Sea Cloud Cruises, one of many world’s most storied names in cruising, publicizes the San Juan Guest Chef Series onboard Sea Cloud Spirit’s January 2025 Puerto Rico sailings. Curated by award-winning meals author Kathleen Squires and husband Ronnie Rodriguez, proprietors of Chef’s Dinner Table in New York, every of the 4 new itineraries can be hosted by an acclaimed Puerto Rican chef handpicked to showcase the island’s culinary tradition.
The first San Juan Guest Chef Series crusing, hosted by Wilo Benet, will depart St. Maarten January 4 and can majestically go the Castillo San Felipe del Morro “El Morro” arriving in San Juan on January 10, 2025. Subsequent January sailings, all docking at San Juan Cruise Port, will characteristic Chef Julie CarriÓn Jan. 10-17, Chef Francis Guzmán, Jan. 17-24 and conclude with Chef Mario Pagán on Jan. 24-Feb.1. Guests onboard can count on all-inclusive regional dishes, chef-led cooking demonstrations, rum tastings and culinary discussions from this proficient roster of culinary artists in collaboration with the Sea Cloud Spirit workforce.
“Sea Cloud Cruises has focused efforts on growing in North America and developing regional culinary moments, in this case Puerto Rico, complementing our authentic sailing experience,” shares Mirell Reyes, president North America, Sea Cloud Cruises. “We are honored to partner with the Chef’s Dinner Table’s Kathleen Squires and Ronnie Rodriguez, two passionate advocates of the island and its gifted chefs, creating memorable moments onboard.”
The San Juan Guest Chef Series cooks and Puerto Rico voyages on Sea Cloud Spirit in 2025 are the following:
Chef Wilo Benet kicks off the inaugural San Juan Guest Chef Series Jan. 4 – 10 crusing from Philipsburg/St. Maarten to San Juan/Puerto Rico (six nights), which is able to embody a particular Three Kings Dinner on January 6 and cooking demonstrations of Tostones with Caviar and Coquito from scratch. The itinerary consists of Virgin Gorda/British Virgin Islands in a single day, Gustavia/St. Barthelemy, a day beneath full sails by way of Sir Francis Drake Channel, Norman Island/British Virgin Islands in a single day, San Juan/Puerto Rico. Benet’s profession of over 40 years started as a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. After cooking on the governor’s mansion in San Juan, he opened Pikayo, his flagship restaurant for 28 years, incomes recognition and quite a few awards worldwide. In 2019, he launched the extremely widespread Wilo Eatery & Bar, providing informal eating from fritters to foie gras. In addition to a number of appearances on Top Chef Masters, he has served U.S. Presidents, Hollywood A-listers {and professional} athletes.
Chef Julie CarriÓn will host the primary San Juan/Puerto Rico roundtrip (seven nights) crusing Jan. 10 -17 and can lead an interactive pasteles-making class and a Tembleque dessert demo. The voyage ports embody Virgin Gorda/British Virgin Islands, Norman Island/British Virgin Islands, St. John’s/Antigua, Gustavia/St. Barthelemy in a single day, St. John/U.S. Virgin Islands, San Juan/Puerto Rico.
A local of San Juan, Julie spent the early years of her culinary profession in New York coaching beneath Top Chef Master Anita Lo, after which labored beneath Montreal-based chef Normand Laprisse of Toque’, earlier than accepting a place on the Restaurant Daniel, the yr that Daniel Boulud received again his coveted fourth star from The New York Times. From there, she managed Yale University Catering Services for a decade whereas serving because the Executive Chef to the college’s President and elite visitors, earlier than taking the helm of the kitchen at Chef’s Dinner Table in New York City. Chef’s Dinner Table is a personal eating venue and salon in New York City specializing in high-end culinary occasions.
Chef Francis Guzmán would be the visitor chef on the San Juan/Puerto Rico roundtrip (seven nights) crusing Jan. 17 – 24 that includes particular culinary experiences together with ceviche and fritter demonstrations by the just lately James Beard Foundation Award-nominated Best Chef within the Nation. Itinerary highlights embody Virgin Gorda/British Virgin Islands, Norman Island/British Virgin Islands, Gustavia/St. €Barthelemy in a single day, St. John’s/Antigua, St. John/U.S. Virgin Islands, San Juan/Puerto Rico.
