F&B@Sea 2026 highlights

April 24, 2026

Thousands gathered at F&B@Sea 2026 in Miami to connect with cruise line leaders, explore 230+ vendor offerings and attend panels on industry innovation.

(L) The Core Experience zone featured more than 20 vendors and (R) colourful cocktail swizzlers from Roses BrandsPHOTO: JOSIE GULLIKSEN

Thousands of attendees gathered to hear from and meet cruise line and hospitality leaders as well as suppliers during F&B@Sea 2026, held at the Mana Wynwood Convention Center, Miami, from April 15-16.

Vendor highlights

There were more than 230 vendors in attendance highlighted at The Product Pavilion, Sampler Village, The Lido Deck and various lounges. It was a blend of returning vendors and newcomers, ranging from those wanting to break into the cruise world and others looking to expand their reach to other lines.

They included Art of Tea, which is offered on Carnival Cruise Line and Princess Cruises. They also have an exclusive tea they developed for Holland America Line – their Dutch Tea Blend, which comes in an elegant blue box.

Some focused on potato products, from Lutosa that featured adorable red and white checkered holders which were the perfect vehicle for crispy tater tots and fries, to the Belgium-based Ecofrost, who work with MSC Cruises and offer a large assortment of frozen potato specialties and have recently expanded their offerings.

The Catalina Food Group, specialising in Latin products, said they were there to learn the business and speak directly to the cruise lines' food and beverage directors. General Mills, who were first-time vendors, are hoping to expand their product line with Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, and Norwegian Cruise Line.

General Mills products PHOTO: JOSIE GULLIKSEN

Rose's Brands in The Core Experience hosted by Core Foodservice area highlighted their swizzle and barista stirrers made with 100% cane sugar, which they use for their cocktails, mocktails and tea.

On the beverage side, Draft Top showed how they are making cocktail consumption fun and innovative thanks to co-founders Alex Caracappa and Armand Ferranti. The duo, who are also cousins, bring an engineering and innovation background to their unique product – a manual can opener that conveniently and safely removes the entire top of a can. They developed the handheld opener first and now also have Draft Top Pro, a free-standing machine ideal for bars and restaurants. They are hoping to expand beyond Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America Line.

Food demonstrations were held at the Taste & Learn Lounge PHOTO: JOSIE GULLIKSEN

Panel discussions

Several panel discussions took place over the two days. On day one, the main stage saw expert moderators and speakers discuss the reimagining of cruise food and beverage, sustainability, cultural storytelling through food, authentic local flavours at sea, the world's first floating pastry academy and best practices for beverage operations partnerships at sea.

Day two focused on the future of cruise beverages and what is shaping the next generation, cruise procurement and the reality behind sourcing decisions, sustainability sourcing successes, pivots and costs, and the reinvention of cruise dining.

Award-winning chef, restaurateur and author Marcus Samuelsson discussed cultural storytelling through food, while culinary and food and beverage directors from HAL and Windstar Cruises discussed the importance of delivering authentic local flavors at sea.

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Fuente: sea-trade cruise