11 New Immersive Culinary Programmes Bolster Brand Promise for World Class Culinary Experiences
Seven New Immersive Epicurean Spotlight Voyages Revealed with Further Culinary-Focused Initiatives to be Announced

Regent Seven Seas Cruises®, leading luxury ocean cruise line, has unveiled its new immersive culinary programme - Epicurean Perfection - inspiring culinary exploration and experiences with a myriad of opportunities for guests to satiate their inner gourmand and savour their journey onboard The World’s Most Luxurious Fleet™.

To launch Epicurean Perfection, Regent has unveiled 11 Epicurean Spotlight Voyages that will  sail in 2023, 2024 and 2025. All 11  cruises will offer discerning travellers incomparable experiences with some of the world’s most talented and successful culinary figures.

“Nothing enhances travel like cuisine. That is why we are unveiling our new Epicurean Perfection programming, so our guests have an unrivalled culinary experience both onboard and ashore with our collection of world class restaurants, immersive shore excursions, tours, classes, and tastings,” said Andrea DeMarco, President of Regent Seven Seas Cruises. “We’re excited to launch our new Epicurean Spotlight Voyages with world-renowned chefs, vintners and sommeliers who will provide fascinating insights and unforgettable moments for our guests.”

Epicurean Perfection gives  guests the opportunity to taste the world around them through Unrivalled Cuisine, Epicurean Explorations and Epicurean Enrichment. The new concept, perfected by Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ seasoned culinary teams, features exquisite cuisine in up to five speciality restaurants, immersive shoreside excursions, private fine wine and spirit tasting sessions, enriching hands-on cooking classes as part of its state-of-the-art Culinary Arts Kitchen, plus enlightening demonstrations, talks and presentations.

In addition, guests may discover more about the personal experiences and influences from around the globe that have inspired Regent’s culinary teams in the cruise line’s  video series Heritage Stories.
More about Regent’s pursuit for Epicurean Perfection at RSSC.com/experience/epicurean-perfection.

New Epicurean Spotlight Voyages
The first of several culinary initiatives to be launched this year, includes a collection of 11 immersive Epicurean Spotlight Voyages featuring world-class chefs and masterful vintners specially curated for voyages onboard Seven Seas Grandeur™, Seven Seas Splendor® and Seven Seas Explorer®, Seven Seas Mariner®, and Seven Seas Voyager®.

all images provided by Regent Seven Seas Cruises®     image - Compass Rose - American Paddlefish Profiteroles ©RSSC

Epicurean Spotlight with Chef Mark Bittman and Executive Culinary Director Wolfgang Maier
Seven Seas Explorer® - June 21, 2023
Seward, Alaska to Vancouver, British Columbia

Epicurean Spotlight with Chef Alain Roux & Chef Michael Nizzero
Seven Seas Mariner® - August 14, 2023
Rome (Civitavecchia) to Venice (Fusina)

Epicurean Spotlight with Chef Vincent
Seven Seas Explorer® August 30, 2023
Seward, Alaska to Vancouver, British Columbia

Epicurean Spotlight on Wine with Doug Frost, Master Sommelier
Seven Seas Splendor® October 8, 2023
Barcelona (Tarragona) to Venice (Fusina)

Epicurean Spotlight on Wine with Honig Wineries
Seven Seas Splendor® November 6, 2023
Athens (Piraeus) to Rome (Civitavecchia)

Epicurean Spotlight on Wine with Caldwell Vineyard
Seven Seas Voyager® March 9, 2024
Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro

Epicurean Spotlight on Wine with CAST Wines
Seven Seas Splendor® April 14, 2024
Barcelona to Rome (Civitavecchia)

Epicurean Spotlight on Wine with Sbragia Family Vineyards
Seven Seas Voyager® May 8, 2024
Istanbul to Athens (Piraeus)

Epicurean Spotlight with Chef Tommaso and Celebrity John O’Hurley
Seven Seas Grandeur™ August 14, 2024
Athens (Piraeus), Greece to Barcelona, Spain

Epicurean Spotlight with ZAP: Zinfandel Advocates and Producers
Seven Seas Explorer® March 31, 2025
Tokyo to Tokyo​

all images provided by Regent Seven Seas Cruises®     Pacific Rim - Salmon & Tuna Sashimi​ ©RSSC
Epicurean Explorer Tours: Step ashore to taste and discover ancient markets and world-class restaurants before returning to the ship to incorporate new learnings in the Culinary Arts Kitchen.

