French with the merchants, Rudi made his picks before moving on to the fish purveyors where he ordered items hauled from the sea that morning to put on plates aboard World Traveller that night.

He also pointed out little sea snails called poivre for their peppery taste (“They’re still alive. You take them out and eat with lemon juice,” Rudi said), mounds of prawns and bunches of couteaux (razor clams) squirming from their shells.

“You eat them alive?” my friend and fellow QuirkyCruise contributor Peter Knego asked about the couteaux.

“Of course,” Rudi said, his tone indicating dead clams are not de rigueur.

In the market’s butchers’ section, Rudi explained how the stalls specialize in different kinds of meat.

Strolling around Les Halles with a chef who’s cooked at Michelin-star venues across Europe made for a very special and memorable experience — for me, a highlight of this epicurean expedition on World Traveller.

Running into Rudi at the market was a coincidence — then again, where would a chef go during a call at Sète? — but Atlas Ocean Voyages made plenty of opportunities to spend time with the gastronomic guest, both on board and in ports.

Rudi Scholdis accompanies an included culinary expedition. Here, shopping for wine in Bandol. * Photo: Anne Kalosh

RELATED: Anne reports on Atlas’s Epicurean Expeditions when it was first announced.

VIDEO: Peter Knego, with Anne as his guest host, created a “first impressions” video of this tasty cruise, below.

What’s An Epicurean Expedition?

For a new twist on expedition cruising in the non-polar regions, the line’s epicurean expeditions highlight the culinary culture of European ports. These warm-weather journeys complement Atlas Ocean Voyages’ nature/wildlife/adventure-oriented trips in the Arctic (June – Sept) and Antarctica (Nov – Feb).

All epicurean expeditions carry a gastronomic guest, typically a noted chef or local culinary expert, who provides enrichment, demonstrations and insights. A “visiting vintner” may also come aboard to lead a tasting of local wines. In addition to regular shore excursions, specially curated cultural immersion tours delve into regional specialties, and often the guest gastronomes go along.

On my cruise, Rudi and his wife, caviar master Jennifer Meriño Scholdis, were the personable gastronomic guests and integral to the experience. Rudi has cooked for queens, prime ministers, movie stars and presidents. He was head chef at The Dorchester, a London landmark, and had a long stint as culinary director at Silversea Cruises. Now he owns two of Chile’s top gourmet restaurants: Amandine Bistro et Vins in Santiago, which has received the country’s highest culinary award, and Casa de Amalia, located in the Maule wine-producing region.

He and Chilean-born Jennifer are also partners in Chile’s Kenoz, the world’s southernmost caviar producer. It sells the three most prized caviar varieties — beluga, ossetra and sevruga.

Many ships have guest chefs but they may be more of a marketing ploy than integrated into the experience.

On the 196-passenger World Traveller, there were lots opportunities to interact with the Scholdises, and Rudi cooked numerous dishes, some of them right in front of us during dinner in the Lisboa Restaurant.

My delight at experiencing Les Halles from a perspective I never would have gotten as a non-French-speaking tourist continued on board that night when, dining in the outdoor 7Aft Grill, a specialty venue, heirloom and cherry tomatoes appeared on a colorful platter of tomato “carpaccio” Rudi presented.

Tomato carpaccio fresh from the Sète market. * Photo: Anne Kalosh

The colors were so bright and sparkling, it seemed like an edible jewel box. And there were the Gariguette strawberries, too, accompanied by a balsamic sauce.

At the ship’s 7Aft Grill (available by reservation, no additional charge), a fancy Josper charcoal oven is used to grill 35-ounce New Zealand Tomahawk steaks, T-bones, Iberico pork loin, free-range chicken and a surf and turf of grass-fed U.S. tenderloin paired with lobster. Rudi prepared me some potatoes, so I could savor the smoky taste the Josper grill imparts.

