Cooking classes on a cruise are among the top foodie experiences for luxury travellers. Today, Regent Seven Seas Cruises® revealed 16 new Culinary Arts Kitchen classes that will debut during the 2020 inaugural season of Seven Seas SplendorTM, the ship that perfects luxury.
Inspired by Seven Seas Splendor’s inaugural 2020 season sailing the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, the new classes are listed on Regent’s website and include:
· ISLAND FUSION. Each with a unique culinary footprint, the Caribbean islands are the perfect place to learn about where you are travelling through the regional cuisine. Local traditions and native ingredients illuminate the indigenous culture and natural resources of each island, while the influences of France, Spain, Africa, India and China reveal how the culinary heritage of the Caribbean was shaped by colonialism.
· FARMSTAND FABULOUS. This class focuses on how to shop and cook like a chef, inspired by what you discover at the farmer’s market or in the produce aisle. Learn to approach your shopping trip like a blank canvas that takes shape based on what fresh ingredients you find in season. Recipes will change depending on the region and time of year, but the techniques for preparing seasonal masterpieces remain tried and true.
· TREASURES OF THE AEGEAN. Cast off the mythology surrounding Greek food in this immersive class that reveals the essence of the Mediterranean diet and one of the healthiest cuisines in the world. Through favourite dishes from Corfu, Crete, Rhodes and Santorini, discover local ingredients and traditional techniques used to prepare these recipes during a magical exploration of Greece and its mouth-watering cuisine.
· BATTER UP. After learning about batter-based recipes ranging from French crêpes and Tuscan flatbread to Santorini tomato fritters and Turkish zucchini fritters, you will see – and taste – that the simple things in life are often the best. Sweet and savoury, crunchy and fluffy, memorable and delicious … you’ll savour it all as you explore the world, one batter at a time.
· THE NOURISHED KITCHEN: PLANT-BASED COMFORTS. Whether you follow a plant-based diet or simply wish to introduce more plant-based dishes into your culinary repertoire, learn the hottest new trends that embrace the flavours of nature’s bounty and enhance longevity. Prepare healthy, innovative and delicious plant-based recipes developed through our work with the Teaching Kitchen Collaborative of Harvard University and The Culinary Institute of America.
· SENSUOUS SPAIN. The rich tradition and culinary integrity of Spain are evident in its tapas – small plates best described as little bites with big flavour. As you sip sangria blanca and prepare classic tapas recipes, you will begin to understand why many believe that tapas are more than food – they are a lifestyle. You’ll be ready to share this delectable lifestyle with friends at your next Spanish-themed dinner party.
· WORLD OF FLAVOUR: STREET FOOD. If you’re familiar with the joy of finding a buttery waffle at a street stand in Belgium or a delicious falafel at a family-run stall in Haifa, this globetrotting exploration of street food is for you. Learn about secret ingredients, special techniques and family recipes that our chefs have discovered as they’ve travelled the world in search of great street food and conversed with the locals who create it.
The two-hour classes were designed by Kathryn Kelly, Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ executive director of culinary enrichment. Chef Kelly, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, has spent 40 years travelling to explore the world’s many different cuisines and the cultures that created them. She and other Master Instructors teach the classes.
“Our curriculum appeals to a broad range of tastes and caters to all experience levels, from beginner to seasoned chefs, delivered in the most advanced teaching kitchen on the seas,” Kelly said. “We teach the culinary techniques that chefs use every day, build a recipe and skills repertoire that can be easily transferred to guests’ home kitchens, explore cuisines, spices, recipes and ingredients from our ports of call, and most of all, have fun together sharing stories with people who enjoy cooking.”
Kelly added, “When I was younger, we used to go to friends’ homes and they would pull out their projector and tell us about their trip through pictures. Today, our guests can share their cruise experiences at home by cooking meals for their friends that represent the destinations they explored during the voyage.”