Francis launched into his culinary journey at New York stalwarts Blue Hill and The Modern, honing his mastery of conventional and fashionable culinary method. With this world-class coaching in hand, he opened Vianda, his dream restaurant in Santurce, Puerto Rico, serving constantly-evolving farm-to-table components ready and introduced in his personal critically-acclaimed model. Within two years of opening, Vianda was chosen as one of many 20 Best New Restaurants in America by The James Beard Foundation. Guzmán has been acknowledged by a number of publications, together with Food & Wine and The New York Times, as one of many cooks main Puerto Rico’s culinary renaissance.
Chef Mario Pagán will anchor the ultimatee San Juan Guest Chef Series crusing Jan. 24 – Feb.1, promising particular surprises together with a signature dish: pegao with tuna tartare. The San Juan/Puerto Rico to Phillipsburg/St. Maarten (eight nights) calls on St. John/U.S. Virgin Islands, Norman Island/British Virgin Islands, Virgin Gorda/British Virgin Islands in a single day, day beneath full sail, St. John’s/Antigua, Charlestown/Nevis, Gustavia/St. Barthelemy, Phillipsburg/St. Maarten. Hailed as one of Puerto Rico’s most recognizable and prolific cooks, Pagán is the proprietor of 4 eating places in Puerto Rico (Mario Pagan, La Central by Mario Pagan, Raya on the OLV 55 Hotel and Melao). A contestant on The Next Iron Chef, Pagán has been lauded in an array of publications together with The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Most just lately, he opened Chayote in Winter Park, Fla.
Chef’s Dinner Table at Sea San Juan Guest Chef Preview in New York
Sea Cloud Cruises is internet hosting a particular dinner in New York City to preview their upcoming San Juan Guest Chef Series in Puerto Rico. The dinner can be held at Chef’s Dinner Table, an opulent and intimate venue, and can characteristic a menu ready by Chef-in-Residence Julie Carrión, one of many cooks from the San Juan collection. This is a novel alternative for adventurous fine-dining fanatics to expertise a style of Puerto Rico earlier than setting sail on the Sea Cloud Spirit, an opulent cruise ship with facilities like non-public balconies and a spa, that captures the essence of basic crusing with its historically hand-hoisted sails.
Sea Cloud Cruises voyagesinclude open bar, all meals with unique wine and beer picks, water sports activities, port expenses, gratuities and welcome bottle of champagne upon embarkation. Puerto Rico voyage fares per individual, primarily based on double occupancy from $5,995. For extra data on Sea Cloud Cruises, contact your journey advisor, name 1-888-732-2568, e-mail reservations@seacloud.com or go to www.seacloud.com.
About Sea Cloud Cruises
Since 1979, Sea Cloud Cruises has been one of many world’s most storied names in cruise journey. The 90-year-old four-masted Sea Cloud, her youthful sister Sea Cloud II, and new Sea Cloud Spirit mix the expertise of conventional seamanship with the atmosphere and splendid appeal of classically elegant non-public yachts. Berlitz Cruise Guide repeatedly ranks Sea Cloud and Sea Cloud II among the many prime 5 cruise ships on the earth. For extra data, go to www.seacloud.com.
Chef’s Dinner Table is an unique and thrilling idea in wonderful eating designed particularly for culinary aficionados. Our culinary venue is accessible for rental both as a staffed and adorned area for media occasions, dinner events, weddings, or cocktail events; or as a uncooked area for video/photograph shoots, enterprise conferences, wine & spirit tastings, or simply about any form of occasion which requires a chic and personal setting. Chef’s Dinner Table can also be the house base of our unique fine-dining membership, Chef’s Dinner Series, which options acclaimed cooks from throughout the nation who’re invited to organize a multi-course, wine-paired meal for the gastronomic pleasure of our discriminating visitors. For extra data, go to www.chefsdinnertablenyc.com.
