FOOD AND TRAVEL ARE INEXTRICABLY linked: there’s nothing quite like tasting a local ingredient or learning about the origins of a dish to help you understand a culture or etch a memory into mind – which is why one of the best ways to make the most of a trip is to immerse yourself in edible experiences. On a cruise, however, this can be challenging. The outside world often feels distant once one is back on board after an excursion, cocooned in a suite with champagne that is fast dissolving the day’s memories. The exception is Silversea, where one crucial ingredient helps preserve those perfect moments: S.A.L.T.

This first-of-its-kind dining and enrichment programme – its acronym stands for “Sea and Land Taste” – adroitly draws out the essence of the ports that the ultra-luxury line sails to, steeping guests in a comprehensive series of onboard and off-ship offerings that reflect each destination’s soul and culture. There are shore excursions that bring you face to face with cult chefs and unlock private locations; hands-on cooking classes conducted by respected culinary names (and sometimes royalty!); a restaurant where the menu changes daily to echo the cuisine of the current port; and an intimate bar that entwines a sense of place into creative cocktails through provincial ingredients and spirits.

The tightly curated project is the brainchild of Adam Sachs, former editor-in-chief of the authoritative food publication Saveur, whose influence is evident in the rare opportunities that are offered to S.A.L.T. participants. Past experiences include an inside look into the workings of Mirazur – the first-ever collaboration by the three-Michelin-starred restaurant with a cruise line – and a private lunch tasting with Chef’s Table star and pizza master Franco Pepe.

 “Wherever we sail, S.A.L.T. is shaped and reshaped by new itineraries, ports, and new flavours we encounter on our travels,” says Sachs. “We bring local experts on board for deeper learning experiences and the most authentic approaches possible. Silversea is the perfect home for S.A.L.T. because cuisine is not just a hallmark of the cruise experience; it’s also part of the foundation. And like the view outside those big windows of our ships, the flavours are always changing.”

Sampling the Mediterranean with S.A.L.T.

Imagine: after a magnificent four days on the brand new Silver Ray, during which you’ve taken in the grandeur of Rome, the exuberance of Naples and savoured Sorrento’s slower pace, it’s day five of your 11-day cruise along the spectacular Tyrrhenian and Adriatic coasts. At the halfway mark of any trip one sometimes begins to feel dampened by the fact that the experience is drawing to a close. But not today. Today, you will meet Sicily’s finest pastry chef, Corrado Assenza, the man they call the “almond whisperer” because of his creativity with the ingredient, and the fact that he single-handedly saved the island’s Romana almonds, a quintessential Sicilian food, from extinction. It’s said that the legendary maestro pasticcere, who had an episode of Chef’s Table devoted to him, makes the best almond nougat, cannoli, granite and gelati in all of Italy.

Today will be sweet.

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Off the ship, you’re whisked on a scenic drive towards Noto, a city to the south-west of Siracusa where Assenza’s Caffe Sicilia is located. The pastry shop dates back to 1892 and is now revered by gourmands worldwide. Assenza and his son Francesco receive you warmly, offering you a snack of candied orange zest. Then, taking you to a private room, the chef reveals the natural ingredients he uses to craft his creations, before a stop at his pastry lab to demonstrate how they are painstakingly handmade. “There’s a big difference between sweet and sugary,” he says. “I’m on a constant quest for nature’s own sweetness.”

It’s fascinating to hear him explain how savoury and sweet mingle in Sicilian tradition, and tell the story of its influences, from the Arab world to the aristocracy of old Europe. Finally, an aperitivo in the warm Sicilian sun, and then it’s time to head back to the ship.

On your return, if you choose, a masterclass awaits at S.A.L.T. Lab, where you can get hands-on with the ingredients introduced by Assenza. Or perhaps a Terra dei Limoni cocktail – scented with citrus from Amalfi and Sicily – is in order at S.A.L.T. Bar before dinner? Tonight, the terrain-influenced menu at S.A.L.T. Kitchen is a veritable treasure trove of Sicilian riches, like thinly sliced squid crudo paired with bright orange zest and a drizzle of peppery Sicilian oil, and pasta con le sarde bejewelled with fresh sardines and sweet Pachino cherry tomatoes from the south of Siracusa. For dessert, there are golden pignolata fritters soaked in honey – a subtle reminder of the day spent with the maestro, and his passion for natural sweetness.

In the following days, Silver Ray will call at the fortified bastion of Valletta along Malta’s imposing Sciberras Peninsula, nimbly slip into Montenegro’s snug Bay of Kotor through one of Europe’s most stunning waterways, and soak up the spectacular sunsets at the Croatian capital of cool, Zadar. With every port brought to life by the S.A.L.T. programme, there’s no doubt each adventure will remain richly in mind long after you’re home.

More about S.A.L.T. and where to experience it

The S.A.L.T. culinary programme is available on Silversea’s small luxury ships Silver Ray, Silver Nova, Silver Moon and Silver Dawn, and across these vessels’ itineraries worldwide, from Northern Europe and the British Isles, to Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. (It’s worth noting that Silversea’s heritage is Mediterranean, so it has an unmatched understanding of the landscapes and culture of the region.) The company offers the most number of destinations of any cruise line, sailing pole to pole to over 900 locations on all seven continents. Its intimately sized ships allow for entry into the smallest ports and the most remote places on earth, giving guests unparalleled access to the furthest reaches of the world. For 2025, new Silversea destinations include the rarely visited Milos in the Greek islands, Iceland’s spectacular Langanes Peninsula, Indonesia’s unspoiled Raja Ampat, and the cinematic island of Inisheer in Ireland.