A fellow diner’s tomahawk steak in World Traveller’s Josper Grill: Photo: Anne Kalosh

For a featured local market dish another night, Rudi and Jennifer cooked at a station in the main restaurant, dousing wild jumbo shrimp with Hennessy cognac to flambé them. The shrimp, so big that just one made a meal, were served with a rich sauce of butter, shallots, garlic and white wine, with chili flakes for a little kick.

The diners at my table raved about this dish. I dipped bits of baguette into a dish of the sauce and feasted on an artful plate of market-fresh asparagus.

Asparagus prepared for me by gastronomic guest Rudi Scholdis. * Photo: Anne Kalosh

The same night starred a trademark Rudi Scholdis dessert: dark chocolate ganache tart with Valrhona Guanaja 70%, red rose blossom and coffee ice cream. Yum!

Anne, at left, dining with World Traveller gastronomic guests Rudi and Jennifer Scholdis, right and center right, tasting wine purchased from an excursion to Bandol. * Photo: For Anne Kalsoh

Yachtsman’s Cookoff

During each Epicurean Expedition on World Traveller, the gastronomic guest participates in the Yachtsman’s Cookoff, the line’s version of a culinary “Ironman” competition. Typically, the guest chef squares off with the ship’s executive or sous chef.

On my cruise, Rudi purchased 30 pounds of mussels at a market and invited a passenger — selected because it was his birthday — to compete with him in the cookoff. For the passenger, an avid cruiser from Texas, it was a standout of the trip, and he was gifted a souvenir chef’s apron autographed by Rudi.

Caviar Tasting

One of the most popular events on the cruise was Rudi and Jennifer’s caviar presentation and tasting, paired with vodka or tea as a palate cleanser and laced with fascinating facts and juicy anecdotes.

We learned cruise lines represent 15 percent of the world market for caviar, purchasing 2.5 to 3.5 tons per year.

Kenoz farms 157,000 sturgeon to produce fresh, additive-free caviar, prepared according to the Malossol technique. It has a range of characteristic flavors including dried nuts, butter and ocean notes.

“You should feel it explode in your mouth, a buttery taste,” Jennifer said, as servers doled out dollops of the precious eggs.

“Oh my god! It’s like an orgasm!” a woman near me said.

“I could eat it by the spoonful,” said another.

Epicurean and Cultural Immersion Excursions

On Atlas Ocean Voyages’ epicurean expeditions, many excursions naturally have epicurean themes. During my cruise, these included a gastronomic tour of Sète including Les Halles, a countryside tour to Thau Lagoon and a vermouth tasting at the Noilly Prat Cellars outside Sète (4.5 hours, $79), several Provençal vineyard visits and tastings and, from Saint-Raphael, a tour of the Cocoa & Chocolate Museum (3.5 hours, $89) with a sampling of the local specialty, nougats wrapped in chocolate.

Some of the tours are designated as special cultural immersion excursions and one of these — at the passenger’s election — is included in the fare, while others may be purchased.

Rudi accompanied the “Bandol & Honey Tasting” excursion from Cassis (4.75 hours, $109) that visited a family-run miellerie where passengers learned how honey is harvested and tasted honey products. I joined the long queue to buy wonderful gifts and souvenirs like fragrant honey soap. The tour also spent time at the seaside resort of Bandol, where Rudi purchased rosé wine to go with dinner aboard ship that night.

At Saint-Tropez the cultural immersion tour paired a walk through the hilltop fortified village of Gassin with a nearby wine estate for a tasting (four hours, $89). Participants learned about the transition from traditional to modern wine-making techniques and got to try five wines accompanied by generous charcuterie boards.

A visiting vintner came aboard World Traveller in Saint-Raphael to present a wine tasting in the Atlas Lounge the afternoon before the cruise ended at Nice. I heard it was excellent. Unfortunately, I missed it as I disembarked that morning. But I can’t say I lacked for wine during the trip.

On Atlas, beverages are included, and that goes for fine wines, spirits and craft beers.

Between the generous pours of wine at lunch and dinner and the inclusion of wine on many of our tours — after all, this was Spain and France where it’s part of the culture — I felt indulged and, from time to time, a pleasant buzz.

