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.

Have you subscribed to World of Cruising magazine yet? We have a fabulous offer for all new subscribers this year - 50 per cent OFF the regular rate AND the chance to win a cruise in our free prize draw offer. See this link!

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Take A Hike With Voyages of Discovery

Voyages of Discovery, which is renowned for its themed cruises, is offering a unique 'Footloose' programme of guided hikes on its 9-day Celtic Treasures cruise next May. The details are as follows:

Itinerary: Cruise from £1,099 per person, departing from Portsmouth on May 25 and calling at Foynes, Killybegs, Portrush, Dublin, Cobh and St Peter Port (Guernsey)  before returning to Portsmouth.

Description: The discovery cruise line offers guided ‘Footloose programmes’ where passengers can experience off-the-beaten-track routes in a number of inspiring and rarely visited locations – which only small ships such as Voyager can access. Keen walkers can join the ship’s experienced ‘Footloose’ guides to discover some of Ireland’s most picturesque landscapes including Glenveagh National Park, the rugged Causeway Coastline and Antrim’s Glens. The final port of call, St Peter’s Port, will also give passengers the opportunity to explore its cobbled streets, mammoth cliffs and hidden coves.

Or how about a two-week Themed Music Cruise on sister ship Discovery?

A Baltic Symphony: 14-day cruise departing May 22, from £1,699 per person:

Itinerary: Departs from Harwich and calls at Copenhagen, Turku, Tallinn, St Petersburg (overnight), Gdynia and Warnemunde

Description: Copenhagen – a delightful overture on this voyage featuring a score of fascinating Baltic cities. Enjoy the relaxed tempo of Turku before medieval Tallinn – Estonia’s legacy of the Hanseatic League. The intriguing composition of Poland’s ‘tri-cities’ is a delightful prelude to Warnemünde – a Baltic gateway to Berlin. Taking centre stage on this classical cruise, St Petersburg is irresistible to lovers of the arts, history and architecture

What’s included: Price includes transfers (where applicable), all on board gratuities, service charges and port taxes, a comprehensive Guest Speaker programme and all meals and entertainment on board. In addition, Voyages of Discovery has also introduced a new complimentary chauffeur service to the airport or port of departure for every guest choosing a higher grade cabin on Summer 2013 bookings.

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

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Dolphins, Whales and Basking Sharks

Here's another great early-booking offer, with a great saving on a Noble Caledonia voyage to the Isles of Scilly, Ireland and the Channel Islands.

Wildlife fans in particular will want to make note of this out-of-the-ordinary expedition cruise, which explores our coastal waters to observe the marvellous seabird and marine life around some untouched coastal wilderness areas, with a flexible schedule that allows the captain and expedition team to take advantage of the unexpected, whether it be a sighting of dolphins or any unusual event.

In just eight days, passengers will get the chance to stroll along the leafy lanes of beautiful Tresco in the Isles of Scilly; visit the neighbouring islands of Bryher and St Agnes; land on uninhabited Great Saltee Island with its huge colony of gannets; and explore the bird colonies of little known Les Sept Iles by Zodiac.

On Lundy Island, guests will enjoy the antics of the puffins and, later in the day, sail around Grassholm, one of the world’s largest gannetries. No coastal cruise in this region would be complete without a visit to the Channel Islands, and this island adventure continues with calls at two of the most attractive, Alderney and Sark.

Exploration of these protected coastal waters will be made all the more enjoyable by the use of Zodiac landing craft, similar to those used by Jacques Cousteau. Zodiacs enable passengers to land in remote places, providing for an unusual perspective and make the otherwise inaccessible readily available. The expedition staff have a wealth of local knowledge, having undertaken numerous expeditions around Britain and Ireland. The experienced team lead the way and also provide evening round-ups of the day’s events and briefings on board.

This 8-day expedition cruise to the Isles of Scilly, Ireland and the Channel Isles is on board the charming little MS Island Sky, sailing from May 18-25, 2012, and costing from £2,195pp. And here's the special offer: book by October 28 and save £100 per person.

For more information, visit www.noble-caledonia.co.uk or the UK's adventure cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

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