Veteran cruisers know that Lobster Night is the one-time-only culinary highlight of most voyages. Poolside lunches included a surf-and-turf sandwich combining Florida lobster medallions with sliced Black Angus filet mignon. An entr�e of steamed Maine lobster with pineapple broth and vegetable couscous - among Canyon Ranch "healthy living choices" in the main dining room - contained only 375 calories. Desserts were a challenge, too - even Jacques' poached pastry in aged French island rum and Polo Grill's trilogy of vanilla marshmallows dipped in chocolate, caramel and berry coulis. Cost of an 11-day Caribbean cruise on the Riviera next November starts at $1,800 per person for an interior stateroom, $2,400 for oceanview cabins; rates are higher in Europe, where the ships spend summers, but airfare from Houston is included. [...] the Marina and Riviera advance cuisine appreciation to heretofore unseen levels at sea - a goal established with the company's debut 10 years ago but more difficult to realize on its older and smaller ships. Menus include signature appetizers, entrees and desserts, and his newest cookbook, "Essential Pepin," inspired a new series of technique classes whose subjects range from basic knife skills to pressure- cooking methods. [...] the real stars are culinary enrichment director Kelly, who joined Oceania after careers as a doctor (specializing in public health), business executive and director of health and wellness initiatives for the Culinary Institute of America; and fleet corporate chef Franck Garanger, who creates menus and ensures product quality while rotating among Oceania's ships. Video screens help students follow directions, and staffers roam the premises offering advice. Tips cover familiar ingredients ("When you work with fresh pasta, the pasta is the star; when you work with dry pasta, the sauce is the star," Kelly says) and encourage healthy dining. Water slides and pool games are conspicuously absent, and most kids would be bored. Beyond culinary enrichment and classes in an "artist's loft," the activities calendar is low-key, but it's easy enough to pass time with a Japanese mint bath or Irish seaweed wrap in the spa. The smallest oceanview staterooms measure 242 square feet, well above the norm; opulent penthouse suites, the least expensive of four suite categories, offer butler service and the option to request course-by-course room service from any restaurant. Depending on accommodations categories, passengers can make restaurant reservations online prior to departure or immediately after boarding.
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