This Week in Cruise: Four New Cruise Offerings for Foodies

windstarThis week cruise lines have been sprucing up their culinary offerings both onboard and ashore. 

Windstar Cruises has announced the lineup of James Beard-recognized chefs that will set sail on the line's “James Beard Foundation Collection” of culinary-focused cruises this year. Windstar will offer three foodie-themed European cruises in Spain, Morocco and France

Each sailing in the James Beard Foundation Collection, which will take place this spring and summer, includes a James Beard chef working alongside Windstar’s culinary team and acting as an onboard culinary ambassador offering cooking demonstrations, a nightly featured dish, and one-on-one interaction.

Seabourn, meanwhile, has launched the first of its recipes developed by American Chef Thomas Keller in dining venues aboard Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Sojourn, and Seabourn Quest

Among the new culinary highlights are special theme nights in the Colonnade that pay homage to Chef Keller's childhood, serving classic comfort dishes such as BBQ Ribs served family-style on platters. At the poolside Patio Grill are classic favorites including his signature Napa Burger and artisanal "Yountwurst." Chef Keller's formal French-American style of cuisine is offered on select evenings in The Restaurant.

Seabourn will also introduce a new signature restaurant this May onboard Seabourn Quest. The restaurant will eventually be launched across the entire fleet, including the line's two new ships, Seabourn Encore launching in late 2016 and Seabourn Ovation launching in early spring 2018.

In other onboard updates, Costa Cruises has announced that it will begin producing Mozzarella di Bufala onboard, to be featured in a new Mozzarella Gourmet Bar on ships across its fleet.

Costa Diadema will be the first ship to debut the new gourmet bar in 2016 and the rest of the ships in the fleet will begin to produce Buffalo Mozzarella onboard in 2017. The Buffalo Mozzarella produced onboard will also be used in the fleet's Pummid’oro pizzerias. 

Finally, in Alaska, Princess Cruises has launched "Cook My Catch," which offers guests the ability to enjoy their own catch of the day.

The experience is available on Princess cruise vacations during port calls in Juneau and Ketchikan, as well as Princess Land & Sea Vacations featuring stays at Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge and Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge. The new offering is available on select Princess shore excursions, including Salmon Sport Fishing Adventure in Juneau; Salmon Sport Fishing Expedition, Hunting for Halibut and the Discovery Exclusive Alaska Fishing & Wilderness Dining excursion in Ketchikan. As guests return from their excursion, they select their preferred preparation and accompaniments to be prepared by the culinary team. 

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