Van Staden said: “The culinary-themed activities at the heart of Celebrity Cruises’ Excite the Senses cruises aredesigned to appeal to everyone from the novice to the sophisticated oenophile – just like the book itself – and shine a spotlight on all the elements of Celebrity Cruises’ culinary experience, from outstanding service to innovative menus to cutting-edge trends and more.”

The 24 March cruise, which will take place onboard Celebrity Eclipse, will also the other members of Celebrity Cruises’culinary team who will later host their own cruises. The cruise will offer guests a variety of special culinary-themed activities including:

·           An exclusive cocktail and Qsine pairing dinner hosted by Van Staden and “The Liquid Chef” and Master Mixologist Junior Merino

·           A “Corporate Star Chefs” cooking demonstration and question-and-answer session with Celebrity Cruises’food and beverage team

·           Mixology demonstrations

·           Hands-on cooking classes with chefs in the galley

Activities during the Excite the Senses Culinary Theme Cruises will include:

·           Exclusive dinners in Celebrity Cruises’ speciality restaurants

·           Cooking demonstrations focused on the importance of using locally sourced ingredients

·           Wine tastings

·           Sessions on how to host elegant afternoon teas and unique cocktail parties as well ways to enliven holiday traditions with modern twists and tips for creative table settings, and more

Celebrity Cruises’ 2012 Excite the Senses Culinary Theme Cruises’ dates and hosts are:

·           March 24 – 7-night Caribbean cruise onboard Celebrity Eclipse, from Miami (Florida), hosted by Van Staden and team; activities will focus on food, wine, mixology, and entertaining at home.

·           April 10 – 12-night Caribbean cruise onboard the brand-new Celebrity Silhouette, roundtrip from Cape Liberty (Bayonne, New Jersey), hosted by Celebrity Cruises’ traveling pastry chef Thierry Houlbert; activities will focus on baking, pastries and sweets.

·           May 5 – 8-night wine cruise onboard Celebrity Century from San Diego (California) to Vancouver (British Columbia), hosted by Celebrity Cruises’ senior travelling executive chef W. Thomas Szymanski; activities will build on the popular cruises with an even greater focus on food.

·           May 27 – 7-night Bermuda cruise onboard Celebrity Summit – which will have emerged from an extensive drydock revamp several months prior – sailing from Cape Liberty and hosted by Celebrity Cruises’ travelling executive chef Steve van der Merwe; activities will be themed around culinary exploration and Bermuda culinary traditions.

·           June 29 – 7-night Alaska cruise onboard Celebrity Infinity, which has just been revamped, from Seattle and hosted by Celebrity Cruises’ director of culinary operations John Suley and his wife and Celebrity Cruises’ wine expert Chanelle Duarte, who serves as Celebrity Cruises’ beverage development consultant. Activities will focus on local ingredients, food and wine pairing and more.

·           July 10 – 12-night Mediterranean cruise onboard Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Cruises’ flagship vessel, sailing from Barcelona (Spain) and hosted by corporate executive chef Rufino Rengifo. Activities will celebrate Mediterranean cooking.

·           August 12 – 12-night Baltic cruise onboard Celebrity Constellation, the first of Celebrity Cruises’ Millennium Class ships to be overhauled, sailing from Amsterdam and hosted by Lorenzo Davidoiu, Celebrity Cruises’ restaurant operations manager, who will focus on easy, modern entertaining tips.

·           September 14 – 8-night wine cruise onboard Celebrity Millennium, which will be revamped in May 2012, sailing from Vancouver to San Diego and hosted by Celebrity Cruises’ travelling restaurant manager and former star maitre d’ Dominique Gamba, who will focus on speciality cheeses from around the world, the art of tea service, table settings and entertaining tips.

About the hosts

·           Jacques Van Staden originally from South Africa, he began his culinary career at the age of 14. He held positions at several Washington, D.C. and Las Vegas restaurants before joining Celebrity Cruises, where he has evolved the guest experience to a series of world class restaurant, bar and lounge experiences blending global influences, classic culinary fundamentals and contemporary trends with a keen eye for detail and artistic flair.

·           Top up-and-coming chef John Suley joined Celebrity Cruises in 2011 as director of culinary operations. Previously, Suley worked at several highly regarded restaurants in New York, Miami and Las Vegas, alongside some of the world’s most well-known chefs.

·           Renowned mixologist Junior Merino began his career at age 16. He went on to form “The Liquid Chef Inc.” with the mission of showcasing the artistry and mixing of ingredients and liquors. His “Molecular Bar” concept on Celebrity Cruises’ Solstice Class ships is one of the most unique beverage experiences at sea.

·           Rufino Rengifo has worked in restaurants in New York, Miami, Boca Raton, Caracas and Milan. Rengifo also represented Latin Fusion Gastronomy at The World Food Festival in Europe and opened several restaurants before becoming the executive chef for Celebrity Cruises.

·           Steve Van der Merwe started his career in a small pizzeria in South Africa, which eventually led to him working in all levels of culinary positions, to where he reached Master Chef as recognised by Chaine des Rotisseurs. Steve joined Celebrity Cruises in 2008.

·           W. Thomas Szymanski born in Poland, Szymanski grew up in Germany, joined Celebrity Cruises in 1997, and eventually became the chef responsible for travelling to ships around the world to train kitchen staff on the creation of Celebrity Cruises’ award-winning cuisine.

·           Thierry Houlbert discovered a passion for baking on his grandmother’s farm. After a dozen years spent baking in Paris, St. Tropez and Monaco, Houlbert joined Celebrity Cruises in 1994, and today is responsible for the fleet’s pastry and bakery departments.

·           Having previously worked with several luxury dining venues, certified sommelier Chanelle Duarte has successfully assisted in developing and implementing unique onboard beverage concepts, including the Blu wine menu and the Michael’s Club beer experience that debuted on Celebrity Silhouette earlier this year.

·           Originally from Romania, Lorenzo Davidoiu began his career with Celebrity Cruises as an assistant waiter. 15 years at sea led him to his current role as manager of restaurant operations. He supervises the execution of Celebrity Cruises’ dining experience, including crew training efforts and the design and development of restaurant concepts.

·           Dominique Gamba attended culinary school in Provence (France) before working on a Seine river boat which offered gourmet dining. He took his career to land for an experience in a Michelin-star restaurant in Paris before joining Celebrity Cruises.