Last Updated on August 27, 2025

How Swan Hellenic Diana turns a small-ship cruise into a moving feast.

The temptation on small luxury cruise lines is to gild the lily with multiple speciality restaurants, ambitious tasting menus, and wine lists as long as a novella. It works, for the most part, though sometimes securing a table at the right time can feel like playing a high-stakes lottery. Authenticity can also drift. I still remember sitting off Livorno, spooning up a luscious Cioppino, a San Francisco fish stew that seemed oddly out of place in Tuscany, where the local Cacciucco should have reigned supreme. But Swan Hellenic takes a different approach…

On Swan Hellenic Diana, an elegant ship carrying just 192 guests, the setup looks standard at first glance: a silver-service dining room, an all-day buffet, complimentary room service, and a deckside bar and grill when the weather is kind. But the secret ingredient is their revolving cast of guest chefs who bring with them a rolling menu of flavours that mirror the journey itself. Sailing from Lisbon along the Atlantic coast through Spain and France, this approach, along with some very special wine tastings, transformed the dining room into a moving feast of place and season.

Wine set the tone. Keith Isaac, a Master of Wine, one of only 426 in the world, led two formal tastings, each paired to the ports of call. In Porto, we lingered over the Douro in liquid form: a crisp Cottas Branco 2022 followed by its richer 2020 counterpart. As we traced Spain’s coast, glasses filled with Galicia, Rioja, and Ribera. By the time we reached France, the table was set with an elegant Pouilly Fumé 2023 from Domaine Bardin and a vibrant Brouilly 2021 from Château de la Chaize.

The champagne tasting was pure theatre. Nine Castelnau bottles were poured in sequence, from a reliable Brut NV to ethereal Blanc de Blancs spanning 2006 to 2008, finishing with venerable vintages that reached back to 1992. Each glass carried not just bubbles but history – the story of a cooperative born in Épernay in 1916, where Chardonnay and Meunier take centre stage.

The Spanish red tasting carried equal drama: eight Riojas and Ribera del Dueros, some Gran Reservas with nearly a decade of patience in bottle, and finally, a cheerful cava to close.

Food kept pace with the wines. Each day brought both comfort and surprise: dependable staples like salmon, chicken, and pasta.

But, there was always more. Sometimes there were specials from the guest chef, Heribert Dietrich (a member of  JRE-Jeunes Restaurateurs, a network of young European chefs), and the chef from Restaurant Hohwald in Switzerland. 

Others were selected for us by on-board executive chef Mauro Caravaggi and his team, and marked with a little chef’s hat to indicate they were regarded as special. There was grilled aubergine with saikyo miso; risotto with beetroot and gorgonzola; perfectly cooked herb-crusted lamb chops; cream of white asparagus soup, and a delicious salt-baked onion.

And then there was the Gala Dinner led by Heribert Dietrich and Keith Isaac. We began with canapés and a flute of Castelnau Blanc de Blanc 2008 on deck, the sea air sharpening the anticipation. Inside, five courses unfolded with the elegance of a Parisian grand restaurant, albeit at sea!

The standout for me was “The Halibut and King Edward”, a delicate baked halibut served with potatoes, pickled onions, and lemon mayonnaise, paired with Chablis 1er Cru Beauroy 2021. Close behind came “Bambi, the shy deer”: venison ragout topped with Rose entrecôte, set against herby polenta, Swiss chard and a poached pear, elevated by a Beaune 1er Cru Cent Vignes 2017.

By the time dessert arrived, conversation around the table had mellowed into the kind of contented silence that follows only exceptional food and wine.

And that is Swan Hellenic’s secret – along with excellent service from Mauricio Dos Santos’ team, to complement the fabulous food and wine. On shore during one excursion, we dined at a château hotel where everything was polished and precise, but as one fellow guest murmured, almost guiltily, “the food on board is better.”

Fact Box

I travelled on the Swan Hellenic Atlantic Voyage from Lisbon to Portsmouth from Monday, 12 May to Wednesday, 21 May 2025 

For more information about Swan Hellenic, please call 0207 846 0271 or visit www.swanhellenic.com 

Price – CRUISE ONLY

A 10 night cruise only, 11-Day Luxury Cruise: Portugal to Netherlands | Swan Hellenic, departing 15 May 2026, on board SH Diana, costs from £6,380 pp (two sharing) and includes all meals onboard, 24-hour room service, coffee, tea, soft drinks, and selected alcoholic beverages available 24-hours per day, lecture programme by experienced expedition team and guest speakers, one shore excursion chosen/activity per port of call, standard Wi-Fi, onboard gratuities and port taxes. A branded Swan Hellenic expedition parka and rubber boots are offered in the Polar Regions. 

The following services are not included with the cruise only:

• Flights 
• Transfers 
• Pre or post-cruise accommodation

For more about Swan Hellenic and our experience on SH Diana check our review