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Putting the spotlight on cruises' 2020 chef residencies

Features18 Jan 2020by Charlotte Flach

A highlight of cruising is often the food and drink, with big-name chefs increasing the allure.

Charlotte Flach

Acting deputy features editor

Charlotte Flach

Acting deputy features editor

Chefs Michel Roux Junior, Nobu Matsuhisa and Marco Pierre White

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Putting the spotlight on cruises' 2020 chef residencies

Here are three new onboard chef residencies for 2020 that combine the celebrity factor with high-end eating and drinking.

The foodie festival

Queen Mary 2

Cunard’s first ever Festival of Food and Wine onboard Queen Mary 2 will feature an appearance from Michel Roux Junior.

The patron of Le Gavroche will host a series of dinners in The Verandah restaurant as well as a three-course signature gala menu in the Britannia Grill.

He will also be joined by Rachel Humphrey, executive chef at Le Gavroche.

Lee Powell, vice president of brand and product for Cunard, says: “In addition to Michel holding a cooking demonstration and a Q&A during the crossing, guests will also have the opportunity to join the Cunard Wine Academy and gain a WSET Level 1 award, a recognised qualification by the Wine and Spirit Education Trust.”

Book it

The seven-night Transatlantic Crossing from 7-14 June 2020 is priced from £1,599pp based on two sharing a Britannia Balcony Stateroom. Flights and transfers included.

• cunard.com

The exclusive dinners

Crystal Endeavor

Guests on Crystal Endeavor’s Indonesian Immersive and Great Barrier Reef cruise in October can enjoy cuisine by Japanese celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa.

Three limited-availability dinners, with two hosted in restaurant Umi Uma for 30 people, will feature a menu of Nobu’s specialties ($200pp).

The Omakase Sushi Bar and Ultimate Vintage Connoisseur Wine Dinner is limited to just nine guests and takes place in the Vintage Room, offering multiple courses paired with sake and wine ($1,000pp).

“Guests will have a number of other opportunities to mingle with Nobu, including during a cooking demo and a cookbook signing,” says Toni Neumeister, Crystal’s senior vice president of hotel operations.

Book it

Prices for the 16-night cruise onboard Crystal Endeavor start from £13,688pp. All meals and drinks, some excursions, port taxes and gratuities are included.

• crystalcruises.com

Nobu Matsuhisa will be onboard Crystal Endeavor’s Indonesian Immersive

The cookery club

Iona

Clients can join renowned chef Marco Pierre White on selected P&O sailings in 2020, including on new ship Iona, as part of the line’s Food Heroes experiences.

On Iona he will take part in interactive cookery shows, book signings and Q&A sessions.

On Britannia, guests can attend Pierre White’s hosted masterclasses in the Cookery Club and learn to create several of his popular dishes, as well as attend hosted dinners.

“We are also partnering with three new ‘local food heroes’ to bring local flavours into dining experiences on selected Iona sailings,” says P&O Cruises’ president Paul Ludlow. “All three chefs, including Spanish-born, UK-based chef Jose Pizarro, are well known both in their own country and further afield.”