Are you a cruiser? Find out here.

I must admit that cruising was never a holiday option I considered very seriously. My reservations perhaps resonate with many other would-be-cruisers:

Would I feel cooped up inside a boat? 
Aren’t cruising holidays for retired people?  
Will I get terribly seasick?
What am I going to do all day?
Won’t the food be awful?
Is cruising good value for money?

Celebrity Cruises and I collaborated in 2014 when I was asked to accompany their former executive chef John Suley to the International White Truffle Fair in Alba, Piedmont. We had a fantastic trip and I was genuinely impressed by the company’s attempt to bring some of the prized funghi onto their ships’ menu (Celebrity Cruises bid and won two lots at the Alba’s truffle auction for €5,000 and €10,000 each), you can read more about this here.

The Celebrity Eclipse - Photo courtesy of Celebrity Cruises

So it was with great curiosity (and trepidation) that I accepted an invitation by Celebrity Cruises to come aboard one of their ships (Eclipse) for a 2-Night Taste of Modern Luxury Cruise from Southampton to Le Havre in France. I thought it was an opportunity not to be missed to put all those questions to the test.

X for Celebrity Cruises

Would I feel cooped up inside a boat?

While this is largely dependent on the type and size of ship you board, Celebrity Cruise’s Eclipse was anything but claustrophobic, in fact it was gargantuan.

The ship has 15 decks (floors) with the top being a lawned open-deck with a Sunset-Bar and large areas of green open space.

A London park? No, the top deck of the Celebrity Cruises Eclipse

My room was a standard en-suite, ocean view estate cabin. I would not describe it as luxurious, but it was nevertheless spacious, elegantly furnished and had a small veranda.

I was surprised by how well proportioned it was - I have stayed in much pokier rooms during my trips to Japan so I was pleased with my cabin.

Small but perfectly formed...

There were swimming pools, shops, a theatre, a huge library, art galleries and even a casino onboard the Eclipse. 

Vegas style casino at Eclipse

There was plenty of room despite the ship being sold out with 2,850 passengers, and I must admit, I hardly bumped into the same face twice during the trip.

With a number of specialty gourmet restaurants, from fine dining options like the Luminae (only accessible to those booking a suite), to the more family oriented places like the Oceanview Café (open from breakfast to late night-dining until 1am) where you will find stations serving up everything from sushi to pizza or French patisserie. There are enough options to keep you exploring the restaurants for a good week or so.

The sparkly Luminae Restaurant

Oceanview Cafe

Likewise, there are many bars – I counted at least ten spread over the 15 decks of the Eclipse. The bars are super-busy though, and for someone like me who with zilch bar presence, you may have to wait a while to get a drink at times. But this is perhaps a reflection of the style of trip that I was invited to – a two-night cruise where most guests stayed indoors, drinking and enjoying the ship’s amenities.

The busy Martini Bar

So returning to the original question – did I feel cooped up inside the Eclipse? No I didn’t, but this was mostly because of the ship’s size and the length of the trip. If the cruise were longer than 2 nights, I would have probably got out of the ship for shore excursions – this is after all one of the great advantages of cruising – the possibility of waking up at a different port city everyday.

Aren’t cruising holidays for retired people?  

A lot of my friends are now retired, so apologies if this sound a tad rude! While there were a great number of people in their 60s and 70s on board, the majority on my cruise ranged from 20-something couples to people in their 30s, 40s and 50s.

It was also fascinating to observe my fellow cruisers. They were a mixed bunch, ranging from the clearly affluent to people who looked or sounded less so. So the idea that cruising is only for the elderly was in my experience a real misconception on the Celebrity Cruise Eclipse.

The Disco!

Will I get terribly seasick?

You probably won’t, but this again will depend on the type of ship you board – largely speaking, the bigger the boat, the more stable it is. 

On the Eclipse, the sea between Southampton and Le Havre was calm during those two days and this, coupled with the sheer size of the ship, meant that I hardly even noticed it was sailing. Every now and again, I would feel a slight dizziness, perhaps twice during an entire evening, much like having a glass of wine too many, which I probably did.

