Best afternoon teas on cruise ships: A sconnoisseur's guide

A great afternoon tea isn’t just about the tea and scones, it is also about the setting. These cruise ships nail it.

Any aficionado will tell you a great afternoon tea is not just about the three-tier tower of delicacies, the tea, or the bubbles; a truly wonderful experience needs to be in a beautiful setting.

On land, one of the best venues I have been to in the past year was in England, naturally, the home of this extravagant afternoon ritual. At Cliveden House for a friend’s birthday celebration, we sipped on Champagne and their signature blend of tea, nibbled dainty coronation chicken sandwiches and looked over National Trust gardens in the Berkshire countryside; the same vista the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Queen Elizabeth and Gandhi had all once admired.

Can this experience be matched on the high seas? The Arts Café aboard Silversea’s 728-passenger Silver Nova, currently sailing in Australia, is a contender for the best afternoon tea venue at sea. It’s housed within the ship’s sweeping three-deck atrium affording incredible ocean views. Add to this the clever design, with overstuffed velvet couches in nooks framed by shelves full of art pieces, including ceramics by Spanish artist Ana Rod. Her colourful works are designed to evoke joy and wonder, which is the same feeling you get when you spy the array of bright pastries and sweet treats on offer all day. But it’s the mid-afternoon when most gather to sample the freshly baked scones.

I like to think of myself as a bit of a “sconnoisseur” and think I may have found the perfect fluffy baked treats in this incredible setting. They offer chocolate chip versions, too. The warm scones are paired with TWG tea, or coffee, and conversation with fellow cruisers inevitably revolves around the universal scone conundrum: jam before cream or cream before jam?

The Arts Café aboard Silversea’s Silver Nova is a contender for the best afternoon tea venue at sea. Picture: Tim Faircloth/Supplied. 

An equally amazing setting for afternoon tea is on Viking ocean ships. Another design triumph, what’s known as the Wintergarden is housed under a canopy of blond wood “trees”, the branches stretching all the way to the glass ceiling letting in abundant natural light. 

On each side of the room giant windows allow fabulous sea views. Every afternoon finger sandwiches, scones and desserts are served here, accompanied by international teas, and live classical music.

An equally amazing setting for afternoon tea at the the Wintergarden onboard Viking ocean ships. 

And there is good news for those who love the traditional afternoon tea served on Cunard ships. Queen Elizabeth’s Queens Room, where white-gloved waiters serve an array of delights daily, is getting a makeover. The 2000-guest ship is set for a significant refit later this month ahead of her Alaskan and Caribbean season. The refreshed Queens Room will include a new dancefloor, soft furnishings, and furniture.

The daily 3.30pm afternoon tea on Cunard ships has long been a tradition. As well as finger sandwiches, pastries, cakes, and macarons, there’s a choice of plain or fruit scones, each branded with the ship’s logo. Across the Cunard fleet 3000 scones are handmade daily.

Originally published as Best afternoon teas on cruise ships: A sconnoisseur's guide