MARIS
MARIS, Culinary Discovery at Sea
Swan Hellenic, the pioneer of cultural expedition cruising, has a history of innovative, in-depth exploration. Voyaging in elegant ice-class expedition ships across seven continents, they take their guests to see what others don’t.
Swan Hellenic and JRE-Jeunes Restaurateurs share their love of excellence and have partnered together to create a one-of-a-kind experience, featuring some wonderful and talented JRE chefs from around Europe, on board of the SH DIANA and SH VEGA ships.
JRE chefs use their culinary excellence, and passion for tradition, sustainability and locally sourced ingredients, to create astonishing new expressions of the territories explored. They prepare signature dishes, teach cooking classes and create menus to thrill the palate of the most discerning guests.
For the third year, Maris continues to set the highest standards in cruise gastronomy, bringing a different internationally acclaimed chef on each exceptional voyage of culinary discovery.
"We’re delighted to showcase the tremendous talents of our chefs for Swan Hellenic voyagers again in 2025, creating dining experiences that match and enhance their extraordinary explorations aboard and ashore."
President, JRE-Jeunes Restaurateurs
2025 PROGRAM
The JRE-Jeunes Restaurateurs star chefs lined up for the 2025 Maris sailings include (in order of sailing):
From May 12th to May 21st, JRE Chef Heribert Dietrich from Switzerland will join the SH Diana will depart from Lisbon and arrive in Portsmouth.
From May 21st to June 1st, JRE Chef Kevin Lejeune from Belgium will join the SH Diana, departing from Portsmouth and arriving in Dublin.
From June 13th to June 21st, JRE Chef Philippe Deslarzes from Switzerland will join the SH Diana, departing from Reykjavik and arriving in Reykjavik.
From July 21st to July 31st, JRE Chef Herman Cooijmans from the Netherlands will join the SH Diana, departing from Tromso and arriving in Amsterdam.
From July 31st to August 8th, JRE Chef Franco Körperich from Switzerland will join the SH Vega, departing from Reykjavik and arriving in Reykjavik.
From July 31st to August 11th, JRE Chef David Goerne from France will join the SH Diana, departing from Amsterdam and arriving in Lisbon.
From August 11th to August 22nd, JRE Chef Federico Pettenuzzo from Italy will join the SH Diana, departing from Lisbon and arriving in Palermo.
From August 22nd to September 1st, JRE Chef Alberto Basso from Italy will join the SH Diana, departing from Palermo and arriving in Venice.
From September 1st to September 9th, JRE Chef Lukas Nagl from Austria will join the SH Diana, departing from Venice and arriving in Piraeus.
From September 17th to September 26th, JRE Chef Steffen Disch from Germany will join the SH Diana, departing from Istanbul and arriving in Limassol.
2024 PROGRAM
In Shackleton’s Footsteps: Silvia Manser from Restaurant Truube Gais in Switzerland will be onboard the SH Diana departing from Ushuaia and arriving in Ushuaia. This cruise is from the 21st of January until the 7th of February, 2024.
Old World Gateways to the Atlantic: Arjan Kuipers from De Ertepeller Restaurant in the Netherlands will be onboard the SH Vega departing from Lisbon and arriving in Portsmouth. This cruise is from the 14th until the 24th of May, 2024.
In the wake of Celts and Vikings: Juan Carlos Ferrando from Restaurant Juan Carlos Ferrando in Spain will be onboard the SH Vega departing from Dublin and arriving in Reykjavik. This cruise is from the 4th until the 16th of June, 2024.
High Arctic of Svalbard: Christoph Hunziker from Restaurant Beizli in Switzerland will be onboard the SH Diana departing from Tromso and arriving in Tromso. This cruise is from the 10th until the 20th of July, 2024.
Sailing with the Vikings: Nicolai Wiedmer from Restaurant Eckert in Germany will be onboard the SH Diana departing from Tromso and arriving in Amsterdam. This cruise is from the 20th of July until the 1st of August, 2024.
Gems of Western Europe: Eric van Bochove from Restaurant 't Vlasbloemeken in the Netherlands will be onboard the SH Diana departing from Amsterdam and arriving in Lisbon. This cruise is from the 1st until the 10th of August, 2024.
Iceland in Depth: Filip Zahariev from Onà Guesthouse in Bulgaria will be onboard the SH Vega departing from Reykjavik and arriving in Reykjavik. This cruise is from the 10th until the 18th of August, 2024.
Mysteries of Carthage and the Moors: Sergio Tofe from Restaurant Eter in Spain will be onboard the SH Diana departing from Lisbon and arriving in Palermo. This cruise is from the 10th until the 20th of August, 2024.
Secrets of Sicily: Nikita Sergeev from Ristorante L'Arcade in Italy will be onboard the SH Diana departing from Palermo and arriving in Palermo. This cruise is from the 20th until the 28th of August, 2024.
