Now open to book, the next Seabourn Food And Wine Cruise brings Seabourn Guests along with a team of culinary experts on a connoisseur’s cruise through Asia. It’s been the top food and wine at sea event for the last two years and the 2016 version looks equally engaging, for a number of reasons.

Based in the Mediterranean for the first and second editions, the 2016 Seabourn Food and Wine Cruise sails in Asia on a 14-day sailing from Hong Kong to Singapore.  That presents some interesting opportunities along with unique challenges in a totally different part of the world.  I know from experience that the Seabourn culinary team is up to the task.   Still, that team will then include influential chef Thomas Keller, charged to create new menu items and a signature restaurant for the Seabourn fleet.  The Keller element could have as big of an impact on the 2016 sailing as the addition of SAVEUR Editor-in-Chief Adam Sachs had on the 2015 version: huge.

“There’s an inherent alignment of our philosophies, which makes our collaboration with Seabourn an exciting new opportunity for our restaurant group. We look forward to sharing our best practices and repertoire with Seabourn’s outstanding culinary team,” – Thomas Keller, Chef/Proprietor Thomas Keller Restaurant Group.

Not throwing out what is already dazzling cuisine, Keller will bring his award-winning French and American cuisine to Seabourn, adding new flavors and flair to complement our already celebrated cuisine.  Already associated with Michelin-starred restaurants – The French Laundry, Per Se, and Bouchon, Keller will begin by developing an array of dishes, ranging from appetizers to entrees to desserts for multiple dining venues aboard Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Sojourn, and Seabourn Quest.  Based on my experiences with Seabourn, it is inevitable that the Keller factor will set the Seabourn Sense wheels in motion, bringing unanticipated culinary wonder along with it.  No, really, that’s not a joke or exaggeration in any possible way.

Example of Seabourn Sense in motion:  At the last Seabourn Food And Wine Cruise, an onstage Conversation with Adam Sachs event put the award winning journalist head to head with highly skilled chefs who came with impressive credentials.  A sommelier filled with youthful passion we hope he never loses rounded out a discussion that put much of what Seabourn Guests had experienced on the nicely-planned itinerary into contemporary perspective. That was understatedly good as it would have been really easy to go off into history overload land on this itinerary.   The selection of Sachs and his influence on the culinary team sent the event flying off into uncharted territory, a huge bonus for we who watch, appreciate, enjoy and report such happenings.

We’ll be watching this closely in anticipation of something great happening, it’s something that is always fun to be around and had Seabourn Guests booking the 2016 Taste Of Asia Food And Wine Cruise while still on board the 2015 version.  They are just that good.

Need more reason to consider this premiere at-sea culinary event?  I have a bunch of them for you

Featured highlights of the Seabourn Food And Wine Cruise

• Cooking demonstration and unique menu items by our celebrity chefs
• Extended Shopping with the Chefs outings ashore
• Daily tastings of local food with wine pairings on board
• Special themed meals and craft cocktails featuring local ingredients
• Festive deck events and gala luncheons with local entertainment
• Wine Appreciation Lectures and Tastings by our Guest Sommelier
• Regional tea time rituals
• Europe versus Asia Cooking Challenge
• Special local folkloric performances will spice up epicurean deck events
• Local chefs will feature authentic dining experiences in the Colonnade throughout
  the cruise
• A Conversation with the Culinary Team to learn more about the culinary traditions
  of the region

90 Scheduled Food And Wine Events

The first Seabourn Food And Wine Cruise racked up 44 individual events on a 10 day sailing.  This year’s got more intense with 47 individual events in just 7 days.  Bigger and better than ever, the lineup of events for the 2016 Seabourn Food And Wine Cruise numbers 90 right now. If this one goes as the last ones, that number will no doubt swell to over 100 by the time it is all said and done.  Let’s take a brief look at what Seabourn has in store for those who come along for what is sure to be the at-sea culinary event of the year, yet again:

1. Asian Epicurean Welcome Party with local lion dance show
2. Colonnade: Chinese Market Dinner featuring local Peking duck
3. Sail away with Live Entertainment and Chinese Desserts
4. Wine Themed Movie: Red Obsession
5. Cooking Demonstration with our Celebrity Chef
6. Dim Sum Bar
7. Mixology Demonstration
8. Local Chef Lunch
9. Culinary Team Trivia
10. Galley Tour
11. Wine Tasting Seminar with our Guest Sommelier
12. Chinese Tea Ritual
13. Captain’s Welcome Reception
14. A Taste of Seabourn Chef’s Dinner
15. Shopping with the Chefs In Hanoi
16. Wine Lecture with our Guest Sommelier
17. Vietnamese Deck Event with Local Entertainment
18. Vietnamese Hot Pot Market Dinner
19. Street Food Dinner at the Patio Grill
20. Mixology Demonstration: Creating Fresh, Local Cocktails
21. Live Noodle Making Demonstration
22. Noodle Themed Lunch
23. Spring Roll Bar at the Patio Grill
24. Mixology Class: The Use of Herbs in Cocktails
25. Galley Tour
26. Cooking with Chilies Demonstration
27. Wine Tasting Seminar with our Guest Sommelier
28. Vietnamese Tea Time
29. Seabourn’s Signature Block Party
30. Celebrity Chef Dinner
31. Shopping with the Chefs in Da Nang
32. Wine Lecture with our Guest Sommelier
33. Local Market Lunch
34. Officers on Deck Event featuring Asian Flavors
35. Dessert Under the Stars
36. Rock the Boat Dance Party
37. Nightcap Cocktails with our Mixologist
38. Vietnamese Cooking Demonstration
39. Sushi Making Demonstration
40. Pho Bar at the Patio Grill
41. Galley Tour
42. Wine Tasting Seminar
43. Food Bazaar Dinner
44. Liquor Tasting with our Mixologist
45. Shopping with the Chefs In Ho Chi Minh City
46. Local Market Lunch
47. Shopping with the Chefs In Ho Chi Minh City (because we overnight there)
48. Vietnamese Market Lunch
49. Epicurean Sail-Away Event
50. Wine Lecture with our Guest Sommelier
51. Mixology Demonstration: Balancing Acidity in Cocktails
52. Cooking Demonstration with our Celebrity Chef
53. Local Ingredient Food Exposition on Deck
54. Wok and Stir Fry Lunch
55. Sate Lunch at the Patio Grill
56. Asia vs. Europe Cooking Challenge
57. Wine Lecture with our Guest Sommelier
58. Galley Tour
59. The Durian Fruit Challenge
60. Cocktail Tasting with our Mixologist
61. Wellness Day with Healthy Themed Events
62. Cambodian Themed Market Lunch
63. The Fine Art School of Phnom Penh Local show
64. Mixology Class: Creating Cocktails with Local Ingredients
65. Seabourn’s Signature Beach Barbecue
66. Caviar in the Surf
67. Coconut Drink Bar
68. Local Beer Tasting
69. Shopping with the Chefs In Bangkok
70. Local lunch featuring Tom Yum
71. Patio Grill: Curry Bar
72. Local Show followed by Thai Themed Sail-Away
73. Thai Dinner
74. Creating Thai Cocktails with our Mixologist
75. Thai Curry Demonstartion
76. Fruit and Vegetable Carving Demonstartion
77. Thai Lunch
78. Phad Thai Bar at the Patio Grill
79. Galley Tour
80. Mixology Demonstration
81. Wine Lecture by our Guest Sommelier
82. Captain’s Farewell Party and Crew Farewell
83. Celebrity Chef Dinner
84. Cooking Demonstration
85. Seabourn’s Signature Galley Market Lunch
86. Culinary Team Trivia — Final Round
87. A Conversation with the Culinary Team
88. Mixology Demonstration
89. The Best of Seabourn Dinner
90. Culinary Movie: Eat, Pray, Love

 Stay tuned for updates and details of all these events as they are released. Better yet, come along!