Regent Seven Seas Cruises has rolled out a new collection of culinary experiences as part of its “Epicurean Perfection” program to mark Seven Seas Explorer’s inaugural season in Alaska. From June to September, the 746-guest Seven Seas Explorer will offer 15, seven-night sailings between Seward and Vancouver.
The three “Epicurean Explorer Tours” and three new Culinary Arts Kitchen classes will be themed around the cuisine of the Pacific Northwest. Highlights on land include a visit to a sustainable oyster and kelp farm, a catamaran ride through a glacier-carved fjord to a sustainable wild Alaska salmon hatchery and opportunities to sample local delights.
New classes on board showcase recipes from dishes found in the Vancouver, British Columbia and Seattle area, how to make sustainable seafood selections, and for the first time ever, the Culinary Arts Kitchen team, led by Chef Kathryn Kelly, executive chef director of culinary enrichment for Regent Seven Seas Cruises, have designed a class specifically for six–16 year olds.
The new “Epicurean Explorer Tours” will include destinations such as Ketchikan, Sitka and Juneau.
In Ketchikan, guests will join a chef instructor for a visit to a family-owned sustainable oyster and kelp farm. They will learn how the oysters are nurtured as they grow from thumbnail size to market size. They will get to know how conditions affect oysters and kelp by tasting them. After a visit to the farm, participants return to the Culinary Arts Kitchen for a 90-minute class covering seven culinary techniques for flawless fish cookery at home.
The tour to Sitka is an immersion into the salmon industry in Alaska. On the way to a local fish hatchery, guests will pass many of the scenic highlights of the historic Silver Bay region. They can enjoy a covered catamaran ride through a glacier-carved fjord to arrive at the sustainable wild Alaska salmon hatchery. The tour concludes with a seafood-centric lunch at an in-town restaurant hosted by a famed local chef.
Hosted by a chef instructor and a renowned local chef, guests will enjoy a visit to Juneau while learning about the seafood industry and the local passion for craft beers. It ends with a guided tour of the local town pointing out gourmet shops with smoked salmons to take back home.
Culinary Arts Kitchen classes include:
- “Taste the Northwest Kitchen,” with recipes inspired by acclaimed chefs and restaurants found in Vancouver BC and Seattle
- “Master Chef Junior,” a new class, where grandparents or parents serve as sous chefs for their six- to16-year-old chefs
- Demonstrations and lectures entitled “Find Another Fish,” intended to guide guests in choosing more sustainable fish at local markets or restaurants.
Children aged two to 17 years sail free on six cruises in Alaska for new reservations made by May 31, 2023. Additionally, “Luxury in Alaska” offers savings of up to 20 percent on 12 cruises for new reservations made by April 29, 2023.
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