World Traveller Details

Built in Portugal at the WestSea Viana do Castelo shipyard in 2022, the 9,930-gross-ton World Traveller is the twin of 2021’s World Navigator, and fourth in a series of expedition vessels for Mystic Invest Holding, a Portuguese company. Atlas Ocean Voyages, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is Mystic’s North American brand.

RELATED: Peter Knego reviews the World Navigator’s maiden voyage.

RELATED: John Roberts shares his review of the World Navigator in Antarctica.

Besides World Traveller, Atlas currently operates World Navigator and World Voyager, with sister ship World Explorer on charter to Quark Expeditions. Three more ships are planned in the coming years.

World Traveller stretches 423 feet, with a beam of 62 feet. It is a full-fledged expedition ship, certified as a Polar Category C and Ice Class 1B vessel, with its own fleet of Zodiacs and a mud room.

The ship is equipped with a hydrojet propulsion system that allows it to cruise virtually silent up to five knots, minimizing underwater noise for marine life. Instead of anchors, a GPS-based dynamic positioning system can keep the vessel stationary at sea for wildlife-watching or lowering and deploying Zodiacs or tenders.

General Arrangement And Style Of World Traveller

World Traveller looks like a yacht, inside and out. It’s dressed in nautical blues with glossy wood paneling. Black and white photographs of sailing vessels and vintage ocean liners adorn the walls — Queen Mary in a forward stair landing; Normandie, Bremen, Europa, Empress of Britain, Aquitania and Queen Elizabeth in the main restaurant. And I always knew I was near my cabin when I saw photos of sailing boats.

The vessel has six passenger decks. Deck 3 holds the mudroom and ocean-view staterooms.

Deck 4 contains most public spaces: the Vasco de Gama auditorium, forward, has sleek leather seats and a big screen for briefings and lectures. The spacious Atlas Lounge with its mid-century design, sleek sofas and plush armchairs, has a bar and stage with a grand piano and serves as the main entertainment venue. A small library is tucked at one end.

Sleek styling in the Atlas Lounge. * Photo: Anne Kalosh

Midships is the reception area, with the medical center tucked off to the side.

Next door, an open space houses Paula’s Pantry, a popular spot with an espresso machine for made-to-order coffees, fresh-pressed juices and grab-n-go snacks (no charge for any of these) that change throughout the day.

The area holds tables and the shore excursion and future cruise desks. Next door a boutique sells clothing, giant chocolate bars, gifts and sundries.

Behind a door on the port side is the sea-view fitness studio, with cardio machines and free weights, while the SeaSpa by L’Occitane is found on the starboard side. The spa, in partnership with L’Occitane en Provence, uses L’Occitane products. (A woman told me her massage was “Wonderful, Four Seasons-quality.”)

Treatments include facials and 25-minute head or foot massages. An hour-long aromatherapy massage costs $125; 90 minutes is $175. The spa’s inviting relaxation area with cushioned lounge chairs facing big windows and a sea-view sauna is available for anyone to use.

The L’Occitane en Provence Spa’s relaxation area. * Photo: Anne Kalosh

Aft on Deck 4 is the Lisboa Restaurant with its wine display at the entrance, a variety of widely spaced tables, large central buffet area (with the best breakfast buffet at sea — more about that later) and a large covered alfresco dining area aft.

Deck 5 is mainly an accommodations deck. All the way forward, behind a series of watertight doors, is a kind of hidden space: Water’s Edge. This outdoor perch, 30 feet above sea level, is perfect for wildlife-viewing during polar expeditions, and its wraparound bench is heated in cold climes.

All the way aft on Deck 5 is the Zephyr Lounge, a covered outdoor area with sofas and tables.

Deck 6 has its own open aft area and more accommodations. All the way forward is the bridge, and Atlas has an open-bridge policy, conditions permitting.

