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Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours is launching a new Cycling & Culinary Wonders of Europe program. Cycling itineraries range from the Danube Path to the Arcachon Bay, while culinary offerings will take place in the new and exclusive Scenic Culinaire, an onboard cooking school with a dedicated space on three newly rebuilt Scenic Space-Ships. As with all Scenic programs, the cycling and culinary experiences are including within the price of sailing.
The culinary cruises will see the South of France and Bordeaux on the three Scenic Space-Ships currently being rebuilt to feature the Scenic Culinaire experience, in addition to larger cabins and fewer guests. The onboard experience will offer tailored classes with dedicated space for cooking stations, as well as a wine and cheese cellar. Fresh ingredients for the aspiring chefs will be sourced from local markets during travel, while cooking instructors will introduce recipes based on local regions. Scenic Culinaire will also feature a real-time camera and screen to ensure each participant can see each cooking instruction in detail. Off the ship, guests can enjoy a variety of food-based excursions including lunches at the Michelin 3-star Maison Pic in Valence, a traditional Bouchon in Lyon and at a Remy Martin in Cognac with Michelin Star Chef prepared canapes and Remy Martin cognac vintages. Additionally, guests will experience a visit to a Chateau Phelan Segur wine tasting and food pairing event in the Medoc region, as well as a visit to Baltard Market in Arcachon on the Atlantic coast.
The new river cruise cycling itineraries will be in the Danube and Bordeaux regions, with the option of extending trips with time in Champagne, the Loire Valley, Madrid and Prague. Tours offer guests specialized bikes, cycling guides, a bike mechanic and a support vehicle that will follow each group. Riders will cycle along Europe’s longest coastal beach and natural wonders in the Arcachon Bay coastal region, and stop for local market tastings along the way in the Medoc and Sauternes regions. Guests will also spend a full day cycling the historic Saint Emilion wine region with lunch and wine tasting in one of the oldest wine regions in the world. In addition, riders will cycle down one of the most famous cycling paths in Europe, the Danube Path, through the Wachau Valley during a full day tour from Regensburg cycling a train of five rivers and city tours through Vienna and Budapest.
The 11-and-12 day Tastes of Bordeaux tour, with dates in July and August, is priced at $6,295. The 13- and 14-day Tastes of Southern France itinerary, on Aug 18 and 19, 2017, are priced from $7,690 and $8,130, respectively. For guests wishing to participate in a 17-day version of the tour, adding three days in the Mediterranean city of Barcelona to the itinerary, tours depart on July 16 and Aug 18 with fares starting from $9,570.
The eight-day Gems of Danube Cycling Discovery tour departs May 17 and 24; June 5 and 12; July 5 and 12; and Sept 6 and 13, 2017. Rates start at $5,470 with the option of adding three days in Prague, starting at $6,010. The 11-day Bordeaux Cycling Endeavor, departing July and August 8, 2017, starts at $6,590 per person, double. Adding the Champagne, Loire Valley and Madrid extension make the trip a 19-day cruise/tour package, starting at $8,199.
A 44-page brochure detailing itineraries, prices and dates for the trips is available for download on the Scenic website. For additional information on these and other cruises, brochures and reservations, visit www.scenicusa.com, call 844-272-3642 or e-mail [email protected].