Atlas Ocean Voyages has announced an impressive lineup of chefs and culinary experts for its upcoming 2025 Epicurean Expeditions. Guests exploring Europe will be immersed in each destination’s culture, cuisine, and wines aboard an intimate yacht for under 200 guests. Visiting boutiques and iconic ports across the region, culinary demonstrations and tastings onboard will be led by guest chefs and experts. Ashore, local guides will showcase farmers’ markets, sample regional cuisine, and discover the culinary culture of ports firsthand. Exclusively on Epicurean Expeditions, guests will indulge in the Josper Grill Dining Experience at 7Aft Grill, a Yachtsman Cookoff challenge, culinary presentations, wine tastings, and more. Select expeditions will feature events hosted by a Taste & Traditions Expert, providing insights into cultural heritage. Culinary Experts for the 2025 season include:
Chef Paulette Mitchell
Expeditions: World Traveller: April 15, 2025
Chef Paulette Mitchell, author of 14 cookbooks, is internationally renowned for her series “The 15-Minute Gourmet.” Several of her books have received prestigious Gourmand World Media Awards. She is a culinary instructor, food and travel writer, photographer, and recipe developer for websites and various publications. Aboard our Epicurean Expedition, she will engage explorers with culinary presentations, including the Mediterranean diet as a way of life, showcasing fresh and natural ingredients sourced from local markets. Her cooking demonstrations will also highlight the regional use of herbs, spices, and distinctive flavorings in traditional Italian dishes and easy-to-prepare recipes for typical Greek cuisine that you can replicate at home.
Anna Wilamowska
Expeditions: World Navigator: April 20, 2025
Pastry Chef Anna Wilamowska is a talented French pastry chef and chocolatier and has trained in Michelin-starred restaurants and French pastry boutiques. Her passion for pastry is evident in every bite of her delectable creations. Chef Wilamowska collaborates with local artists and sculptors, adding artistic flair to her desserts. Her commitment to quality is unwavering, and she only uses the finest ingredients and caters to those with dietary restrictions, offering delicious vegan and gluten-free desserts.
Chef Ippy Aiona
Expedition: World Voyager: May 27, 2025
Chef Philip “Ippy” Aiona hails from “The Big Island” and has a heritage of Italian American and Native Hawaiian. His cuisine is deeply rooted in the traditions of his Italian heritage and Hawaiian upbringing, masterfully blending this cultural richness with playful creativity and flair for an exquisite experience from start to finish. A culinary prodigy, he graduated top of his class from Le Cordon Bleu, San Francisco, and at 23 years old, he gained national acclaim as the youngest finalist on Food Network’s “Food Network Star,” followed by a feature in Forbes Magazine’s Food & Wine “30 under 30.”
Mara Papatheodorou
Expeditions: World Navigator: June 7, July 20, 28 (President’s Cruise), 2025; World Voyager May 27, 2025, September 1, 2025
Master Foodie™ Mara Papatheodorou is a nationally established entertaining specialist. As a culinary specialist and historian, she highlights the diverse stories and connections of cuisine and culture worldwide through facts, flavors, flair and folklore. As a 12-year editor at Bon Appétit Magazine, Mara scouted and produced the “Entertaining with Style” section that highlighted how real people entertain around the world. She was the producer of their award-winning annual international Special Collector’s Editions that highlight Italy, France, Greece, Spain, Mediterranean Islands and the British Isles. She works as a Tastes & Traditions expert with food companies and Master Chefs developing recipes, menus and promotional consumer campaigns.
Chef Jeff Durham
Expeditions: World Navigator: June 7, 14, 2025
Jeff’s winemaking journey began in his family’s vineyard in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley, learning the art of grape growing on their 22-acre plot. His hospitality roots grew deeper as he worked as a busboy in local valley restaurants. A true Napa Valley native, he balances their wine endeavors with community involvement, including six years serving on the Yountville Town Council. His connection to hospitality and design shines through at the Gentleman Farmer Bungalow, where he transforms family heirlooms and unique pieces into treasures throughout their wine and hospitality space. When he’s not sharing his hospitality expertise or entertaining guests, you’ll find him practicing his newest pursuit — learning the clarinet.
Attimo Winery CEO Jon Schlegel
Expedition: World Navigator: July 12, 2025; World Voyager October 11, 2025
Jon Schlegel completed his first dream of opening a restaurant by age 30 when he founded Snooze, an A.M Eatery whose motto was, “It only takes a moment to make a difference.” He then moved on to his second dream – living abroad before he turned 40. He and his family moved to Monforte d’Alba in Piemonte, Italy, in 2013 and settled on the Ginestra Hill with their own small Barolo vineyard. There, Jon worked and learned from wine-producing families with generations of experience.