Up on Deck 7 there’s a forward-facing observation lounge, The Dome, with big windows, sofas, a central dance floor, grand piano and black-granite-topped bar. Decorated in blue, aqua and yellow, this a sophisticated yet understated and comfortable spot for afternoon tea and late-night socializing. A glass dome over the marble dance floor brings in light.

My photo doesn’t do justice to the beautiful observation lounge, located forward above the bridge. * Photo: Anne Kalosh

Outdoors and forward of the lounge is an open deck with seating overlooking the bow.

At midships on Deck 7 is the pool, with covered and sunbathing seating, two hot tubs and a bar. Try the Portuguese draft beer, a nod to Atlas Ocean Voyages’ Portuguese ownership.

Tables on the portside of the bar host the pop-up 7Aft Grill for casual lunches and, at night, Josper grill specialties. All the way aft are a helicopter landing pad (for emergencies; the ship carries no helicopter) and the Zodiac hangars.

Deck 8, open to the pool below, holds the running track and outdoor fitness machines.

The pool with both shaded and sunbathing areas. * Photo: Anne Kalosh

Dining On An Epicurean Expedition on World Traveller

The epicurean expedition concept rests on a strong dining program. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the gracious Lisboa Restaurant, with the two earlier meals buffet-style along with some made-to order specialty items. Don’t overlook the restaurant’s spacious aft patio, which really makes this feel like a yacht.

And don’t miss the buffet breakfast. I’m a room service breakfast fan, but on World Traveller, the buffet breakfast is really special, perhaps the best of any ship I know. Some of the items: fresh-pressed carrot juice and orange juice, smoothies, a leg of expensive Ibérico de bellota ham, a honeycomb, pine nuts, macadamias, berries, fresh and dried fruit, yogurt, meusli, cheeses, meats, salad, crispy croissants, pastries, a wide selection of breads and rolls, a machine that grinds fresh nut butter, plus the usual eggs, sausage, bacon, made-to-order omelets and other items.

Room service breakfast — but I’d highly recommend the lavish restaurant breakfast buffet. * Photo: Anne Kalosh

At lunch, I loved the pasta station where Chef Pablo surprised us with a different specialty every day. The buffet also had Swiss alpine pasture butter — served, appropriately, in a wooden pail — antipasti, salads, cold cuts, salmon cured or grilled, hot dishes like shepherd’s pie, teriyaki chicken, grilled perch, a carving station that changes daily with choices like whole roasted turkey and pork rib, all kinds of hot and cold side dishes and desserts like almond cake, frangipane cake, chocolate mousse, apple crumble and an extensive cheese board.

Dinners on my cruise featured theme nights (Spanish, Italian, French, etc.) and each menu had a vegetarian selection (plant-based meatballs with soba noodles and gnocchi with walnut cream sauce, to name two). I appreciated being able to order from the menu like other diners, with no fuss. Some standouts included a spicy organic tomato soup and porcini mushroom soup.

Tasty spicy tomato soup, one of my favorite dishes. * Photo: Anne Kalosh

Casual lunch (burgers and pizza) is available on deck near the pool at 7Aft, and at night this space converts with white tablecloths and candles into the Josper Grill. There’s no charge, but diners need to make a reservation.

The open-air Josper Grill, an alternative dinner spot (by reservation) on World Traveller’s pool deck. * Photo: Anne Kalosh

I’m sorry I never made it to afternoon tea. When I saw my friend Peter’s video of the spread, featuring loose-leaf Kusmi teas in stylish pots and delectable pastries, my mouth watered.

And for light meals or snacks, Paula’s Pantry is open from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. with everything from fresh pressed juices and smoothies to yogurt, fresh fruit, meusli, muffins, pastries, donuts, sandwiches, salads and cookies.

Accommodations On World Traveller

Rooms on World Traveller start at the 183-square-foot Adventure Oceanview with panoramic window and a compact seating area beside the bed. Veranda Staterooms measure 270 square feet, including the balcony, and have a sitting area with chairs and vanity.