What am I going to do all day?

That was a real concern that luckily was short-lived – there were so many activities packed into those two days, I hardly managed to keep up.

One of the fun things I got to attend was a wine tasting with Oz Clarke, one of the two celebrities on board (Ben Fogle being the other).

I have attended zillions of wine tastings in my time but this one was very interesting – not so much for the choice of wines (in fact the ones we tasted were quite pedestrian) but it was Oz’s anecdotes, sense of humour and knowledge that really made it for me.

Oz Clarke was personable and friendly – he cuts through all the nonsense talk about winemaking. I remember well the four wines we tried and the stories behind them, thanks to his engaging approach.

The “Eclipse Today” paper delivered every morning, listed every single activity taking place on the ship that day – there were hundreds of activities including lawn games, art tours, a number of musical shows, cookery demos, you name it.

The Solarium swimming pool - no kids allowed here

Shops galore!

If you have a bit more energy to spare, the Eclipse has a huge fitness centre (where we spotted Ben Fogle strutting his stuff on the treadmill), with dance and yoga classes, and several massive swimming pools.

Ben Fogle on the far left!

If you book a cruise for more than 2-nights, I strongly recommend getting off the ship either for one of the organised excursions or on your own to explore the port town you dock at. There were a number of excursions on this trip including day trips to Paris with options of lunch on the River Seine or Eiffel Tower, and to nearby villages and towns. I didn’t get to do any of these unfortunately as there were so many other activities I wanted to attend onboard.

Views of Le Havre

Won’t the food be awful?

The Taste of Modern Luxury cruise I attended in May 2015 was a special trip as far as dining was concerned. Two of Britain’s most celebrated, Michelin-starred chefs, Adam Simmonds and Robert Thompson, were on board for a number of cookery demonstrations and to cook us dinner on the two nights of the cruise.

Cookery demonstration with Robert Thompson

The dinners were taking place at two of the ship’s specialty restaurants and were only available to those cruisers on Specialty Dining packages. I am not going to bore you with the details of each dinner as the chefs for the 2016 Taste of Modern Luxury Cruise will most likely be different and so will be the food, but the dinners prepared by these two chefs were exquisite – with tip top ingredients, faultless cooking and with great wine pairings.

Meeting Chef Adam Simmonds

Two dishes really stuck to my memory though, one being Adam Simmonds’ roasted loin of lamb with crisp belly, goat's curd and onion ash. This featured a beautifully succulent piece of meat (I am also getting a real fondness for crisp lamb belly which I am seeing more often in London’s menus), perfectly pink, it had wonderfully rich flavours and plenty of contrasting textures, a real winner.

The other dish, also by Adam Simmonds, was his confit fillet of trout served with a delicious veal tartare, smoked English asparagus and edible flowers. The trout had been cooked sous-vide, which gave it a wonderfully buttery texture. I loved this elegant surf and turf combination, and it was a first for me to try salmon and veal in the same dish.

The Oceanview Café was the ship’s main dining area, serving up breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as late snacks up to 1am. Here was where most cruisers on any dining package headed to whenever they wanted a bite to eat. More casual in style, the Oceanview Café was perhaps my favourite place on the ship.

Considering the food at the Oceanview Café was pre-cooked and served buffet style, it was mostly of a good standard. The pizza station was great, as were the French patisserie and ice cream stations.

I particularly remember the Paris Breast I got to try.  The choux pastry was well made, and there was a delicious peanut butter ice cream with salted caramel. Add a glass or two of bubbly and we had the perfect afternoon snack!

So food on cruise ships does not need to be awful – do your homework and make sure to book into a cruise liner that puts gastronomy at the forefront of what they offer. I genuinely feel that Celebrity Cruises strives to be one such company for those on its Specialty Dining packages.

Is cruising value for money?

Value for money is a very subjective concept, but personally I feel that cruising can be. The Oceanview stateroom I stayed at is priced at £359 per person, for an all-inclusive basic package. 

In addition to this basic package fee, there are some add-ons – the gratuity is a compulsory charge added to your bill at a rate of US$15 per day, which I felt was fair considering the excellent service onboard.

