Courtesy of Celebrity Cruises.

For the first time ever Celebrity’s master chefs Jacques Van Staden and John Suley will cook at the The James Beard House, which is a culinary honor. James Beard was a chef who helped guide American chefs and enthusiasts to reach culinary excellence. Today, to receive an award from the James Beard Foundation is a supreme honor.

The James Beard House is known for its events, including guest chef-led dinners, which aim to educate, inspire, entertain and foster an appreciation of cuisine among members as well as the general public, while benefiting the non-profit James Beard Foundation.

“We selected Jacques and John to cook at the James Beard House because the culinary journey that they have created for guests on Celebrity Cruises’ ships truly is outstanding,” said Izabela Wojcik, Director of House Programming, The James Beard Foundation. “Their incredible creativity is the reason why Celebrity’s guests have the opportunity to delve into an extraordinary range of globally influenced flavors and presentations.”

“We want people to realize that the cuisine we’re serving on our ships is extraordinarily unique, creative, and modern, and it’s a large part of what makes the Celebrity vacation experience unique. What we offer has in many ways changed the dynamics of cruise ship dining, and there’s no better way to tell our story than by cooking at the James Beard House.” said Van Staden.

Many of the dishes for this event are served onboard  like the Wild Boar Baby Back Rib Spring Rolls with Truffle Barbecue Sauce and the Grand Marnier Soufflé. Keep reading to find out the full menu. [Read more →]

Courtesy of Celebrity Cruises.

Celebrity Cruises introduces Celebrity Select Dining^SM, a new flexible dining option that allows guests to choose when they dine in the main dining room onboard, on a day-by-day basis, which includes the industry’s first pre-cruise day-by-day flexible dining reservation system.

“Celebrity Select Dining gives our guests the flexibility to spend their days any way they like,” said Jacques Van Staden, Vice President of Culinary Operations, Celebrity Cruises. “Whether they wish to enjoy more time in a specific port of call one day and dine later that evening than another, or whether they wish to keep a traditional set dining time, they will receive the same amazing service and enjoy the same menu. It’s all about our guests, and it’s all about choice.” [Read more →]

Courtesy of Celebrity Cruises.

“Dazzling,” “stunning,” and “in a word, wow,” are among the praises Celebrity Solstice has received from members of the press since the ship launched in November 2008, and its hip style and design is receiving similar recognition from the architecture and design community.

The prestigious International Interior Design Association (IIDA) put Celebrity Solstice front and center in an installment of its “Pioneering Design Lecture Series” in New York focusing on influential professionals in the hospitality, fashion, and theater arts design arena. Among the designers invited to participate were noted hospitality designer Adam D. Tihany, who created Celebrity Solstice’s Grand Epernay main restaurant with gleaming crystal wine tower, the inviting, casual Oceanview Café and Bar, and the Napa Valley-inspired Tuscan Grille steakhouse; Francesca Bucci and Hans Galutera of BG Studio International, who led the design of Celebrity Solstice’s elegant “Murano” specialty restaurant and four of the ship’s chic bars and lounges; and Celebrity Cruises’ AVP of Newbuilding & Design Kelly Gonzalez, whose team headed up the design of the ship’s Mediterranean-influenced “Blu” specialty restaurant. Each participated in a panel discussion about the history of ocean liner design, which evolved to how “Celebrity’s Solstice Class has become the new benchmark in the industry,” according to the IIDA New York Chapter.

That new benchmark – Celebrity Solstice – will have an equally stunning sister ship when Celebrity Equinox enters service July 31, 2009, and three additional ships in the class will join the fleet annually through 2012. Guests on every Solstice Class ship will experience the series of brand-defining, industry-first attributes that guests, travel agents and press have praised about Celebrity Solstice, including a half-acre Lawn Club with real grass, a glassblowing show and studio developed with The Corning Museum of Glass, unrivaled dining venues offering trendsetting cuisine and design, and widely varied entertainment, including spectacular new shows in partnership with Poet Theatricals. The 2,850-guest vessels also have spacious staterooms and bathrooms, and several categories of accommodations, including Celebrity’s new, spa-inspired AquaClass staterooms.