Without a doubt, one of Silversea’s strongest selling points is their fine wines and cuisine; they are absolutely superb.  The diversity and excellence of their dining options is due in large part to their relationship with the prestigious Grands Chefs Relais & Châteaux, who not only influence their culinary offerings but also work with them to present the very popular L’École des Chefs cooking school.

In response to the demand for their L’École des Chefs cooking school, Silversea has included it in four additional voyages this year.  The program, hosted by Silverseas culinary trainer and French cooking expert David Bilsland, incorporates hands-on instruction and entertaining events.

The curriculum is composed of basic kitchen skills (like knife handling and culinary terminology) as well as instruction in sauces and baking; cooking demonstrations with wine pairings and interactive Q&A sessions; lively cooking competitions, tasting opportunities and “Take It Home” recipes for entertaining at home.

Itinerary permitting, the line will also offer a “Market to the Plate” option that includes an escorted tour of a local market followed by a cooking class, and a “Culinary Outing.”   (Guests participate in an instructor-escorted excursion to a local restaurant, hotel or other venue to experience a unique culinary exploration.)

The new L’École des Chefs voyages for 2011 are:

NORTHERN EUROPE

Voyage 4122: Silver Whisper departs Stockholm July 23 on a 7-day sailing to Copenhagen with calls in Tallinn, St. Petersburg (3-day/2-night stopover) and Helsinki.

Voyage 1121: Silver Cloud departs Copenhagen July 30 on a 17-day roundtrip sailing with calls in Alesund, Geiranger, Helleysilt, Lofoten, Tromso, Honningsvag (North Cape), Murmansk, Archangel (overnight visit), Hammerfest and Kristiansund.

FAR EAST

Voyage 3126: Silver Shadow departs Incheon (Seoul) September 23 on a 12-day sailing to Hong Kong with calls in Qingdao, Shanghai, Jiangyin, Nanjing and Xiamen. Highlights include cruising the Yangtze River and overnight stays in Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Voyage 3127: Silver Shadow departs Hong Kong October 5 on a 12-day sailing to Singapore with calls in Chan May, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Ko Samui, and Kuantan. Highlights include overnight stays in Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok.

Learn more about Silversea cruises here.

Let Agents Compete for your All-Inclusive Resort Vacation

We are pleased to invite you to try our new service: ResortCompete.com. Based on the same model as CruiseCompete, ResortCompete lets you select an all-inclusive resort and receive competing quotes from resort specialists. You can then compare offers and contact sellers for more information or to book.

We have built a brand-new software platform to operate ResortCompete. As with any new effort, we don’t expect to be perfect from day one, so any feedback you can provide to us would be greatly appreciated. We hope you will give ResortCompete a try!

Beauty at Sea – NCL’s latest spa innovation: BOTOX at sea

Tooth whitening, microdermabrasion and cellulite removal have been available at sea for some time, now, select Norwegian Cruise Line medi-spas operated by Mandara now offer a variety of BOTOX Cosmetic and Restylane and Perlane facial aesthetic treatments for cruise guests. They are currently available on the Norwegian Dawn, Gem and Spirit, with plans to launch the program fleet-wide this fall. All of the procedures are under the supervision of Steiner Transocean medical director Dr. Brad Herman, a Miami-based, board-certified plastic surgeon and his team of medically licensed doctors who have been trained specifically in these treatments. Guests interested in safely and effectively soften facial lines and wrinkles while on vacation can schedule a 30-minute consultation with the medi-spa physician on board, who will create an individualized treatment plan.

West coast cruisers entranced by Disney Magic’s return to Los Angeles

Summer will be magical at the Port of Los Angeles, with the return of the Disney Magic cruise ship for a limited engagement of seven-night cruises to the Mexican Riviera. The ship is in the midst of 12 consecutive seven-night cruise vacations from Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera ports of Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta, running through August 10. Cabo San Lucas treats guests to a white sand beaches, crystal-blue waters and picturesque mountain vistas. Mazatlan provides a glimpse into Mexico’s rich history and culture, while Puerto Vallarta features 100 miles of scenic coastline and the chance to enjoy the natural beauty of the country. Shore excursion opportunities include, among others, a waterfall and hot springs tour in Cabo San Lucas and a private villa at Caletas in Puerto Vallarta. Disney’s onboard entertainment includes Minnie’s Fiesta Grande, Pinta parties and plenty more fun for all ages.

Silversea welcomes addition of Prince Albert II to expedition ship roster

Earlier this month, the expedition ship Prince Albert II officially joined the luxury Silversea fleet and welcomes its first guests this week as part of its inaugural season of voyages focusing on polar adventures. The Prince Albert II sets sail to the Arctic Circle; Svalbard, Iceland and Greenland for the summer, and then repositions to South America and Antarctica for fall and winter voyages. The ship features the largest average-size accommodations of any expedition ship at sea, with 20 premium suites of 350-675 square feet of living space. In addition, all 66 ocean-view cabins are well appointed and have private marble bathrooms and bathtubs. Silversea is a provisional member of the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators, dedicated to managing respectable, environmentally friendly and safe expedition cruising in the Arctic. It also is a member of the Association of Antarctic Tour Operators.

