Many of the top-tier cruise lines offer itineraries focused on gourmet cuisine and onboard cooking schools. Signing up for a course during your cruise is always a fantastic way to meet people, learn some tricks in the kitchen, and enjoy meals developed by world renown chefs.Silversea Cruises just announced an exclusive partnership with Relais & Chateaux. Together, they are introducing L'Ecole des Chefs. This is an interactive cooking school that can be booked on 11 itineraries in 2010.
Silversea executive chef David Bilsland will host the program, which combines a culinary curriculum with social events. Bilsland himself was a chef instructor at Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in London. The course he'll present was developed in partnership with Jacques Thorel, owner of L'Auberge Bretonne and a Grand Chef Relais & Chateaux.
Sign up for this program and you'll learn basic knife techniques, kitchen terminology, and secrets to sauces and baking. Cooking demonstrations—complete with wine pairings—and cooking competitions between Bilsland and the ship's culinary team round out the program. And, of course, you'll take lots of recipes home.
Some voyages also offer an escorted "Market to the Plate" tour featuring a local market excursion followed by a cooking class, and a "Culinary Outing" to a local restaurant, hotel, or other venue where guests can enjoy a unique culinary exploration.
"Thanks to our partnership with Relais & Châteaux we're able to offer the exclusive L'École des Chefs program and provide our guests with a top-notch, in-depth cooking class that is also fun and entertaining," said Rudi Scholdis, Silversea's culinary director. "Of course, in addition to this new program, we'll continue to offer our popular Culinary Arts voyages showcasing the artistry of award-winning chefs of top dining establishments from around the world, including the internationally acclaimed chefs of Relais & Châteaux."
Select L'École des Chefs voyages will also feature Silversea's celebrated wine consultant, Lyn Farmer. The James Beard Foundation Award-winning wine and food writer—a passionate advocate of experiencing different cultures by sharing wine and food—will host lectures, conduct tastings and guide guests through wine and food pairings as part of Silversea's Wine Series enrichment program.
Here's the list of the L'École des Chefs voyages for 2010. Fares listed are per person based on double occupancy for a Vista Suite and do not include port charges and handling fees that range from $150 to $575 per person for these voyages, depending on the itinerary.
AFRICA & INDIAN OCEAN
Voyage 2035: Silver Wind departs Athens November 9 on a 16-day sailing to Dubai with calls in Rhodes, Alexandria, Sharm-el-Sheikh, Aqaba, Safaga and Muscat. Silver Savings fares start at $7,318.
ALASKA & PACIFIC COAST
Voyage 3012: Silver Shadow departs Los Angeles May 13 on a 12-day sailing to Vancouver with calls in San Francisco, Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau, Skagway and Victoria. Guests will also enjoy a Wine Series program hosted by Lyn Farmer. Silver Savings fares start at $3,678.
CARIBBEAN, MEXICO & PANAMA CANAL
Voyage 3005: Silver Shadow departs Los Angeles March 5 on a 17-day sailing to Fort Lauderdale with a crossing of the Panama Canal and calls in Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Zihuatanejo, Acapulco, Puerto Quetzal, Cartagena and Santa Marta. Silver Savings fares start at $5,478.
Voyage 3011: Silver Shadow departs Fort Lauderdale April 28 on a 15-day sailing to Los Angeles with a crossing of the Panama Canal and calls in Santa Marta, Cartagena, Puntarenas, Acapulco and Cabo San Lucas. Silver Savings fares start at $4,838.
Voyage 5039: Silver Spirit departs Fort Lauderdale November 22 on a round-trip, 10-day sailing with calls in Grand Turk, Antigua, St. Bart's, St. Kitt's and Spanish Town, B.V.I. Guests will also enjoy a Wine Series program hosted by Lyn Farmer. Silver Savings fares start at $4,182.
Voyage 5042: Silver Spirit departs Fort Lauderdale December 20 on a round-trip, 14-day sailing with calls in Grand Turk, Antigua, Bequia, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Bart's, Spanish Town, B.V.I., and Key West. Guests will also enjoy a Wine Series program hosted by Lyn Farmer. Silver Savings fares start at $6,598.
FAR EAST & SOUTH PACIFIC
Voyage 4002: Silver Whisper departs Sydney January 18 on an 18-day sailing to Singapore with calls in Brisbane, Whitsunday Islands, Cairns, Thursday Island, Komodo Island, Bali, Semarang and Karimunjawa Archipelago. Silver Savings fares start at $6,118.
MEDITERRANEAN
Voyage 2033: Silver Wind departs Nice October 20 on a 10-day sailing to Istanbul with calls in Portovenere, Livorno, Sorrento, Taormina, Athens, Santorini and Kusadasi. Guests will also enjoy a Wine Series program hosted by Lyn Farmer. Silver Savings fares start at $4,678.
NORTHERN EUROPE
Voyage 1017: Silver Cloud departs London June 7 on a 10-day sailing to Stockholm with calls in Rostock, Visby, Tallinn and St. Petersburg (extended three-day, two-night stopover). Guests will also enjoy a Wine Series program hosted by Lyn Farmer. Silver Savings fares start at $5,082.
SOUTH AMERICA
Voyage 4034: Silver Whisper departs Santiago December 3 on a 16-day Chilean Fjord sailing to Buenos Aires with calls in Puerto Montt, Laguna San Rafael, Punta Arenas, Ushuaia, Puerto Madryn and Montevideo. Guests will also enjoy a Wine Series program hosted by Lyn Farmer. Silver Savings fares start at $6,998.
TRANSOCEANIC
Voyage 1011: Silver Cloud departs San Juan April 14 on a 15-day transatlantic sailing to Barcelona with calls in St. Maarten, Antigua, Tenerife, Las Palmas, Casablanca and Malaga. Silver Savings fares start at $4,398.
For more information about Relais & Chateaux L'Ecole Des Chefs, talk with your travel agent or contact Silversea.
—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com
Photo courtesy of Silversea
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