Some other non-compulsory add-ons include the 24-hour wifi package priced at US$109 plus VAT (I found this a complete waste of money as I hardly got any signal out of it during those two days). An optional extra I recommend is to upgrade the drinks from the very limited basic package to the premium at US$11.80 per day. There is also a Specialty Dining Package available to those wanting to upgrade and experience the more exclusive dining options available onboard. The price for this dining upgrade varies between ships and the number of restaurants available so please check this when booking.

Moonlight Sonata -  this is the Eclipse's main dining room, available to all guests

My Verdict.

There are two major aspects of cruising that really sell this type of holiday to me. 

I guess many of us have travelled to and explored a particular part of the world taking endless internal flights, buses and trains, stressing over check-ins, transfers and luggage. If this sounds familiar, then cruising is one option (at a price, of course) to take away all these worries. 

Secondly, the prospect of waking up at a different location every morning during a week or so of cruising is very appealing. How exciting to wake up in Genoa one morning, Naples or Palermo the next, then Venice!

This short, 2-night cruise helped me explore the concerns and misconceptions I had about cruising, which was a real eye-opener for me. I had a great time overall and met and got chatting to many young couples onboard, some of whom had been on as many as 7 cruises in the last few years.

Try it for yourself!

The next Taste of Modern Luxury Cruise will take place on the 8th to 10th May 2016 (2 nights). Prices for the basic all-inclusive packages vary from £269 to £389 per person for a 2-night stay.

For more details about the Taste of Modern Luxury Cruise or many of other Celebrity Cruises options, and to book, please visit their website: https://www.celebritycruises.co.uk/itinerary/ec02q008/20160508/2/0/cruisehotelandflight

Have you ever been on a cruise? Have you tried one of Celebrity Cruises trips? I would be grateful if you were to share your opinions below. Thanks!

Barolo, White Truffles and Nutella: The London Foodie Goes to Piedmont, Italy

I always wondered what all the fuss is about where truffles are concerned. A luxury food item only a few can afford, does the particular flavour and aroma this fungus brings to a dish justify its exorbitant price tag? Or is it all about the bling?

An invitation from Celebrity Cruises fuelled my curiosity – I was to accompany their executive chef John Suley to Alba, the Italian capital of white truffles. There I would learn about this magical fungus, cook with it, eat copious amounts of it, and even bid for it, but more of that later. So this is what happened.

1 kg white truffle piece auctioned at the World Truffle Auction in Alba

The town of Alba is in the northwestern Commune of Piedmont (or Piemonte in Italian), one of the 20 regions of Italy. As the name suggests, Piedmont (at the foot of the mountain) is a hilly, mountainous region that is completely landlocked. Perhaps because of this, Piedmont is not one of the most well known regions with most foreign travellers preferring to stay put in Liguria’s neighbouring stunning Riviera.

But this all changes when Alba’s white truffle season is on. Between the end of September and January each year, gourmet travellers from around the world flock to Piedmont in search of the seasonal fungus, with the International Alba White Truffle Market and the Annual Auction in November as the highlight events of the season. 

The white truffles of Alba are available everywhere, from the simplest trattorie (family-run cafes) to the most sophisticated Michelin-starred restaurants, for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The International Alba White Truffle Market takes place over 6 consecutive weekends (Saturday and Sundays only) between October and November each year. In its 84th year, this is a great place to learn about and savour the local delicacy, meet and talk to the hunters and buy their finds directly from them at a better price than you would find in the local shops.

Meeting and talking to truffle hunters at Alba International White Truffle Fair

Prices vary according to the quality grade and size of the truffle - this could be anything from €150 to €250 for 100g. Having said that, I did buy two 50g pieces for €100 after haggling for a discount, so do ask!

There was a large number of stalls selling other regional products as well as truffle-based ingredients including pasta, salt, oils and biscuits, truffle-infused honey, fresh salami and cheeses with truffles.

This part of Piedmont (Langhe and Roero) is famous for its hazelnuts (one of Nutella’s key ingredients) used in the local nougat known as ‘torrone’, and also for cheeses particularly the Toma and Sabauda, all of which were on sale at the fair.