Onboard, savor a convivial cosmopolitan ambience and many special amenities usually found only on larger ships, including a spacious Library with an Internet Cafe, boutique shopping, a full-service spa, beauty salon, fitness centre, sauna and two top-deck whirlpools. Prince Albert II even features live evening entertainment and The Humidor, where connoisseurs can enjoy the finest cigars and cognacs – diversions offered by no other expedition ship.

Celebrity Solstice setting sail earlier than planned; three cruises added

Celebrity Solstice is now scheduled to enter service with a Thanksgiving holiday Caribbean cruise embarking November 23, three weeks prior to its previously announced launch of December 14. The trip departs roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, with stops at San Juan, Puerto Rico, Philipsburg, St Maarten, and Basseterre, St. Kitts. This is followed by two additional seven-night Caribbean cruises, November 30 and December 7. Guests who booked cabins on the Solstice’s originally scheduled maiden voyage on December 14 can switch to the November 23 sailing without penalty through June 12.

If your ideal cruise vacation actually involves a set of golf clubs, now is the chance to tee it up at sea and play at some of the most picturesque and challenging golf links found anywhere in the world.

In addition to personalized on-board professional golf instruction and the chance to meet tour pros, a number of cruise lines offer special land excursions to unforgettable golf destinations throughout the Caribbean, South Pacific, Mediterranean and Mexico.

Ultra-luxury Silversea Cruises has expanded its popular “Silver Links” golf program to 12 cruises in 2008. Golfers can perfect their swing on 35 world-class courses in 16 countries and islands. The golfing excursions, arranged and escorted by a ship’s golf professional, range in price from course to course and include transfers, pull or power-drive carts (where available) and all green and caddy fees.

The following is but a sampling of the Silver Links voyages and golf courses to be played by cruisers this year:

Silver Shadow departs May 16 on a 15-day Panama Canal crossing from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles, with golf excursions to La Iguana at Los Suenos (Puntarenas); Tres Vidas Golf Club (Acapulco); and El Tigre Golf Club (Puerto Vallarta).

Silver Whisper leaves July 19 on a 7-day Mediterranean sailing from Rome to Monte Carlo; golfers can play at Golf Park Mallorca (Palma de Mallorca); PGA at Catalunya Golf Club (Barcelona); Servannes Golf Club (Sete); and Sainte Maxime Golf Club (St. Tropez).

Silver Whisper departs Aug. 16 on a 7-day Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona to Rome, with golf excursions to Cannes Mougins Golf Club (Menton); Cosmopolitan Golf Club (Livorno); and the Monte Carlo Golf Club.

Silver Shadow leaves Sept. 17 on an 11-day Mexican Riviera voyage from Los Angeles to Costa Rica, with rounds at Cabo del Sol Desert Course (Cabo San Lucas); El Tigre Golf Club (Puerto Vallarta); Club de Golf Marina Ixtapa (Zihuatanejo); and Tres Vidas Golf Club (Acapulco).

Silver Shadow departs Dec. 3 on a 9-day Caribbean sailing from Fort Lauderdale to Barbados; golfers can play at Antigua’s Cedar Valley Golf Club, the St. Lucia Golf & Country Club and Sandy Lane Country Club in Barbados.

Silver Whisper takes a 15-day holiday cruise to the South Pacific, leaving Dec. 20 from Sydney to Auckland. Tee times are set at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club, Royal Hobart Golf Club, St. Clair golf Club (Dunedin), Clearwater Golf Club (Christchurch), Paraparaumu Golf Club (Wellington), Cape Kidnappers Golf Club (Napier), Kauri Cliffs Golf Club (Bay of Islands) and the Tauranga Golf Club.

Crystal Cruises also has expanded its golf-themed cruises for 2008. Guests can tee off on three 11- and 12-day golf fests, teeing off in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands and the maritime coast of Canada and New England. PGA pros will join Crystal guests at such courses as the Monte Carlo Club, situated high above the French Riviera; Spain’s El Saler Golf Course; and Lisbon’s Penha Longa Golf Course at the foot of the Sintra Mountain Range. In addition to championship golf ashore and onboard events, golfers can compete in one-in-one competitions for a chance to win a free cruise.

Norwegian Cruise Line has launched a new Golf Bermuda program, giving its golf-loving guests more opportunities to hit the links in Bermuda, where there are more courses per square mile than anywhere else in the world. Golf Bermuda has excursions for every level of golfer at the island’s most popular and scenic courses:

Ocean View Golf Course, just outside of Hamilton, is rated “four stars” by Golf Digest.

The challenging 6,100-yard Belmont Hills Golf Club was designed by famed course designer Algie M. Pulley, Jr.

Mid Ocean Golf Club, located in scenic Tucker Town, has challenged the biggest names in golf today.

Port Royal Golf Course, operated by the Bermuda government for more than 40 years, offers some of the most challenging holes on the island.

Tucker’s Point Golf Club, ranked by Travel + Leisure Golf as one of the top golf resorts in the Caribbean.

St. George’s Golf Course, featuring ocean views at every hole.

Riddell’s Bay Golf Club, Bermuda’s oldest golf course and described by locals as a “must play”.