Crystal's New Wine & Food-Themed Cruises

Crystal Cruises has set four new Wine & Food-themed luxury cruises for 2014, to include new guest chef-prepared Vintage Room dinners on each of the four sailings - in Asia, the South Pacific, Trans-Atlantic and the US/Caribbean – as well as a new microbrew theme on the last of the voyages.

All of Crystal’s culinary Experiences of Discovery voyages include complimentary hands-on cooking classes, cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, mixology lessons and a guest chef dinner for all guests in the Crystal Dining Room. 

In addition, in 2014, each culinary-themed cruise will feature an optional intimate, guest chef-created dinner for 12-14 in Crystal’s Vintage Room, with seven courses featuring local flavours of the region and extraordinary wine pairings selected by the guest wine expert. Building upon the success of Crystal’s recently-added Connoisseur Beer menu, the new microbrew-themed cruise will offer beer pairings, instead of wine, for the dinner, as well as craft beer enrichment and sampling throughout the voyage. 

Held on both Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, the cruises will feature local tastes of:

• The South Pacific: Sailing 20th January from Papeete to Bora Bora, Rarotonga, Tonga, Fiji and Auckland (overnight).
• Asia/China: Sailing 9th April from Hong Kong (overnight) to Xiamen, Shanghai (two overnights) and Dalian, with three days ashore in Beijing included.
• Atlantic, including Iceland and New England: Sailing 5th September from Southampton to the Channel Islands, Waterford, Dublin, Belfast, Reykjavik (overnight), Halifax, Bar Harbor and Boston.
• The US East Coast & Caribbean: Sailing 5th November from New York (overnight) to Baltimore, Norfolk, Charleston, Turks & Caicos, Curaçao, Aruba and Miami.

While exact programming details are still being finalised, food experts scheduled thus far include Thrainn Freyr Vigfusson, recent Icelandic Chef of the Year and Bocuse d’Or finalist; Stephen Beaumont, co-author of The World Atlas of Beer; Aldo Sohm, Wine Director at New York’s Le Bernadin restaurant and the first-ever representative from America to win “Best Sommelier in the World”; Shailesh Naidu, the only native five-star executive chef in Fiji; and Serge Dansereau, Australian celebrity chef, fresh food movement pioneer and owner of the iconic Bathers’ Pavilion restaurant in New South Wales. 

“Book now” fares for the Wine & Food cruise series start at £2,461 per person cruise only and are only guaranteed until October 31.

Extraordinary culinary experiences are a hallmark of every Crystal holiday. Crystal’s extensive, innovative choices for dining include the ultra-luxury line’s coveted cheese and wine cellars overseen by onboard sommeliers (Court of Master Sommeliers-certified); fresh, cocktails served by certified mixologists; and gourmet dining options at every meal, whether in the Crystal Dining Room, at afternoon tea or in Nobu and Piero Selvaggio’s specialty restaurants.

More info: 020 7399 7601 or visit www.crystalcruises.co.uk.

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Silversea's Gourmet Cruise To Italy

Luxury cruise line Silversea has announced a tempting Italian “Gourmet Cruise” programme to Italy this October, with a 9-day Venice-to-Rome showcasing a collection of high-quality culinary offerings, including world renowned Italian experts and courses revealing the secrets of their cuisine. 

The voyage on Silver Spirit (above) sails from La Serenissima on October 24 and the highlights include: 

 

Chef Emanuele Scarello

Emanuele is a double Michelin star chef and world traveller and recognises his mother as his most significant influence in his cooking. Relying heavily on fresh ingredients from both land and sea, he reinterprets regional dishes with style and sensitivity in his Agli Amici restaurant in Udine, which his family have owned since 1887. As a chef he is part of both the "Jeunes Restaurateurs d'Europe" association, of which he was the Italian president from 2009-12, and of “Le Soste”, the prestigious association which unites Italy’s best chefs. Emanuele will prepare a two-course gala dinner on board and lead two cookery courses.

 

L’Università del Caffè

L’Università will offer courses and samplings aimed at discovering the scents and aromas of coffee on board. Guests will acquire a certain degree of experience that is necessary to become a real coffee connoisseur. Established in 2000, The University was set up by Illy to promote the culture of coffee worldwide, engaging producers, professionals and appreciators alike.  

