Today on Oceania Riviera, Frank del Rio, chairman and ceo of Prestige Cruise Holdings, invited journalists for lunch in Jacques, the first restaurant ever created, on land or at sea, by celebrity chef Jacques Pepin.

Frank is understandably proud of the cuisine on Oceania Cruises. He told us that the dining experience is Oceania Cruises’ “core” and that all dining venues are, and will remain, free of charge for Oceania guests.

“We think everyone should be able to experience all of the restaurants,” he said.

To assure efficient service and quality cuisine, each of the restaurants on Riviera (and sister Marina) has its own galley. In between courses, Frank took us on a tour of the galleys, which were in full-on lunch mode.

Cuisine is such an essential ingredient to the success of Oceania that half of Riviera’s staff (400) work in areas directly related to food services.