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The foodie’s guide to cruising into 2017

BY READERS DIGEST

1st Jan 2015 Travel

The foodie’s guide to cruising into 2017

If you’re hungry for adventure and travel, we’ve got the crème de la crème of cruise travel for 2017. Discover a food paradise beyond the horizon, where a mixture of gastronomic delights, celebrity chefs and culinary adventures are rolled in to one delicious, multi-tired, cruise canapé.

1. A taste of film

a taste of film
A Taste of Film. Image via Cruise Critic

Served beneath the clear night sky and a heaven of twinkling stars, Celebrity Cruises are cooking up a multi-sensory delight for food and film lovers. Once the sun has dipped below the horizon, guests are invited to the sun deck aboard select ships for a “Taste of Film,” a unique, al fresco blend of cuisine and culture designed by Michelin-starred chef Cornelius Gallagher.

Luxurious cabanas, topped with soft, fleece blankets, gather around a large screen and the films are brought to life through the sight, sound, feel and taste of a seven-course tasting menu. Each dish is inspired by the location of the film, from Indian-infused crisp shrimp and beef filet Bombay with mango pickle to French truffle mushroom risotto and port wine.

 

2. Whimsical wonderland

wonderland
Dessert at Wonderland. Image via Royal Caribbean

What might a glittering, golden sunbeam taste like? And what’s the flavour of your sweet, sugary dreams? No, we haven’t gone mad. That’s just what’s on the menu aboard the Royal Caribbean at the whimsical, wonderful Wonderland, an experiential restaurant created by, again, Cornelius Gallagher (who has his fingers in all the pies!)

Guests are invited to venture away from the ordinary, and escape down the rabbit hole to a fantastical dreamscape of mirrors and fog, mystery and surprise. Here, on the other side of the looking glass, Sun, Ice, Fire, Water, Earth and Dreams are all up for grabs on the menu.

Baby vegetables are served in a petite garden of edible soil and pebbles, mysterious elixirs whisper "Drink me" and grilled dishes encased with a glass cover are surrounded with twirling, billowing smoke.

 

3. Become a qualified wine connoisseur

wine connoisseur

Guests setting sail on Cunard’s 2017 transatlantic and World Cruises have the chance to become a qualified connoisseur in the prestigious wine world.

Accompanying an exclusive series of courses by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), participants can also expect a delicious array of tastings, study materials, a Champagne reception and a four-course lunch.

The interactive classes cover the basics of wine types and styles through sight, smell and taste. Explore the major grape varieties, styles of wines and important wine regions.

Learn about key classifications and labelling, how to store and serve wine, and how to pair different tastes with the right cuisine. Cheers to that!

 

4. What’s cooking inland?

what's cooking inland?

Many cruises offer guests the chance to take a hands-on approach in the kitchen and learn from the very best. Royal Caribbean has just released some incredibly culinary adventures ashore for serious food lovers.

Think pasta making workshops and wine tasting in Tuscany, Tapas tours through the winding, narrow streets of Malaga, and a splash of vodka tasting and Russian cooking in St Petersburg.

Celebrity chef James Martin is also taking some time away from the silver screen to embark on a Mediterranean tour with P&O Britannia. In the ships’ sleek Cookery Club kitchens, James will be hosting a fully participative culinary experience, sharing the art of cooking with a small and select group of travellers.

 

5. Theatrical cuisine

Teppanyaki

Aboard the Norwegian Cruise, an onion volcano bursts into flames and frying shrimps perform acrobatic dances through the air.

At the hibachi-style Japanese restaurant, Teppanyaki, guests are gathered around a large, sizzling iron griddle, where a gut-busting show of slicing, dicing and juggling utensils and food is underway.

This traditional Japanese way of dining meets contemporary chic in a three-course menu, serving up delights such as miso soup and seaweed salad, jumbo steak and green tea cake

 

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