14 October 2011
Silversea Announces 20 Voyages in 2012 to Feature 'Relais & Chtâeaux L'École des Chefs' Cooking School
Ultra-luxury Silversea Cruises is pleased to announce that 20 voyages in 2012 will feature the exclusive "Relais & Châteaux L'École des Chefs" interactive cooking school.
Silversea enjoys the privilege of featuring the only Relais & Châteaux L'École des Chefs cooking school at sea. The innovative programme - which is offered completely free of charge - provides guests with a special culinary curriculum, including hands-on instruction, and entertaining events hosted by Silversea culinary trainer David Bilsland, a former instructor at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in London. He presents a programme developed in collaboration with Jacques Thorel, the owner of L'Auberge Bretonne and a consulting Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux.
The curriculum for each of these cruises is carefully designed to celebrate the cultural flavour of the ship's itinerary. Highlights include specialised workshops covering a range of topics from basic knife skills and kitchen terminology to sauces and baking; cooking demonstrations with wine pairings and interactive Q&A sessions; lively cooking competitions between Chef Bilsland and the ship's own culinary team; a "Lunch and Learn" event offering small groups of guests a chance to sample a delicious meal of specially prepared dishes; and inspired "Take It Home" recipes that will give guests an edge when entertaining at home.
Also offered on certain voyages, when the itinerary permits, is a "Market to Plate" experience that provides an escorted tour of a local market followed by a cooking class, and a "Culinary Outing," an instructor-escorted excursion to a local restaurant, hotel or other venue where guests can enjoy a unique culinary exploration.
"Our L'École des Chefs cooking school is a fun and entertaining enrichment programme that lets guests discover new cooking techniques and sample dishes that highlight the culinary traditions of the ship's itinerary," said Rudi Scholdis, Silversea's director of culinary development.
Following below is a small selection of the L'École des Chefs voyages for 2012:
AFRICA & ARABIA
Voyage 2235: Silver Wind departs Athens November 12 on a 16-day sailing to Dubai with calls in Alexandria, Sharm el Sheikh, Aqaba, Safaga, Muscat and Fujairah. Fares start at £4,913.
Voyage 2236: Silver Wind departs November 28 on a 7-day roundtrip sailing from Dubai with calls in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait City, Al Manama, Doha and Khasab. Fares start at £3,218.
ASIA
Voyage 4208: Silver Whisper departs Bangkok March 26 on an 18-day sailing to Dubai (a segment of World Cruise 2012) with calls in Ko Samui, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Cochin, Mormugao, Mumbai and Fujairah. Fares start at £5,948.
Voyage 3211: Silver Shadow departs Tokyo April 25 on an 11-day sailing to Shanghai with calls in Hiroshima, Busan, Jeju, Dalian and Tianjin (Beijing). Fares start at £4478.
CARIBBEAN
Voyage 4229: Silver Whisper departs November 1 on a 7-day roundtrip sailing from Barbados with calls in Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire, Isla Margarita and Grenada. Fares start at £1,748.
Voyage 4230: Silver Whisper departs Barbados November 8 on a 9-day sailing to Fort Lauderdale with calls in St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Kitts, Antigua, St. Barts and St. Croix. Fares start at £2,273.
NORTHERN EUROPE
Voyage 1218: Silver Cloud departs Copenhagen July 10 on a 16-day sailing to London with calls in Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Stockholm, Riga, Warnemunde (Rostock), Hamburg and Amsterdam. Fares start at £5,213.
SOUTH AMERICA
Voyage 5204: Silver Spirit departs Buenos Aires February 12 on a 7-day sailing to Rio de Janeiro with calls in Punta del Este, Rio Grande do Sul, Santos (Sao Paulo), Parati and Buzios. Fares start at £3,008.
Voyage 5205: Silver Spirit departs Rio de Janeiro February 19 on a 15-day sailing to Barbados with calls in Salvador de Bahia, Recife, Fortaleza, Belém, Tobago and Grenada. Fares start at £4,723.
TRANSOCEANIC
Voyage 3227: Silver Shadow departs Vancouver September 6 on a 16-day sailing to Tokyo with calls in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Kodiak, Kamchatka, Hakodate and Sendai. Fares start at £4,828.
Click here for a complete list of L'École des Chefs voyages, or visit Silversea.com and click on Life Onboard/Enrichment/Culinary & Wine Voyages/Relais & Châteaux L'École des Chefs.
Fares listed above are per person, based on double occupancy for a Vista Suite, are a capacity-controlled programme and subject to availability.
About Relais & Châteaux
Relais & Châteaux is an exclusive collection of 500 of the finest hotels and gourmet restaurants in 60 countries. Established in France in 1954, the Association's mission is to spread its unique art de vivre across the globe by selecting outstanding properties with a truly unique character. It is also a family of hoteliers and Grands Chefs from all over the world who share a passion for and a personal commitment to ensuring their guests are privy to moments of exceptional harmony. For information on Relais & Châteaux, please call 00 800 2000 00 02 (UK) or visit the website.
About Silversea Cruises
Silversea Cruises is recognised as an innovator in the luxury cruise line industry, offering guests large-ship amenities aboard its intimate, all-suite vessels: Silver Cloud, Silver Wind, Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper and Silver Spirit - all designed to offer an atmosphere of conviviality and casual elegance. With the inclusion of the regal expedition ship Silver Explorer, Silversea Cruises' itineraries encompass all seven continents and feature worldwide luxury cruises to the Mediterranean, Caribbean, both Polar Regions and over 400 fascinating destinations in between.
In the UK, Silversea has also been voted:
‘Best Small-Ship Line' by readers of Condé Nast Traveller (9 times including 2010)
'Best Cruise Line' by The Guardian and The Observer Travel Awards (2009, 2010)
'Best Luxury Cruise Line' at UK's Travel Weekly Globe Awards (6 times including 2011)
'World's Leading Luxury Cruise Line' from World Travel Awards (2009, 2010)
'Best Luxury Cruise Provider' from Travel Bulletin Star Awards (5 times, including 2011)