The new classes will be expanded to Seven Seas Explorer in April 2020.
Guests attending classes in the Culinary Arts Kitchen will receive highly individualised instruction, as each student will cook from their own personal workstation for authentic, hands-on training, and see close-up details on large-screen monitors. Eighteen individual cooking stations sit atop three long curved rows with white quartzite countertops and stainless-steel accents. The workstations are fully equipped with top-of-the-line induction cooktops, stainless steel sinks and a comprehensive collection of additional cooking essentials. The state-of-the-art culinary centre also features floor-to-ceiling windows to offer magnificent ocean vista views from its perch on Deck 11.
About Seven Seas Splendor
Currently being built in Ancona, Italy, Seven Seas Splendor will offer her 750 guests the most luxurious accommodation as she visits the world’s iconic destinations and less-familiar hidden gems when she sets sail in February 2020.
The all-suite, all-balcony ship perfects uncompromised luxury with elegance, comfort and personalised guest service. More than 4,275 square-metres of Italian marble will adorn Seven Seas Splendor – over an acre of marble – and her 375 suites include nearly 4,820 square-metres of balcony space – among the largest balconies at sea. The beautifully appointed suites range from the 28 square-metre Veranda Suite to the lavish 412 square-metre Regent Suite.
The Regent Suite sets the tone for Seven Seas Splendor’s 14 other astonishing suite categories in offering the most luxurious accommodation at sea. It features the ultimate comfort of a US$200,000 Hästens Vividus custom handmade mattress, an in-suite spa retreat featuring a personal sauna, steam room and treatment area with unlimited spa treatments, unobstructed 270-degree views over Seven Seas Splendor’s bow from the 120 square-metre wraparound veranda, and a glass-enclosed solarium sitting area on top of the bridge for a Captain’s view to see the world’s most beautiful destinations. Guests in the Regent Suite also enjoy a dedicated personal butler to manage all the details of the guests’ experience, and a personal car with driver and guide in every port.
A new globally inspired spa, Serene Spa & WellnessTM, was created for Seven Seas Splendor and offers exclusive treatments that integrate techniques and ingredients from destinations around the world to soothe both the body and mind.
Exquisite restaurants onboard Seven Seas Splendor include Compass Rose, the largest speciality restaurant at sea; Pacific Rim, a dramatic Pan-Asian restaurant with a mythical dragon greeting guests; Prime 7, an intimate and elegant steakhouse; Chartreuse, featuring classic French fare with a modern twist; and Sette Mari at La Veranda, serving guests authentic Italian specialities and featuring stunning, over-water alcove seating that jets out over the ocean for an even closer connection to the sea, surrounded on three sides by inspiring, magnificent views.
During her inaugural 2020 season, Seven Seas Splendor will be helmed by 30-year veteran Captain Serena Melani. Captain Melani will be the first woman to captain a newly built cruise ship in maritime history.
About Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Regent Seven Seas Cruises offers an unrivalled experience to luxury travellers. The cruise line’s modern four-ship fleet — Seven Seas Explorer®, Seven Seas Mariner®, Seven Seas Navigator® and Seven Seas Voyager® — sails to more than 450 iconic and immersive destinations around the world and reflects US$150 million in stunning refurbishments over the past three years. Regent will add Seven Seas Splendor™ in 2020 as the fleet’s fifth ship and then grow by a sixth ship in 2023. All luxuries are included in Regent Seven Seas Cruises voyages, such as all-suite accommodation, the largest collection of unlimited shore excursions, unlimited internet access, highly personalised service, exquisite cuisine, fine wines and spirits, pre-paid gratuities, transfer between hotel and ship and one-night, pre-cruise hotel packages for guests staying in Concierge-level suites and higher.
To learn more, please visit www.RSSC.com, call 1300 455 200 (AU) or 0800 625 692 (NZ) or contact your preferred travel agent to enquire about specific Regent Seven Seas Cruises voyages.