Food And Wine Cruise To Feature 90 Events
Now open to book, the next Seabourn Food And Wine Cruise brings Seabourn Guests along with a team of culinary experts on a connoisseur’s cruise through Asia. It’s been the top food and wine at sea event for the last two years and the 2016 version looks equally engaging, for a number of reasons.
Based in the Mediterranean for the first and second editions, the 2016 Seabourn Food and Wine Cruise sails in Asia on a 14-day sailing from Hong Kong to Singapore. That presents some interesting opportunities along with unique challenges in a totally different part of the world. I know from experience that the Seabourn culinary team is up to the task. Still, that team will then include influential chef Thomas Keller, charged to create new menu items and a signature restaurant for the Seabourn fleet. The Keller element could have as big of an impact on the 2016 sailing as the addition of SAVEUR Editor-in-Chief Adam Sachs had on the 2015 version: huge.
“There’s an inherent alignment of our philosophies, which makes our collaboration with Seabourn an exciting new opportunity for our restaurant group. We look forward to sharing our best practices and repertoire with Seabourn’s outstanding culinary team,” – Thomas Keller, Chef/Proprietor Thomas Keller Restaurant Group.
Not throwing out what is already dazzling cuisine, Keller will bring his award-winning French and American cuisine to Seabourn, adding new flavors and flair to complement our already celebrated cuisine. Already associated with Michelin-starred restaurants – The French Laundry, Per Se, and Bouchon, Keller will begin by developing an array of dishes, ranging from appetizers to entrees to desserts for multiple dining venues aboard Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Sojourn, and Seabourn Quest. Based on my experiences with Seabourn, it is inevitable that the Keller factor will set the Seabourn Sense wheels in motion, bringing unanticipated culinary wonder along with it. No, really, that’s not a joke or exaggeration in any possible way.
Example of Seabourn Sense in motion: At the last Seabourn Food And Wine Cruise, an onstage Conversation with Adam Sachs event put the award winning journalist head to head with highly skilled chefs who came with impressive credentials. A sommelier filled with youthful passion we hope he never loses rounded out a discussion that put much of what Seabourn Guests had experienced on the nicely-planned itinerary into contemporary perspective. That was understatedly good as it would have been really easy to go off into history overload land on this itinerary. The selection of Sachs and his influence on the culinary team sent the event flying off into uncharted territory, a huge bonus for we who watch, appreciate, enjoy and report such happenings.
We’ll be watching this closely in anticipation of something great happening, it’s something that is always fun to be around and had Seabourn Guests booking the 2016 Taste Of Asia Food And Wine Cruise while still on board the 2015 version. They are just that good.
Need more reason to consider this premiere at-sea culinary event? I have a bunch of them for you
Featured highlights of the Seabourn Food And Wine Cruise
- Cooking demonstration and unique menu items by our celebrity chefs
- Extended Shopping with the Chefs outings ashore
- Daily tastings of local food with wine pairings on board
- Special themed meals and craft cocktails featuring local ingredients
- Festive deck events and gala luncheons with local entertainment
- Wine Appreciation Lectures and Tastings by our Guest Sommelier
- Regional tea time rituals
- Europe versus Asia Cooking Challenge
- Special local folkloric performances will spice up epicurean deck events
- Local chefs will feature authentic dining experiences in the Colonnade throughout