Voyage to the Northwest Passage: Alexandra Müller from L'Etoile in Switzerland will be onboard the SH Vega departing from Tromso and arriving in Tromso. This cruise is from the 9th until the 25th of September, 2024.
2023 PROGRAM
From April 15th to April 25th, JRE Chefs Grega & Sabina Repovž from Restaurant Gostilna Repovž, Šentjanž, Slovenia will join the SH Vega, departing from Palermo and arriving in Lisbon.
From April 25th to May 4th, JRE Chef Edwin Soumang from Restaurant ONE, Roermond, The Netherlands, will join the SH Vega, departing from Lisbon and arriving in Amsterdam.
From May 4th to May 14th, JRE Chef Michael Ammon from Gasthof Jakob, Perasdorf, Germany will join the SH Vega, departing from Amsterdam and arriving in Tromsø.
From May 6th to May 13th, JRE Chef Andreas Hillejan from Das Markt Restaurant, Mittenwald, Germany, will join the SH Vega, departing from Tenerife and arriving in Lisbon.
From May 13th to May 23rd, JRE Chef Manfred Kofler from Culinaria im Farmerkreuz, Tyrol, Italy will join the SH Vega, departing from Lisbon and arriving in Portsmouth.
From May 13th to May 23rd, JRE Chef Manu Núñez from Besta, Barcelona, Spain will join the SH Vega, departing from Portsmouth and arriving in Dublin.
From June 3rd to June 15th, JRE Chef Arjan Kuipers from De Ertepeller, Papendrecht, The Netherlands, will join the SH Vega, departing from Dublin and arriving in Reykjavik.
From June 15th to June 23rd, JRE Chef Tomaž Bratovž from JB Restaurant, Ljubljana, Slovenia, will join the SH Vega, departing from Reykjavik and arriving in Reykjavik.
From June 23rd to July 6th, JRE Chef Carles Ramon from Besta, Barcelona, Spain will join the SH Vega, departing from Reykjavik and arriving in Langfjordbotn.
From July 29th to August 8th, JRE Chef Daniel Lehmann from Moosegg, Emmenmatt, Switzerland will join the SH Vega, departing from Tromsø and arriving in Amsterdam.
From August 8th to August 17th, JRE Chef Clement Bidard from Le Saint - Lazare, L'abergement Clemenciat, France will join the SH Vega, departing from Amsterdam and arriving in Lisbon.
From August 17th to August 27th, JRE Chef Borja Marrero Vázquez from MuXgo, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain will join the SH Vega, departing from Lisbon and arriving in Palermo.
From August 27th to September 4th, JRE Chef Luca Marchini from L'Erba del Re, Modena, Italy will join the SH Vega, departing from Palermo and arriving in Palermo.
See What Others Don't With Swan Hellenic
If you are looking to experience the remote Polar regions or explore truly off-the-beaten path destinations and cultures of our spectacular planet, then you are in great company. Swan Hellenic exists to provide its guests with authentic, intimate and unforgettable moments in extraordinary locations and remote landmarks. All the while enjoying a sophisticated elegant atmosphere onboard. Swan Hellenic is an established, well respected owner-operated heritage brand with more than 7 decades of expertise in undiscovered destinations.
Pioneering cruise
Swan Hellenic is proud to return to the waters 70 years after its first pioneering cruise. Our brand new fleet of expedition ships are cutting edge, but the core values that underpinned the brand and served its guests so well from its inception remain in place. As does the passion for exploratory travel to the globe’s furthest far flung places.
Helsinki shipyard
Constructed in the Helsinki shipyard, their expedition ships combine the latest polar ice-class technology with stylish, sophisticated interiors. Think high-end boutique hotel with contemporary sophistication. Chic, spacious and well-planned cabins feature generously sized bathrooms, comfortable in-room dining facilities and unobstructed views of the incredible destinations visited.
Understated elegance
Understated elegance might be another way of phrasing what awaits a Swan Hellenic guest. At the very heart of the brand is the onboard team with their guests’ personal wellbeing their foremost priority. The service on board embodies the same values, being attentive, personal and intuitive but discreet. There’s no fuss or formality, just focused dedication to understanding the guests’ preferences and anticipating their needs, always aiming to exceed and surprise expectations.
Bucket list
Swan Hellenic prides itself on taking its guests to see what others don’t, visiting small and lesser-known ports of special cultural, geographical or wildlife interest as well as bucket list famous cities. Above all, their guests visit many uniquely remote places beyond these ports of call, boarding Zodiac boats and exploring at sea level to come ashore in rich unspoilt areas of our planet that often cannot be accessed in any other way.
We're united by a quest to share experiences of the exceptional
CEO Swan Hellenic