It's all shipshape for a gourmet getaway

IT'S cocktails at noon and gourmet food all round as an increasing number of foodies hit the high seas.

Nigel And Vicki Andrew

IT'S cocktails at noon and gourmet food all round as an increasing number of foodies hit the high seas.

The popularity of food and wine cruises featuring celebrity cooks, winemakers and speciality producers including cheese and chocolate makers has soared.

Food Month: Recipes, competitions and foodie news

With the number of Australians taking cruise holidays now at a record of more than 630,000 a year, about half of those are trips estimated to last between just two and four nights.

Companies such as P&O Cruises have expanded their offering with 19 short break food and wine cruises planned for the 2013-14 season. Mark Barnes, from Carnival Australia, which operates P&O Cruises, said the change recognised the growing appetite for short trips.

"A lot of Australians see our short break cruises as a great way to dip their toe in the water and try a cruise holiday while our cruise devotees see them as a good excuse for a quick cruise fix," he said.

Vicki Andrew and her husband Nigel have just returned from their first food and wine cruise aboard the Pacific Pearl.

"We are both very slim and trim, we are in our 50s and we need to look after ourselves, but we both love our food," she said.

The Central Coast couple took part in masterclasses, special dinners and cheese and wine-tasting aboard the ship.

"We didn't just sit down and gobble it up," she said.

"We learned a lot, it wasn't just stuffing your face. We are not rich but the short cruises allow us to pick and choose."

Food and wine cruises follow a trend in Europe where celebrity chefs put on demonstration dishes and winemakers offer tastings with food-matching. In Europe, the trend has snowballed into themed cruises focusing on famous food and wine areas.

Scenic Tours has introduced tailormade cruises for 2013 where a new hand-held GPS guided tour system allows guests to explore the cities and villages of Europe at their leisure while focusing on food and wine.

Some of the current food and wine experiences are a Tastes of Nuremberg walking tour, wine tasting in Wurzburg at the Prince-Bishop's Palace, and a visit to the Alsace wine region including tasting in Barr.