Wine & Spirits Tours: Experience delectable beverages produced in the destination, from vineyards in Bordeaux to an Irish distillery.

Food & Wine Tours: Led by knowledgeable culinary professionals and in partnership with Food & Wine Trails, these curated tours include various delectable food and wine experiences.

Local Flavours Tours: Dine in the spots favoured by discerning locals for authentic culinary experiences 

Epicurean Spotlight Voyages: These Spotlight Voyages specially curated  are crafted around particular culinary interests and guests including vintners and chefs.

 Culinary Arts Kitchen Experience: Expanding on the success of Regent’s world-class Culinary Arts Kitchen – a professional-grade culinary teaching facility aboard Seven Seas Grandeur, Seven Seas Splendor, and Seven Seas Explorer – the Culinary Arts Kitchen Experiences offer hands-on classes, special demonstrations and tours.

Epicurean Engagements: Part of the luxury cruise line’s enriching Speaker Series,  talks and presentations offer insights from culinary experts.

The fascinating culinary expedition surrounding the refined menu in Sette Mari was documented in a short film which can be viewed here.

Long-standing culinary traditions of the south of France used to inspire new recipes and wine options in Regent’s  French restaurant Chartreuse can be viewed here.

For more information visit RSSC.com , call 023 8068 2280 or contact a professional travel advisor.
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           Luxury Yachting Line To Sail SeaDream III In North & Baltic Seas On New Itineraries  
 
Having successfully sailed four Scandinavia seasons bringing travellers to  Norwegian Fjord villages that other lines cannot reach, SeaDream Yacht Club has announced that the luxury yachting line will return to Scandinavia and Northern Europe in summer 2025 with SeaDream II. The intimate, modernised yacht will embark on 14 memorable voyages from May - August 2025 and call on a total of 46 individual ports on seven- to 11-night itineraries. Guests will enjoy longer summer days and the midnight sun as they take in these breath taking destinations with late-night and midnight departures on all voyages. SeaDream II’s new 2025 Scandinavia and Northern Europe season is open for sale. For more information, please visit www.SeaDream.com.
           
“SeaDream Yacht Club is Norwegian-family owned and operated and Norway and Northern Europe is our backyard,” said Atle Brynestad, founder, owner and chairman of SeaDream Yacht Club. “We have selected some of the most breath taking and fascinating destinations throughout the region. Guests will enjoy one-to-one, personalised service on our yachts and sail through small channels and narrow waterways that larger vessels cannot enter for a distinctive yachting experience.”
 
SeaDream II starts her 2025 Scandinavia and Northern Europe season with a 10-night voyage departing 5 May from Lisbon to Bordeaux. Guests will enjoy late evening stays in port and overnight stays in Bilbao and Bordeaux. A special seven-night voyage departing 15 May will bring guests up the Thames to London, where the yacht will overnight alongside the historic HMS Belfast, adjacent to Tower Bridge.
 
Four voyages offering 10-night itineraries in June and seven-night itineraries in July highlight some of the most picturesque villages and fjord lands of Norway. Guests visit off-the-beaten-path destinations including Måløy, Kalvåg, Vik, Rosendal and Svolvaer. On these voyages, guests overnight in Reine, Lofoten Islands, where they can  take in the midnight sun. On  June voyages, SeaDream II also brings guests into the majestic Trollfjord of the Nordland.
 
