Aqua Expeditions is pleased to announce the appointment of Chef Benjamin Cross as Consulting Chef for Aqua Mekong, expanding his culinary leadership from Aqua Blu in East Indonesia to include the brand’s luxury river expeditions in Cambodia and Vietnam.
Chef Benjamin Cross brings more than twenty-five years of experience to Aqua Expeditions. His career began at Rae’s on Wategos in Byron Bay, before moving to Sydney and working in some of Australia’s most acclaimed kitchens, including with Janni Kyritsis at MG Garage and Neil Perry’s Rockpool Group, across Wokpool, XO and Rockpool. After gaining further experience in Spain, he relocated to Bali, where he spent more than a decade as Executive Chef of KU DE TA and Mejekawi. In 2018, he established Brett Hospitality Group, creating a collection of restaurants including Masonry Canga, Masonry Uluwatu, Fishbone Local, Bar Vera and Chop House, with an ingredient-driven approach centered on championing local produce, wood-fire cooking and simple, confident flavors.
Since joining Aqua Expeditions as Consulting Chef for Aqua Blu in 2019, Chef Cross has developed more than 160 recipes. Featuring delicacies of the East Indonesian spice route, he has created a destination-driven dining experience that celebrates bold regional flavors. His extensive experience across Southeast Asia, together with his long-standing appreciation for the local ingredients, traditions and producers, has positioned him to lead the continued refinement of Aqua Mekong’s dining program.
Reflecting Aqua Expeditions’ continued commitment to world-class dining across its fleet, Chef Cross will oversee the thoughtful evolution of Aqua Mekong’s dining program. Working alongside the ship’s onboard team, he will direct menu development, refine execution and ensure a consistently exceptional dining experience across every voyage. This approach will ensure that Aqua Mekong retains its authentic, destination-led culinary identity, inspired by the diverse flavors and traditions of Cambodia and Vietnam.
“Benjamin has been an integral part of the Aqua family for many years, and I have long admired the care, curiosity and creativity he brings to his work. He has an intuitive understanding of the places we explore and a remarkable ability to translate that sense of place into an immersive dining experience our guests. I can think of no one better to help guide this next chapter for Aqua Mekong.” — Francesco Galli Zugaro, CEO & Founder
“For me, the most memorable dishes tell a story, and that story comes from spending time with the people who know a place best. I’m looking forward to learning from local producers, cooks and communities, building on the strong foundations already in place aboard Aqua Mekong, and bringing the extraordinary flavors of Cambodia and Vietnam to the table for our guests.” — Benjamin Cross, Consulting Chef
Guests will begin experiencing Chef Cross’s enhancements progressively from late 2026, with Aqua Expeditions also planning to introduce Chef-Hosted Sailings with Chef Cross aboard Aqua Mekong from 2027. Further details will be announced in due course.
