Gourmet cuisine has always been a big part of the cruise vacation experience. On many ships, flaming Baked Alaska has been paraded around the dining room on formal nights. Signature menu creations like Carnival's Warm Chocolate Melting Cake or Princess Cruises Fettuccini Alfredo keep guests coming back for more. In recent years, a focus on sharing what were once closely-guarded secrets has become quite popular. Cooking classes, events, demonstrations and even food and wine-themed sailings are becoming popular on most lines.
Learn to cook- Royal Caribbean International has partnered with Chefmakers Cooking Academy to offer unique cooking programs to guests.
Available now on Liberty of the Seas and beginning soon on Freedom of the Seas sailing from Port Canaveral, guests will have an opportunity to enhance their cooking skills while sailing. For an additional cost, guests can learn everything from pumpkin carving to what it takes to host an elaborate dinner party.
Chefmakers at Sea's hands-on classes range from $40 to $125 and are suitable for beginners and the experienced home cook alike. With several essential programs like Knife Skills, Quick & Easy Fish, and All About Chicken, to highly social and interactive cooking parties like Asian Persuasion, New American Cuisine, and Surf & Turf, there is a wide variety to choose from. Successfully piloted aboard Mariner of the Seas, the three-hour programs are open to guests 18 and over,
"At Chefmakers, we teach Royal Caribbean guests the tricks of the trade, in turn providing a feeling of mastery and confidence that will last long after their cruise," said Richard H. Klein, founder and CEO of Chefmakers Cooking Academy, LLC.
Other classes include: Small Bites; Quick & Easy Pasta; Tamales; Lazy Day Brunch; California Cuisine; and Cooking Around the World. In addition, Chefmakers at Sea offers a series of festive holiday classes, such as: Pumpkin Carving; Gingerbread House Decorating; Ultimate Thanksgiving; and Entertaining for New Years.
Participants will receive their very own Chefmakers apron and recipe cards for all menu items prepared, as well as complimentary wine based on class selection. Guests will also have the opportunity to purchase the high quality kitchenware and utensils that they learn to use in the classes.
Children from 4 to 11 years old can get involved too with a one-hour "Kids with Kids Baking" class. The future chefs learn to prepare homemade sweet treats, like mini-puff pastry turnovers, learning lessons in chemistry and kitchen hygiene along the way.
Guests can register and learn about the specific classes being offered online using the Chefmakers pre-board reservation system. Private Chefmakers at Sea programs also will soon be available for various corporate groups that offer a unique team building experience as well as for families looking for another way to enjoy their cruise vacation.
The Chef's Table-Carnival Cruise lines along with sister-line Princess Cruises gets into the act too.In an effort to expand extraordinary on board programs, Carnival and Princess added a new dining option, Chef's Table, which lets guests tour the galley and dine with a working Chef from the ship.
The culinary experience includes a multi-course dinner hosted by one of the line's master chefs along with a private cocktail reception and a tour of the galley. With The Chef's Table, a group of 12 guests have cocktails and hors d'ouevres with the ship's Chef de Cuisine. The Chef then takes the group on a tour to see the galley in operation. The evening concludes with a full-service dinner with appetizers, entrees and desserts. Depending on the vessel, the meal takes place in non-traditional dining venues throughout the ship, such as the galley, library, conference center, etc.
The Chef's Table is available on the Carnival Dream, Ecstasy, Liberty, Sensation, Imagination, Inspiration, Pride and Carnival Fascination and all Princess Cruises ships. The program can be booked on board through the ships' guest information desk. The cost is $75 per person and includes cocktails & wine with dinner.
Food and Wine-themed sailings-Continuing to focus on the guest experience at sea, Celebrity Cruises is adding to their Celebrity Life program with themed sailings called "Savor Your Destination". The new addition centers around an invited guest chef on select sailings.
"Our guests are always looking for new ways to celebrate their love of great cuisine, which is why an outstanding culinary experience is one of the key aspects of a Celebrity Cruises vacation," said Jacques Van Staden, Celebrity's Vice President, Culinary Operations.
An expansion of "Savor", the popular culinary-and-wine/spirits-focused pillar of Celebrity Life, Savor Your Destination will include a line-up of special interest cruises aimed at celebrating Celebrity's onboard culinary experience by inviting guest chefs and other food and wine experts to enhance select sailings
Program highlights include
* A meet-and-greet style cocktail hour with the invited guest chef
* A cooking demonstration in the ships theater
* Book signing for chefs with published cook books
* A "Star Chefs" competition where guests team up with high-ranking Celebrity chefs for a cook-off judged by selected guests
* Cooking classes for guests in the ships main galley
* A food-and-wine-pairing by the guest chef in the ships specialty restaurant
Savor Your Destination kicked off with Chef Benjamin Christie sailing on Celebrity Eclipse on an 11-night Canary Islands cruise. Christie is an acclaimed television host, author, online food personality, and unofficial culinary ambassador based in Sydney, Australia. Future guest chef's include UK-based chef Adam Byatt, Food Network's Daisy Martinez, Zach Bell from Palm Beach's Cafe Boulud, Carmen Gonzalez formerly of Miami's Carmen the Restaurant and US chef John Currence.
In the future, Celebrity will announce additional Savor Your Destination events designed to give cruisers the opportunity to expand their culinary horizons while at sea. "The Savor Your Destination cruises are another experience in our robust onboard culinary enrichment program," Van Staden said. "Our guests love great cuisine, a passion that expands to other gastronomic experiences such as winemaking. As we continue to develop the Celebrity Life Savor Your Destination cruise lineup, we will welcome not only chefs, but also winemakers and food artisans, to share their expertise with our guests."
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