| , All Rights Reserved | | | | next 12 months on Holland America’s ships |
| From weekend workshops to full-service culinary | | | | including Nick Stellino, chef and host of Nick Stellino's |
| academies, men and women are drawn to cooking | | | | Family Kitchen V; Jacques Torres, chocolatier, pastry |
| lessons. Now you can incorporate your love for | | | | chef and cookbook author; Aaron Sanchez, chef and |
| cooking with your dreams of high seas adventure | | | | owner of Paladar, New York City; Michelle Bernstein, |
| because more and more cruise ships are offering | | | | owner and chef of MB restaurant in Cancun; Neal |
| cooking-related events onboard. | | | | Gallagher, chef of Oceana (and voted Best New Chef |
| Originally attributed to small cruise ships that needed | | | | of 2003); Charles Dale, founder of Aspen's |
| an incentive to gain bookings, cooking cruises have | | | | Renaissance, Range and Rustique restaurants, and |
| grown over the years and are now found aboard | | | | the list goes on. |
| large vessels. One of the most recent | | | | Food preparation, wine tasting, cooking classes, |
| announcements is from Holland America. Working in | | | | seminars, book signings, question-and-answer sessions |
| conjunction with Food & Wine magazine, Holland | | | | and market tours in port are just a few of the |
| America's Culinary Arts Center will offer | | | | activities passengers on various ships can look |
| demonstrations and seminars from world-renowned | | | | forward to. |
| chefs, wine experts, cookbook authors and more. | | | | When booking a cooking cruise, look for themes such |
| A fleet-wide enhancement, the Culinary Arts Center | | | | as grilling, desserts, healthy entrees, Italian, Mexican, |
| will be retrofit onto all 13 existing ships and will also | | | | etc. In addition, also ask about group discounts. |
| be incorporated into the upcoming 14th ship due to | | | | Holland's Culinary Group Program offers special fares |
| launch in summer 2008. Each Culinary Arts Center will | | | | for groups of 25 or more, a cabin for a guest chef, |
| include theater-style seating, state-of-the-art show | | | | two one-hour demonstration sessions, a |
| kitchen, plasma screens that allow every participant | | | | complimentary wine tasting or cocktail party and a |
| to see, a display counter for easy viewing and space | | | | color group photo. |
| for guests to participate in preparing some of the | | | | Most cooking cruises allow you to eat what has been |
| dishes. Upgrades to all Holland America’s ships | | | | prepared, so you can literally taste the fruits of your |
| will be complete by summer 2006 allowing each ship | | | | labor. However, samples may not be enough for an |
| to include Culinary Arts Center activities during each | | | | entire meal. If the cooking tour you book is aboard a |
| cruise. | | | | smaller ship rather than a large vessel with onboard |
| One small cruise company offers tours featuring | | | | restaurants, you might be wise to ask if a meal will |
| chefs from the world-famous Le Cordon Bleu. As you | | | | be served prior to booking your reservation. |
| cruise the Baltic Ocean or the Mediterranean Sea, you | | | | Whether you opt for an intimate-sized ship with only |
| can enjoy studying under talented instructors. Other | | | | a few hundred passengers and a defined itinerary or |
| small ships sail to Greece, Turkey and other | | | | a large vessel capable of sailing the world, cooking |
| worldwide destinations offering cooking classes based | | | | cruises are fun, entertaining and exciting for every |
| on each region visited. | | | | member of the family. |
| Over 60 top chefs are slated to appear during the | | | | |