Regent Seven Seas Explorer introduces new culinary arts classes and gourmet tours for Caribbean inaugural season

This December the Seven Seas Explorer will make its North American debut in Miami, and set sail for its inaugural Caribbean season.

For the 10 and 14 night Caribbean sailings this winter and spring, Regent Seven Seas Cruises is developing new classes for the Culinary Arts Centre on-board and new Gourmet Explorer Tours at select ports of call. Already a resounding guest favourite, the Culinary Arts Kitchen provides guests with all the ingredients needed to expand their culinary skills.

Positioned on deck 11, with incredible ocean views, the Culinary Arts Kitchen is designed in much the same manner as the most prestigious cooking schools in France. Guests attending classes receive highly personalised instruction and hands-on training at 18 individual cooking stations fully equipped with top-of-the-line induction cooktops, stainless steel sinks and a comprehensive collection of essential cooking utensils.

The new classes for the Caribbean season include:

• Mexican – ‘Fiesta on the High Seas’, making tortillas from scratch and mastering the art of grilling the perfect carne asada.

• Caribbean ‘Caribe!’, producing delicious local specialties, such as Bermudian Ginger Beer, that can be replicated at home.

• Spanish ‘Viva Espana’, preparing traditional Spanish tapas and authentic sangria and enjoying a paella demonstration including how to make aioli from scratch.

• Greek ‘Opa’, Crete is regarded as the birthplace of the Mediterranean diet, and this class explores a variety of dishes that have led to the healthy and long lives enjoyed by residents of this region.

Further enhancing the curriculum offered at the Culinary Arts Kitchen, Regent Seven Seas Cruises is developing new Gourmet Explorer Tours for the Caribbean season which allow guests to explore the destinations through its epicurean offerings.

Tours are accompanied by the chef instructor from the Culinary Arts Kitchen along with a local guide, often a chef, with intimate knowledge of the region’s agriculture, wine and cuisine, to add an extra layer of authenticity to this immersive culinary experience.

New tours for the Caribbean season include:

• St. Lucia Spices Cooking Studio: St. Lucia is one of the most revered spice islands of the Caribbean and on this exclusive Gourmet Explorer Tour guests will learn why. Guests will taste the subtleties of St. Lucian cuisine with dishes served al fresco on a terrace with stunning views of the sea.

• Tortola Biodynamic Farm & Island Inspired Beach Lunch: Guests will travel to the biodynamic Good Moon Farm where they’ll walk amongst the seasonal produce while soaking in the incredible vista views. Guests will transfer to Trellis Bay where the owner of Good Moon Farms, local legend Aragorn, and his culinary team will prepare a delicious beachside lunch featuring Rasta-style fruit smoothies, fish and grilled vegetables, and a dessert dish of mango, guava berries or fig bananas.

• St. John’s Market Visit and Cooking Demo: The journey begins with a chef-led tour through the colourful market located in the centre of downtown St. John’s. Guests will be able to see and taste the island’s local fruits, including the famous Antiguan black pineapple. After working up an appetite, guests will arrive at a charming retreat owned by renowned local chef, Chef Jacquie. She will teach guests how to make the island’s signature dish, a cornmeal dish similar to polenta called fungie.