Veranda Deluxe Staterooms are larger, 300 square feet, including the balcony, and with a separate living room with a sofa (that converts into a bed, for a room that sleeps three).

I was in a Horizon Stateroom, 270 square feet, with a drop-down window. Since there’s no balcony, it offers a roomier sitting area with sofa, chairs and a vanity. River-cruisers may be familiar with the drop-down windows on some vessels. This is the first time I’ve had one on an ocean ship, and I really liked it.

The 300-square foot Horizon Deluxe Staterooms have a drop-down window in the bedroom and a sitting area in a separate room with a porthole.

My room, #543, a Category A2Horizon stateroom with drop-down window. * Photo: Anne Kalosh

World Traveller offers three suite categories. Journey Suites, 382 square feet with an oversized balcony, have a separate living room with vanity and sofa (that converts into bed, for a suite that sleeps three), plus a walk-in closet and two wall-mounted TVs.

Discovery Suites measure 445 square feet including oversized balcony, living room, walk-in closet and two wall-mounted TVs. These suites accommodate two people.

The top-of-the-line Navigator Suites, 465 square feet including oversized balcony, living room, walk-in closet and two wall-mounted TVs, sleep up to three people and feature a bathroom with double sink and a tub (the only category with a tub).

My Room Aboard World Traveller

My room, #543, a Horizon Stateroom (Category A2) on Deck 5, was spacious, beautiful, comfortable and well-appointed.

My cabin #543, facing the door. * Photo: Anne Kalosh

The door opened to a hallway and bedroom with glossy, burnt-caramel-colored walls and sconces. Beyond this, the seating area beside the floor-to-ceiling window had a sofa, two chairs, a table, floor lamp and desk/vanity with mini-bar and coffee/tea setup. The wardrobe contained hanging closets and drawers. My queen-sized bed had two bedside tables, each with a drawer, and reading lamps.

Even the marble bathroom was gorgeous, with a glass shower stall with a little seat, a rainforest shower, hand-held shower and side jets.

Full-sized L’Occitane toiletries in my bathroom, which came with a shower with multiple jets. * Photo: Anne Kalosh

Thoughtful touches included plenty of 220, 110 and USB outlets; a low-level light in the bathroom for safety at night; and a backpack and reusable aluminum water bottles to keep. The only thing I missed were some drawers in the desk/sitting area to stash stuff.

Desk, coffee-maker and mini-fridge in my cabin. I could have used some drawers, the one thing I missed. * Photo: Anne Kalosh

I really liked being able to open my window with the push of a button. I’m sold on these Horizon rooms!

My friend Peter pointed out they make more sense than a balcony in polar regions because you get a more spacious room but can still check the weather. I heard a fellow traveler say “I’m never going back to a balcony.”

The yacht harbor in Palamós from my Horizon stateroom’s drop-down window. * Photo: Anne Kalosh

Wonderful Crew

One of the best things about my World Traveller room was Javier, my excellent cabin attendant from Honduras, who was always smiling and available if I needed anything. Plus, he kept my room spotless and well-stocked.

Most cruise ships provide great service. I thought the international World Traveller crew were exceptionally friendly and personable with a great esprits de corps. The ship has capacity for 196 passengers and 117 crew, making for a high service to guest ratio.

The style is casual and “yachty.” Everyone, from Capt. Dimitriy Ashanin of Ukraine and Hotel Manager Jorge Larrea of Chile to the shore excursions director, waiters, bar servers and cabin stewards seemed to enjoy their jobs and interacting with passengers.

Peter was astonished the first night at dinner when Maitre d’ Aaron Thomas called him by name; turns out they had sailed together on another Atlas ship. Immediately Aaron learned my name, too, and was ever the gracious and attentive host.

Welcome aboard drinks served in the lobby at embarkation. * Photo: Anne Kalosh

Day-By-Day Recap Of My Epicurean Expedition On World Traveller

Day 1 — Embarkation and Overnight in Barcelona

After a quick documents check at the terminal, we walked up the gangway and voila! crew members greeted us in the reception area with tall glasses of Champagne and a tray of canapés.

