Regent Seven Seas Cruises, a leading luxury cruise line, has introduced 128 new culinary-focused shore excursions. These new shore excursions are included with Regent’s Mediterranean voyages have been crafted in collaboration with local chefs and culinary experts.
These extraordinary excursions promise guests an unforgettable journey through France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Turkey, where they can indulge in the finest regional authentic cuisine and delicacies.
Knowledgeable local guides will participants through exclusive wine tastings, cooking classes, and exquisite gourmet meals. With these new, specially curated culinary adventures, Regent provides luxury travelers with unforgettable moments both on land and by sea.
Regent has an extensive collection of approximately 5,000 shoreside experiences around the world, with nearly 3,900 of these extraordinary tours free for guests as part of the all-inclusive Regent experience, providing an excellent value in luxury cruising.
Regent’s shoreside culinary experiences invite luxury travelers to explore historic markets, sample famed beverages, witness traditional cooking methods and taste local specialties.
“We are delighted to enrich and enhance our array of shore excursion offerings, presenting our guests with even more opportunities to indulge in their passion for travel and culinary delights, all while cruising the Mediterranean aboard The World’s Most Luxurious Fleet,” said Andrea DeMarco, President of Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
This collection of culinary-focused shore excursions is an integral part of Regent’s Epicurean Perfection programing, which celebrates the world’s flavors while immersing guests in the breathtaking beauty, storied history, and vibrant cultures of the destinations they explore.
Sampling of Culinary Shore Excursions
Highlights of Regent’s new European culinary-focused shore excursions include:
Minoan Gastronomy Through History
Heraklion (Crete), Greece
Hands-on cooking class at a restaurant in Amnisiades Park, surrounded by ancient olive trees. Discover the ancient Minoan diet with dishes made from seafood, goat, wild deer, lentils, fruits, and nuts, accompanied by wine. Learns about the flavors and history of the early inhabitants of Crete and the Minoan culture while cooking an authentic meal prepared with local organic ingredients.
Cooking Class with Local Chef
Pergamum (Dikili), Turkey
Cook traditional Turkish cuisine at a Bergama restaurant, surrounded by Greek and Roman ruins. A tour of the city’s historical sites precedes the hands-on cooking class. With guidance from the chef, guests will prepare a variety of regional dishes including shepherd’s salad, yuvalama soup, and adana kebab made with lamb. Exact menu depends on seasonal availability.
Farm to Table Amalfi-Style
Amalfi/Positano, Italy
Tour a family-owned organic farm in Scala, a hilltop village founded in the 4th century. Learn about organic farming methods and enjoy a lunch made with fresh ingredients from the farm. The menu varies depending on what’s freshest and seasonal that day. The farm’s owners, the Ciccio family, will guide visitors around their vineyards, fruit orchards, and vegetable fields.
Porto’s Port Wine Cellars
Porto, Portugal
Embark on a scenic drive through Porto, past Porto’s historic district and landmarks like Casa da Música. Learn about the production of port wine, and at Graham’s Port Lodge in Gaia, savor a refined tasting of appetizers expertly paired with these wines, including the refreshing Graham’s Extra Dry White.
Ultimate Provence Specialties
Toulon, France
Embark on a remarkable gastronomical journey in the Provence countryside after exploring the iconic Saint-Tropez. The scenic drive to both destinations is breathtaking. Visit Ultimate Provence, an eco-friendly hotel wine estate in France’s largest nature reserve and tour the property and organic vineyards, before indulging in fresh oysters, succulent seafood, and French cheeses. Carefully selected wines complement the dining experience, including Ultimate Provence’s award-winning rosé blend.
Menorcan-Style Lobster
Mahon (Menorca), Spain
Savor Menorca’s signature dish, lobster stew, at Sa Llagosta restaurant in Fornells. This classic dish, which originated over a century ago, centers around spiny lobsters caught in the surrounding waters. Chef David Coca adds his own twist to the dish, but keeps the traditional sofrito of tomato paste, onions, and garlic. Finish with a flaó, a cheesecake-like dessert.
Regent Epicurean Perfection
Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Epicurean Perfection program inspires culinary exploration and experiences with a myriad of opportunities for guests to satiate their inner gourmand and to savor their journey.
Epicurean Perfection goes beyond the traditional culinary offerings found at sea, providing guests the opportunity to taste the world around them through programming consisting of Epicurean Indulgence, Epicurean Explorations and Epicurean Enrichment.
Regent launched its Epicurean Perfection program with new Epicurean Spotlight Voyages. These unique cruises provide travelers with incomparable experiences with some of the world’s most talented and successful culinary figures.
Regent’s Epicurean Perfection program also include Epicurean Enrichment, which gives guests the chance to sharpen their skills in a hands-on cooking class in the onboard Culinary Arts Kitchen.