All truffles being sold at the fair were inspected by a team of judges, so whatever you buy is guaranteed to be at the peak of freshness. An added service provided by the fair organisers is the possibility of having your purchases examined by a judge.

I took my two pieces of white truffle to an Italian judge who assessed them for me, and pointed out that although they were both of great quality, they were very different in aroma and flavour – one being much more garlicky and heavily scented than the other. She pointed out was that both were quite firm which is an indication of freshness or ripeness, and explained that softer or crumblier truffles are usually past their best.

Chef John Suley of Celebrity Cruises shaving truffles for our lunch at the Alba International White Truffle Fair

To find out more about the International Alba White Truffle Fair, and the many events and activities and for dates for 2015, please visit their website on www.fieradeltartufo.org.

As with most regional cuisines in Italy, the Piemontese have strong opinions on how their ingredients should be prepared, and rightly so as they have been using them for centuries. In Piedmont, truffles are never cooked (unlike in France). Truffles can be washed but not peeled; they are finely shaved but never grated over cooked food. The lifespan of a truffle is rather short – 7 to 10 days maximum, and it should be stored wrapped in kitchen paper in an airtight jar, with the paper being changed every other day.

In Piedmont, there is a handful of ingredients that are commonly used to partner with truffles - these include eggs, cheese, pasta and raw meat. Most restaurants will serve their own interpretation of dishes using these very same ingredients, with only a few daring to do anything remotely different.

Simplicity is best when it comes to partnering truffles with other ingredients

I enjoyed ‘Fonduta’, the rich Piemontese fondue made from Fontina cheese, egg yolks, milk and butter with shavings of truffles served on top. Fried eggs and plain buttered pasta are also excellent in combination with truffles. We had a few of these dishes at the white truffle fair itself.

Fonduta - the creamy Piemontese fondue with shavings of white truffle

Celebrity Cruises’ executive chef John Suley cooked one of the best truffle dishes I ate on this trip at a truffle cooking demonstration at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, a great learning institution, but more of that later.

This was a magnificently creamy risotto with roasted quail, mushrooms and plenty of white truffle shavings, and was quite different to anything we had tried so far in the various restaurants of Piedmont. I enjoyed this immensely and it was one of the dishes I recreated using the truffles I had bought at the international Alba white truffle fair when I got home.

The truffle cooking demonstration by John Suley was followed by a fantastic lunch cooked by the man himself. Of note was his silken cauliflower cream soup with crispy pancetta, mascarpone cheese and croutons, whose recipe I replicate below. The soup was delicious and I thoroughly recommend cooking this at home with some excellent quality Italian truffle oil in lieu of the fresh white truffle shavings.

Fantastic cauliflower soup by John Suley of Celebrity Cruises (recipe at the end of post)

This was followed by a refreshing salad of warm artichoke hearts, fennel, tomatoes and greens with a gorgeous burrata cheese topped with white truffle shavings.

Another noteworthy dish was John’s braised veal cheeks on a bed of soft polenta, served with mushrooms, rapini (turnip greens), Parmesan cheese and white truffle shavings. The meat was wonderfully tender and richly flavoured partnering well with the polenta but sadly overpowering the subtle aroma and flavour of the white truffle.

For dessert we had a light olive oil cake served with ricotta, lemoncello sorbet and caramelized Piemontese hazelnuts, which ended our meal on a high note.

If you haven’t been on a truffle hunt, this is a must-do activity when visiting the region during the white truffle season. Headed by a Trifolau (truffle hunter in Piemontese dialect) and his highly trained dog, this can be incredibly exciting, especially when truffles are located. On our expedition, we (or rather the dog) found two white truffle pieces - a 10g piece and another - a whopper 150g nugget!

The event with the highest bling factor on the Alba’s white truffle season calendar is undoubtedly the World Truffle Auction taking place at the magnificent Castle of Grinzane Cavour (http://www.castellogrinzane.com/ing/).

