Long-time member of the Oceania Cruises family, Claudine Pépin will serve as godmother for Sirena at the ship’s christening ceremony in Barcelona on 27th April, 2016. Claudine’s father, legendary master chef Jacques Pépin, has been Oceania Cruises’ Executive Culinary Director since the line’s inception. Jacques’ involvement with the line has blossomed into a family affair, with Claudine joining him on Oceania Cruises’ annual Jacques Pépin Cruise to co-host special culinary events and cooking demonstrations.

“Claudine’s passion for food, wine, travel and deep family traditions make her the perfect choice for Sirena’s godmother,” said Jason Montague, president and chief operating officer for Oceania Cruises. “If the culinary world had a royal family, it would be the Pépin family. As we continue to expand upon our finest cuisine at sea offerings, we are excited to deepen our relationship with the Pépin family and absolutely thrilled to have Claudine serve as godmother for Sirena.”

An acclaimed cookbook author and regular co-host on Jacques’ PBS show “Heart and Soul in the Kitchen,” Claudine will officially christen Sirena by breaking a bottle of champagne against the ship’s hull during an intimate pier-side celebration in Barcelona. Following the ceremony, she will sail onSirena’s maiden voyage with her father, mother, husband and 12-year-old daughter, Shorey.

During the maiden voyage, Claudine will interact with guests at cooking demonstrations and book signing events which will take place throughout the cruise. All guests booked on the maiden voyage will receive a complimentary copy of Claudine’s cookbook, Let’s Cook French, which was published earlier this year and pays homage to French-style family home cooking.

“It’s truly an honour to be Sirena’s godmother, and to celebrate its christening and maiden voyage with my entire family,” said Claudine. “We’ll be cooking together, enjoying delicious food – and, of course, laughing as much as possible. It will be a pleasure to share this special experience with all guests aboard Sirena.”

Many culinary fans have watched Claudine and her father prepare classic French dishes on the James Beard award-winning series “Jacques Pépin’s Kitchen: Cooking With Claudine,” “Jacques Pépin’s Kitchen: Encore with Claudine,” and “Jacques Pépin Celebrates.”

Earlier in her career, Claudine served as brand ambassador for Moët & Chandon and Dom Pérignon Champagne in New York while teaching food and wine pairing at the French Culinary Institute (now the International Culinary Centre) and the Sommelier Society in New York. In 2002, Claudine was named Woman of the Year by the Académie Culinaire de France – Filiale des Etats-Unis.