This is one of the glories of small-ship cruising — no crowds and few formalities.

A helpful shore excursions briefing in the theater explained all our touring options. There were many. Besides the epicurean choices I’ve described, these included hikes, walking tours, a visit to the Salvador Dalí Museum (I couldn’t wait for that!), a canal boat tour, a chateau visit and others.

Instead of a night out in Barcelona, as many passengers enjoyed, I stayed aboard World Traveller since I’d had a pre-cruise hotel night there and we would have a full day alongside the next day.

Day 2 — Sailing from Barcelona

Capt. Ashanin hosted a welcome reception, introducing his officers and our gastronomic guests shortly before we cast off from Barcelona at 8 p.m. We learned that due to gale-force winds predicted for the next day in Roses that would make it impossible to operate the tenders, we would be going instead to Palamós, another Spanish port on the Costa Brava.

Day  3 — Palamós, Substituted for Roses

I was crushed about missing Roses, where I’d booked the full-day “Delights of Dalí and Peralada” tour. But breakfast on deck as we sailed into sunny Palamós perked me up, and we docked at a lively marina where I opened my cabin window and happily yacht- and people-watched.

The ship quickly arranged a six-hour tour to Girona but I stayed in Palamós. Some passengers visited the Fishing Museum, strolled the Old Town and climbed up to the 12th-century Sant Esteve castle or walked to the long sweep of the main beach.

Day 4 — Sète

At our first port in France, I set off after breakfast on foot with Peter and his husband Mike, who planned to rent a car to drive to Le Bacares to revisit Le Lydia, “the liner in the sand.”

We roamed all over Sète, looking for the rental car place but it turned out to be a holiday and no cars were available. Our wandering took us throughout this gritty but charming town with its beautiful municipal theater, canals, yacht harbor and tempting cafes.

Sète, a gritty but charming and walkable town with a wonderful market, Les Halles. Photo: Anne Kalosh

We found Les Halles, the market, and had our serendipitous encounter with Rudi Scholdis. Later I went to the caviar lecture and tasting on board. Our dinner at the Josper Grill followed, featuring some of the delicious items Rudi had purchased at Les Halles.

VIDEO: On a later trip, Peter Knego and Mike filmed their fascinating excursion to Le Lydia.  

Day 5 — Cassis

It was drizzly in Cassis, a chic little town that I’d visited before on a boiling hot summer day. The beach was empty as we stepped from World Traveller’s tender with our umbrellas but the waterfront cafés were jammed as ever. With other passengers on the “Bandol & Honey Tasting Tour,” one of the cultural immersion excursions and accompanied by Rudi and Jennifer, I walked through town and up a hill to the trollies that whisk tour participants to a motor coach depot outside of town where we set off through the Provencal wine country.

The weather improved and the scenery was beautiful — blazing bougainvillea against white-washed farmhouses with terracotta tile roofs, olive groves, fruit orchards, cypress trees. At a traditional miellerie, one of the family owners told us about honey making, and we tasted nougat and scooped up souvenirs like fragrant honey soap.

At Bandol, we had time to scour the boutiques on our own. I ran into Rudi, who’d purchased rosé wine for dinner on board that night.

Day 6 — Saint-Tropez

Perhaps everyone’s fantasy of the ultimate Côte d’Azur dream destination is Saint-Tropez, made famous by Brigitte Bardot in the 1956 film “And God Created Woman.” It’s still seductive, a mecca for yachts and the jet set with designer boutiques, nightclubs and posh waterfront restaurants.

Having visited a couple times before, I opted to see something different via another cultural immersion tour, “Gassin Exploration and Wine Tasting.” Our motor coach took us high above Saint-Tropez to medieval Gassin with its stone buildings, gas lamps, window boxes and wooden shutters.

After photographing the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, we walked around with a guide, squeezing through L’Androuno, at 29 centimeters (11.41 inches) wide, the reputed narrowest street in the world, before free time for shopping. Next we visited a winery for a tour and tasting.

