Experience refined Indonesian-inspired cuisine onboard Aqua Blu in an inviting and stylishly-appointed dining room on the Main Deck.

The Aqua Blu dining experience promises refreshing and inspiring food, with its menu drawing inspiration from Indonesian, European and Mediterranean cuisines. Chef Cross has crafted over 160 recipes to incorporate a variety of Indonesia’s spices and flavors, allowing diners to go on a culinary journey of the region. Some highlights to look forward to include 48-hour beef short rib rendang, Balinese suckling pig with bumbu Bali (Balinese spices), organic Javanese prawns marinated in fragrant oil and lime, and Cross’s personal favourite, freshly handline-caught fish grilled with Balinese sambal.

Showcasing the freshest, sustainably sourced seafood that the pristine waters of East Indonesia has to offer, guests can look forward to refined dishes as well as convivial communal dining experiences and relaxed outdoor dining. Exquisite and scrumptious cuisine, set amidst dramatic coastal landscapes, will undoubtedly be the highlight of all Aqua Blu itineraries.

Join Chef Benjamin Cross on Aqua Blu’s special chef-hosted departures to the Spice Islands.

Located on the Forecastle Deck, the alfresco dining area is the ideal spot to enjoy freshly prepared meals. Choose to mingle with other guests, or retain a sense of privacy while enjoying the fresh breeze and stunning sea views.

Chef Benjamin Cross will introduce a journey of flavors complementing Aqua Blu’s culturally significant voyages in East Indonesia.

For Aqua Blu, Chef Cross will create and oversee more than 100 recipes that together showcase a refined journey of flavors from Asia to the Middle East, at the same time reflecting Indonesia’s role as the heart of the global spice trade in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Expressing a rich palette of flavors with native Indonesian produce

In executing his eclectic culinary vision for the Aqua Blu, Chef Cross will rely on local ingredients sourced primarily from Bali and East Indonesia, including indigenous spices such as nutmeg and cloves as well as a wealth of seafood such as giant Papuan prawns sustainably sourced from the Indonesian seas.

“Harnessing the abundant gifts from Indonesia’s land and seas, the goal of my concept is to orchestrate a refined rendition of flavors that have traveled through Indonesia’s fabled sea spice trade route — an amazing confluence of Asian, European and traditional local cooking philosophies and methods,” says Chef Cross.

Chef Cross also sees Aqua Blu as an opportunity to create a larger-than-life culinary experience that complements a five-star cruise journey. “Aqua Expeditions regards authentic cuisine as central to the itinerary, which means that the dining experience onboard won’t be just a menu, but a cohesive journey of discovery.”

All the more reason to follow the trails of the ancient trade route to the Spice Islands and to discover the richest marine biodiversity on our planet in the East Indonesian archipelago with us!