CruiseSource Cruise News – August 15, 2012

I don’t know about you, but this week’s cruise news is making me hungry!  A new Bravo “Top Chef” Celebrity cruise was just announced, Crystal Cruises reveals details of next year’s Australian Wine and Food Themed Cruises, and MSC allows kids to eat together at their new “Fun Time Dinners”.  Plus fans of NCL and Pinterest will have to check out NCL’s latest cruise giveaway.

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Fans of Bravo’s “Top Chef” Invited to Sail on Luxurious Culinary Journey

Celebrity Constellation

The most sought-after “reservations” in town for April 2013 will not be on land, but rather will be at sea, with the launch of the first-ever “Top Chef: The Cruise,” aboard the modern, luxurious Celebrity Constellation. The announcement was made today by Bravo Media, Celebrity Cruises, Magical Elves and Rose Tours, and offers fans of the Emmy-winning “Top Chef” reality competition series the chance to spend quality time with the show’s judges and chefs, making this a one-of-a-kind culinary vacation experience.

Hosted by two of “Top Chef’s” most beloved stars, Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons, and featuring past “chef’testants,” the April 11-15, 2013 cruise will sail roundtrip from Miami, Florida, with stops in Key West, Florida and Cozumel, Mexico. During the voyage, guests will have the opportunity to savor events such as interactive “Quickfire” cooking challenges, culinary demonstrations, question-and-answer sessions, Top Chef menus and more. Guests also will enjoy Celebrity’s own award-winning culinary offerings, with cuisine created by a James Beard-featured chef, and inimitable, personalized service.

Staterooms go on sale on August 16, 2012, at 12 pm EST at www.topchefthecruise.com. Additional information can also be found at the site. 

Culinary Experts From Australia, New Zealand, and the Island of the Gods to Headline Wine & Food-Themed Crystal Cruises in Early 2013
Australasian and Balinese culinary arts will kick off ultra-luxe Crystal Cruises’ 2013 Wine & Food-themed series, with regional star chefs and wine experts headlining  two new, 12-day Crystal Symphony itineraries: Australia/New Zealand departing January 17 and Australia/Bali leaving February 11.

A bevy of experts will teach complimentary cooking lessons, hands-on recipe instruction, wine tasting, cocktail-mixing classes, and special dinner menus that all showcase the area’s unique gastronomic specialties.  Presenters include: 

•  Damien Pignolet – Sydney’s renowned Modern Australian/French fusion chef and executive chef at Bistro Moncur restaurant.
•  Heinz von Holzen – Balinese cookbook author and owner of the island’s only traditional, multi-award-winning restaurant and cooking school, Bumbu Bali.
•  Greg Doyle – Former Australian Restaurateur of the Year and Owner of Pier, one of Australia’s finest seafood restaurants and a Sydney institution.
•  Cameron Douglas – New Zealand’s first and only Master Sommelier.

Connoisseurs can also indulge in optional, intimate Vintage Room dining experiences, offering multiple courses paired with extraordinary wines.

MSC Offers New Children-Friendly Initiatives
MSC Cruises has announced a number of new children-friendly initiatives.

First, children can now order from the “kid’s menu” at dinner, and, if they finish food earlier than the rest of their family, the kids’ club staff will come and pick them up.

For kids who relish their independence and would love the freedom of eating with their friends, away from the grown-ups and their dull conversations, MSC Fun Time Dinners have been introduced.

With MSC Fun Time Dinners, children in a separate, specially decorated area of the buffet restaurant with the entertainment team, and then have fun in the Mini and Junior Club while parents enjoy a leisurely dinner alone, picking up the kids when they’ve finished.

Every single night of the week, children aged between three and 11 can eat together with the entertainment team and their new friends. Three of these nights are theme parties- a  Welcome Party, Italian Party, and Farewell and Birthday Party- while the remaining four are MSC Fun Time Dinners.

Both the MSC Happy Dinners and the MSC Fun Time Dinner services are now available free of charge on all MSC ships. Dedicated to children aged from 3 to 11, parents simply need to register their children in advance with the Mini or Junior Club and fill inthe special ‘dinner coupons’ with their details.

MSC Cruises has also introduced a second nanny-hour to its kids’ club programmes. Every morning from 09.00 to 10.00 and now also from 17.00 to 18.00, MSC offers a special programme designed for babies and toddlers aged 10 to 36 months to spend quality time with their parents with the support of MSC kids’ club staff.

Staff organize dedicated games and activities aimed specifically at MSC’s youngest guests and their parents, including playing with bricks, musical games, baby disco, puzzle games and drawing.

Norwegian Cruise Line Announces Cruise Giveaway on Pinterest
Norwegian Cruise Line is launching an interactive contest on the third largest and fastest growing social media site, Pinterest, a virtual pin board that allows users to organize and share their favorite photos and videos with followers.

Today through August 22, 2012, Norwegian is inviting social media users to join in and “Pin to Win” images that represent their “Dream Cruise on Norwegian” for a chance to win a seven-day cruise for two in a balcony stateroom to any of Norwegian’s popular destinations such as Alaska, Bahamas, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii and more.

To enter, Pinterest members should follow Norwegian at www.pinterest.com/norwegiancruise. Once logged in, members must create a new pin board under their personal Pinterest profile titled, “My Dream Cruise on Norwegian.” Participants then must re-pin Norwegian’s Pinterest contest announcement image, found on www.pinterest.com/norwegiancruise, five of their favorite Norwegian Cruise Line photos repined from any of Norwegian’s boards or from www.ncl.com, plus at least 10 additional photos that showcase items or experiences that exemplify the user’s “Dream Cruise Vacation on Norwegian.”

Once each participant has completed their board, they must submit their contest entry by tweeting a link to their board to @CruiseNorwegian on Twitter using hashtag #NorwegiansPinToWin or by visiting the “Pinterest” tab on Norwegian’s Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/NorwegianCruiseLine, by midnight on Wednesday August 22, 2012.