Culinary Celebrities to Host Crystal Cruises' 2013 Ultimate Vinatage Room Dinners

Nobu Matsuhisa
Master Chef Nobu Matsuhisa

Napa Valley vintners Bo and Heidi Barrett and multiple Michelin star-winning Master Chef Nobu Matsuhisa are each hosting one of Crystal Cruises' 2013 Ultimate Vintage Room Dinners, all for the first time.

Twelve to 14 guests per event have the opportunity to attend one of the exclusive seven-course, ultra-rare wine-pairing feasts, either while sailing a Mediterranean cruise aboard Crystal Serenity, starting May 18, 2013, from Istanbul to Barcelona, where Mr. and Mrs. Barrett will be personally selecting each vintage served for the evening.

Travelers can also book a cruise on the Black Sea aboard Crystal Symphony, departing July 13, 2013, from Rome to Istanbul. Chef Matsuhisa will be on-hand to create his "ultimate" meal for Crystal for the first time, accompanied by rare wine and champagne pairings. Chef Matsuhisa will also hold autogrpah sessions, cooking classes, and larger omakase dinners throughout the sailing.

The cost of the dinner, which will be held in the ships' private Vintage Rooms, is $1,000 per guest.

"The Ultimate Vintage Room dinners allow us to push the culinary envelope over the top, with each event truly a once-in-a-lifetime affair created just for Crystal guests," says Toni Neumeister, vice president, food and beverage operations. "This year’s dinners may be our most exciting ever, with culinary superstars who tend to be as impossible to get as the wines themselves."

Both 12-day voyages boast equally exceptional itineraries, with the May 18 sailing overnighting in Monte Carlo during the Grand Prix, in addition to overnights in Istanbul and Barcelona and visits to Mykonos, Santorini/Thíra, Sorrento, Bonifacio/Corsica and Florence/Livorno.  The July 13 Black Sea voyage explores Rome/Civitavecchia, Sorrento, Sicily/Taormina, Contanþa, Yalta and Sochi, with overnights in Odessa and Istanbul. When booked by April 30, 2013, all-inclusive cruise fares start at $4,790 and $5,510, respectively. Cruising guests may book the Ultimate Vintage Room by calling the On Board Guest Services department in Crystal’s Los Angeles office.

Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity's extensive choices for gourmandizing include the ultra-luxury line's coveted cheese and wine cellars, overseen by on-board, certified cheese and wine sommeliers (Court of Master Sommeliers-certified); fresh, chef-like cocktails served by certified mixologists; and gourmet dining options at every meal, whether in the Crystal Dining Room, at afternoon tea, or in Nobu Matsuhisa and Piero Selvaggio's specialty restaurants.

Visit www.crystalcruises.com.