CELEBRITY’S SOMMELIERS MAKE EVERY CRUISE A WINE CRUISE

You likely expect that you’ll be able to get a good glass of wine on a cruise. But you might not expect to leave your cruise having a deeper appreciation for wine and feeling like more of an expert on different varietals, flavor notes, and more regarding wine — or having the opportunity to order an $8,000 bottle of wine if you so choose! This heightened wine knowledge is all thanks to the sommeliers onboard Celebrity Cruises, who can transform any cruise itinerary into a wine cruise if that’s what you desire.

The sommeliers on Celebrity Cruises bring their wine expertise to guests through a combination of wine events and dinner assistance. Before we get into what our wine cruise experiences could entail, here are some fun facts about the sommeliers and wine on Celebrity Cruises:

• Celebrity Cruises employs one of the largest teams of certified sommeliers (200) in the world and the largest team of sommeliers in the cruise industry.
• Celebrity Cruises has 23 sommeliers plus one CellarMaster on each Solstice Class ship and 12 sommeliers plus one CellarMaster on each Millennium Class ship. (CellarMasters oversee the entire wine program onboard including the wine cellar.)
• Speaking of that wine cellar…Each Celebrity Cruises ship has a 10,000+ bottle wine cellar carrying over 400 labels of wine — meaning the sommeliers have to know their stuff!
• The sommeliers onboard are trained by Master Sommelier Michael Jordan.
• All Solstice Class ships boast a remarkable two-story tall wine tower, a radiant structure of glass and steel created by renowned designer Adam Tihany. Each holds 1,800 bottles of wine at the perfect serving temperature.
• 400 labels of wine are carried on each ship, ranging from $21 per bottle to over $8,000 per bottle. There are also 100 wines offered by the glass.
• Celebrity Cruises has a rare wine collection including Chateau Lafite-Rothschild 1898, Heidsieck Monopole Champagne 1907, Chateau Latour 1929, Chateau Margaux 1929, Chateau Petrus 1978 and Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
• Celebrity has won 30 of the 34 Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence awarded in the Cruise Industry, and every one of Celebrity’s Main Dining Rooms Restaurants have won a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence
• And last, but not least — Celebrity Cruises Sommelier Andey Ziff just set the world record for “World’s Largest Sommelier Wine Lesson” certified by the Guinness Book of World Records!

Wine Experiences on Celebrity Cruises
Wine experiences onboard are part of the Celebrity Life Activities and range from beginner tasting classes to wine and food pairings to lessons on choosing the right glass for each wine varietal. Sommeliers lead each of these events and are on-hand to answer questions about wine as they lead guests through interesting tasting experiences.

Here are some of the wine experiences with sommeliers you can expect to find on a Celebrity wine cruise:

Port Wine Tasting: A sommelier will teach you about the different kinds of port from the Douro Valley in Portugal while you taste different labels.

World Wine Tour: Try wines from all around the world and learn how flavors differ among wine regions in a fun, social setting.

Italian Food & Wine Pairing: Learn how to choose the best wine to go with Italian cuisine, plus learn the basics of food and wine pairing in general.

Private Wine Tasting of Premium Wines: Want to sip more exclusive, high-end wines? This tasting experience is for you.

Riedel Crystal Comparative Wineglass Workshop: The glass your wine is poured in makes a difference in how it tastes. Learn more in this interesting wine workshop.

Some of these wine experiences can sell out so be sure to sign up for the ones you want to do soon after boarding the ship.

During dinner, sommeliers are located in each restaurant — both the main dining room and specialty restaurants — and will personally stop by your table to help you pick out a wine to enjoy with your meal. The sommelier will also expertly seal up your wine bottle for you and store it if you don’t finish the bottle, and then deliver it to your table wherever you’re eating on the following evening.

Before or after your meal (or whenever you’re in the mood for a glass of wine) you can stop by Cellar Masters for more wine excitement. Cellar Masters is the wine bar on Celebrity Cruises, and the sommelier behind the bar there will answer any questions you have about wine and will help you find the best one to fit your taste.