The Castle sits in one of the most spectacular settings in Langhe, with breathtaking views of the city of Alba. It houses the “Cavour Regional Enoteca” (a wine emporium) where the best Piemontese wines and grappa can be purchased and the one Michelin starred restaurant “Ristorante al Castello” by chef Alessandro Boglioni.

Ristorante al Castello by Chef Alessandro Boglioni - we had one of the best truffle meals there 

Only a very limited number of tickets are available for the annual World Truffle Auction and these are carefully allocated to potential buyers, politicians, artists and local businessmen. As a potential buyer Celebrity Cruises was sold a handful of these coveted tickets, which allowed us access to the auction, followed by a wonderful lunch at Ristorante al Castello.

One of two lots won by Celebrity Cruises in the World Truffle Auction

John Suley bid and won 2 of the 6 lots in the auction for Celebrity Cruises. Each lot included a large truffle of about 500g, plus magnum bottles of vintage Barolo and Barbaresco wines.

The lots were snapped up for €5,000 and €10,000 respectively which appeared absurd amounts of money to pay until the big daddy, the final lot of a 1kg truffle, was purchased for €100,000 by a buyer in Hong Kong, bidding via satellite!

The big daddy 1kg truffle piece being brought in by Miss Smile!

Interestingly, a similar sized white truffle of Alba was auctioned at Sothebys in New York a month later fetching only around half of that amount, about €50,000.

Piedmont: Beyond The Truffle

There is more though to Piedmont than its white truffles, for it is also home to one of the most iconic wines of Italy or indeed the world – Barolo. But the region’s claim to international fame does not stop here – Piedmont is also where the chocolate company Ferrero SpA – the makers of Nutella and Ferrero Rocher is based.

Surprisingly, the company is still privately owned and run by the Ferrero family. The company’s current CEO Giovanni Ferrero is Italy’s richest man, or so I am told by Nicoletta, our all-rounder Italian interpreter, organizer, time-keeper, money-lender and friend. Nicoletta’s enthusiasm and knowledge for her home region and its produce made this trip to Piedmont very special.

Hotel Castello di Santa Vittoria occupies the grounds of the eponymous castle dating back to the 14th century in the minute village of Santa Vittoria d’Alba. It is a beautiful hotel offering breathtaking views of the surrounding valleys and vineyards.

View from my room at Hotel Santa Vittoria d'Alba

This was home for the duration of our trip and was a good base to explore the nearby towns of Alba (6 miles) and Bra (5 miles). The hotel has a fantastic selection of regional wines for sale and friendly staff who could not have done more to make our stay as comfortable as possible. If you plan to visit the region, Hotel Castello di Santa Vittoria is worth checking out (http://www.santavittoria.org/).

A few minutes walk from the hotel was Osteria della Pace, where I headed for my first taste of Piemontese cuisine in this trip. This is a simple, family-run restaurant offering home-style cooking at surprisingly reasonable prices.

I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch at Osteria della Pace, particularly their risotto with Dolcetto red wine and Toma cheese (€7) – this is a traditional Piemontese dish, more commonly made with Barolo wine. Toma cheese is another great ingredient of the region; it is a PDO, full flavoured and creamy cheese made from unpasteurized cow’s milk. If you think the combination of red wine and cheese as a base to flavour risotto is an odd one, you ought to try this dish. It was a revelation! (Osteria della Pace, Via Bertero 10, Santa Vittoria d'Alba, Italy).

Next stop was a visit to the winery Fontana Fredda, one of the region’s state-of-the-art wineries, with over 150 years of history. We were given a grand tour of the cellars, wine shop and what seemed like every nook and cranny of the place until we finally sat down for a tasting.

Vineyard Fontana Fredda

Even though Turin is the capital of Piedmont, Alba is the heart of the region when it comes to wine making. A huge generalization, but one that I always remember, is the order in which Piemontese red wines are placed in terms of importance, elegance and price – ascending from Barbera to Dolcetto, then Barbaresco and finally Barolo. Dolcetto and Barbera are both grapes making wines bearing the same name, whilst Barbaresco and Barolo are made from the Nebbiolo grape. Another important Piemontese grape is Cortese, from which Gavi white wine is made. Moscato (muscat) is also used for sparkling Asti Espumante in the region.

