Celebrity Chef David Thompson Set For Aqua's New Mekong Ship

Aqua Expeditions has announced the appointment of Michelin-starred Chef David Thompson to its culinary team. Australian-born Thompson joins Aqua as Executive Chef of the new Aqua Mekong river-cruise ship, scheduled to launch in September. Thompson's Nahm restaurant in Bangkok is considered a destination in itself for international travelers.

The Chef was selected by Francesco Galli Zugaro, CEO and founder of Aqua Expeditions, who sets great store by Aqua's culinary offerings, which are a notably feature of their original cruises on the Upper Amazon in Peru (also featured in the Autumn issue of World of Cruising - click on this link).

Galli Zugaro said: "I was determined to identify the very best and most creative chef in the region for my second river destination. As Asia's top ranked chef on 'San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants,' David is the perfect fit for the exclusive Aqua Mekong. His unique culinary experience and first-hand knowledge of Asian ingredients and palates will enable us to provide guests with the authentic culinary experience they expect from an Aqua cruise."

With a reputation for first-class cuisine influenced by South-east Asia, Thompson will create an exclusive menu for Aqua guests, combining the culinary traditions of Mekong River culture with the freshest local ingredients from the markets of Saigon, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

 

He says: "Working with Aqua Mekong will be an exciting challenge and the food will be based on the cooking of Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, the countries which depend on the Mekong River. I look forward to setting sail."

 

Aqua was the first adventure travel company to introduce five-star luxury cruises to the Amazon in Peru. The Aqua Mekong will be the company's first vessel in Asia and will take guests on a journey on the Mekong River, between Cambodia and Vietnam. 

More info: call +511 434 5544 or visit www.aquaexpeditions.com.

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Happy 10th, Emeraude!

One of Vietnam's icons sailed past a milestone this week as Emeraude Classic Cruises celebrated its 10th year as one of the country's most distinctive travel experiences.

The anniversary marked a decade of rapid tourism growth in famous Halong Bay, most notably punctuated by its inclusion as one of the New 7Wonders of Nature in 2011. And, with interest in visits to Vietnam among cruising 's Top 10 Trends for 2014, we thought it timely here at World of Cruising to tell you a bit more about Emeraude Cruises...

Launched on Halong’s turquoise waters on a December morning in 2003, the cruise’s old-world appeal is anchored in the history of its namesake: a French-owned paddlewheel steamer that plied the bay between 1906 and 1937.

The Emeraude debuted with 34 colonial-inspired cabins and one Paul Roque Suite. Its French captain, world-class instruments and adherence to international maritime standards set a new precedent for safety in the bay.

Half a year after its launch, the Emeraude introduced Vietnam to the joys of glamorous caving, with its annual black-tie Wine & Dine Cruise Classic, now also in its 10th year. The

mid-May overnight cruise and culinary extravaganza (right) is attended by some of the country’s most noted figures and is still the only annual wine dinner in Vietnam that continually makes waves in the local and international press.

By 2008, two new suites--the Emeraude Suite and the Captain’s Suite--offered prime lounging space and an additional element of privacy for the ship’s growing roster of VIP passengers, including US Senator John McCain, who cruised with the Emeraude on separate visits in 2009 and 2012. Five other US senators have also cruised on the ship.

In June 2012, the vessel underwent its most extensive refurbishment to date, with renovations to its deluxe and superior cabins, the installation of fresh furnishings, wall coverings and light fixtures, and a complete redesign to its bathrooms. The revived Emeraude set sail with a seasoned Vietnamese captain at the helm. Captain Nguyen Van Quan’s journey from a young boy on his mother’s rowboat to captain of the ship is indicative of the opportunities tourism has brought to Vietnam.

On the eve of its 10th anniversary, the company published a 112-page book by author Pam Scott with research by entrepreneur Eric Merlin. The volume, titled ‘Jewels of Halong Bay’, chronicles Merlin’s discovery of a vintage postcard in a Paris flea market in 1999, the story of the Roque brothers, who made a fortune in colonial Indochina, and the resurrection of the Emeraude as a living piece of French-Vietnamese history.

“Much has changed in Halong over the past decade, yet there is still nothing out there quite like the Emeraude,” said Kurt Walter, the cruise’s general manager, “It is a vessel worthy of this spectacular destination, and of a legacy that is every day in the making.”

More info: visit http://www.emeraude-cruises.com/.
 

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Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

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