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Celebrity Cruises introduces series of food and wine themed cruises

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 22 December 2011 22 December 2011

Celebrity Cruises’ new food-and-wine-themed cruises will offer guests a unique, behind-the-scenes experience and a rare opportunity to get to know the Celebrity Cruises culinary team through intimate demonstrations, tastings and dinners. Developed and hosted by the talent behind the cruise line’s award-winning culinary programme, Celebrity Cruises’ “Excite the Senses Culinary Theme Cruises” will start on 24 March 2012, with a seven-night sailing headlined by Celebrity’ Cruises’ master chef and vice president of culinary operations, Jacques Van Staden.

Van Staden said: “The culinary-themed activities at the heart of Celebrity Cruises’ Excite the Senses cruises aredesigned to appeal to everyone from the novice to the sophisticated oenophile – just like the book itself – and shine a spotlight on all the elements of Celebrity Cruises’ culinary experience, from outstanding service to innovative menus to cutting-edge trends and more.”

The 24 March cruise, which will take place onboard Celebrity Eclipse, will also the other members of Celebrity Cruises’culinary team who will later host their own cruises. The cruise will offer guests a variety of special culinary-themed activities including:

· An exclusive cocktail and Qsine pairing dinner hosted by Van Staden and “The Liquid Chef” and Master Mixologist Junior Merino

· A “Corporate Star Chefs” cooking demonstration and question-and-answer session with Celebrity Cruises’food and beverage team

· Mixology demonstrations

· Hands-on cooking classes with chefs in the galley

Activities during the Excite the Senses Culinary Theme Cruises will include:

· Exclusive dinners in Celebrity Cruises’ speciality restaurants

· Cooking demonstrations focused on the importance of using locally sourced ingredients

· Wine tastings

· Sessions on how to host elegant afternoon teas and unique cocktail parties as well ways to enliven holiday traditions with modern twists and tips for creative table settings, and more

Celebrity Cruises’ 2012 Excite the Senses Culinary Theme Cruises’ dates and hosts are:

· March 24 – 7-night Caribbean cruise onboard Celebrity Eclipse, from Miami (Florida), hosted by Van Staden and team; activities will focus on food, wine, mixology, and entertaining at home.

· April 10 – 12-night Caribbean cruise onboard the brand-new Celebrity Silhouette, roundtrip from Cape Liberty (Bayonne, New Jersey), hosted by Celebrity Cruises’ traveling pastry chef Thierry Houlbert; activities will focus on baking, pastries and sweets.

· May 5 – 8-night wine cruise onboard Celebrity Century from San Diego (California) to Vancouver (British Columbia), hosted by Celebrity Cruises’ senior travelling executive chef W. Thomas Szymanski; activities will build on the popular cruises with an even greater focus on food.

· May 27 – 7-night Bermuda cruise onboard Celebrity Summit – which will have emerged from an extensive drydock revamp several months prior – sailing from Cape Liberty and hosted by Celebrity Cruises’ travelling executive chef Steve van der Merwe; activities will be themed around culinary exploration and Bermuda culinary traditions.

· June 29 – 7-night Alaska cruise onboard Celebrity Infinity, which has just been revamped, from Seattle and hosted by Celebrity Cruises’ director of culinary operations John Suley and his wife and Celebrity Cruises’ wine expert Chanelle Duarte, who serves as Celebrity Cruises’ beverage development consultant. Activities will focus on local ingredients, food and wine pairing and more.

· July 10 – 12-night Mediterranean cruise onboard Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Cruises’ flagship vessel, sailing from Barcelona (Spain) and hosted by corporate executive chef Rufino Rengifo. Activities will celebrate Mediterranean cooking.

· August 12 – 12-night Baltic cruise onboard Celebrity Constellation, the first of Celebrity Cruises’ Millennium Class ships to be overhauled, sailing from Amsterdam and hosted by Lorenzo Davidoiu, Celebrity Cruises’ restaurant operations manager, who will focus on easy, modern entertaining tips.

· September 14 – 8-night wine cruise onboard Celebrity Millennium, which will be revamped in May 2012, sailing from Vancouver to San Diego and hosted by Celebrity Cruises’ travelling restaurant manager and former star maitre d’ Dominique Gamba, who will focus on speciality cheeses from around the world, the art of tea service, table settings and entertaining tips.

