SOMEWHERE IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC - Joachim Koerper pointed to a small white dot on the black ocean and wondered what the light twinkling in the night represented.

"Maybe it is a little fishing boat catching tomorrow night's dinner," suggested Koerper as he pushed his portly frame away from the elegantly adorned table in the chic Relais & Chateaux restaurant called Saletta.

"Maybe I will buy my fish from that fisherman tomorrow when I go to the market in Santos (Brazil)."

The Spaniard with a distinct German accent then turned to a lady companion and in the dim light of the romantic restaurant said: "may I suggest you try the mousse of arrugula, my dear.

"And you," said Koerper looking in my direction ... "you must have the homemade lobster ravioli in citrus creme sauce."

Without hesitation, we instructed our server to fetch Koerper's suggestions. After all, who were we to argue with a man decorated with two Michelin stars for his culinary bravery?

Koerper, looking uneasy in a suit and tie, no doubt would have preferred to be back home wearing his chef whites and planning out the evening meal at his world famous Girasol Restaurant in the Spanish resort town of Moraira - the place that earned him his Michelin decorations. Instead, he was aboard the sleek Silver Wind, one of Silversea's luxurious cruise ships that pamper guests with the best of everything - especially food.

Silversea is constantly looking for ways of upgrading its top-of-the-line product (the company seems to have a permanent hold on the title of best small cruise ship line in the world) and Koerper was one of the key ingredients to making that happen. The chef was hired to chart a new culinary course for Silversea when the line decided to team up with the renowned Relais & Chateaux group, which puts its stamp on only the best.

The result of that collaboration is Saletta, a small, cozy 30-seat room located on deck 4 next to the ship's much larger dining hall, simply called the Restaurant, which itself should rate a Michelin mention because of its excellent offerings.

The challenge for Koerper and Silversea was to recreate the ambience of a Michelin-star restaurant at sea.

"It was indeed a challenge but it was fun," said Koerper, who also serves as an adviser to several hotel chains. "Getting fresh produce and fish is the most important part of quality cooking and the fact the Silver Wind stops at a new port almost every day allows me to bring the freshest ingredients on board for the pleasure of the passengers."

Other cruise lines also offer smaller, more intimate specialized themed restaurants aboard their ships but they come at an extra cost - as much as $30 U.S. per dinner in some cases. Not so Saletta. Silversea offers the upscale experience as part of the cruise price - only the vintage wines one enjoys at Saletta are added to the bill.

That means you can dine in a Relais & Chateaux restaurant and enjoy a Michelin chef's magnificent creations - a pleasure that would cost you on average of $200 a couple per meal, excluding wine, on land - each and every night of your cruise (the menu changes every second night). Suddenly, the average cost of an upscale Silversea cruise - between $3,000 and $4,000 U.S. for a six-day luxury voyage - is a lot easier to swallow.

"It's probably one of the best bargains in the travel industry," said the likeable Koerper, who oversaw every aspect of the food prepared at Saletta during our wonderful six-day South American Rhythms (between Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro) cruise aboard the elegant Silver Wind.

Koerper is not on every voyage but personally hired each of the chefs who work at Saletta (an Italian word meaning small dining room) during a cruise.

"Every chance I get, I come aboard," said Koerper. "I very much like the cruise experience and food is one of the most important aspects of a cruise."

Some industry insiders say food is the most important component of cruising. Silversea, the only line offering the Relais & Chateaux experience, showed us just how important they take food aboard their ships when they gave passengers a tour of their enormous stainless steel galley where an army of 40 chefs prepared an ocean of food for each and every meal. It is there where we were told the passengers on the compact Silver Wind - it can carry 246 passengers - consumed 60 bottles of white wine and 40 bottles of red at each dinner serving.

Hey, sailing with this line, you have a lot to celebrate.

When on board, Chef Koerper personally visits markets in each port of call and returns to the ship with much more than just fresh supplies.

"I meet the locals and find out what dishes are popular in different places. I sometimes include local recipes with mine," said the chef, who was born in Germany but moved to Spain when he got married.

The South American Rhythms cruise also allowed Chef Koerper and the Silver Wind's passengers to enjoy the spicy local flavours offered in places like Argentina's exciting capital Buenos Aires, as well as two Uruguayan stops, Montevideo and Punta del Este - the St. Tropez of South America. Santos, the coffee export capital of Brazil and its local markets, supplied passengers and crew with plenty to talk about back at the dinner tables and Rio offered us an exciting slice of life during the cruise.

It was not just Saletta and the Restaurant that quenched our hunger for good food. Each afternoon on one of the ship's upper decks, high tea was served, complete with fresh scones and clotted cream, in a cozy parlour area.

For those who wished to lounge around the pool without getting dressed for lunch, the Silver Wind offered a daily barbeque while at sea that consisted of the best hamburgers and hot dogs this side of Coney Island.

Then again, we didn't have to leave our cabin for any meal - all were delivered quickly and piping hot from a galley that stayed open 24 hours a day.

All that wonderful food can lead to a significant weight gain during a cruise - industry sources say passengers can gain as much as a pound a day. That means you need places to work it off aboard ship. Silversea solves that problem by offering guests a state-of-the-art fitness centre on Silver Wind, which comes complete with a picture-window view of the ocean.

For those who like their extra baggage eased away, there's the Mandara Spa, one of the best names in the business and featured on all Silversea ships.

The Mandara Spa, which originated in Bali, offers a full menu of exotic treatments. Guests are wrapped in beauty and cleansing products from world-renowned Elemis.

There's facials, wraps, massages and a whole host of other treatments offered at Mandara, all performed by expert therapists.

Cruise ... spa ... gourmet meals ... Silversea certainly gives travellers food for thought when they plan a cruise.