SeaDream II will also sail six voyages to Northern European and Baltic destinations in Germany, Denmark and Sweden. Guests will sail between Oslo and Stockholm visiting Frederikshavn, Copenhagen and Ronne, Denmark and  seaside resort destinations of Warnemünde and Sassnitz, Germany.  Two voyages, a seven-night itinerary departing 24 May from London and a 10-night voyage departing 9 August from Oslo  transit the Kiel Canal and finish with two nights docked in Bordeaux where guests have convenient access to the city and surrounding experiences.
 
Travellers can also choose a voyage in the Baltic Sea, departing 11 July round trip from Stockholm. The ship calls at Visby, Sweden; Klaipeda, Lithuania; Kuressaare and Tallinn in Estonia and Helsinki, Turku and Mariehamn in Finland.
 
SeaDream II’s 2025 Scandinavia and Northern Europe season concludes with an 11-night, Spain and Portugal itinerary, which begins and ends with an overnight in Bordeaux and Seville, respectively. Ports of call include San Sebastian, Bilbao, A Coruna and Vigo, Spain and Portugal’s Porto and Portimao.
 
Further information from SeaDream Yacht Club tel 0800 783 1371 or visit www.seadream.com

​So there I was, perched precariously on an uncomfortable narrow seat in the tractor-hauled cart as it bumped its way up the hill heading for the main street ‘The Avenue.’ A few minutes earlier I had alighted from a rocky, one hour crossing on the boat from Guernsey.  The rain had stopped, which renewed my enthusiasm for exploring tiny Sark, an island which is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey.  It is unique in that it is a fiefdom granted to the Seigneurie of St Ouen in Jersey back in 1565, with the proviso that he kept the island free from pirates.      
​click on any image to enlarge     words/images (c) Gilly Pickup

​Alighting thankfully from the buggy, I walked passed the prison, possibly the world’s smallest with only two cells –  a local told me that it is still used for rare, overnight stays. I was heading for historic manor house, ‘La Seigneurie’ built around 1675.  Though the house, permanent residence of the present Seigneur – the head of Sark, is not open to the public, the grounds are open daily and it is one of Sark's most popular attractions. There is a café in the gardens where I had coffee and cake then suitably refreshed, set off again past deep winding valleys bursting with wild flowers, white washed cottages and berry-laden hedgerows to the Hog's Back headland, a favourite spot with picnickers. Dixcart Wood is worth a visit too, in spring it is carpeted in bluebells and it remains a blaze of year round colour thanks to the profusion of celandines, primroses, three-cornered garlic, red campion and ferns which grow here.  Those seeking more adrenaline fuelled pastimes can try coasteering, geocaching or kayaking  while at low tide, there are coastal caves to explore.

Sark has no street lights so if locals go out at night they have to carry a torch to see where they are going. Since there is no light pollution, the night sky can be viewed in all its glory and Sark was designated the world’s dark sky first island in 2011. No special equipment is needed to enjoy the starry display but there is a powerful telescope in a small observatory – well, a shed really - primarily designed to keep star-gazers warm at night. If you go, you’ll be bound to see the creamy rich Milky Way, a display of shooting stars is almost guaranteed and you will be mesmerised by the twinkling lights of Guernsey far across the sea.
Read about Guernsey's wildlife here
 
The rest of my brief visit to the Channel Islands was spent in Guernsey, famed for its flowers and fabulous seafood and one of the few places in the world where Santa Claus arrives by lifeboat, rendering Rudolf redundant. It’s a small island, only 25sq miles, but has a variety of landscapes from rocky inlets to high-sided woodland and curving pastures. It’s easy to get whisked back in time as almost everywhere you look here there is evidence of a fascinating past, from medieval castles, forts and watchtowers to landmarks providing memories of the years when Hitler’s forces invaded the islands, particularly La Valette German Underground Museum and the Occupation Museum with its hoard of war relics.  No modern fast food outlets are allowed on Guernsey either, it has stuck to its guns.  No MacDonalds, Pizza Hut or Starbucks. Well maybe that’s no bad thing.

