Whether you’re a keen amateur chef or a semi-professional diner, you’ll have heard the term farm-to-fork – the sensible, sustainable and delicious practice whereby restaurants source their ingredients from small, local producers and stick to seasonal fare.
It’s now time to meet the marine version of this concept; port-to-plate. It’s been embraced by cruise company Holland America Line, which has introduced a new Global Fresh Fish programme that prioritises local sourcing.
This means that when you order yellowtail snapper on board in the Caribbean or barramundi as you sail with the line in Australian waters, it’ll go from the nearest port to your plate in less than 48 hours.
From port to plate: how
Holland America Line has pioneered a new approach to seafood
Joanna Booth reports on how sailing with the innovative cruise company brings you local, sustainably caught fish all around the world
These locally sourced seafood options will be combined with other regional ingredients to create destination-inspired menus, meaning that, in addition to eating in a more sustainable way, you’ll continue your exploration of regional culture even when you’re back on board ship, via your tastebuds. Culinary traditions and time-honoured recipes are an integral part of an intangible cultural heritage, reflecting values, lifestyles and customs. As any seasoned traveller knows, local cuisine is one of the great joys of exploration. And when you’re visiting coastal communities, fish invariably plays an integral part.
“We know fresh fish is part of our guests’ daily lifestyle, and when they come on board, we are excited to expand their options beyond what they have access to at home,” says Gus Antorcha, Holland America Line’s president. “The ability to source and prepare so many types of fish globally is a testament to our outstanding culinary team.”
4. Soak up South American sights
Impeccable cruise credentials
Delicious dining is just one of the reasons to cruise with Holland America Line. With 11 upscale, medium-sized ships – never crowded, but with a lively buzz – the cruise line has all the experience that comes with a 150-year history of sailing the high seas.
Décor is elegant, with wraparound teak decks and spacious staterooms. Entertainment is of the highest quality, with live music from world-class musicians and a clutch of chic bars and lounges on board.
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Catch of the day: familiar favourites such as halibut are cooked to perfection, and there are plenty of other delicious varieties of fish to try | Credit: Cruise Image Library
Culinary experts: Holland America Line chefs are skilled in preparing many types of fish from around the world | Credit: Cruise Image Library
Iron man: celebrity chef Masaharu Morimoto famously starred in TV show Iron Chef | Credit: Michael Marmora Photography, LLC
Pioneers: Holland America Line’s new Global Fresh Fish programme prioritises local sourcing | Credit: Cruise Image Library
Pioneers: Holland America Line’s new Global Fresh Fish programme prioritises local sourcing | Credit: Cruise Image Library
A pioneering programme
The initiative was launched in October 2023 and engages a global network of 60 ports to source 80 types of fresh fish to be used in the restaurants on board Holland America Line ships as they voyage carefully crafted itineraries all over the world. In some regions, UK travellers will find familiar fishy faces, from bream and mullet on cruises in the Mediterranean to seabass and monkfish in the Baltic and Norwegian fjords. In others, you’ll have the opportunity to taste more exotic options; eating the buttery, white-fleshed Patagonian toothfish as your ship makes its way down Chile’s crenellated coast, enjoying the flaky, delicate flavour of line-caught wahoo as you sail under spectacular Hawaiian sunsets or sampling sweet, aromatic fillets of pomfret as you cruise between Vietnamese ports.
All a fjord: the beautiful archipelago Lofoten in Norway is open for fishing all year-round | Credit: Cruise Image Library
A new big fish on board
And that culinary team has just been swelled by another great catch, as Holland America Line welcomes celebrity chef Masaharu Morimoto as the ambassador of the new Global Fresh Fish programme. The Japanese icon has already crafted signature dishes to be served in the main Dining Room across the whole fleet and will have his very own pop-up restaurant open fleetwide by early 2024.
Morimoto By Sea will offer artfully presented, Asian-inspired dishes and beverages in a handsome, monochrome space with expansive sea views. An evening at Morimoto by Sea is a multi-course dinner that celebrates the fresh fish programme with inspired cuisine for a broad range of palates, and is offered to guests at least once per cruise, depending on the ship for a per person cover charge.
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Signature style: one of Morimoto’s dishes is fresh black cod yuzu | Credit: Cruise Image Library
“Embarking on this type of culinary journey at sea is a first for me, and I am excited to bring my passion for fresh fish and fresh ingredients onto Holland America Line’s fleet,” says Chef Morimoto. “I chose to partner with Holland America Line because we share a commitment and passion for fresh and regionally inspired foods, and you will see that come to life in the special dishes and pop-up experience we’ve created together.”
So, what sort of delights can you expect?
In the main Dining Room, you can get a taste of Chef Morimoto’s signature style, and the line’s Global Fresh Fish programme, with delicious dishes including fresh black cod yuzu with yogurt miso pickled vegetables, kimchi aubergine, fried rice and garlic soy, or lobster tails with lemon foam, seasonal vegetables and Morimoto Epice – a spice mix painstakingly-blended to the master’s special recipe.
If that’s whetted your appetite, you’ll need to go the whole way and experience the full Morimoto By Sea menu. The sushi list is as extensive and delicious as you’d hope for with a Japanese chef at the helm, plus you’ll find mouth-watering starters including a fresh tuna pizza with anchovy aioli, kalamata olive and jalapeno, and hamachi tacos with chopped sashimi yellowtail, yuzu kosho-oil and coriander-scented guacamole.