About the hosts

· Jacques Van Staden originally from South Africa, he began his culinary career at the age of 14. He held positions at several Washington, D.C. and Las Vegas restaurants before joining Celebrity Cruises, where he has evolved the guest experience to a series of world class restaurant, bar and lounge experiences blending global influences, classic culinary fundamentals and contemporary trends with a keen eye for detail and artistic flair.

· Top up-and-coming chef John Suley joined Celebrity Cruises in 2011 as director of culinary operations. Previously, Suley worked at several highly regarded restaurants in New York, Miami and Las Vegas, alongside some of the world’s most well-known chefs.

· Renowned mixologist Junior Merino began his career at age 16. He went on to form “The Liquid Chef Inc.” with the mission of showcasing the artistry and mixing of ingredients and liquors. His “Molecular Bar” concept on Celebrity Cruises’ Solstice Class ships is one of the most unique beverage experiences at sea.

· Rufino Rengifo has worked in restaurants in New York, Miami, Boca Raton, Caracas and Milan. Rengifo also represented Latin Fusion Gastronomy at The World Food Festival in Europe and opened several restaurants before becoming the executive chef for Celebrity Cruises.

· Steve Van der Merwe started his career in a small pizzeria in South Africa, which eventually led to him working in all levels of culinary positions, to where he reached Master Chef as recognised by Chaine des Rotisseurs. Steve joined Celebrity Cruises in 2008.

· W. Thomas Szymanski born in Poland, Szymanski grew up in Germany, joined Celebrity Cruises in 1997, and eventually became the chef responsible for travelling to ships around the world to train kitchen staff on the creation of Celebrity Cruises’ award-winning cuisine.

· Thierry Houlbert discovered a passion for baking on his grandmother’s farm. After a dozen years spent baking in Paris, St. Tropez and Monaco, Houlbert joined Celebrity Cruises in 1994, and today is responsible for the fleet’s pastry and bakery departments.

· Having previously worked with several luxury dining venues, certified sommelier Chanelle Duarte has successfully assisted in developing and implementing unique onboard beverage concepts, including the Blu wine menu and the Michael’s Club beer experience that debuted on Celebrity Silhouette earlier this year.

· Originally from Romania, Lorenzo Davidoiu began his career with Celebrity Cruises as an assistant waiter. 15 years at sea led him to his current role as manager of restaurant operations. He supervises the execution of Celebrity Cruises’ dining experience, including crew training efforts and the design and development of restaurant concepts.

· Dominique Gamba attended culinary school in Provence (France) before working on a Seine river boat which offered gourmet dining. He took his career to land for an experience in a Michelin-star restaurant in Paris before joining Celebrity Cruises.

MSC Cruises launches Keep It Simple Med cruise promotion on UK market

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 21 December 2011 21 December 2011

MSC Cruises is standardising prices for all of its summer 2012 Mediterranean cruises, irrespective of the ship or the itinerary, the company said in a statement.

“Welcome to the KIS promotion! KIS – Keep It Simple – does just what it says on the tin. No gimmicks, no confusing red tape and no spending hours comparing prices and routes,” MSC Cruises said.

Booking periods are divided into three seasons: low (April, May, October and November), medium (June and September) and high (July and August). Prices for any 7/8 night 2012 summer Mediterranean cruise departing during low season start from £549 per person including flights (£699 for 11 nights). All Medium season prices start from £699 per person including flights (£849 for 11 nights) and All high season prices start from just £849 per person including flights (£999 for 11 nights).

These prices translate into quite incredible savings for MSC customers, ranging from as much as £410 per person in low season through to a staggering £840 in high season. Passengers can choose a cabin upgrade, and again there will be just one price across all MSC’s ships sailing the Mediterranean in summer 2012, over the three booking periods.

Cruise only prices are available on the same basis, with prices reduced by £200 per person. MSC Opera itineraries from Southampton and Northern Europe sailings from Kiel and Hamburg are excluded from this offer. The KIS promotion is valid on new bookings made from 27th December 2011 to 29th February 2012.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines to offer three antiques themed cruises in 2012

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 21 December 2011 21 December 2011

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines – awarded ‘Best Educational Cruise’ by readers of Cruise International magazine in 2011 – is offering three cruises in 2012 with ‘Antiques’ as the special topic, through its acclaimed onboard enrichment programme,Vistas. On each cruise, there will be celebrated experts from the world of antiques, sharing their knowledge and passion with like-minded guests. Each of these experts appears as an appraiser on the BBC’s celebrated and long-running ‘Antiques Roadshow,’the company said in a statement.

