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| Tips on Choosing the Gourmet Cruise | 5. Wish to attend a food and wine festival at sea? Crystal Cruises offers an annual wine and food festival on more than a dozen voyages, destinations include Hawaii, Alaska/Canada, the British Isles, the Mediterranean, New England, the Mexican Riviera, the Baltic, Asia, the South Pacific, and Australia.
On a wine and food cruise the lines complement their usual fare with cooking demos, a guest chef's dinner, wine tastings and even shore excursions. Cruisers can enjoy cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, and visits to cities that enjoy rich culinary traditions.
6. Want to talk with celebrity chefs? Seabourn features celebrity chefs and winemakers on a number of cruises year-round and present cooking demonstrations and "Shopping with the Chef" excursions to local markets.
7. Saving money. Consider building your own culinary cruise, as wine and culinary cruises can be pricey. Find itineraries on a contemporary or premium line such as Norwegian or Princess that sails to a favorite cuisine destination, like France or Italy. And if the itinerary fits, your agent may assist finding food-lover shore excursions, like olive oil tasting in Etruscan Italy.
8. Want an unforgettable experience? Consider the culinary cruises of the ultra-luxury cruise lines Radisson, Crystal, and Silversea. The last, for example, offers 11 culinary cruises and five wine series voyages per year. Culinary cruises showcase the guest chefs, a distinguished association of boutique hotels and restaurants. Silversea feature wine series with top experts, vineyard owners and winemakers that will be on board to provide lectures, conduct tastings and guide guests on excursions to celebrated wineries and vineyards.
9. Wish to see a particular wine-growing region such as Napa/Sonoma, France, or New Zealand? The rivers of California's Napa region are navigated byCruise West, Clipper Cruise Line and American Safari Cruises; Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, Seabourn, Crystal Cruises and Silversea provide voyages that visit France's wine-growing regions. Recently Holland America Line announced that it will begin offering cruises to Australia and New Zealand, with visits to New Zealand’s famous wine region.
In the Mediterranean Crystal Cruises offers several wine and food shore excursions. For example, during Crystal Serenity's 12-day voyage from London to Rome, guests can visit the Estate Vineyard of Quinta da Aveleda in northern Portugal, a region famous for its production of Vinho Verde wine. And aboard Crystal Symphony's 7-day voyage from Venice to Athens, guests can venture to Sigalas Winery, one of the oldest wine-producing vineyards in Santorini, Greece, as well as visit a private wine tasting and an insider’s lecture on the wine-making skills practiced there.
10. Wish to see your waistline grow smaller? It can be difficult to stay slim at sea amid an ocean of lip-smacking choices. Though, some cruise lines help to ease temptation. For example, Silversea offers a "Cruiselite" menu with goodies such as pepper-seared saku tuna loin on vegetable tacos. And in case you've joined the low-carbohydrate craze, Crystal Cruises can accommodate with items such as porcini-dusted filet mignon with grilled asparagus.
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