Cruise Dedicated Entirely To Chocolate Sounds Like A Bit Much

Too much of a good thing will soon set sail from Italy. Next year, Costa Cruises and the Eurochocolate Festival are partnering on an eight-day Mediterranean cruise, the theme, menu, and itinerary of which will all focus on chocolate. The annual Eurochocolate Festival is already the world's largest exhibition dedicated to the "food of the gods," and the themed cruise (which will dock in Genoa, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Malta and Catania) promises an even deeper, more chocolatey dive. Presentations and master classes helmed by expert chocolatiers, chocolate wine pairing sessions, chocolate cooking demos, a tour of the Chocolate Museum of Barcelona, and "chocolate-centric excursions at each new port" are all part of the experience—as are professionally carved chocolate sculptures, in case you thought this was some sort of chocolate amateur hour.

Hyperspecific food festivals can be a fun way of indulging in your favorite treat, but eight whole days of chocolate brings a few questions to mind: Just how long does it take to grow tired of chocolate? Does the constant chocolate smell grow irritating? How much of each meal will include chocolate elements? How much savory food will be on board to balance out the sweet? Will the thousand-plus adults on this cruise begin to experience a collective sugar rush and/or crash, necessitating structured nap time? Will the deck seating out in the brilliant Mediterranean sunshine be shunned, lest guests' petits fours and truffles begin to sweat in the punishing heat? How many wet wipes stations will be provided?

The maiden voyage sets sail on April 16, 2020, and we'll be closely monitoring the social media posts of those on board the ship. To avoid scurvy, we recommend at least one serving of Terry's Chocolate Orange per day.