the cruise - A Conversation with the Culinary Team to learn more about the culinary traditions
of the region
90 Scheduled Food And Wine Events
The first Seabourn Food And Wine Cruise racked up 44 individual events on a 10 day sailing. This year’s got more intense with 47 individual events in just 7 days. Bigger and better than ever, the lineup of events for the 2016 Seabourn Food And Wine Cruise numbers 90 right now. If this one goes as the last ones, that number will no doubt swell to over 100 by the time it is all said and done. Let’s take a brief look at what Seabourn has in store for those who come along for what is sure to be the at-sea culinary event of the year, yet again:
- Asian Epicurean Welcome Party with local lion dance show
- Colonnade: Chinese Market Dinner featuring local Peking duck
- Sail away with Live Entertainment and Chinese Desserts
- Wine Themed Movie: Red Obsession
- Cooking Demonstration with our Celebrity Chef
- Dim Sum Bar
- Mixology Demonstration
- Local Chef Lunch
- Culinary Team Trivia
- Galley Tour
- Wine Tasting Seminar with our Guest Sommelier
- Chinese Tea Ritual
- Captain’s Welcome Reception
- A Taste of Seabourn Chef’s Dinner
- Shopping with the Chefs In Hanoi
- Wine Lecture with our Guest Sommelier
- Vietnamese Deck Event with Local Entertainment
- Vietnamese Hot Pot Market Dinner
- Street Food Dinner at the Patio Grill
- Mixology Demonstration: Creating Fresh, Local Cocktails
- Live Noodle Making Demonstration
- Noodle Themed Lunch
- Spring Roll Bar at the Patio Grill
- Mixology Class: The Use of Herbs in Cocktails
- Galley Tour
- Cooking with Chilies Demonstration
- Wine Tasting Seminar with our Guest Sommelier
- Vietnamese Tea Time
- Seabourn’s Signature Block Party
- Celebrity Chef Dinner
- Shopping with the Chefs in Da Nang
- Wine Lecture with our Guest Sommelier
- Local Market Lunch
- Officers on Deck Event featuring Asian Flavors
- Dessert Under the Stars
- Rock the Boat Dance Party
- Nightcap Cocktails with our Mixologist
- Vietnamese Cooking Demonstration
- Sushi Making Demonstration
- Pho Bar at the Patio Grill
- Galley Tour
- Wine Tasting Seminar
- Food Bazaar Dinner
- Liquor Tasting with our Mixologist
- Shopping with the Chefs In Ho Chi Minh City
- Local Market Lunch
- Shopping with the Chefs In Ho Chi Minh City (because we overnight there)
- Vietnamese Market Lunch
- Epicurean Sail-Away Event
- Wine Lecture with our Guest Sommelier
- Mixology Demonstration: Balancing Acidity in Cocktails
- Cooking Demonstration with our Celebrity Chef
- Local Ingredient Food Exposition on Deck
- Wok and Stir Fry Lunch
- Sate Lunch at the Patio Grill
- Asia vs. Europe Cooking Challenge
- Wine Lecture with our Guest Sommelier
- Galley Tour
- The Durian Fruit Challenge
- Cocktail Tasting with our Mixologist
- Wellness Day with Healthy Themed Events
- Cambodian Themed Market Lunch
- The Fine Art School of Phnom Penh Local show
- Mixology Class: Creating Cocktails with Local Ingredients
- Seabourn’s Signature Beach Barbecue
- Caviar in the Surf
- Coconut Drink Bar
- Local Beer Tasting
- Shopping with the Chefs In Bangkok
- Local lunch featuring Tom Yum
- Patio Grill: Curry Bar
- Local Show followed by Thai Themed Sail-Away
- Thai Dinner
- Creating Thai Cocktails with our Mixologist
- Thai Curry Demonstartion
- Fruit and Vegetable Carving Demonstartion
- Thai Lunch
- Phad Thai Bar at the Patio Grill
- Galley Tour
- Mixology Demonstration
- Wine Lecture by our Guest Sommelier
- Captain’s Farewell Party and Crew Farewell
- Celebrity Chef Dinner
- Cooking Demonstration
- Seabourn’s Signature Galley Market Lunch
- Culinary Team Trivia — Final Round
- A Conversation with the Culinary Team
- Mixology Demonstration
- The Best of Seabourn Dinner
- Culinary Movie: Eat, Pray, Love
Stay tuned for updates and details of all these events as they are released. Better yet, come along!