Inside Maneet Chauhan’s First Restaurant at Sea on Virgin Voyages

As someone who grew up cruising, I've long associated life on board with overloaded plates at packed buffets and multi-course meals in grand dining rooms. The food has always been part of the cruise experience but rarely the highlight. When I recently boarded Virgin Voyages in Rome, I was hoping for something different — after all, this adults-only line is known for going against traditional ship norms. 

In contrast to the mega-ships I grew up sailing, Valiant Lady features six specialty restaurants instead of a traditional dining room and a food hall in place of a buffet, with more than 20 eateries on board. Virgin Voyages recently added Airya, an Indian restaurant developed in collaboration with chef, restaurateur, and TV personality Maneet Chauhan . I sailed on the ship's first voyage after its two-week dry dock, during which the former Razzle Dazzle restaurant was transformed into Ariya. That meant I'd be one of the first guests to dine at the new concept. With a pool designed for dancing, not swimming, and a drag queen hosting events rather than a typical cruise director, I could tell this would be a unique cruise before I even sat down for dinner.

On the third night of our sailing, after a sea day spent relaxing under the Mediterranean sun, I walk through a dimly lit hallway lined with Art Deco mirrors and a whimsical ceiling motif to Ariya, which is inspired by and named after Sir Richard Branson's great-great-grandmother, a traveler from the coastal town of Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu. Half of my group sits on plum velvet banquettes while the rest of us settle into curved black chairs upholstered in block-printed fabric. It feels as if we've been transported from our sailing vessel to a restaurant I'd rave about in New York City.

A glance at the menu reveals updated versions of Chauhan's signature recipes, which fuse Indian cuisine with Southern influences. "A lot of these dishes are dishes which have been on my menu forever, and they are proven favorites," Chauhan tells me when I sit down with her and Levi Mezick, Virgin Voyages' senior director of culinary program development and experience.

My group of eight splits every appetizer on the menu — after all, this is still a cruise. The Silky Whipped Paneer Dip arrives with naan so flavorful it hardly needs the spread. The Puffed Rice Avocado Chaat was the biggest surprise for me, combining crisp puffed rice, soft chickpeas, and crunchy sev noodles. Later, Chauhan explains that while sev is commonly purchased in Indian stores, Mezick encouraged her to make it from scratch. "That takes an okay dish to a memorable, unforgettable dish," Chauhan says. This type of innovation became a key part of their collaboration.

For my main course, I order the Eggplant Saag Napoleon, a vegetarian and gluten-free option that Chauhan calls her "secret weapon" while leading a cooking demonstration on board. It sounds relatively simple on the menu and arrives layered with tender eggplant, spiced mushrooms, a creamy spinach saag, and rice. Every bite is different from the last, with each layer contributing a unique flavor or texture to the dish. According to Mezick, this eggplant is a "sleeper hit," ordered more than any other vegetarian option on the ship. My mom, who opts for the Tandoori Grilled Ribeye, even ends up eating half of my meal instead. 

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At my table, the group favorite is the Tandoori Shrimp Moilee, an updated take on the Tandoori Shrimp & Grits served at Chauhan Ale and Masala House in Nashville. At her restaurant, the shrimp is cooked in a traditional tandoor, while Ariya's version uses a flat-top grill to re-create the same char and is served over a creamy coconut curry. "Nothing changed the ethos of the dish," says Chauhan.

To finish the meal, I choose the Sticky Toffee Jackfruit Cake, a glazed pastry that looks unassuming at first glance. My fork cuts gracefully through it, revealing a moist interior beneath the sticky glaze. It is served with brown butter pecan ice cream that adds just the right amount of sweetness to the warmly spiced cake.

The following day, Chauhan tells me she views Ariya as more than an opportunity to bring her signature flavors to sea. The restaurant introduces travelers to Indian cuisine, bringing it to a wider audience. "I've been trying to shout from the top of rooftops that, hey, Indian food needs to be a bigger player on the world culinary scene," she says. She recalls culinary school, where French was acclaimed as the ultimate cuisine. "There are other cuisines which need to be celebrated and need to be paid homage to, and for Virgin to do that is incredible."

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