Chef Luciana Berry
Expeditions: World Navigator: July 12, 20, 2025
Luciana Berry, “Top Chef Brazil 2020,” showcases the exotic flavors and ingredients that are integral to Brazilian cuisine. She is an ambassador of Brazilian cuisine and culture in UK. Mixing modern and classic cooking techniques to deliver impressive yet subtle tastes from a country which until now few other chefs have successfully exploited. Luciana travels to many countries with Brazilian Fruit Association to the biggest Fruit Shows in the world to showcase the best Brazilian tropical fruits.
Chef Bobby Marcotte
Expeditions: World Navigator: July 28, 2025 (Presidents Cruise)
Chef Bobby Marcotte is the creator of the award-winning Hop + Grind, Rise + Grind, and Barn at Merry Hill. His restaurants have appeared on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” and he has competed on “Tournament of Champions” and “Fire Masters Canada.” Since becoming Executive Chef of The Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery in 2013, he has led the restaurant to earn multiple accolades, including recognition as one of Food Network’s “Best Steakhouses in America.” Starting as a dishwasher at 14, he advanced to sous chef within three years and became head chef by 21.
Chef Peter Campell
Expeditions: World Navigator: July 28, 2025 (Presidents Cruise)
Chef Peter Campbell, a master pizza chef, has appeared on shows like “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives” and “Guy’s Grocery Games.” In 2021, he launched an interactive cooking class, Pizza with Pete, to connect with pizza enthusiasts. He started Red Wagon Pizza Company in Minneapolis in 2012 as a mobile pizzeria, and opened a stand-alone restaurant in 2014. Now, Red Wagon Pizza Company ships bake-at-home pizzas nationwide, sharing his family tradition across the US.
Chef Massimo Capra
Expedition: World Navigator: September 1, 2025
Canadian celebrity Chef Massimo Capra is best known for his roles as host on his own television series “Gourmet Escapes,” judge on “Chopped Canada” and chef-host of “Restaurant Makeover” – the last two both popular on the Food Network. He is the owner of Massimo’s Italian at the Sheraton on the Falls Hotel and Boccone at the Toronto Pearson International Airport, as well as his namesake restaurant, Capra’s Kitchen, in his hometown of Mississauga, Ontario. Chef Capra is the author of “One Pot Italian” and “3 Chefs: The Kitchen Men,” which received the gold Canadian Culinary Book Award in 2011.
Chef Stephan Pyles
Expedition: World Navigator: September 27, 2025
Stephan Pyles, 2-time James Beard award winner, celebrated chef and founding father of Southwestern Cuisine, shares his culinary legacy and passion for hospitality. He is a 4-time cookbook author and host of the Emmy-award winning PBS cooking series “New Tastes from Texas.” He has cooked for 6 American presidents, 7 First Ladies, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. With a remarkable career spanning over four decades and numerous prestigious awards, Chef Pyles brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the dining experiences aboard Atlas Ocean Voyages.
Chef Paula Lambert
Expedition: World Navigator: September 27, 2025
Join Chef Paula Lambert, a pioneering artisanal cheesemaker and founder of Dallas Mozzarella Company, which has been crafting cheese for over 40 years. Named one of the Top 50 Cheesemakers in America by Food & Wine Magazine in 2022, her company produces over 30 artisanal cheeses. She is the author of “The Cheese Lover’s Cookbook and Guide” and “Cheese, Glorious Cheese!” Her accolades include being featured in the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America and receiving the Career Achievement Award from Mary Baldwin University. She also conducts cooking classes across the US and Europe.
Chef Plum
Expedition: World Navigator: October 22, 2025
Chef Plum is the executive producer and host of the PBS series “Restaurant Road Trip,” which has received three New England Emmy nominations. He also produces the acclaimed video series “On the Road” with Edible Magazine, highlighting the origins of food with a comedic twist. Additionally, he hosts “Plumluvfoods Live,” a popular podcast in iTunes’ top 200 food category, featuring over 300 episodes, and regularly contributes to Fox Business and Great Day CT.
Chef Christy Rost
Expedition: World Navigator: October 11, 2025
Chef Christy Rost is the nationally televised host of the cooking and lifestyle series At Home with Christy Rost on Amazon Fire, Apple TV+, Roku, and other platforms. Her one-hour holiday production A Home for Christy Rost: Thanksgiving has been featured on PBS and CREATE TV since 2009, reaching 91 percent of U.S. households. Christy was mentored by Master Chef Martin Yan of Yan Can Cook (PBS) and her early career garnered the guidance of Julia Child. Christy has lived in Paris and her menus are influenced by her travels and conversations with farmers, vintners, distillers, and culinary artisans. Her cookbooks and TV productions are a testament to her passion for celebrating each day around the table.
For information and reservations, call a travel advisor or 1.844.44.ATLAS or visit www.AtlasOceanVoyages.com.
