It’s not easy to get a reservation at Charlie Palmer’s tony New York City restaurant Aureole, renowned for a New American menu that spins hearty classics into uniquely delicate dishes. But you don’t have to be in the Big Apple (or in Vegas, for that matter, at the other Aureole) to sample Palmer’s inventive fare—you can enjoy it in the dining room of a Seabourn cruise ship. Palmer designed all the dinner menus for Seabourn, a luxury line with three small ships, so that wherever you’re sailing you can dine on Aureole-quality dishes like crisp sea bass with citrus fondue. Sure, the ships’ kitchens don’t turn out exactly the same fare as the restaurants, but it’s worlds away from Lido-deck buffets and warmed-over beef Wellington.
These days there are even more ways to indulge in good food at sea. While onboard cuisine has long been known more for its quantity than its quality, in the last few years many cruise lines have made huge improvements in their dining game: Besides enlisting star chefs, they’re scheduling food-themed sailings and setting up special kitchens for professional food-prep demonstrations and hands-on workshops. So before you book your next cruise, check out what’s cooking.
CHEF CÉLÈBRE
Michel Roux, the Michelin-starred chef whose Waterside Inn is one of England’s finest restaurants, was the first boldface name to sign on with a cruise line, in 1989. He worked on Celebrity’s menus for more than 15 years, earning the line a reputation as one of the top choices at sea for discriminating diners, with not only improved food—like sole poached in sauternes—but also more polished service. Since Roux stepped down, South African chef Jacques Van Staden, formerly of the elegant Citronelle in Washington, D.C., has helped Celebrity plan a similarly upscale menu.
The esteemed French chef Jacques Pepin finessed the menus for Oceania Cruises, creating dishes that are French influenced without being overly complicated (think grilled turbot with beurre blanc). Instead of planning the entire dining program the way Palmer did for Seabourn, Michelin three-star chef Georges Blanc works with Carnival to create French dishes that are highlighted on each menu, such as a feuilleté (puff pastry) of herbed escargots Bourguignonne, and chicken with foie gras.
FESTIVALS AT SEA
For epicureans, food-and-wine-themed sailings can be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: Not only do the fabulous chefs and vintners speak about their experiences, they’re also guests on the ship and mingle with passengers. (After all, there are only so many places to hang out on a cruise ship.)
The best of these events is Crystal Cruises’ biannual Wine & Food Festival, which started in 1997. In 2008, the 10–16 day sailings roam the Mediterranean during the summer. Can’t wait till then? On April 25, the Crystal Symphony departs Singapore for a 16-day food-and-wine-themed cruise. Between stops in Thailand, India and Oman, visiting wine experts and the ship’s knowledgeable sommeliers will also offer complimentary tastings. The cruise ends in stunning Dubai.
Cruise West’s smaller ships can easily navigate the Napa and Sonoma river valleys, so every fall, to coincide with the grape harvest, the line schedules cruises around Northern California. Book now for September or October 2008.
Chocolate lovers should check out Costa’s Chocoholics Cruise. Two hosts from the Food Network, Duff Goldman of Ace of Cakes and Warren Brown of Sugar Rush, join a seven-night cruise on the Costa Mediterranea, embarking from Fort Lauderdale on January 5, 2008, and sailing to Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, the Dominican Republic, and Turks and Caicos. Passengers can attend lectures, meet the TV stars and take home goodie bags filled with sweet treats.
GOURMET GALLEY
In the last few years, several cruise lines have installed cooking-demo arenas complete with mirrors above the workplace and stadium-style seating. Recipes are passed out, and the talented (though not always widely known) chefs divulge some of their hard-earned knowledge. You might learn how to get your soufflés to rise (don’t open the oven door!) or your cookies to brown nicely (use nonstick silicone mats!) or your fried chicken to crisp up better (don’t crowd the pan!). Next year, “Iron Chef” Cat Cora and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy’s Ted Allen will lend their expertise on Silversea’s World Cruise, while Regent Seven Seas plans to have White House chef Walter Scheib and Napa Valley’s Cindy Pawlcyn hosting their demos.
Regent Seven Seas also offers advanced classes taught by Cordon Bleu cooking-school pros. On Silversea ships, the demo kitchens are filled with top-of-the-line Viking appliances, and passengers can even go shopping with a chef for that day’s lunch ingredients—artichokes in San Francisco, truffles in Cannes—during “Market to the Plate” shore excursions. Holland America runs one of the most popular new cooking programs: Its ships have hands-on areas where groups of 12 passengers can help chefs prepare regional dishes. Even if you’re an amateur, don’t worry—the process will still be delicious.