Cruising is no longer about choosing the 1st or 2nd seating in a cavernous dining room and the groaning Midnight Buffet. Think about an authentic French bistro, a Le Cordon Bleu restaurant and intimate eateries with signature menus. Shore excursions with chef-led market visits and cooking lessons in exclusive venues would be any foodie's dream. We have some great choices for you.
The ultra-luxurious ships of Crystal Cruises offer six culinary-themed cruises where "Michelin stars & Iron Chefs" are onboard for instruction. The series, called Food & Wine Experiences of Discovery, includes sessions with wine experts and engaging lectures by culinary luminaries.
Siversea, and its intimate and elegant all suite vessels, is affiliated with the celebrated Relais & Chateaux L'Ecole des Chefs and offers a cooking school on selected voyages. They are justly proud of their Slow Food affiliation and it makes their Italian restaurant truly special.
Six-star level cruise line Regent Seven Seas lays claim to a Le Cordon Bleu restaurant and the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu Class Culinaire cooking school is available on select voyages. In the intimate Latitudes, Indochine-styled dishes using French cooking techniques are served in traditional family-style.
World-famous Chef Jacques Pepin serves as Oceania line's Executive Chef and its ship the Marina boasts a state-of-the-art culinary studio affiliated with Bon Appetit and equipped with 24 individual cooking stations.
Ask us about sailing on the Marina from Barcelona to Rome with Chef Jacques Pepin May 12-22, 2012.
Take a peek at our new cruising page, then email us at foodiecruises.
We have been hard "at work" discovering Spain through its cuisine and we are eager to share it all with you. Our newest offering is a 4 day/3 night self-drive package to the wine region of Ribera del Duero and the beautiful city of Burgos. Just two hours north of Madrid, this adventure makes a perfect pre or post add-on to a stay in Spain's magnificent capital city.
Ribera del Duero is nicely off-the-tourist-track and famous for its bold red wines and the elegant Castilian city of Burgos is noted for its hearty cuisine. Hombre does not live by food & wine alone and there are monasteries, ancient abbeys and Gothic cathedrals to explore. Burgos is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the birthplace of legendary hero El Cid Campeador and an important stop in the Way of St. James Pilgrimage*.
The package includes your rental car, a very special night in the 5* Hotel Le Domaine on the grounds of a prestigious winery, and 2 nights at the Hotel NH Palacio de la Merced housed within a restored 12th century abbey. Breakfast each morning will be at your hotel and full days will include winery visits and tastings, specially arranged meals of regional dishes and time to explore Burgos and the surrounding quaint villages that possess extraordinary historical and artistic value.
An optional hands-on cooking class followed by lunch (with wine) with Restaurante 24 de la Paloma's Chef Carlos Alfaro would be a delicious addition to this experience. Click for full itinerary.
*See the newly released film The Way to whet your appetite for a trip to this region and call at 888 345 3005 to arrange your travel.
Tour de Forks is a New York based boutique travel company specializing in authentic culinary experiences. We create packages, escorted tours and bespoke travel arrangements that we call uncommon epicurean adventures.
by Connie Walsh
Neapolitan pizza is officially part of Europe's food heritage and the tour will be a unique opportunity to learn its history and how to make it. And feast on it! We'll meet in Rome and travel to the little seaside town of Sperlonga. Once the retreat of Roman emperors, it is Roberto's hometown and he is eager to share its charms. Our stay in Sperlonga will include a hands-on pizza making lesson with Roberto and excursions to the scenic Mediterranean ports of Gaeta and Formia. Think cobblestone streets, alleys begging to be explored, quaint shops and a renowned fish market.
In Naples, pizza's "birthplace" we'll dine at its most famous pizzerias and those known just to the true cognoscenti. We'll learn what ingredients and techniques are the most authentic. Enroute to Rome we'll visit a dairy farm, known for its mozzarella cheese.
Rome's highlights will include a culinary walking tour of the historic outdoor food market Campo de' Fiori led by Michele Scicolone. Also on the tour menu - regional dishes and special meals paired with local wines and informal wine tutorials and tastings with Charles Scicolone. Sweetening the adventure we'll see - and savor - the craftsmanship of gelato makers, chocolatiers and bakers.
Priced at $4,495.00 per person based on double occupancy. Departures in 2012: May 26-June 2 and September 29-October 6.
The complete itinerary (downloadable in PDF format) is available on our website.