Ready to meet some of Celebrity Cruises’ sommeliers and have a wine-centric cruise? Find your perfect wine cruise itinerary at www.myaquabreeze.com  or call us at 303-986-2808.

 

PACIFIC COAST PRINCESS WINE CRUISES – When you plan a wine cruise along the Pacific coast, you’ll be able to learn and taste on the water as well as on land. Onboard Wine Country Coastal cruises, you’ll have the opportunity to taste wines and participate in activities tailored to wine enthusiasts. Wine cruise Maître D’s, who are themselves oenophiles, will be available to explain more about the wines and help you pick your favorites — a step that will aid in deciding which wineries you should visit when you dock.

In port drink wine so close to the source that you could reach out and touch the grapes on a Pacific Wine Country or Coastal cruise. Befriend a local who teaches you the best way to swirl world-famous reds in Napa. Uncover new layers in a glass of Sauvignon Blanc from a tasting room near the ocean in Santa Barbara. Discover the beauty of city life as you tour San Francisco by cable car with a newfound appreciation of a perfect California Coast pour. Take time to experience different wines anywhere you stop:

• Santa Barbara is home to masterful vintners and beautiful vistas. Enjoy wine tastings in Santa Ynez Valley and experiences such as picnicking in the vineyards.
• From the port of San Francisco, you can visit two world-renowned wine regions: Napa and Sonoma. Or stay in San Francisco to learn about the city’s wine history and taste the local fare. Take in the world class wine region of Monterey, California, less than an hour south of famous Silicon Valley.
• From the port in the Oregon city of Astoria, you can take a drive to Willamette Valley and explore the wineries famous for their pinot noir, or The Cellar on 10th, a wine shop which specializes in Pacific Northwest wines.
• From the cruise port in Seattle, you can visit Woodinville, which has over 117 tasting rooms and wineries for you to enjoy.
• In Victoria, BC you can take a trip to the Butchart Gardens, then enjoy delicious wine paired with tapas and chocolates at the Blue Poppy Restaurant
• In the port of Vancouver, BC, you can head to Fraser Valley, which is home to almost 30 vineyards and roughly 15 wineries.

On board Princess enjoy a fine selection of Wines with onboard tastings, another remarkable feature of going on a wine cruise is getting to know fellow wine lovers. Interacting with your fellow travelers on a wine cruise can lead to lively and enlightening discussions about your common interests that will further enrich your travel experience.

• Maître D’ Wine Club: Meet new friends while savoring fine wine selections served with hors d’oeuvres. Take in entertaining lectures by knowledgeable staff and compare California wines to those produced around the world during unique wine tastings. Perfect for wine enthusiasts, from the burgeoning to the experienced.
• Silverado Wine Blending Experience – A Blend All Your Own. Create your own malbec, cabernet franc, merlot and cabernet sauvignon blend under the instruction of a master craftsman from the Silverado Vineyards in California’s famed Napa Valley. In this exclusive onboard experience from Princess, watch and follow along as this skilled vintner instructs how to custom blend a wine that’s uniquely your own, practicing an art that winemakers around the world have been perfecting for centuries.
• Vines Wine Bar- Voted one of the “Best Wine Bars at Sea” by USA Today, Vines wine bar is a cozy nook for the casual oenophile to sit back and enjoy a glass of wine with gourmet pairings, like antipasti and tapas. Vines boasts an extensive collection, like Opus One, Super Tuscan styles, fine sparkling wines and regional offerings.

Ready to start planning you Princess Wine Adventure. Our Services are Free so Call us at 303-986-2808 and Come Back New!

Princess Cruises offers Alaska cruise activities like no other. Our Gold Magellan award-winning North to Alaska program brings local personalities, culture and cuisine onboard and on land to immerse you in all things Alaska. From fresh seafood and guest speakers from Discovery’s™ Deadliest Catch, to snuggling sled-dog puppies our Alaska cruise activities offer you the opportunity to see, feel and taste the best of the Great Land right on board. Make sure to hire an professional tour agent to make your Princess Alaska Dream Vacation a reality. Aqua Breeze Vacations can create your personal Alaska vacation so you can see, taste & experience everything you imagine.

