Silversea Adds More Relais & Chateau Voyages

Ultra-luxury Silversea Cruises is pleased to announce that four additional voyages this year will feature the exclusive "Relais & Châteaux L'École des Chefs" interactive cooking school.

"Our L'École des Chefs cooking school is proving extremely popular with guests and we're pleased to roll it out to more voyages this year," said Rudi Scholdis, Silversea's director of culinary development.

The new L'École des Chefs voyages for 2011 are:

NORTHERN EUROPE

Voyage 4122: Silver Whisper departs Stockholm July 23 on a seven-day sailing to Copenhagen with calls in Tallinn, St. Petersburg (three-day/two-night stopover) and Helsinki. Silver Savings fares start at £3,068.

Voyage 1121: Silver Cloud departs Copenhagen July 30 on a 17-day round-trip sailing, with calls in Alesund, Geiranger, Helleysilt, Lofoten, Tromso, Honningsvag (North Cape), Murmansk, Archangel (overnight visit), Hammerfest and Kristiansund. Silver Savings fares start at £5,583.

FAR EAST

Voyage 3126: Silver Shadow departs Incheon (Seoul) September 23 on a 12-day sailing to Hong Kong, with calls in Qingdao, Shanghai, Jiangyin, Nanjing and Xiamen. Highlights include cruising the Yangtze River and overnight stays in Shanghai and Hong Kong. Silver Savings fares start at £3,968.

Voyage 3127: Silver Shadow departs Hong Kong October 5 on a 12-day sailing to Singapore with calls in Chan May, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Ko Samui, and Kuantan. Highlights include overnight stays in Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok. Silver Savings fares start at £3,968.

Through its exclusive partnership with Relais & Châteaux, the distinguished international association of charming properties and gourmet restaurants, Silversea enjoys the privilege of featuring the only Relais & Châteaux L'École des Chefs cooking school at sea. The innovative programme offers guests a special culinary curriculum, including hands-on instruction, and entertaining events hosted by Silversea culinary trainer David Bilsland. Educated in classic French cooking, Bilsland's career includes several years as a chef instructor at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in London. He presents a programme developed in collaboration with Jacques Thorel, the owner of L'Auberge Bretonne and a consulting Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux.

The curriculum for each of these cruises is carefully designed to celebrate the cultural flavour of the ship's itinerary. Highlights include specialised workshops covering a range of topics from basic knife skills and kitchen terminology to sauces and baking; cooking demonstrations with wine pairings and interactive Q&A sessions; lively cooking competitions between Chef Bilsland and the ship's own culinary team; a "Lunch and Learn" event offering small groups of guests a chance to sample a delicious meal of specially prepared dishes; and inspired "Take It Home" recipes that will give guests an edge when entertaining at home.

Also offered on certain voyages, when the itinerary permits, is a "Market to the Plate" experience that provides an escorted tour of a local market followed by a cooking class, and a "Culinary Outing," an instructor-escorted excursion to a local restaurant, hotel or other venue where guests can enjoy a unique culinary exploration.

All prices are per person, based on two people sharing a Vista Suite and include complimentary return economy class air, port charges, government fees and taxes. The $500 (V4122 and V1121) and $1,000 (V3126 and V3127) Onboard Spending Credit is offered per suite, based on two people sharing, for use towards additional benefits such as shore excursions, the spa, boutiques or the wine restaurant.

For more info, visit www.silversea.com or contact the UK's leading luxury cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd at 0800 008 6677.

See Vietnam The Orion Way

From Ho Chi Minh to My Son, Nha Trang to Ha Long Bay, Vietnam is intoxicating. With energy and charm in equal proportions and a regal history of passion, war and conquests to rival any European history, Orion II’s nine-night Vietnam Explorer voyages include not one, two, but four UNESCO World Heritage sites - Hue, Hoi An, My Son and Ha Long Bay. Extraordinary, even by Orion Expedition's standards.

Whether it is the organised chaos of cruising the Saigon River with its junks, exploring the traditional fishing village of Baie de Cu Mon, rarely seen by outsiders, or exploring Nha Trang with its Communist Party headquarters, beach brewery and $1 lobsters for lunch, a voyage with Orion promises - and delivers - the unexpected.

Even Ha Long Bay is explored with fresh eyes. Seen from onboard a traditional junk, wending peacefully through the islands, the soaring limestone karsts are spectacular; venturing into limestone caves with the expedition team on Orion II’s Zodiacs adds another dimension completely.

In both 2011 and 2012 there are three scheduled nine-night Vietnam Explorer voyages, alternating between Haiphong (for Hanoi) and Ho Chi Minh City and including Nha Trang, Baie de Cu Mon/Bai Nam Beach, Da Nang (for My Son and Hoi An), Chan May (for Hue) and Ha Long Bay & Cat Ba. 2011 departures are November 18 and 27 and December 6, while 2012 departures are March 12, 21 and 30.

Prices start from £4,295 per person including nine nights onboard Orion II, all meals, entertainment and educational programmes, use of the ship’s sporting equipment and facilities, Zodiac excursions, port and handling charges, tender transfers and government fees and taxes.

For more info, visit www.orionexpeditions.com or contact the UK's leading adventure and luxury-cruise specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.