Grappa Nonino

Grappa Nonino will reveal the secrets of the Art of Handmade distillation and the correct manner in which to appreciate the Nonino Monovitigno Grappa. The Nonino family has been dedicated to the art of Grappa distillation since 1897. After revolutionising the production process by creating the single vine variety, obtained by separately distilling the Picolit vinasse, Monovitigno Nonino was created. The company has since continued its research, innovation, and quality and, in 2000, they created Gioiello, the Acquavite obtained by the handmade distillation of pure honey. 

 

Prosciuttificio DOK Dall'Ava

Carlo Dall'Ava will lead a guided tour to the “prosciutto learning center DOK” and, along with his staff, will explain the correct complements necessary to fully emphasise the taste of Italian prosciutto. Starting in San Daniele del Friuli in 1955, Natalino Dall’Ava began producing hams and prosciutto and, in 1981, took over the oldest prosciuttifico producing facility on the hill of San Daniele. Since 2007, the company, headed by Natalino’s son, Carlo, has a new headquarters and continues to educate the consumer to the correct use of prosciutto by utilising simple combinations of ingredients which emphasise the taste.

 

Cividin Viaggi

Il Piacere, Wine Food and Art in Italy, the new taste portal designed by Cividin Viaggi, is an innovative project for Italy dedicated to the foreign market, with particular attention to luxury wine and food products. On the website, various travel itineraries will be suggested, each dedicated to a different area and to the discovery of the region from a cultural and gastronomic point of view. The first region to be covered, which is already operational, is Friuli Venezia Giulia. Among other things, a series of travel packages will be presented that will include a pre and post Gourmet cruise itinerary, covering various places of interest in Italy with a gastronomic and enological focus. 

 

The full voyage calls at Koper, Split, Dubrovnik, Valletta, Messina, Sorrento and Civitavecchia (for Rome).

For bookings, be sure to follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's luxury cruise experts.

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Gourmet Offerings On New Europa 2

Guests on board Hapag-Lloyd Cruises' Europa 2 will experience top-class culinary variety when she sets sail on her maiden voyage from Hamburg to Lisbon on May 11. 

The gastronomic concept of this new luxury ship provides no less than seven different restaurants, including a sushi bar and three speciality venues. Additionally, the "Speisezimmer" can be booked for private dining. And, for guests who feel like cooking themselves and getting to know dishes from their cruise destination, they may wish to book a cooking course in the Miele Culinary School while at sea.
 

The Restaurants

 

With a total capacity of 266, the largest restaurant on board is the "Weltmeere". It stands out because of the generous amount of space while Chef de cuisine Wilke and his team serve both international and refined vegetarian menus. 

 

The "Yacht Club" is the second largest restaurant, providing specialities fresh from the grill and variety from the buffet for up to 276 people. Special feature: guests can dine “alfresco” here if they wish. The chefs can also be seen working their magic in front of the passengers as they prepare and plate the dishes. 

 

Fans of French cuisine will be at home in the "Tarragon" (44 seats) while Asian delicacies will be featured in "Elements" (48 seats) with its plethora of aromas from aniseed to lemon grass. The "Serenissima" (56 seats) then provides high quality Italian cuisine. Here, guests can enjoy Mediterranean classics and also modern interpretations of Ligurian and Neapolitan cooking. 

 

The culinary world journey is completed by the "Sakura" sushi restaurant (58 seats), which offers the celebrated miso soup and fish specialities, plus green tea ice cream for dessert. Classic wines from all over the world with accompanying dishes are available in the "Grande Reserve" wine bar and individual tastings can also be arranged here, with real vine rarities for a maximum of 12 people.

Exclusive Private Dining

 

As well as her restaurants, Europa 2 also offers the option of private dining for special occasions, with guests able to book the “Speisezimmer” exclusively at a cost of 1,170GBP for an evening, so they can relax and be indulged in a small group. 

 

The price includes an aperitif, amuse-bouche with caviar and a dinner with lobster. There is the opportunity to book before the cruise in order to ensure absolute perfection in the planning.

Cooking School

 

If guests feel like cooking themselves, they may book a cooking course in the Miele Culinary School. Here, the chef de cuisine of the Tarragon - the French style restaurant on board – will demonstrate the culinary side of the ship's various cruise destinations. 

 

The cooking courses take place in the morning and can be booked as an alternative to a shore excursion. Participation costs 80 Euros (63GBP) per person, which includes accompanying wines, cooking aprons and recipes.

Finally, guests on Europa 2 can enjoy all this pure, informal luxury as there are no fixed dining times or fixed table allocations in the restaurants within the opening times. Another plus point: the meals are included in the cruise price - there are no additional costs for any venue (except the Speisezimmer).

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's luxury cruising specialists.

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