If thoughts of Monte Carlo bring images of the renowned formula one Grand Prix auto race, the flamboyant Monte-Carlo casino and James Bond 007 films; you are not alone. Many of the cruise travelers with us on Seabourn Sojourn shared that thinking. After all, a ultra luxury cruise ship docked on the Mediterranean south side of Monaco should fit nicely, right? But it did not take long for our attention to be turned inward, focusing on settling in, meeting new friends and what was in store for us on the first ever Seabourn Food And Wine Cruise.

An overnight flight took us from home in Orlando to Atlanta then on to Nice were those flying in were met by a Seabourn greeter and whisked off to Seabourn Sojourn, about a half-hour drive from the airport. Arriving early, many Seabourn guests simply dropped off their luggage and went on to explore the area either by themselves or with on an organized tour.

Boarding about Noon, those just joining the passenger manifest were escorted on to the ship in small groups, about as many as can fit in an elevator. Once on board, another escort showed us where dining venues, shops, guest services and other commonly used spaces were, along with helpful hints on how to remember their locations.

I say ‘those just joining the passenger manifest’ because many Seabourn passengers sail more than one cruise at a time (back to back, not consecutively) and are happy to talk about which Seabourn ships they have been on, what itineraries they have done and more. Conversations are started in hallways, at the safety drill or just sitting around Seabourn Square, a social hub of the ship. But all this was really just killing time, albeit quality time, until one of the day’s main events; Seabourn’s signature Caviar Sail Away.

Like Seabourn’s Caviar In The Surf where beach-going passengers are served champagne and caviar in the ocean on a beach day, the Caviar Sail Away also includes free-flowing sparkling wine and other little culinary creations from the kitchen, all served by a smiling crew.

On this first ever Seabourn Food And Wine Cruise we also were introduced to the bonus culinary team on board for the special sailing (more on them below) as well as the cruise director and entertainment staff while a band played poolside. Later that night, I would return to that area and have dinner at the Patio Grill, a rather quick service area that in no way is fast food.

At the Patio Grill, one crewmember helps with and keeps beverages full as we think they should be: the glass is never allowed to be empty to the point that they are replaced just before that last sip. Drinking Heineken to complement fork-tender Barbecued Short Ribs meant the last (and less enchanting) swallow of the beverage never came. We’ll let that one single act begin a list of tiny details that will probably end up playing a big role in defining Seabourn. Along the same lines, a knock on the door of my suite brought another little thing that clearly defines what Seabourn does.

Coming to say hello and show me features of my suite, was stewardess Rocio with a tray that had a nice glass of champagne, canapés and an assortment of different soaps to try. Rather than the quick greeting by our stateroom steward on the first day of sailing experienced on other lines (which is nice) Rocio gave me a tour of the space and demonstrated how everything works.

She went over the complementary stocked bar (pre-cruise requests filled), asked about any special requests (Diet Coke please and keep it coming) and made a wonderful first impression.

The evening would bring a meeting for solo travelers, entertainment from the ship’s musicians in multiple venues and the Welcome Dance Party where guests could meet the cruise director, assistant cruise director and the Seabourn Singers & Dancers, all there to celebrate embarking on our cruise. For me, it was off to the suite where I would catch up on a lot of great information provided by Seabourn about this special sailing.

At first glance, this cuisine-focused sailing looks to be quite unique, as anticipated. Not seen coming: a number of unique, Seabourn signature events that would turn embarkation day into much more than simply ‘getting on the ship’. Stay tuned for more by following the links below. Now back to those chefs.

The Culinary Team
But back to that culinary team on board for the Seabourn Food & Wine cruise. In addition to Seabourn’s executive chef, other Seabourn chefs that roam the fleet to insure the highest level of operations possible in the culinary department are some celebrity guest chefs and a guest sommelier.

 

Chef Patrice Olivon, Program Director of Culinary Arts L’Academie de Cuisine was born in Casablanca and raised in Province. Chef Patrice’s culinary style and cooking demonstrations, inspired by the cuisine of southern France, will be featured on the Seabourn Food & Wine cruise.

Chef Alfio Longo, Executive Chef at New York’s Circo. Chef Alfio is known for a simple culinary philosophy that maintains the delicious natura flavors of the best ingredients while showcasing beautiful presentations of popular Italian recipes.

 

Come Along With Us On The Seabourn Food & Wine Cruise

• ChrisCruises. com– Look for a complete list of daily posts right here. Want to be one of the first to read? Join our mailing list and we will send an email every time a new article is published.
• On Twitter? Follow us (@OrlandoChris), Seabourn (@SeabournCruise) the tag #SeabournFoodandWineCruise
• Live Instagram Feed- To keep up with what is happening at any given moment, Instagram is the place to be.
• Facebook Photo Albums of each stop and event along the way
• Flickr Photo Sets– All our photos, unedited, in one place. Free to use.
• Pinterest boards for a number of Seabourn Food & Wine Cruise topics.
• @Exposure Photo Story Books with big, vivid images