Antiques-collecting is one of the UK’s most popular pastimes; the popularity of antiques fairs and auctions continues unabated, with TV shows like 'Antiques Roadshow', ‘Cash in the Attic’ and ‘Flog It!‘ going from strength to strength. So, what better way to indulge an interest in antiques than taking a cruise to some of Europe's most interesting cities, brimming with a wealth of art and antique collections, in the company of the most knowledgeable experts in the field?

The Fred. Olsen experts are:-

Lars Tharp

The Danish-born historian, lecturer and broadcaster is one of the longest-standing experts on the ‘Antiques Roadshow’. Lars originally trained as an archaeologist, and was a Director of Sotheby’s, where he specialised in European ceramics, Chinese ceramics and Oriental works of art. In 2008, Lars was appointed the Director of the Foundling Museum in London, and Visiting Professor at De Montfort University, Leicester.

Will Farmer

Will specialises in 20^th Century decorative arts, covering ceramics, glass and furniture. He studied at the Birmingham School of Jewellery, undertaking a combined BA Honour degree in Silversmithing and Fine Art History. Will has featured as an expert on the ‘20^th Century Roadshow’, and is now in his fourth season as an expert with the ‘Antiques Roadshow’.

Marc Allum

Marc has been a miscellaneous specialist on the ‘Antiques Roadshow’ for 12 years. His interest in antiques began as a child, buying and collecting from an early age, and later becoming an auctioneer and Director of a London auction house; a career he pursued for 16 years. Marc has worked on many other television programmes, including ‘20th Century Roadshow’, ‘Going for a Song’, Bargain Hunt’, ‘Cash in the Attic’ and ‘Moving Day’, in addition to appearing on Discovery Television, Channel Four News and various radio shows.

Clive Stewart-Lockhart

Clive joined Sotheby’s after leaving Marlborough College in 1973. Although his career at Sotheby’s was interrupted by periods at Bluett & Sons and Bonhams, he worked in the auction house’s Valuation Department for five years. Clive then joined the auctioneers Dreweatt Neate in 1982, and now heads their Fine Art Department. His specialties are pictures, works of art, and Oriental ceramics. On the ‘Antiques Roadshow’, his areas of expertise are books, miscellaneous, pictures and paintings.

Paul Viney

Paul is Chairman of Woolley & Wallis, the Salisbury-based fine art auctioneers. He began his career at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. He then worked for the National Trust at Waddesdon Manor, the former Rothschild house near Aylesbury, before joining Phillips Auctioneers, where he was Vice President in New York for three years and European Director from 1986 until 1992. He is well known to Radio 2 listeners for his annual Children in Need auctions with Terry Wogan, Jimmy Young, Ken Bruce and others. He has lectured extensively.

You can join these fascinating experts free of charge on the following Fred. Olsen cruises in 2012:

Black Watch, W1207, 13-night cruise to ‘The Baltic with Norway’

Departing from Dover on 24^th June 2012, this cruise calls at Kiel (Germany), Tallinn (Estonia), St. Petersburg (Russia), for an overnight stay; Helsinki (Finland), Turku (Finland), Copenhagen (Denmark) and Kristiansand (Norway), before returning to Dover.

Prices start from £1,699 per person, based on two adults sharing an inside, twin cabin’ Grade ‘E’. The price includes all meals and entertainment on board, and port taxes. The Vistas theme on this cruise is hosted by Lars Tharp and Clive Stewart-Lockhart.

Boudicca D1221, 12-night cruise to ‘Stockholm & St. Petersburg

Departing from Newcastle (Port of Tyne) on 14^th September 2012, this cruise calls first at Stockholm (Sweden), where the ship is at anchor, then Tallinn (Estonia), St. Petersburg (Russia) for an overnight stay; Rønne (Bornholm, Denmark), and Kalundborg (Denmark), before returning to Newcastle.

Prices for this cruise start from £1,559 per person, based on two adults sharing an inside, twin cabin, Grade ‘E’. The antiques experts on this cruise are Marc Allum and Will Farmer.

