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MIAMI, October 11, 2005----When
they introduced a stellar set of dinner menus designed by celebrity
chef/restaurateur Charlie Palmer, The Yachts of Seabourn won the
first-place Diamond Award from Onboard Services magazine. In the
most recent Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards, the
intimate, all-suite ships scored number one and two for cuisine. And
now, these celebrated cruise ships are introducing an innovative new
concept that will re-define the "alternative" in casual alternative
shipboard dining.
Starting in March of 2006, the
popular Veranda Café, high atop each Seabourn yacht, will be
transformed nightly into 2: a stylish, contemporary
dining venue serving imaginative multi-course tasting menus. Each
dinner at 2 will be made up of playful pairings of
dishes, reflecting culinary inspirations gathered from around the
world.
In the newly expanded galley at
2, two chefs will turn out a taste-tempting array of
small plates, mostly designed to be served two to a course, creating
an intriguing variety of flavors and sensations during a five- or
six-course meal.
To start, for instance, diners at
2 might be presented with a Bouquet of Spring Rolls
with soy, Thai and chili dipping sauces, side-by-side with a Soba
Noodle and Seaweed Salad with sesame vinaigrette. Then an aromatic
Lobster Bisque "Presse" appears, graced with black truffle
cappuccino, combined with a savory Seafood Croquette dressed with
white truffle oil. A salad of Baby Mesclun Leaves in orange
vinaigrette with tapenade croutons accompanies a selection of Prawn
Variations with a sweet mustard dip. One duo of entrees includes
Grilled Striped Bass with a roasted vegetable medley beside Braised
Beef Short Ribs with celery-potato mash and beef jus. Goat Cheese
Pops with caramelized honey and drunken grapes is paired with a Port
Wine Shooter and lemon sorbet as a penultimate course. Finally, a
decadent dessert duet combines Vanilla Beignets sauced with caramel
apple, fudge and chocolate with Ice Pralines of white and milk
chocolate. (sample menu #1 & sample Menu #2)
Novel lighting effects that
transform the room’s décor, fanciful table settings by Rosenthal and
even the wait-staff uniforms at 2 will reflect a
relaxed, refined sensibility, embodying classic quality and a spare,
serene modernity.
As in each ship’s open-seating
Restaurant, a selection of wines will be poured free of charge to
accompany dinners at 2. In addition, 2’s
sommelier will suggest premium wines available for purchase to pair
with each night’s menu. Six different tasting menus will be offered,
and while the menus will not be themed, they will take advantage of
regional influences in the areas where the ships are sailing.
Suggested attire for dining at
2 will remain slightly more casual than that suggested
for The Restaurant: Casual for most evenings and Elegant Casual
(jacket, but no tie required for gentlemen) on those evenings when
the Restaurant suggests Black Tie.
Tasting dinners at 2
will be available, by reservation, to about 50 of the yachts’ 208
guests nightly, at no additional cost.
Travelers can enjoy all of
Seabourn’s Signature Delights, including more casual alternative
dining nightly at 2, on worldwide cruise itineraries
of seven to 72 days or longer exploring landmark ports and
lesser-known gems where larger ships cannot go. For information,
contact a travel agent, call Seabourn at 1-800-929-9391 or visit
Seabourn’s award-winning website at www.seabourn.com .
The Yachts of Seabourn, the highest-ranked cruise line by readers
of Departures and Travel + Leisure magazines, provides the ultimate
in ultra luxury cruise vacations to the most desirable destinations
on earth. The Yachts of Seabourn is a proud member of World’s
Leading Cruise Lines. Our exclusive alliance also includes
Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America, Princess Cruises, Cunard
Line, Costa Cruises and Windstar Cruises. Sharing a passion to
please each guest, and a commitment to quality and value, our member
lines appeal to a wide range of lifestyles and budgets. Together we
offer exciting and enriching cruise vacations to the world’s most
desirable destinations. The Yachts of Seabourn is a brand of
Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL and NYSE:CUK), and
supports the Ocean Conservation & Tourism Alliance, dedicated to
education and promotion of best practices for protecting the marine
environment. |
