Jaques Pepin heading to the open seas

If you have considered taking a food cruise, you may want to mark your calendar for November 1, 2016, when Jacques Pépin will be aboard Oceania Cruises’ Marina for a tour of the Mediterranean. Pépin will “autograph cookbooks, schmooze with guests and lead a cooking demonstration during the trip from Venice to Rome.”

The cruise features special menus with items inspired by Pépin, who serves as Oceania’s executive culinary director. Passengers can take classes in the Culinary Center, the hands-on cooking school on the ship, and may also participate in customized food excursions on shore.

Stops along the cruise include Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, southern Italy, Greece and Malta. This isn’t a budget vacation, however, as prices start at $3,899 per person for double occupancy.