“With these thoughtfully designed Epicurean Explorer Tours we’re providing a transformative experience that connects ultra luxury travelers deeply with the cultural heart of each destination through its most fundamental expression: food,” said Jason Montague, incoming Chief Luxury Officer, Regent Seven Seas Cruises. “At Regent, we don’t just take our guests to their most desired destinations, we offer the chance to truly explore through countless unique shore excursions, all while enjoying the highest standards of service aboard The World’s Most Luxurious Fleet.”
Combining Regent’s promise of Epicurean Perfection™ and Immersive Exploration™, the new tours present adventurous foodies the opportunity for unrivalled and authentic gastronomic adventures, from foraging in Invergordon, Scotland, for ingredients to make the perfect Cullen Skink, to savouring premium Kobe beef prepared by a teppanyaki master chef in a restaurant overlooking Osaka Castle in Japan.
Limited to 18 guests per session, the intimate Epicurean Explorer Tours allow guests to take a hands-on approach to engaging with global gastronomy and traditions. The new tours range from US$129 to US$489 per person and are between three to seven hours in duration, offering tailored experiences designed to spark the curiosity of epicureans, with some experiences including an onboard cooking class at the ships’ Culinary Arts Kitchen.
“Our Epicurean Explorer Tours represent the pinnacle of culinary exploration and are designed following painstaking in-destination research by our team of esteemed and accomplished chefs,” said Chef Kathryn Kelly, Executive Chef and Director of Culinary Enrichment, Regent Seven Seas Cruises. “We are a team of passionate professionals who love nothing more than sharing in-depth culinary and destination knowledge with our valued Regent foodie guests.”
Available to book for voyages on board Seven Seas Grandeur®, Seven Seas Splendor® and Seven Seas Explorer®, the addition of these new tours brings the comprehensive collection to 46 immersive experiences and represents a significant milestone in experiential ultra-luxury travel, offering guests unprecedented epicurean exploration across global destinations.
The 12 new Epicurean Explorer Tours are:
Mediterranean & Northern Europe
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Plant-to-Plate Luncheon
Experience an extraordinary chef-led lunch journey at Amsterdam’s Restaurant De Kas, set in a meticulously restored, century-old greenhouse, where ingredients harvested from the on-site gardens transform into an exquisite four-course meal paired with wines in this sumptuous plant-to-plate dining adventure.
Belfast, Ireland: Coastal Flavours of County Down
Join celebrity chef and BBC cooking series “Great British Menu” competitor Paul Cunningham for coastal foraging along Dundrum Bay, where guests will discover local seaweeds and herbs before savouring fresh seafood and chowder paired with a perfect pint – all set against the backdrop of Northern Ireland’s majestic Mourne Mountains.
Invergordon, Scotland: Foraging & Onboard Scottish Cooking Class
Learn the art of making traditional Scottish Cullen Skink while shopping for ingredients at local vendors in Invergordon, Scotland. Sample award-winning haggis at a butcher shop and select organic vegetables at Black Isle Brewery, before returning to the ship for a hands-on cooking class paired with Scottish whiskey.
Valencia, Spain: Albufera Lake and Paella
Guests will join a chef for a scenic boat tour of Lake Albufera’s rice fields, followed by a hands-on demonstration of authentic Valencian paella at Restaurant El Redoli, where travellers will learn the secrets of this iconic dish before enjoying it fresh from the wood fire.
Valletta, Malta: Artisanal Malta Treasures
Join a chef-led culinary journey through Malta’s heritage, from hands-on bread making at a multi-generational family bakery to watching pastizzi preparation in a historic grotto that once served as a WWII shelter.
Canada & New England
Halifax, Nova Scotia: Cider and Chowder: Authentic Nova Scotia
Experience Nova Scotia’s culinary evolution through a tasting flight at an artisanal cidery, followed by lunch at a trendy Dartmouth restaurant where you’ll savour their signature seafood chowder and innovatively delicious “crobster” roll while watching the chefs at work.
Quebec City, Canada: Culinary Journey through Ile D’Orleans
Discover Quebec’s Island of Orleans rich culinary heritage through visits to the intimate La Maison de thé, a charming tea house offering aromatic herbal teas, fresh pastries, and a traditional sugar shack for sampling artisanal maple products in this fertile foodie paradise.
Victoria, British Columbia: Infusions: Flowers, Tea and Honey
Join a master chef for an elegant garden-to-table journey, starting with a traditional afternoon tea at Butchart Gardens’ private mansion room, followed by a garden tour and artisanal gelato tasting, before discovering the art of beekeeping and honey production at the Country Bee Honey Farm.
Asia
Busan, South Korea: Busan Markets Tour
Join a Regent chef on a culinary exploration through Busan’s famous Jagalchi Fish Market and Gukje Market, discovering unique seafood and local ingredients before returning to the ship’s Culinary Arts Kitchen to transform guests’ market finds into authentic Korean dishes.
Kobe, Japan: Culinary Journey through Kobe
Immerse in the artistry of Japanese culinary craftsmanship in this evening tour, from discovering traditional knife-making techniques to savouring premium Kobe beef prepared by a teppanyaki master chef at a restaurant overlooking Osaka Castle.
Kochi, Japan: Tataki Culinary Tradition
Follow a culinary discovery through Kochi’s vibrant Hirome Market, sampling local delicacies before learning to cook the region’s signature dish “katsuo no tataki” – a perfectly seared fresh bonito fish over an open flame at restaurant Tosa Tataki Dojo.
Shimizu, Japan: Japanese Fish Essentials Tour
Join a local master chef for an authentic Japanese culinary journey at Shimizu’s bustling Kashi-no-Ichi fish market, followed by a hands-on sushi-making class where guests will learn to craft their own sushi using the market’s fresh seafood.