VIDEO: Below, Anne passes through the world’s slimmest street!

That night on board, the crew had a special surprise for us: a talent show with everything from a Balinese dancer to a rope-knotting display to a Maitre d’ Aaron’s stunning singing — a fun and lively night in the Atlas Lounge that also featured drawings for raffle prizes.

Day 7 — Saint-Raphael

I sadly said my goodbyes to World Traveller and tendered ashore for a transfer to Nice Côte d’Azur Airport, about an hour’s drive away. I had to get back to work so I left the day before the cruise ended at Nice. In Saint-Raphael I saw the big ferris wheel and lots of families out strolling on Sunday morning, the tantalizing scent of crêpes in the air.

I missed what I heard was a fabulous wine tasting on board with the visiting vintner and the captain’s farewell party and gala dinner. Sigh.

Day 8 — Cruise Ends at Nice

Interested In An Epicurean Expedition On World Traveller?

Merriam Webster defines expedition as “a journey or excursion undertaken for a specific purpose.”

I can’t think of a better purpose than getting to know one of the world’s most famous regions for food and wine and more fully appreciating its cultures and history than during an expertly hosted epicurean cruise on a wonderful small ship like World Traveller.

You don’t have to be a gourmand to partake in a trip like this, but you might come back feeling like one.

For the upcoming Europe season, a vast selection of epicurean expeditions are planned on World Traveller and sister ship World Navigator from April into October. These span a wide area, from the Canary Islands to Croatia, the Greek Iles to the Norwegian Fjords. They range from seven- to 21-night cruises, with guest experts including “Top Chef” and “Iron Chef” winners, Food Network stars, television hosts and restaurateurs.

Atlas just announced culinary experts for its 2024 season. They include Chef Philip “Ippy” Aiona from Hawaii’s Big Island, who fuses Italian-American and native Hawaiian dishes (World Traveller, May 27 and July 5), Juliet Davey, known as Mamá Cacao for her chocolate expertise and sustainability commitment (World Navigator, April 28; World Traveller, May 13, World Voyager, Oct. 2 and Oct. 12); and Mara Papatheodorou, a “master foodie” and nationally established entertainment specialist (World Traveller, May 27, June 5, June 14, June 24, July 1, July 24, Sept. 15, Sept. 23).

Other scheduled experts range from Canadian celebrity chef Massimo Capra to “Iron Chef America” 2014 winner Viet Pham, pizza master Peter Campbell, award-winning restaurateur Bobby Marcotte, “Top Chef” Poland Sylwia Stachyra, noted French pastry chef Anna Wilamowska and Attimo Winery founder/CEO Jon Schlegel.

Now is a good time to book since Atlas is running a wave season (peak booking season) promotion where the second guest in a cabin sails free for cruises booked by March 31 (2024).

A weeklong Barcelona to Nice cruise like mine, with some but not all of the same ports, is currently priced ranging from $1,999 to $3,649 per person in a double-occupancy stateroom and from $4,999 to $5,999 per person, double occupancy, in a suite.

A room like I was in is listed at $2,749 per person. These fares reflect the wave season promotion and are due to increase April 1 according to the cruise line’s website. Port fees are an additional $350 per person.

Atlas fares include:

• All dining
• Unlimited beverages
• Open bar
• Stocked in-room mini-bar
• Specialty coffees/teas
• Room service
• Gratuities
• One cultural immersion expedition.

Extras are Wi-Fi, spa/beauty treatments and shore excursions.

For more info about an Atlas Epicurean Expedition on World Traveller, click here.

VIDEO: Here’s QuirkyCruise Contributor Peter Knego’s full video tour of the World Traveller on this Epicurean Expedition cruise he took with Anne.

Don’t miss a post about small-ship cruising, subscribe to QuirkyCruise.com for monthly updates & special offers!  

© This article is protected by copyright, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission from the author. All Rights Reserved. QuirkyCruise.com.