Chef Christian Le Squer, executive chef of the three-Michelin-starred Le Cinq at Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris, has been named culinary ambassador for Sedna, the signature fine-dining restaurant aboard Four Seasons Yachts' flagship vessel, Four Seasons I. The year-long collaboration, running throughout 2027, will see Le Squer's French gastronomic perspective embedded in both Sedna's signature tasting menu and its à la carte offerings.
The Chef's Role
Le Squer's involvement extends well beyond crafting a menu. He will help shape Sedna's overall culinary direction, advise on future chef collaborations, and provide hands-on training: Sedna's kitchen team will work alongside Le Squer and his brigade at Le Cinq in Paris, absorbing the technique, creative discipline, and ingredient-focused philosophy that have defined the restaurant's reputation. It is a talent-development model that mirrors what leading hotel groups have long practiced on land, now adapted for the ultra-luxury cruise segment.
The chef describes his menu philosophy as "moving" rather than strictly seasonal — dishes evolve whenever a key ingredient passes its peak, an approach he sees as a natural fit for a vessel that changes ports and markets throughout the year. At Sedna, that means menus will draw on local produce and culinary traditions encountered during each voyage while remaining anchored in classical French cooking.
Two Voyages at Sea
Beyond his year-round influence on Sedna's culinary program, Le Squer will serve as Chef-in-Residence on two 2027 sailings. The first, February 21–28, travels through the Lesser Antilles — from the Creole kitchens and rhum agricole distilleries of Guadeloupe to the spiny lobster and grilled crayfish of Anguilla. The second, September 12–19, sails the Greek Isles from Mykonos to Göcek on Turkey's Turquoise Coast, a region rich in fresh seafood, kopanisti cheese, meze traditions, and olive oil culture. Both itineraries offer guests direct access to Le Squer in an intimate onboard setting — a format increasingly valued in luxury hospitality as travelers seek genuine culinary engagement rather than passive dining.
Sedna itself seats 66 guests indoors and 40 on an outdoor terrace, with a private dining room for up to 10. Its emerald-green interiors frame a program built on French technique paired with a sommelier-curated wine list and crafted cocktails. The restaurant's scale and design clearly position it as a land-caliber fine-dining destination that happens to float — a benchmark relevant to any operator thinking about experiential dining environments.
Why This Matters for Hospitality
For the broader luxury hospitality and fine-dining sector, the Four Seasons Yachts model is a pointed case study in cross-property culinary leverage. Rather than hiring a yacht-specific chef and building a program in isolation, the brand is extending the credibility of an existing three-star kitchen to a new platform — deepening the value of Le Cinq's reputation while differentiating Sedna in an increasingly competitive ultra-premium cruise market.
Philipp Blaser, Senior Vice President, Food and Beverage at Four Seasons, framed the rationale clearly: "Chef Christian Le Squer brings a distinctive culinary vision, together with a deep understanding of the experiences our guests value. His expanded role at Sedna will shape the restaurant throughout the year, while bringing the creativity and spirit of Le Cinq to an entirely new setting." For operators and food and beverage directors tracking how flagship restaurants translate across non-traditional venues, this collaboration offers a replicable framework worth watching. Coverage of similar chef-driven hospitality concepts has shown that culinary ambassador arrangements can elevate a property's perceived value well beyond the chef's physical presence — provided the kitchen team is genuinely trained to execute the vision. That training component, baked into Le Squer's agreement here, is what separates an ambassador relationship from a licensing deal in name only.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
