Celebrity Cruises Reveals 2011 'Savor Your Destination' Chef Lineup

Since the line's launch, food has always been an important element on Celebrity Cruises ships and now their guest chef theme cruise program, "Savor Your Destination," is serving up a roster filled with gifted culinarians who will participate this year.

Recognizing that vacation time is precious, Celebrity created "Savor Your Destination" to give food and wine enthusiasts more ways to experience a memorable and enjoyable trip. In 2011, Celebrity will present a total of 12 guest chef theme cruises on its award-winning Solstice Class ships. Each cruise will offer food-and-wine themed activities that complement Celebrity's overall premium experience, emphasizing the love of fine food and wine. Activities may include a meet-and-greet cocktail reception, guest chef-led cooking demonstrations highlighting techniques and ingredients, book signings, and a "Star Chefs" cook-off featuring an interactive cooking competition, complete with a special recipe booklet featuring the guest chef's creations. For a fee, guests also can participate in hands-on cooking classes led by the guest chef in the ship's galley, or enjoy an exclusive food-and-wine-pairing dinner designed and presented by the guest chef in either Murano or Tuscan Grille, two of the five specialty restaurants on board.

Among the guest chefs is renowned television personality Chef Sara Moulton who will sail on Celebrity's newest ship, Celebrity Eclipse, on March 26, 2011, on a 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise sailing round trip from Miami, Florida. One of television's Food Network's founding personalities, Moulton has hosted numerous cooking programs. In addition, she has served as the food editor of ABC-TV's "Good Morning America" since 1997 and hosted "Sara's Weeknight Meals" on public television in 2008. She has also authored several cookbooks and was the executive chef of Gourmet magazine from 1987 until the magazine folded in late 2009. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Moulton worked and taught at numerous restaurants before working for Julia Child on public television's "Julia Child and More Company." Moulton founded the New York Women's Culinary Alliance in 1982.

In addition to Moulton, a line-up of highly regarded chefs with unique approaches to their craft is in place for 2011. Additional Savor Your Destination guest chef theme cruises will be led by:

-- Chef Dean James Max of 3030 Ocean in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and five other restaurants, sailing on Celebrity Eclipse on March 12, 2011
-- Chef Timon Balloo of Sugarcane in Miami, sailing on Celebrity Equinox on April 1, 2011
-- Chef Govind Armstrong of 8 Oz. Burger Bar in Louisiana, Los Angeles, and Miami's South Beach, sailing on Celebrity Equinox on April 11, 2011
-- Chef John Suley of Gotham Steak at Miami's Fontainebleau Resort, sailing on Celebrity Equinox on April 22, 2011
-- Chef Angel Palacios of La Broche in Madrid, Spain, sailing on Celebrity Solstice on June 7, 2011
-- Chef Jordi Valles of The Ritz-Carlton in Cancun, Mexico, sailing on Celebrity Solstice on Oct 11, 2011

The guest chefs for two additional Savor Your Destination theme cruises in 2011, one on Celebrity Eclipse on Dec 10 and the other on Celebrity Equinox on Dec 12, will be announced at a later date.

Two Savor Your Destination guest chef theme cruises have already taken place this year, featuring South Beach-based chefs Sean Brasel and Dena Marino. This year, Celebrity is also offering five Savor Your Destination guest winemaker theme cruises as well as five "Guest Glass Artist" cruises highlighting The Hot Glass Show at The Lawn Club, an area featuring a lawn of real, growing grass on the top deck of its Solstice Class ships. More information is available at CelebrityCruises.com.