Victor Hugo was so enamoured with the island that he was inspired to write most of Les Miserables there during his 15 year stay.  He described his new homeland as ‘the rock of hospitality, this corner of old Norman land where the noble people of the sea reside.’ I wanted to visit his house but it was closed so had to make do with standing outside and imagining what it might look like from the inside.   I did get inside Castle Cornet though, last remaining royalist stronghold during the last throes of the English Civil War. Unfortunately for the governor’s wife, an explosion in 1672 in the gunpowder store blew off the top of the tower and she was killed. Today, it contains several museums, including one devoted to all things seafaring while its gardens are great for wafting round on a pleasant day.
 
Foodies should know that everywhere you go in Guernsey you’ll enjoy fantastic fare.  Personally  I like 'gache’, the local finger-licking fruit loaf  traditionally eaten smothered with rich golden Guernsey butter. Fish fans must savour a bumper bowl of seriously fabulous ‘moules’, probably the freshest you’re likely to find. Add to that friendly locals, interesting scenery and inexpensive car rental and you’ll wonder, as I did, why it took you so long to visit. 

​images (c) Gilly Pickup

Sark Visitor Centre                                 Guernsey Tourism
Condor Ferries operates year round services from Poole to Guernsey
 Isle of Sark Shipping Company operate regular sailings from Guernsey to Sark

 Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has unveiled its new cruising programme with more than 100 hand-crafted sailings and the introduction of new Journey Navigators across its fleet of smaller ships.

The programme includes opportunities to witness Norway’s Langfoss Waterfall in  spring,  explore the Azores and visit Lapland in the summer months.
image : Aurora Restaurant on Borealis (c) Fred.Olsen 
Trips range from two to 93-nights, with regional departures from Liverpool, Newcastle, Rosyth, Southampton, Dover, London Tilbury and Belfast. The programme also features the return of a fly-cruise programme, with Braemar based in the Caribbean for the winter months.
 
The brochure unveils Fred. Olsen’s new Journey Navigators – Nature Scouts, Culture Curators, Maritime Guides and Entertainment Hosts. Guests who book a sailing can enjoy up to £250 per person to spend on board or up to £500 when booking a suite.
 
Martin Lister, Head of Itinerary Planning and Destination Experience Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said:
 “This has been such an exciting programme to curate. Our smaller ships allow us to offer special experiences for our guests and we’ve been  creative with our itinerary planning to shine a spotlight on this. We will be cruising scenic waterways that are out of reach for larger ships, including the Kiel Canal, the Seine and Loire. Braemar is also set to repeat her record-breaking feat of transiting the ultra-narrow Corinth Canal – an experience not to be missed. We also know that guests want  authentic experiences ashore  so we are developing a programme to support this. In Madeira, for example, rather than simply visit the world-famous gardens, guests can meet with a local orchid expert for a garden tour, including that of a family-run orchid farm. Guests will find our new Journey Navigators on-board each of our ships to bring to life the Joy of the Journey and all that is great about being at sea from holding stargazing events out on deck, to tours of the Bridge to celebrate our maritime history.”

Balmoral’s seven-night L2411 ‘Mighty Waterfalls and Norwegian Fjords’ cruise, departing Newcastle 26th April 2024. Prices  from £1,099 per person.
Itinerary: Newcastle– Cruising Lysefjord, Norway – Cruising Hardangerfjord – Eidfjord– Cruising Maurangerfjord and Furebergfossen– Cruising Åkrafjord and Langfoss Waterfall – Bergen– Cruising Nordfjord – Olden – Cruising by Hornelen – Åndalsnes – Cruising Romsdalfjorden and Isfjorden - Newcastle
For more details: Visit L2411 ‘Mighty Waterfalls and Norwegian Fjords’  
 
For more information on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, visit fredolsencruises.com. Book online, call  Reservations on 0800 0355 242 Mon to Fri, 8.30am to 6pm; Sat, 9am to 5pm, or contact your ABTA travel agent.
 image (c) Fred. Olsen: Braemar going through the Corinth Canal ​