Celebrated chefs and winemakers will be enhancing a pair of luxurious Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ voyages this summer in Europe and Alaska.

Cathal Armstrong, owner of Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, Virginia and profiled in Food and Wine magazine as one of America’s top 10 young chefs, will be among the hosts aboard Seven Seas Voyager during a Monte Carlo to Dover sailing June 9-19.

Michel Richard, owner of Washington, D.C. hot spots Citronelle and Central Michel Richard – named one of 10 American “restaurants that count” by The New York Times – will be hosting a trip aboard Seven Seas Mariner from Seward to Vancouver July 16-23.

Voyager and Mariner are luxurious, 700-guest, all-suite, all-balcony ships.

Regent’s “Spotlight on Food and Wine” cruises provide guests with rare opportunities to explore the finest cuisine from a broad variety of international regions. World-class chefs share their insights into food selection and preparation, conduct cooking demonstrations and wine tastings, and also lead shore-side trips to local markets.

The Monte Carlo to Dover journey will highlight “Cuisine of the Sun” as Voyager travels from the Mediterranean to the North Atlantic, featuring port calls in Malaga, Bilbao and Cadiz, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; Le Verdon and Honfleur, France; and St. Peter Port, Guernsey.

Joining Armstrong are French-born Stephane Vivier, a leading Napa Valley winemaker – he’ll explore differences between the wines of Bordeaux and California – and cheese expert Max McCalman. He’ll salute the great cuisines of France, Portugal and Spain. Guests will also have opportunities to sip sherry as they travel to Cadiz, where it is made, and will celebrate the joy of port wine in Portugal.

Regent’s Seward to Vancouver sailing will feature port calls in Sitka, Juneau and Skagway, Alaska, plus Campbell River, Canada. The cruise will include a scenic trip past Hubbard Glacier and through Tracy Arm before ending in Vancouver.

From Alaska's freshest fish to several Continental surprises, Chef Richard will share his love of cooking in demonstrations, complete with a special tasting menu.

Regent, meanwhile, has just released its 2009 world-wide itineraries.

In the most diverse deployment in its history, the line is offering a broad selection of sailings to Africa, Antarctica, Alaska, Asia, Australasia, Europe and the Mediterranean, India, the Caribbean and Mexico, the Panama Canal, South America, Tahiti and the South Pacific.

Aboard Voyager and Mariner, the 490-guest, all-suite Seven Seas Navigator, the 330-guest Paul Gauguin and the 198-guest expedition ship Minerva, guests will experience natural and man-made wonders in some of the world’s most sought-after destinations while enjoying the luxurious and welcoming environment one comes to expect from Regent.

Each ship features deluxe accommodations, gourmet cuisine, white-glove service and five-star amenities and facilities.

On the Web – www.rssc.com or www.theregentexperience.com



Cruise travel columnist Michael Coleman welcomes your feedback at cruiseguide@hotmail.com