Silversea Cruises renews Culinary and Marketing Partnership with Relais & Châteaux

Silversea Cruises has renewed its culinary and marketing partnership with Relais & Châteaux, the prestigious international association of boutique hotels and fine dining restaurants, through 2009.

Highlighting the partnership, now in its eighth year, will be the creation of new signature dishes for La Collection du Monde, a sampling of specialty dishes featured regularly on all Silversea cruises created through the collaboration of Jacques Thorel, Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux of L'Auberge Bretonne (La Roche-Bernard, Brittany) and Silversea's own master chefs.

Other enhancements will include new wine-inspired menus for Silversea's Wine Restaurant by Relais & Châteaux, new cross-marketing initiatives, and the development of programmess to ensure the highest quality gourmet dining experience for Silversea guests.

A cornerstone of the alliance is Silversea's popular Culinary Arts programme, showcasing the culinary artistry of Relais & Châteaux Grand Chefs. Under the agreement, Silversea guests can expect to see additional new rising stars from Relais & Châteaux join an already impressive roster of acclaimed guest chefs that includes such luminaries as Anne Desjardins of L'Eau à La Bouche (Ste-Adèle, Québec) and Eyvind Hellstrøm of Bagatelle (Oslo).

In addition to informative and entertaining cooking demonstrations hosted by the Relais & Châteaux guest chefs, the Culinary Arts enrichment voyages also feature escorted provisioning trips to international markets (when the itinerary permits), food and wine pairings, creative regional dishes, and a five-course grand gourmet dinner. Throughout these special voyages, the featured guest chef and Silversea’s executive chef are on hand to share their culinary expertise and answer any questions.

"We are very pleased with our Relais & Châteaux alliance," said Silversea president and CEO Amerigo Perasso. "Our two organisations share a passion for quality and excellence achieved through exacting standards and this partnership allows us to work together to create new and innovative programs that will further enhance the cruise and dining experience for our guests."

Jacques-Olivier Chauvin, CEO of Relais & Châteaux, added, "Our partnership with Silversea continues to be an excellent arrangement for us as both organisations are strongly committed to presenting a level of luxury, charm and hospitality that is unsurpassed. We look forward to continuing to work together."

Relais & Châteaux is an exclusive collection of 475 of the finest hotels and gourmet restaurants in 55 countries. Established in France in 1954, the Association's mission is to spread its unique art de vivre across the globe by selecting outstanding properties with a truly unique character.

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