Four Seasons Yachts debuts chef-in-residence lineup

Published on Oct 23, 2025, 1:58 pm CDTUpdated on Oct 23, 2025, 2:02 pm CDT

3 min read

Key points

Program launches with Four Seasons I voyages in 2026
Sedna restaurant hosts rotating Michelin-starred Four Seasons chefs
Executive Chef Ferman Toledo and Chef de Cuisine Acunzo lead onboard team
Seven initial voyages feature curated menus and private dining
Named chefs include Luca Piscazzi, Guillaume Galliot, Yoric Tièche, Paolo Lavezzini

Impact

What Changed: Four Seasons Yachts announced a chef-in-residence program for its 2026 debut.
Why It Matters: Travelers can book voyages aligned with visiting chefs for destination-inspired tasting menus.
Dates: Announcement on October 21-22, 2025; program begins with Four Seasons I sailings in 2026.
What To Do: Check voyage pages for chef schedules, then book early for preferred dates and dining experiences.

Four Seasons Yachts detailed a chef-in-residence program that will rotate Michelin-starred Four Seasons restaurant chefs through Sedna, the main restaurant aboard Four Seasons I, during select 2026 voyages. The initiative complements Executive Chef Armando Ferman Toledo and Chef de Cuisine Gerardo Acunzo, adding destination-driven tasting menus and intimate private dining. For travelers, the takeaway is clear. If culinary experiences guide your trip planning, you can now align a sailing with a visiting chef to secure a high-end, regionally inspired menu at sea.

Four Seasons I and Sedna

The 2026 debut of Four Seasons I will anchor the program at Sedna, where resident and visiting chefs collaborate on menus shaped by seasonal ingredients and itinerary regions. Four Seasons named an inaugural roster spanning seven voyages, including Luca Piscazzi of Pelagos in Athens, Guillaume Galliot of three-star Caprice in Hong Kong, Yoric Tièche of Le Cap in Cap-Ferrat, and Paolo Lavezzini of Il Palagio in Florence. Company CEO Ben Trodd framed the move as extending Four Seasons' land-based culinary legacy onto the water with a collaborative approach led by Ferman Toledo and Acunzo.

Latest developments

Four Seasons issued the announcement on October 21, 2025, noting that the chef-in-residence program will launch with Four Seasons I itineraries in 2026. Alongside featured dinners in Sedna, select voyages will include curated tasting menus and limited-capacity private dining hosted by the visiting chefs.

Analysis

For luxury cruisers who plan around food, the cadence matters as much as the names. With seven voyages confirmed in the inaugural slate, availability for specific chefs is likely to be tight, especially on marquee Mediterranean and Caribbean stretches. Expect menus that reflect each chef's home kitchen and the region sailed, rather than pop-up replicas of their restaurants. That creates variety across back-to-back voyages and gives repeat guests reasons to return.

Background: A chef-in-residence program brings guest chefs aboard for set sailings to collaborate with the ship's culinary leadership. The onboard team manages scale and consistency, while visiting chefs contribute concepts, tasting menus, and special events aligned to the ship's route. For travelers, the practical step is to match your preferred chef with an itinerary and date, then reserve early and note any dietary needs in advance.

If you track cruise innovation, this mirrors a broader trend toward specialty dining that feels bespoke to place. We have covered similar culinary-forward moves in upscale small-ship segments, such as technology-assisted expedition enhancements and new long-form itineraries that emphasize experiences over volume. See our recent coverage of Aurora Expeditions' AI navigation on Douglas Mawson and American Cruise Lines' Northwest National Parks cruise-tour for context on how premium operators are sharpening their differentiators.

Final thoughts

Four Seasons Yachts' chef-in-residence lineup signals that the brand intends to compete on culinary ambition, not just design and service. If a specific chef or cuisine is your deciding factor, monitor the 2026 schedule as additional details are released, then time your booking accordingly. For travelers who want destination-inspired dining without compromises, this program makes Four Seasons Yachts a compelling new option.