Braemar M1223, 14-night cruise to ‘St. Petersburg, Helsinki & Stockholm’

Departing from Dover on 22^nd September 2012, this cruise calls at Warnemünde (Germany) for tours to Berlin; Stockholm (Sweden), where the ship us at anchor; Helsinki (Finland), St. Petersburg (Russia), for an overnight stay; Rǿnne (Bornholm, Denmark), Copenhagen (Denmark) and Oslo (Norway), and returns to Dover.

Prices for this cruise start from £1,519 per person, based on two adults sharing an inside, twin cabin, Grade ‘I’. Hosting theVistas ‘Antiques’ theme on this cruise are Lars Tharp and Paul Viney.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines' passengers raise funds for fourth lifeboat

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 21 December 2011 21 December 2011

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is welcoming the launch of its latest guest-funded Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat, which has just been unveiled at the Kyle of Lochalsh, in the Highlands of Scotland, the company said in a statement.

"The new lifeboat has been made possible by the generosity of Fred. Olsen guests on board its four cruise ships. In 2009, guests’ donations on board amounted to an amazing £91,000, which enabled Fred. Olsen to reach its target and fund the new £180,000 Atlantic 85 class boat – the fourth to be purchased by Fred. Olsen guests," the company said.

"The name that has been chosen for the new Kyle of Lochalsh inshore lifeboat – nominated by Karen Potter, a recent guest on board Fred. Olsen’s Black Watch cruise ship – is Spirit of Fred. Olsen. Karen said of her choice: “A lot of lifeboats start with the name Spirit, and Fred. Olsen supports the RNLI.” In an online Facebook poll, this name attracted the most votes amongst Fred. Olsen guests.

Over the years, the generous donations of Fred. Olsen’s guests’ on board its ships have funded:

four inshore lifeboats – the previous lifeboat, B-774 Braemar, went on service in 2001
three mobile training units
three seminar rooms at The Lifeboat College in Poole, Dorset
the development and funding of three DODO (drive-on, drive-off) lifeboat launching trolleys at Mudeford, Cullercoats and Criccieth
RNLI crew member training programme throughout 2011

In May 2010, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines was presented with a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ by Royal Patron H.R.H. Prince Michael of Kent in recognition of its ongoing commitment, at the RNLI’s annual awards ceremony at the Barbican Centre, London.

Stars of BBC TV dance show Strictly Come Dancing goes to sea with P&O Cruises

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 21 December 2011 21 December 2011

Strictly Come Dancing, a popular dance show on BBC television in the UK will go to sea next summer on two P&O Cruises holidays, the Southampton based cruise shipping company says.

"P&O Cruises will have top names from the highly-rated BBC programme on two Oriana cruises – a 12 night Canary Islands cruise on May 28 and a 14 night Fjords cruise on July 14. Passengers can learn how to jive, foxtrot, rumba, quickstep and more from the professionals and join acerbic judge Craig Revel-Horwood for a night in the theatre," the company said in a statement.

As some of Strictly Come Dancing’s most loved professionals show off their award-winning routines, passengers will also be able to see a collection of the exquisitely intricate costumes worn by the celebrities and stars this series.

P&O Cruises managing director, Carol Marlow said: “We are so excited to bring the magic of the Strictly ballroom to Oriana this summer. Our passengers will be able to learn with the professional dancers, watch extraordinary show dances and hear some of the secrets of this global phenomenon.”

Richard Halliwell, Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing With The Stars’ commercial brand director, said: “The Strictly brand is very well suited to an ocean cruise given the heady mixture of elegance, romance, high-class entertainment and exhilarating destinations. We’re very excited about this new adventure with P&O Cruises and I believe Craig Revel-Horwood has already packed his bags!”

Prices for Oriana’s X206 12 night Canary Islands cruise departing May 28 start at £1,349 per person. Departing from and returning to Southampton, ports of call are Ponta Delgada, Horta, Madeira, Gran Canaria, Lisbon and Vigo.

Prices for Oriana’s X212 14 night Fjords cruise departing July 14 start at £1,599 per person. Departing from and returning to Southampton, ports of call are Stavanger, Alesund, Trondheim, cruise in Trondheimsfjord, Ny Alesund, Tromso, Bergen, Eidfjord and cruise in Hardangerfjord.