TASTE ALASKA

• FRESH ALASKA SEAFOOD – Enjoy an Alaska-themed dinner in the main dining rooms and special Alaska seafood menus in the specialty restaurants onboard.
• COOK MY CATCH – Princess Cruises’ Cook My Catch is our exclusive culinary experience highlighting the pinnacle of fresh seafood. Reel in your fish during the day while on an excursion and enjoy it later that night for dinner, prepared to your liking by our talented chefs! Guests can choose their preferred preparation and accompaniments for their fresh-caught seafood. From the ocean, to your table – in the same day. Fish must be caught while on select Princess approved excursions in Juneau, Ketchikan, Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge, Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge & Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge and can be served for dinner.
• LOCAL DIVES – Try specialty dishes on board in the top deck grill from local eateries including crab cakes from Tracy’s King Crab Shack in Juneau, fish tacos from The Alaska Fish House in Ketchikan and seafood chowder from Bonanza Bar and Grill in Skagway.

TOUCH ALASKA

• MEET REAL ALASKANS – There are North to Alaska cruise activities for all interests from cuddling sled-dog puppies to hearing tales from lumberjacks, mountain climbers and Deadliest Catch fishermen.
• NEWCAPTURING THE LAST FRONTIER**Find out what it takes to capture some of the best photos the Great Land has to offer, from the very photographers who took them! Award winning photographers Mark Kelly, Carl Johnson, Daryl Pederson and Kim Heacox share their Alaska photography experiences as well as offer tips and tricks on how you can snap your own frameable Alaska photos.
• PUPPIES IN THE PIAZZA* – Some of Skagway’s newest sled dogs come aboard! Snap a picture with the puppies and meet their dog handlers who will be training them for a life of dog mushing.
• MEET THE MOUNTAIN CLIMBER – Hear first-hand from mountain climbers who have conquered Denali, as they tell the exhilarating stories of their journey and present thrilling photos in the Hudson Theater at the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge®.
• TALES FROM THE DEADLIEST CATCH** – From the popular Discovery™ Channel program, Deadliest Catch, Captain David Lethin and his shipmates from The Aleutian Ballad relate their true-life adventures and experiences in the Bering Sea in pursuit of crab.
• LIVING LIKE A LOGGER HEAD** – Guests will be treated to an exciting demonstration on board that reveals the life and adventures of your host, an actual Alaskan lumberjack, and will include an authentic axe-throwing competition with selected guests. *All Alaska sailings will feature Puppies in the Piazza and Libby Riddles.**Other North to Alaska programs will be available on select sailings in 2019.

SEE ALASKA

• NEW MT. MCKINLEY PRINCESS TREEHOUSE – Experience our brand new treehouse, as seen on Animal Planet’s Treehouse Masters, in 2018! Gain a whole new perspective of Denali, the Great One, from the perch of a custom built treehouse at Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge. Sample rare tree-inspired foods at Sappy Hour, test your Great Land knowledge at Trivia in the Treehouse or make your own ascent to the treehouse as your friendly guide chronicles the first ascent of Denali – complete with hot cocoa and donuts – with our Sourdough Expedition. Discover all the Treehouse fun on a cruisetour to Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge! *Times, dates and any applicable fees for Treehouse programming will be provided upon arrival at the lodge.
• DISCOVERY AT SEA – INSIDE ALASKA WITH DISCOVERY™ – In partnership with Discovery™, Alaska cruises will feature television content from Discovery™ and Animal Planet™ on the wildlife, terrain, history, and adventures of Alaska. Discovery™ hit shows such as Gold Rush! and Panning for Gold, along with episodes of Deadliest Catch and The Klondike mini-series will be featured.
• THE GRAND PRINCESS PROSPECTOR – Transport back to the Gold Rush days of 1898 when you visit the Princess Prospector onboard Grand Princess. Featuring engaging displays that regale viewers with Gold Rush history, the Grand Princess Prospector uncovers just what it took to strike it rich in the great north.
• THE KLONDIKE FESTIVAL – Celebrate the spirit of the Alaska gold rush with the thrill and excitement of a real Klondike Festival. Fun for the whole family, the festival includes gold nugget arts and crafts projects, a naturalist exhibition, harmonica music classes, and North to Alaska dance performances. Enjoy Alaska movies shown on Movies Under the Stars® or listen to a guitarist on deck while sipping hot chocolate.