Ageing wines in huge oak barrels at Fontana Fredda

Tasting at Fontana Fredda, those spittoons mean business!

Back at Fontana Fredda’s tasting room, I enjoyed their 2010 Barolo Serralunga D’Alba (£30/bottle), a magnificent Barolo aged for 3 years with an intense red colour, notes of red cherry and pronounced but fine tannins. According to DOCG regulations Barolo must be made from 100% Nebbiollo grapes and be aged for at least 2 years in barrel and 1 year in bottle or tank, so a minimum of 3 years of aging (http://www.fontanafredda.it/web/en/home/).

The venue for the white truffle cookery demo and lunch by John Suley of Celebrity Cruises was the University of Gastronomic Sciences in the town of Pollenzo (http://www.unisg.it/en/).

Founded by the Slow Food Movement (http://www.slowfood.org.uk/) this is a stunning international university offering both undergraduate (3-year Gastronomic Science degree) and postgraduate courses. These are taught in English, and include a Masters in Italian Food and Wine Culture, as well as food entrepreneurship and tourism related courses.

Adjacent to the university is La Banca del Vino (The Wine Bank) founded in 1835 originally as the headquarters for viticulture experiments for the royal estates of Savoy. Today, this beautifully restored building is a co-operative and museum where special Italian wines are selected and stored, and tastings and workshops are offered.

English speaking guided tours and tastings are available to the general public from €6 to €18. For more information, visit their website on www.bancadelvino.it.

So to return to the question I first posed, there clearly is an element of bling associated with the consumption of truffles, and whether its price tag is justified or not depends on a personal perspective. Truffles have a unique flavour and aroma, and personally I love them. Having been on this trip, I am even more interested in learning about, cooking and eating more truffles. A visit to Piedmont during the white truffle season is a fantastic opportunity to experience the region and its food and wine, and to snap up some truffles at the International White Truffle Fair, at well below the UK rate.

While I cannot vouch for the level of culinary accomplishment on Celebrity Cruise ships (as I have yet to go on one), I found the initiative of bringing the magical funghi of Alba to the ships’ menu commendable. Judging by the excellent food I ate, cooked by Celebrity Cruises’ executive chef John Suley, passengers on Celebrity Cruises will be in for a treat, if the truffles are to be served up there.  For more information about Celebrity Cruises visit their website at http://www.celebritycruises.co.uk/.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup, Pancetta, Mascarpone Cheese, Croutons
By John Suley of Celebrity Cruises

Ingredients:

3kg cauliflower florets
400g sweet onions, diced
200g shallots, diced
100g garlic, chopped
3ltr chicken stock      
1ltr double cream     
400g unsalted butter
400g mascarpone cheese
10g thyme, chopped
10g parsley, chopped

For the croutons:
100g pancetta ham, diced
1 ciabatta loaf, cut in cubes
200g butter
10g parsley
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
100g fresh white truffle (optional)
White truffle oil

Method:

Heat butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced onions and shallots and reduce heat to medium. Cook and stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and then add the garlic. Cook for around 3 to 5 minutes and stir until the liquid has almost completely evaporated. Stir in the cauliflower and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for around 20 to 25 minutes until cauliflower is very soft.

Slowly blend the ingredients in a blender for at least 3 minutes until very smooth. Depending on the size of your blender, you may need to do this in a few batches.  Then season to taste with salt and white pepper before finishing with freshly chopped thyme and parsley. Add mascarpone at the end to get the best results.

Serve with some homemade croutons: 

Cook the diced pancetta in a frying pan until crispy. Then take the cubes of ciabatta and rub them in a mixture of olive oil and parsley. Place them on a baking tray, add the cubes of butter and roast in the oven for 10 minutes at 220 degrees to give them a nice colour. Once cooked, drizzle with white truffle oil and add shavings of the white truffle (if using) to garnish.       



Many thanks to Celebrity Cruises for inviting me along to this truffle adventure!