A cooking demonstration aboard Silversea's Silver Spirit.
This year, ten voyages will feature a cooking demo like nothing you've seen.
Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders
If you've cruised before, chances are you may have attended one of the cooking demonstrations offered onboard many ships. Usually intended as a fun little diversion on sea days, these demonstrations offer a brief glimpse at what actually goes on behind the scenes in the galley, where thousands of meals are prepared each and every day for guests like you and me.
This year, Silversea Cruises plans to turn that concept on its head by offering ten voyages featuring the popular Relais & Chateaux L'Ecole des Chefs interactive cooking school - currently the only offering of its kind at sea.
Relais & Chateaux was first established in 1954, and represents a collection of 500 of the finest hotels and gourmet institutions in over fifty countries worldwide. They have also partnered with Silversea to create special menus for the line's popular Le Champagne specialty restaurant.
Glass etchings in the Relais & Chateaux-inspired
Le Champagne specialty restaurant aboard
Silver Shadow.
Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders
Now that you know who they are, here's why you should be excited by this announcement: this isn't just marketing hype or a glorified cooking demo; rather, it is an actual, hands-on immersion experience that aims to teach guests about new cooking techniques and allows them to experience new dishes and culinary delights that are relevant to the ship's itinerary.
For those like myself who are terrified of handling knives (just ask my fiancee), these immersion experiences start at the basics of proper cutting technique and advance from there. No stone is left unturned as the classes cover sauces, spices, wine pairings and tasting, and cooking competitions between Silversea Culinary Trainer David Bilsland and the onboard galley team. Bilsland spent several years as an instructor at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in London, reinforcing his talent with experience.
Another neat twist is the "Market to the Plate" experience. Offered on select itineraries, this excursion takes participants ashore on a tour of a local market, where ingredients are sourced for a cooking class. There are also "Culinary Outing" excursions, where guests travel to a local hotel or restaurant to sample the regional cuisine.
If you're a foodie (or if you'd like to be, once you get the hang of those knives), you'd do well to select one of these ten voyages featuring this unique onboard enrichment program. They are:
January 19, 2011 - Silver Shadow - 30 Day Circumnavigation of Australia
January 20, 2011 - Silver Spirit - 12 Day Los Angeles to Papeete (World Cruise Segment)
March 24, 2011 - Silver Cloud - 16 Day Panama Canal - Ft. Lauderdale to San Diego
April 9, 2011 - Silver Cloud - 16 Day Panama Canal - San Diego to Ft. Lauderdale
May 3, 2011 - Silver Spirit - 16 Day Athens to Southampton
May 17, 2011 - Silver Whisper - 14 Day Transatlantic - New York to Southampton
September 8, 2011 - Silver Shadow - 14 Day Transpacific - Seward to Tokyo
October 21, 2011 - Silver Spirit - 15 Day Transatlantic - Lisbon to Bridgetown
November 11, 2011 - Silver Wind - 16 Day Athens to Dubai
December 4, 2011 - Silver Wind - 17 Day Dubai to Mahe
Curious to know more? Hop on over to the Silversea Cruises website for full details and pricing on each itinerary - and experience your inner chef at the same time.
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