A Full Menu for Culinary Groups

With consumer interest in food and wine skyrocketing, it makes perfect sense for you to create groups centered on culinary themes.

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It makes even more sense because the cruise lines have already done much of the groundwork for you by crafting culinary-focused activities and theme voyages with celebrity chefs and instructors.

“Culinary interest is at an all-time high, and it lends itself to a great way to build a group cruise,” said Eva Jenner, vice president-sales at Holland America Line. “Look into your local community for partnerships with restaurants, wineries, wine shops and cooking schools, especially if they have well-liked chefs or vintners who can conduct cooking demonstrations or tastings to create an engaging opportunity.”

If you partner with a local restaurant, cooking school, or craft brewery or distillery, ask to host an event at its venue to promote the cruise. Ask the chef, brewer or instructor to host the group cruise. Use their mailing list to promote the event and the cruise itself.

Here’s a sampling of food-and-wine theme cruises to consider tapping into.

Holland America Line & America’s Test Kitchen

The company has a partnership with America’s Test Kitchen (ATK), which produces TV shows broadcast by more than 350 public television stations nationwide.

There are three special ATK cruises in 2018 that will be hosted by the experts from the TV show, featuring cooking demonstrations and hands-on workshops in the shipboard Culinary Arts Center. Guests also have 24-hour access to episodes of “America’s Test Kitchen” and “Cook’s Country” TV programs in their staterooms.

The 90-minute hands-on workshops (a fee is charged for these) will focus on topics such as making pie dough and homemade pasta. In addition, the ATK hosts will share culinary tips, recipes and samples in live 45-minute cooking demonstrations on meatless meals, Italian favorites, flavors of the Mediterranean and so on.

The 2018 ATK voyages include:

—May 6-13, roundtrip from Vancouver on the Westerdam, featuring Jack Bishop, chief creative officer of ATK; and Bryan Roof, executive food editor for Cook’s Country magazine and an on-screen test cook for the TV show “Cook’s Country.”

—July 7-21, Northern Isles on the Zuiderdam, with Bridget Lancaster, host of “America’s Test Kitchen” and “Cook’s Country” TV shows; and Lisa McManus, executive editor in charge of equipment testing and ingredient tasting at ATK.

—September 22-29, Canada/New England on the Veendam, featuring Julia Collin Davison, host of the “America’s Test Kitchen” and “Cook's Country” shows; and Becky Hays, deputy editor of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and an on-screen test cook for “America’s Test Kitchen.”

Call 800-426-0327 or visit the agent portal at gohal.com.

AmaWaterways Wine Cruises

AmaWaterways will host more than 50 wine cruises in 2018 that will feature North American winemakers, winery owners and expert oenologists. Next year’s line-up showcases husband and wife winery co-owners, families who share the passion, and pride of winemaking and nine women who are making their mark in the wine business.

The company offers an array of shore excursions that include visits to private cellars, strolls through vineyards and encounters with world-class vintners and artisans. The river cruises sail through France’s Bordeaux, Burgundy and Alsace regions, Germany’s Moselle and Rhine valleys, Austria’s Wachau Valley and Portugal’s Douro River area.

Those who book a wine cruise by November 30, 2017, will receive up to $1,500 off per stateroom on select dates, excluding Portugal itineraries.

Call 800-626-0126 or visit AmaWaterways.com.

WATCH: Life on Board an AmaWaterways River Cruise

Ponant “Gastronomy & Oenology” Cruise

For your clients who love classic French cuisine and wine, consider recommending the new “Gastronomy & Oenology” cruise, April 11-19, aboard the 264-passenger Le Soléal. Ports of call include Médoc, Saint-Emilion and Bordeaux.

Two gala dinners will be hosted—one by Chef Pascal Féraud of Michelin-starred Le Jules Verne restaurant in the Eiffel Tower and one by chef Stéphane Duchiron of Versailles’ Ore restaurant.

The voyage also includes a dinner supervised by Pascal Féraud, which will take place in Pauillac, with Le Soléal moored in front of Château Latour. The menu will be paired with a selection of Médoc’s finest grands crus.

Famous cheesemaker Bernard Antony will also conduct tastings of mature cheese while Jean-Robert Pitte—president of the Académie du Vin de France since 2011 and Member of the Institut de France (in the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences) since 2008—will lead discussions on board.

On land, guests will travel into the heart of prestigious estates and vineyards, including Château Siaurac in Bordeaux.

Rates start at €4,050 (about USD $4,765 at press time) per person, double occupancy.

Call 888-400-1082 or visit ponant.com.

American Queen Steamboat Co. Bourbon Cruises

This US river line offers a variety of theme cruises, including two in 2018 that focus on bourbon. These special voyages will show your clients where bourbon is made and the ways to distinguish the unique characteristics of different distilleries. The line has arranged special tastings, treats and cooking demonstrations, as well as a line-up of onboard guest lecturers.

The American Duchess offers a bourbon cruise May 6-14 from Cincinnati to Memphis, priced from $2,999. The American Queen will operate on July 1-9 from Memphis to Louisville, priced from $1,999.

These cruises include a complimentary excursion to the Jim Beam Distillery or the Maker’s Mark Distillery in Brandenburg, Kentucky. The American Queen cruise also includes a free tour of the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentuck, from the port of call in Madison, Indiana.

Call 888-749-5280 or visit americanqueensteamboatcompany.com.