Fine dining at sea ... the MSC Splendida's dining room.
Celebrity chefs are working their passage across the Med, writes Rob Dunlop.
Not content with occupying our living rooms and bookshelves, celebrity chefs now want a piece of our cruise-holiday pie, too. Not that I'm complaining.
Some of my best travel experiences have been framed by quality food and wine, especially around the Mediterranean. And this shouldn't be any different on a cruise ship, right?
The embarkation port for my seven-night Mediterranean cruise, on board MSC Splendida, is Genoa in the northern Italian region of Liguria - the birthplace of pesto. Fresh bread and lashings of pesto aside, my timing isn't so wonderful, however. I've missed a chance to cruise with celebrity chefs.
MSC Cruises has hand-picked a group of award-winning chefs from Britain and Europe for a new gourmet cruising program that includes demonstrations, tastings and chances to mingle and chat.
One of the chefs is feted Frenchman Gilles Epie, who, at 22 years of age, was the youngest chef to ever be awarded a Michelin star (in 1989). Epie also found fame in the US during the '90s (voted best chef in America in 1996) before returning to Paris to open his own restaurant, Citrus Etoile.
He has cooked for presidents, royalty and music and film stars. And now he'll be cooking up a storm for punters on board MSC Splendida. Not that I'm too disappointed that I'll miss out - he sounds like an upstart anyway. (Mental note: book celebrity-chef cruises well in advance.)
But I certainly haven't missed out on a celebrity feeding, of sorts, as I'll more than likely be experiencing something Epie hasn't. While he once catered for the birthday party of Italian screen legend Sophia Loren, I will, in fact, be allowing her to cater to me. My father will be pleased.
In a case of great serendipity, Loren is the ship's godmother, as well as that for 10 other MSC ships in the Italian family-owned fleet (and she'll be christening another ship next year). For those not in the know, Loren is an accomplished cook and author of two cookbooks. More importantly, she extends her own culinary expertise to the menus on MSC cruise ships.
"I think cooking is an act of love and an act of friendship," she says. "I always try to find a new way of making a recipe."
This is no easy feat. MSC Splendida serves up 2000 different dishes via 14 menus across its four restaurants and two buffet areas.
In La Reggia restaurant, the menu changes every night to celebrate a different region of Italy. While the veal escalope with sweet-tasting Bitto cheese and speck ham is unique to the grassy Italian Alps, Greco di Tufo is a delicate dry white wine from Loren's native, Naples. It pairs beautifully with seafood. With mediaeval history, the sweet white wine Recioto di Soave from the Veneto region goes a treat with Amaretti - those soft-centred almond macaroons. Add espresso and a finish of Frangelico. So Italian.
The key ingredient of MSC cruise ships is "Italianness", which is evident everywhere - in the design, style and, of course, its authentic gourmet offerings. Take a bow, Ms Loren. Take that Epie.
Rob Dunlop travelled courtesy of Emirates and MSC Cruises.
FAST FACTS
MSC Cruises has five gourmet voyages with itineraries around the Mediterranean and northern Europe.
November 27 to December 8, with Spanish chef Paco Roncero on MSC Fantasia.
January 7 to January 14, with Italian chef Mauro Uliassi on MSC Splendida.
January 28 to February 4, with French chef Gilles Epie on MSC Splendida.
February 4 to February 11, with British chef Antony Worrall Thompson on MSC Splendida.
June 1-12, with German chef Kolja Kleeberg on MSC Lirica.
Departing on January 24, a 19-night Italian gourmet package includes return airfare, a four-day, three-night exploration of Milan, Lake Como and Turin and a 14-night cruise on MSC Splendida with French chef Gilles Epie and British chef Antony Thompson. Prices start from $5359 a person from Sydney and Melbourne; children cruise free. Phone MSC Cruises on 1300 028 502; see msccruises.com.au.
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