Mains are equally tempting; with fresh Pacific yellowtail served on rice, cooked at the tableside in a hot stone bowl, and the majestic Shrimp Three Ways Morimoto Style – utilising a variety of preparation methods and a trio of tasty sauces. Vegetarians and meat-lovers are catered for too, with plant-based options such as Japanese vegetable curry, plus pork gyoza dumplings and wagyu short rib.
You’ll want to stay for dessert too, whether you choose a theatrical, melting dark chocolate sphere or white chocolate lime ganache with coconut foam, mango sorbet and rice pudding. Even your drinks can be given the Morimoto touch, with wines and sakes from his own label.
On a roll: the sushi list on the Morimoto By Sea menu does not disappoint | Credit: Cruise Image Library
Divine desserts: save some room for this Morimoto dark chocolate sphere | Credit: Cruise Image Library
Who is Masaharu Morimoto?
Masaharu Morimoto didn’t intend to be a chef. But when a shoulder injury derailed a promising career as a baseball catcher, the sport’s loss became the culinary world’s gain as the young man began studying the delicate art of sushi making in his hometown of Hiroshima.
At 24, he opened his first restaurant, and five years later moved to America – a stroke of fate which would result in his signature style, a fusion cuisine that bridges both cultures.
After working as the executive chef in the original Nobu restaurant, he opened his first eponymous restaurant in Philadelphia in 2001, and now has 20 outposts in destinations as diverse as Mumbai, Mexico City and Maui.
You may well recognise Chef Morimoto from the small screen, where his peerless technique and innovative use of ingredients won him fans on both Japanese and American versions of the competitive cooking show Iron Chef.
His restaurants and cookbooks have won awards, and he has his own lines of beers, wines, sakes and whisky.
Head chef: the award winning Morimoto has 20 restaurants around the world | Credit: Michael Marmora Photography, LLC
The finest food afloat
The partnership with Chef Morimoto puts yet another culinary feather in the cap of Holland America Line, a cruise company already noted for its high-quality dining. You’ll be able to choose from a tempting list of onboard restaurants, including the sophisticated Dining Room, a superlative steakhouse, an authentic Italian, an award-winning French brasserie and a south-east Asian spot alongside other casual eateries. There’s even a gelato parlour and a traditional Dutch café, a nod to the line’s heritage. In all of them, you’ll experience the warmly attentive service which is a hallmark of the Holland America Line crew.
Sail on special, themed culinary cruises and enjoy live cooking demonstrations and hosted dinners with celebrated chefs – members of Holland America Line’s guiding Culinary Council, a collective of six chefs from a variety of backgrounds who bring their particular expertise to the table: even when they’re not on board, their dishes grace the menus of the restaurants.
Pancake pitstop: The Grand Dutch café is a traditional nod to Holland America Line’s heritage | Credit: Cruise Image Library
As you explore your chosen destinations, you can take many a food-focused excursion – there’s even a special range curated in partnership with Food and Wine magazine.
The Global Fresh Fish programme isn’t the first instance when Holland America Line has led the way with responsible sourcing though. It is the only cruise line to serve 100 per cent fresh, certified sustainable and traceable wild Alaskan seafood on board its cruises in the 49th state and, following an independent audit in 2022, it was awarded the Responsible Fisheries Management certification.
You can even do some DIY sourcing – heading out into Alaskan waters with a licensed fisherman and hooking your own salmon, which you can then bring back on board, hand over to the executive chef and be served with it in the Dining Room that evening, prepared to perfection. The line plans to expand this ‘Savor My Catch’ programme to other destinations in future.
Cook your catch: hook your own fish in Alaska with a licensed fisherman | Credit: Cruise Image Library
Suave setting: The Dining Room is where you can try out Chef Morimoto’s signature dishes | Credit: Cruise Image Library
Holland America Line’s expertly honed voyages visit all seven continents, with some European cruises departing conveniently from Dover in 2025. The line has particular expertise in Alaska, with seven ships sailing a huge range of itineraries there in summer. It has prime docking locations and an award-winning programme of shore excursions, plus a range of initiatives including hosting National Park Rangers and First Nations guides on board. You can even extend your experience into Alaska’s rugged interior, with Holland America Line’s Cruisetours taking on all your land arrangements too.
Land ahoy: award-winning excursions ensure there’s plenty to see and do when your ship is docked | Credit: Cruise Image Library
The onboard Holland America Line experience is premium and upscale, with ships small enough to enter ports the mega-ships cannot reach. This is reflected in the refreshingly uncrowded experience of all the onboard public spaces and the time and attention lavished on guests by staff.
To find out more, call 0344 338 8605; visit hollandamerica.com, or contact your travel agent
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1 . See south-east Asia up close
These locally sourced seafood options will be combined with other regional ingredients to create destination-inspired menus, meaning that, in addition to eating in a more sustainable way, you’ll continue your exploration of regional culture even when you’re back on board ship, via your tastebuds. Culinary traditions and time-honoured recipes are an integral part of an intangible cultural heritage, reflecting values, lifestyles and customs. As any seasoned traveller knows, local cuisine is one of the great joys of exploration. And when you’re visiting coastal communities, fish invariably plays an integral part.
Mains are equally tempting; with fresh Pacific yellowtail served on rice, cooked at the tableside in a hot stone bowl, and the majestic Shrimp Three Ways Morimoto Style – utilising a variety of preparation methods and a trio of tasty sauces. Vegetarians and meat-lovers are catered for too, with plant-based options such as Japanese vegetable curry, plus pork gyoza dumplings and wagyu short rib.
You’ll want to stay for dessert too, whether you choose a theatrical, melting dark chocolate sphere or white chocolate lime ganache with coconut foam, mango sorbet and rice pudding. Even your drinks can be given the Morimoto touch, with wines and sakes from his own label.