In addition to celebrated chefs like Neal Fraser of California's Grace, Craig Higgins of Botswana's Mombo Camp Resort and the world-renowned and highly influential winemaker Christian Moueix, the festival features James Beard Award winners like A Voce's Andrew Carmellini and the legendary Andre Soltner, along with culinary-themed shoreside excursions. Food and wine journalists also join the 2007 program, including Bon Appetit's Editor-in-Chief Barbara Fairchild and broadcaster Carolyn O'Neil.
Given the growing fascination with the nuances of fine wine and food, the 2007 series aboard the elegant Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony features 11 diverse voyages of 10 to 17 days through the Panama Canal, Caribbean, South America, Africa & the Red Sea, Western Europe, the Mediterranean, and New England/Canada.
During each cruise, A-list chefs are paired with the finest names in wine to host cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, share recipes and cooking tips, and prepare a four-course gala dinner spotlighting the signature cuisine of each guest chef. Complementing most itineraries is a mouth-watering collection of culinary-themed Crystal Adventures -- from an outdoor evening dining experience in the Dubai desert to lunch at the Michelin-starred Relais Chateau Saint-James in Bordeaux.
"It is both an honor and a privilege to have the most innovative and applauded names in cuisine and wine to work alongside our own accomplished chefs and sommeliers, and to provide our guests with enriching, exclusive experiences," says Toni Neumeister, vice president, food and beverage operations. "Crystal's guests want to learn from experts in their fields. The caliber of talent we continue to draw year after year speaks to our commitment to the culinary arts and the highly rated execution of the program."
The following culinary voyages are on the menu for the first half of 2007:
Jan. 12 South America cruise -- Miami to Valparaiso (Crystal Serenity)
• Lisa Zimmerman, wine journalist for Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast.
• Loretta Barrett Oden, Native American chef and food historian and host of PBS series Seasoned With Spirit: A Native Cook's Journey (first series focusing on Native American food).
• Optional excursions: Wine tastings at the Tamaya Vineyard in Coquimbo, known for its unique blends of wine stocks as Viognier, Sangiovese and Carmenere; and the Casablanca Valley in Valparaiso, the Napa Valley of Chile.
Feb. 11 Bon Appetit Culinary Cruise -- Miami to Los Angeles (Crystal Symphony)
• Andrew Carmellini, executive chef and a 2005 James Beard Award winner, and Olivier Flosse, wine director/sommelier -- both of A Voce, New York City.
• Neal Fraser, executive chef/owner, and Eduardo Carreiro, wine director -- both of GRACE, Los Angeles, named one of "LA's 25 Best Restaurants" by Conde Nast Traveler.
• Bon Appetit Editor-In-Chief Barbara Fairchild and Managing Editor Laurie Buckle.
• Food historian and award-winning author, Betty Fussell.
Mar. 3 Africa -- Cape Town to Dubai (Crystal Serenity)
• Craig Higgins -- executive chef of the acclaimed Mombo Camp Resort in Botswana -- a regular Conde Nast Traveler award recipient -- and author of An Elephant in the Kitchen.
• Dr. Fedon Lindbergh -- medical doctor/bestselling food writer, emphasizing the benefits of Mediterranean diets.
Apr. 19 Western Europe -- Rome to London (Crystal Serenity)
• Christian Moueix, owner of Dominus Estate and general manager of the mythic Chateau Petrus, in addition to managing numerous chateaus in Bordeaux.
• Carolyn O'Neil, three-time James Beard Award-winning broadcast food journalist, registered dietician, and frequent guest on NBC "Weekend Today" and The Food Network.
• Optional excursions: Wine tastings at the Cotes du Rhone vineyards in Marseilles, Millesima wine merchant, St-Emilion & Pomerol in Bordeaux and in northern Portugal sampling its famous Vinho Verde; also lunch at Relais Chateau Saint-James in Bordeaux, the Michelin-awarded restaurant designed by famed French architect Jean Nouvel.
May 17 Africa & The Red Sea -- Dubai to Rome (Crystal Serenity)
• Andre Soltner, former owner/chef, Lutece, New York City, and a James Beard Award winner
• Stephen Mack, director, Hong Kong Wine School
• Janice Wald Henderson, prolific American food and travel writer
• Optional excursions: An outdoor evening dining experience in Dubai; wine tasting, olive oil sampling and Italian cooking lesson in the heart of Roman wine country; and a journey to the medieval city of Orvieto to sample its famed Orvieto Classico.
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