The Lineup

Atlas Ocean Voyages has confirmed its largest named culinary roster to date for the 2027 Epicurean Expeditions program, adding Food Network triple-champion Crista Luedtke and Food & Wine Contributing Editor Anthony Giglio to a returning cast that includes six previously featured chefs and specialists. The eight-person lineup will sail across Mediterranean and European routes aboard World Traveller, World Navigator and World Voyager, each vessel capped at fewer than 200 guests — a capacity constraint the company positions as a competitive differentiator in the luxury expedition segment.

Luedtke, the first-ever Triple G Grand Champion on Food Network's Guy's Grocery Games, makes her Atlas debut on an eight-night sailing from Las Palmas to Málaga departing April 15, 2027. Her itinerary spans the Canary Islands, Morocco and southern Spain — a route the company designed to complement her ingredient-driven cooking philosophy, which centres on the relationship between local agriculture, culture and what ultimately reaches the plate. Giglio, author of 11 books including the annual Food & Wine Wine Guide and Passport to Italian Wine, joins as guest wine expert for a nine-night voyage from Livorno to Dubrovnik on August 20, 2027, covering Tuscan vineyards, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily and Montenegro.

Returning Talent

The six returning specialists broaden the program's culinary geography considerably. Celebrity chef and cookbook author Massimo Capra is scheduled for three separate sailings — April 17, April 27 and October 9 — covering the Canary Islands, Madeira, Lisbon and the French Riviera. Bobby Marcotte, a Guy's Grocery Games: Triple D Legends Tournament champion, returns for a nine-night Seville-to-Casablanca expedition on April 16. Hawaiian chef Philip "Ippy" Aiona — a Forbes 30 Under 30 alumnus — joins two back-to-back western Mediterranean voyages in late April and early May. Argentine seafood specialist Martin Gimenez Castro, a Marine Stewardship Council ambassador and Top Chef Poland winner, covers an Atlantic coast route from Lisbon to Bordeaux in May and an 11-night Athens roundtrip in late June. Pastry chef and master chocolatier Anna Wilamowska takes three sailings across the spring and summer, including an August 20 voyage she shares with Giglio — pairing fine chocolate with the wines of Italy and the Adriatic. Julieta Davey, founder of Costa Rica's Mamá Cacao, returns for a seven-night Naples-to-Valletta sailing on May 9, anchoring programming around cacao's origins and Mediterranean confectionery traditions.

Why It Matters for Foodservice and Hospitality

The Epicurean Expeditions model represents a growing segment where culinary tourism intersects with luxury hospitality — one that cruise operators and boutique hotel groups alike are expanding as high-net-worth travelers increasingly seek experiential programming anchored in food and beverage culture. Atlas's approach — rotating guest chefs tied to specific regional itineraries rather than a fixed onboard restaurant concept — allows the line to refresh its value proposition each season without capital investment in new venues. Programming formats include cooking demonstrations, regional tastings, food-and-wine pairing sessions and the onboard Yachtsman Cook-Off competition.

James A. Rodriguez, president and CEO of Atlas Ocean Voyages, said the 2027 roster reflects the company's intent to connect guests with destinations through culinary professionals whose specialties are matched to the regions explored. The approach echoes broader experiential beverage and dining trends gaining traction across premium hospitality, where provenance storytelling — from Sicilian volcanic terroir to Galician shellfish traditions — drives consumer engagement and repeat bookings. Atlas is a brand of Mystic Invest Holding; its fourth vessel, Atlas Adventurer, a luxury expedition sailing yacht, is scheduled to debut in 2028.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.