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.

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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

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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

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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:

  1. Asian Epicurean Welcome Party with local lion dance show
  2. Colonnade: Chinese Market Dinner featuring local Peking duck
  3. Sail away with Live Entertainment and Chinese Desserts
  4. Wine Themed Movie: Red Obsession
  5. Cooking Demonstration with our Celebrity Chef
  6. Dim Sum Bar
  7. Mixology Demonstration
  8. Local Chef Lunch
  9. Culinary Team Trivia
  10. Galley Tour
  11. Wine Tasting Seminar with our Guest Sommelier
  12. Chinese Tea Ritual
  13. Captain’s Welcome Reception
  14. A Taste of Seabourn Chef’s Dinner
  15. Shopping with the Chefs In Hanoi
  16. Wine Lecture with our Guest Sommelier
  17. Vietnamese Deck Event with Local Entertainment
  18. Vietnamese Hot Pot Market Dinner
  19. Street Food Dinner at the Patio Grill
  20. Mixology Demonstration: Creating Fresh, Local Cocktails
  21. Live Noodle Making Demonstration
  22. Noodle Themed Lunch
  23. Spring Roll Bar at the Patio Grill
  24. Mixology Class: The Use of Herbs in Cocktails
  25. Galley Tour
  26. Cooking with Chilies Demonstration
  27. Wine Tasting Seminar with our Guest Sommelier
  28. Vietnamese Tea Time
  29. Seabourn’s Signature Block Party
  30. Celebrity Chef Dinner
  31. Shopping with the Chefs in Da Nang
  32. Wine Lecture with our Guest Sommelier
  33. Local Market Lunch
  34. Officers on Deck Event featuring Asian Flavors
  35. Dessert Under the Stars
  36. Rock the Boat Dance Party
  37. Nightcap Cocktails with our Mixologist
  38. Vietnamese Cooking Demonstration
  39. Sushi Making Demonstration
  40. Pho Bar at the Patio Grill
  41. Galley Tour
  42. Wine Tasting Seminar
  43. Food Bazaar Dinner
  44. Liquor Tasting with our Mixologist
  45. Shopping with the Chefs In Ho Chi Minh City
  46. Local Market Lunch
  47. Shopping with the Chefs In Ho Chi Minh City (because we overnight there)
  48. Vietnamese Market Lunch
  49. Epicurean Sail-Away Event
  50. Wine Lecture with our Guest Sommelier
  51. Mixology Demonstration: Balancing Acidity in Cocktails
  52. Cooking Demonstration with our Celebrity Chef
  53. Local Ingredient Food Exposition on Deck
  54. Wok and Stir Fry Lunch
  55. Sate Lunch at the Patio Grill
  56. Asia vs. Europe Cooking Challenge
  57. Wine Lecture with our Guest Sommelier
  58. Galley Tour
  59. The Durian Fruit Challenge
  60. Cocktail Tasting with our Mixologist
  61. Wellness Day with Healthy Themed Events
  62. Cambodian Themed Market Lunch
  63. The Fine Art School of Phnom Penh Local show
  64. Mixology Class: Creating Cocktails with Local Ingredients
  65. Seabourn’s Signature Beach Barbecue
  66. Caviar in the Surf
  67. Coconut Drink Bar
  68. Local Beer Tasting
  69. Shopping with the Chefs In Bangkok
  70. Local lunch featuring Tom Yum
  71. Patio Grill: Curry Bar
  72. Local Show followed by Thai Themed Sail-Away
  73. Thai Dinner
  74. Creating Thai Cocktails with our Mixologist
  75. Thai Curry Demonstartion
  76. Fruit and Vegetable Carving Demonstartion
  77. Thai Lunch
  78. Phad Thai Bar at the Patio Grill
  79. Galley Tour
  80. Mixology Demonstration
  81. Wine Lecture by our Guest Sommelier
  82. Captain’s Farewell Party and Crew Farewell
  83. Celebrity Chef Dinner
  84. Cooking Demonstration
  85. Seabourn’s Signature Galley Market Lunch
  86. Culinary Team Trivia — Final Round
  87. A Conversation with the Culinary Team
  88. Mixology Demonstration
  89. The Best of Seabourn Dinner
  90. Culinary Movie: Eat, Pray, Love

 Stay tuned for updates and details of all these events as they are released. Better yet, come along!