Silversea has appointed Gianluca Sparacino as its Global Head of Food and Beverage, effective 18 August 2025, and the timing could not be better for travellers who care about what is on the plate as much as the places they visit. This leadership role sits at the centre of Silversea’s culinary evolution, guiding how menus, service rituals, and beverage pairings express each region the fleet explores.
When leadership changes at this level, it is not about switching a menu here or a cocktail there, it is about setting the compass for how food and drink tell a destination’s story across the entire fleet. Sparacino will report to Michael McCarthy, Silversea’s Vice President of Operations, partnering closely with shoreside and shipboard teams so that culinary ideas travel smoothly from concept to galley to table. For guests, that means a stronger thread between where you sailed that day and what you taste that night.
Great dining at sea begins long before service. Under Sparacino, menu development will draw on regional research, producer partnerships, and kitchen trials, then move into tasting panels that refine texture, spice profiles, and plating for sea service. The result is a dish that looks effortless in your stateroom or in a speciality venue, yet reflects layers of planning that respect seasonality, supply logistics, and the motion of the ocean.
Silversea guests expect warmth with precision. Training will focus on practical touches that never feel scripted, for example knowing when to describe a winemaker’s vineyard in Sicily and when to step back so a table can enjoy the view. This is service excellence shaped by coaching, cross-training, and feedback loops that capture what guests actually loved about last night’s dinner, then evolve it for tomorrow.
Consistency matters on a world cruise, yet sameness does not. Sparacino’s remit includes calibrating core recipes for reliability, while allowing regional inserts that spotlight a port’s flavours. Think a classic Silversea risotto that travels well, paired with a rotating garnish inspired by the morning’s market call in Sorrento or Hvar, so the plate feels anchored and alive at once.
Silversea is already known for its S.A.L.T. (Sea And Land Taste) platform, a rich framework that connects guests with local foodways on shore and on board. With Sparacino at the helm, the brand will double down on the link between culture, craft, and comfort, so culinary storytelling remains a reason to choose Silversea, not just a nice-to-have once you are onboard.
S.A.L.T. is more than a schedule of classes. It is a development pipeline that feeds ideas from local cooks, food scholars, and producers into the S.A.L.T. Lab, the bar, and the kitchen. Expect a tighter weave between hands-on learning during the day and tasting menus at night, so you can see a technique in the afternoon and taste its nuance during dinner, with the beverage pairing chosen for context rather than trend.
Destination-inspired dining begins with sourcing. Under Sparacino, the team will pursue relationships with regional producers who can supply at cruise scale without losing character, think olive oil cooperatives, artisanal cheese-makers, and small-batch spice merchants. Collaboration with guest chefs will continue, yet the focus will be on dishes that can be executed consistently across the fleet so a great idea in the Med translates cleanly to expeditions in the Kimberley or the Galápagos.
A strong culinary vision must be matched by what is in the glass. Expect curated wine lists that highlight maritime climates and volcanic soils, not only big-name labels, and cocktail menus that balance discovery with familiarity. Lower-ABV options and elevated no-alcohol serves will sit alongside classics, so every guest can enjoy a pairing that complements the plate rather than overpowering it.
Sparacino brings three decades of hospitality experience from kitchens, boardrooms, and opening teams across the world’s great food cities. Born in Rome and a Les Roches graduate, he has led culinary and beverage strategies in Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, Geneva, and Miami, so he understands how to respect local taste while delivering global consistency.
Time spent in Asia sharpened his palate for balance and texture, Geneva and Dubai refined his approach to luxury service, and the Americas added scale and speed. That mix equips him to translate a fisherman’s catch in Okinawa into a refined tasting, or a vineyard visit in Santorini into a meaningful pairing, without losing authenticity. The vantage point is global, the execution is intimate.
Great menus only matter if teams can deliver them, night after night. Sparacino is known for mentorship that blends standards with empowerment, so chefs de cuisine and restaurant managers feel ownership over guest experience. Training will emphasise craft, communication, and resilience, because the sea does not always behave and menus must adapt while keeping quality high.
Sparacino joins from Four Seasons Resorts, where he served as Vice President of Food and Beverage for the Americas and earlier for EMEA. That background signals rigorous controls, evolved tasting standards, and a habit of auditing the guest journey from greeting to espresso. It also points to smarter procurement, waste reduction, and investment in talent pipelines that keep teams motivated and skills sharp.
Silversea’s culinary leadership does not rest on one role. The brand has strengthened its bench with specialists who cover innovation and operations from different angles, so ideas move quickly and safely from prototype to plate.
As Director of Culinary Operations and Innovation, Anthony Maubossin adds classical technique and a network of culinary peers. His recent recognition by the Académie Culinaire de France reflects a commitment to craft that pairs perfectly with destination-led creativity. Together with Sparacino, you can expect focused R&D, pilot menus, and faster rollouts of guest favourites.
Jordan Bernstein, Director of Food and Beverage Operations, brings nearly two decades of experience aligning dining vision with day-to-day reality. That means sharper forecasting, leaner mise en place, and better coordination between the galley and service teams. The payoff is shorter waits, hotter plates, and smoother pacing across multi-course evenings.
Behind every successful service sits a web of planners, provisioners, and educators. Silversea’s shoreside teams will collaborate with shipboard leaders on sourcing windows, port-specific menus, and training briefs. This loop ensures the dish you loved on Silver Nova can appear on Silver Wind with equal finesse, even when sailing very different waters.
Leadership changes only matter if you can taste the difference. Under Sparacino, expect menus that speak the language of place, service that knows when to guide and when to glide, and beverage pairings that frame the plate with confidence. It is Silversea culinary leadership expressed through choices that feel thoughtful rather than theatrical.
Imagine a S.A.L.T. dinner in Sicily where capers, citrus, and coastal herbs set the tone, followed by a dessert that draws on local almond traditions. Now picture the same design logic on an expedition in the Arctic, where the narrative shifts to smoke, preservation, and northern berries. The story changes, the standard holds.
Choice is valuable when it is clear. Expect dining rooms and bars to present menus that guide you gently, suggesting pathways for classic tastes and adventurous moods alike. Tasting flights, regional by-the-glass options, and concise explanations will help you navigate without decision fatigue, so dinner stays relaxed and rewarding.
Travellers increasingly ask how a dish was sourced and why it fits the voyage. Silversea is set to expand transparent labelling, indicate responsibly sourced seafood, and offer lighter preparations that still feel celebratory. Wellness is not a separate menu, it is a way to cook that respects balance, provenance, and pleasure.
If this focus on flavour, service, and place resonates with you, the next step is to match it with an itinerary that speaks your language. Mediterranean summers, Northern Europe’s harvest season, or Asia’s layered street food traditions, each region offers a different culinary rhythm you can follow at sea. You can compare ships, seasons, and routes with our Cruise Finder, then shortlist the voyages where dining will be a highlight.
Curious about how S.A.L.T. plays out on different ships or how speciality venues differ by region, use the Cruise Finder to filter by destination and timing, then chat with us for the finer points. We will help you locate sailings where this leadership shift is most visible, so your table tells the same story as your shore days.
Silversea’s appointment of Gianluca Sparacino signals intent, the brand wants dining that is deeply local, gracefully delivered, and consistent across oceans. Supported by a strengthened leadership team and the proven S.A.L.T. framework, guests can look forward to menus and pairings that feel considered, not complicated. If you are ready to taste this direction for yourself, speak with our cruise specialists and we will design a voyage where cuisine is part of the itinerary, not an afterthought. Silversea culinary leadership is more than a headline, it is an experience you can plan for, plate by plate.