Ultra-luxury Silversea Cruises is pleased to announce that four additional voyages this year will feature the exclusive “Relais & Châteaux L’École des Chefs” interactive cooking school.
“Our L’École des Chefs cooking school is proving extremely popular with guests and we’re pleased to roll it out to more voyages this year,” said Rudi Scholdis, Silversea’s director of culinary development.
The new L’École des Chefs voyages for 2011 are:
NORTHERN EUROPE
Voyage 4122: Silver Whisper departs Stockholm July 23 on a 7-day sailing to Copenhagen with calls in Tallinn, St. Petersburg (3-day/2-night stopover) and Helsinki. Silver Savings fares start at $4,948.
Voyage 1121: Silver Cloud departs Copenhagen July 30 on a 17-day roundtrip sailing with calls in Alesund, Geiranger, Helleysilt, Lofoten, Tromso, Honningsvag (North Cape), Murmansk, Archangel (overnight visit), Hammerfest and Kristiansund. Silver Savings fares start at $8,818.
FAR EAST
Voyage 3126: Silver Shadow departs Incheon (Seoul) September 23 on a 12-day sailing to Hong Kong with calls in Qingdao, Shanghai, Jiangyin, Nanjing and Xiamen. Highlights include cruising the Yangtze River and overnight stays in Shanghai and Hong Kong. Silver Savings fares start at $6,228.
Voyage 3127: Silver Shadow departs Hong Kong October 5 on a 12-day sailing to Singapore with calls in Chan May, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Ko Samui, and Kuantan. Highlights include overnight stays in Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok. Silver Savings fares start at $6,228.
Through its exclusive partnership with Relais & Châteaux, the distinguished international association of charming properties and gourmet restaurants, Silversea enjoys the privilege of featuring the only Relais & Châteaux L’École des Chefs cooking school at sea. The innovative program offers guests a special culinary curriculum, including hands-on instruction, and entertaining events hosted by Silversea culinary trainer David Bilsland. Educated in classic French cooking, Bilsland’s career includes several years as a chef instructor at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in London. He presents a program developed in collaboration with Jacques Thorel, the owner of L’Auberge Bretonne and a consulting Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux.
The curriculum for each of these cruises is carefully designed to celebrate the cultural flavor of the ship’s itinerary. Highlights include specialized workshops covering a range of topics from basic knife skills and kitchen terminology to sauces and baking; cooking demonstrations with wine pairings and interactive Q&A sessions; lively cooking competitions between Chef Bilsland and the ship’s own culinary team; a “Lunch and Learn” event offering small groups of guests a chance to sample a delicious meal of specially prepared dishes; and inspired “Take It Home” recipes that will give guests an edge when entertaining at home.
Also offered on certain voyages, when the itinerary permits, is a “Market to the Plate” experience that provides an escorted tour of a local market followed by a cooking class, and a “Culinary Outing,” an instructor-escorted excursion to a local restaurant, hotel or other venue where guests can enjoy a unique culinary exploration.
Fares listed above are per person based on double occupancy for a Vista Suite and do not include port charges and handling fees that range from $175 to $450 per person for these voyages, depending on the itinerary.
