Foodies: Cruise With Amazing Chefs

Our friends at MSC Cruises just announced a series of awesome culinary events aboard their MSC Yacht Club ships. Here is the official press release.

This winter, culinary enthusiasts aboard MSC Yacht Club can sample world-class cuisine prepared to perfection by four celebrity guest chefs from Spain, Italy, France and the United Kingdom. The four delectable voyages, which take place aboard MSC Fantasia on November 27, 2011 and continue with MSC Splendida until February 11, 2012, have been designed to provide a true gastronomic adventure for the guest.

Packages lead in at $3,939 per person based on a seven-night sailing aboard MSC Splendida inclusive of Yacht Club accommodations, economy flights from select gateways, ground transfers, one-night post hotel accommodations, and up to $250 shipboard credit per person.

“We are delighted to have handpicked a group of celebrity chefs from four culinary capitals of the world,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, Chief Executive Officer of MSC Cruises Worldwide. “While exploring the most intriguing destinations in the Mediterranean, MSC Yacht Club guests will also sample the best of European cuisines, diligently prepared with the finest ingredients, for the ultimate dining experience that is rarely found on a cruise ship.”

Savvy gourmet travelers aboard MSC Yacht Club, available exclusively on MSC Fantasia and MSC Splendida can place an order for the following gourmet cruises:

MSC Fantasia, November 27, 2011-December 8, 2011:

MSC Yacht Club guests can sample the best of Spanish cuisine, with a two-time Michelin Star winner Paco Roncero at the helm. With a specialty in the different textures and flavors of olive oil, Roncero is acclaimed as a leader in the molecular gastronomy movement. The Renaissance man is also the Executive Chef and Manager of Casino de Madrid and Estado Puro, both offering an innovative spin on traditional favorites; a contributor to the gastronomy section of El Pais, the first national daily Spanish newspaper; and a beloved star on Spanish food television shows.

MSC Splendida, January 7, 2012-January 14, 2012:

As MSC Yacht Club greets guests with genuine Italian hospitality, Chef Mauro Uliassi from Italy aptly welcomes culinary enthusiasts with authentic flavors from his home. With two Michelin Stars under his apron, the master of fish is the co-owner of Uliassi in his hometown, Senigallia, which holds a coveted Three Forks award from the renowned Italian Restaurant guide, Gambero Rosso. The celebrated restaurant has also received the “Excellent Cuisine” award as well as the “Recognition of Magnificence” from the Accademia della Cucina Italiana from 2003 to 2010.

MSC Splendida, January 28, 2012-February 4, 2012:

Chef Gilles Epié joins MSC Yacht Club from France. Awarded a Michelin Star at the age of 22, Epié has seasoned his career with a 10-year tenure in the United States, where he was celebrated as the Best Chef by Food & Wine magazine for L’Orangerie in Los Angeles. Culinary buffs will savor a blend of French and New World cuisines, which can also be found at Epié’s restaurant in Paris, Citrus Etoile.

MSC Splendida, February 4, 2012-February 11, 2012:

Celebrity Chef Antony Worrall Thompson from the United Kingdom might be familiar to most travelers and culinary buffs alike from the popular television show, “I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here” on ITV. Always at the forefront of food and health issues, Thompson brings more than 30 years of culinary experience to the MSC Yacht Club tables. His new book, The Essential Low Fat Cookbook: Good Healthy Eating for Everyday, highlights healthy and appetizing options that are also offered aboard MSC Splendida. The recipe for his flavorful career also includes his first restaurant, Ménage à Trois, which was favored by the late Princess Diana.

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About MSC Yacht Club:

MSC Yacht Club introduces the ship within a ship concept aboard the prestigious foredecks of MSC’s designer flagships, MSC Fantasia and MSC Splendida. The third Yacht Club is scheduled to launch on May 2012 aboard the brand-new MSC Divina. MSC Yacht Club guests enjoy an array of exclusive amenities: Italian designed luxurious suites, complimentary fine dining in a private gourmet restaurant as well as complimentary selection of wines, liquor, soft drinks and juices, 24-hour butler service, 24-hour concierge service, private entrance to and priority reservations at the MSC Aurea spa, private pool, and sundeck Jacuzzi with bar & outdoor café, and more.

About MSC Cruises:

MSC Cruises is the world’s leading cruise company in the Mediterranean, South African and Brazilian markets and operates across the globe. Its modern fleet comprises eleven ships: MSC Splendida and MSC Fantasia (the largest ships ever built for a European ship owner), MSC Poesia, MSC Orchestra, MSC Musica, MSC Sinfonia, MSC Armonia, MSC Opera, MSC Lirica and MSC Melody. MSC Magnifica, the newest ship in the fleet, was launched in March 2010. The fleet cruises year-round in the Mediterranean and seasonally in Northern Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean, North America and Canada, South America, the Indian Ocean and South and West Africa. MSC Cruises is the only company in the world to receive the “6 Golden Pearls” award from the Bureau Veritas in recognition of its high level of quality management and environmental responsibility. MSC has also achieved ISO 9001 and ISO 22000 certification for the quality and food safety of all aspects of its catering, both onshore and onboard. MSC Cruises cares about the welfare of children, and as a responsible market leader believes in making a positive impact in the regions where it operates. To this end, the company recently forged a partnership with UNICEF to fund a community project aimed at providing disadvantaged children in Brazil with a quality education.