Most of us are familiar with the Princess Cruises from their early days on “The Love Boat” television show; however, something perhaps not quite as well-known is that Princess maintains an extensive wine inventory aboard their ultra-modern fleet of ships.

Climb aboard the Regal Princess or Royal Princess and choose the exclusive Wine Maker’s Dinner option  that includes a 4-course menu with flambé dishes prepared tableside by your head waiter, plus enjoy three different wine pairings chosen by the wine makers and executive chef that mate perfectly with your dinner selections. Click here to experience the Princess Wine Maker’s Dinner

Whether you are a connoisseur or just interested in learning more about wine, the choices are abundant, and upscale wine offerings can be found on many other cruise ships as well, such as the impressive 2-story Wine Tower found aboard the Celebrity Solstice and its sister ships, the Reflection, Equinox, Eclipse and Silhouette.

Beyond just a dinner experience, are you interested in learning about the entire wine process? If your answer is yes, Princess offers 4-day getaways from Los Angeles that travel along the Central Coast of California that offer opportunities to visit wineries and learn first-hand about the art of wine making from the experts themselves.

If you long for nostalgia but with a modern twist, the Tuscan wine region in Italy has you covered with its 3,000 year history. From its well-known reputation for turning Sangiovese grapes into Chianti, what can be more nostalgic than a straw-covered bottle of delicious Chianti table wine from Tuscany?

Although not much of a secret nowadays, if you are interested in a more modern choice from the region, be sure to browse the selection of Super Tuscan wines that offer a combination of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet wines.

What food should you pair with a Super Tuscan wine?  The traditional answer is to pair Super Tuscan with hearty meat and seafood dishes; however, the right answer is to pair it together with anything that you enjoy, from appetizers to entrees to dessert.

Think outside the traditional food pairings when you are enjoying Super Tuscan wine. From salad to pizza to ice cream, a dry Super Tuscan pairs nicely, especially if you enjoy heartier versions such bitter greens, a hearty meat lover’s pizza, or a salty dessert.

Regardless of your taste in wine, we have many exciting wine choices waiting for you, so come aboard…

Alaska’s best glaciers and ports awaits you on the ultimate Alaska cruise vacation. Every cruise includes one or more glacier viewing opportunities with perfectly sized ships that bring you closer to all the wonder and special Alaska-themed entertainment and programming designed to enhance your exploration. We have:
• More ships in Alaska than any other cruise line, which means more convenient options from multiple ports of embarkation.
• More cruise departures that include Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve than any other cruise line.
• More glacier viewing options: Every cruise includes one or more opportunities for glacier viewing at Glacier Bay National Park, Hubbard Glacier, the twin Sawyer Glaciers of Tracy Arm or College Fjord.
• Spacious, elegant ships are the perfect size to bring you closer to Alaska’s natural wonders.
• Explorations Central™ (EXC) Our on-board destination program than provides demonstrations and information to complete your  Alaska immersion.
• Experienced onboard naturalists and discussions with local tribal members to deepen the understanding of the places you will visit
• Award-winning shore excursions.
• Alaska-themed entertainment and exclusive onboard entertainment and enrichment. Guests can see and hear the area come to life at Alaska in Concert by BBC Earth Experiences, learn the best ways to cook salmon at America’s Test Kitchen live shows and experience the live music of Music Walk®.
• Culinary Excellence with a regional focus, directed by our global Culinary Council® of seven world-renowned chefs.