Holland America Line Introduces Culinary-themed EXC Tours (Shore Excursions) Developed in Partnership with FOOD & WINE

Currently Mediterranean and Northern Europe cruises feature FOOD & WINE tours

SEATTLE, Feb. 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The long-time partnership between Holland America Line and FOOD & WINE has delivered immersive culinary experiences for more than a dozen years. The collaboration is expanding with a collection of exciting culinary-themed EXC Tours (shore excursions), that explore food, wine and culture in some of the world's hottest gastronomic locales.

"Holland America Line continues to develop deeply immersive experiences in the ports we visit, and through our partnership with FOOD & WINE we've been able to craft exceptional new excursions that show the culinary side of these destinations in some very special ways," said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line. "We want to do more than simply take our guests to a local restaurant. We want them to cook with the restaurant chefs, visit hidden hotspots only the locals know about, and combine food and culture with fun and unique experiences."

Twenty-three new shore excursions are now available for booking on select 2018 cruises to the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. FOOD & WINE EXC Tours on Mediterranean cruises are offered in Dubrovnik, Croatia; Kerkira, Nisos Kerkira (Corfu), and Thira (Santorini), Greece; Livorno (Florence), Naples and Venice, Italy; Monte Carlo, Monaco; Kotor, Montenegro; and Cádiz (Seville), Barcelona and Málaga (Granada), Spain.

Guests on Northern Europe cruises will find FOOD & WINE EXC Tours in Copenhagen, Denmark; Tallinn, Estonia; Helsinki, Finland; Kiel (Hamburg), Germany; Reykjavik, Iceland; Bergen, Norway; St. Petersburg, Russia; and Stockholm, Sweden.

Guests have the opportunity to take hands-on cooking classes, go on culinary walking tours, visit wineries, sample street food, explore local hideaways and more. Noteworthy FOOD & WINE EXC Tours include "La Boqueria Market Cooking Experience" in Barcelona that includes a hands-on culinary workshop led by chef Txema Aroca; "Ino & the Uffizi Gallery" in Livorno, combining the finest art with the best local street food; Copenhagen's "Smorrebrod: The Art of Sandwich Making," where participants learn everything including how to bake bread and create authentic toppings; "Nordic Food Walk" in Stockholm that is a delicious gastronomic journey through the old Haymarket — now the Hötorgshallen Food Market; and a hands-on cooking class in the kitchen of the renowned Selene restaurant in Santorini.

Over the next year, FOOD & WINE EXC Tours will be available in an expanding array of destinations, including additional European ports, Alaska, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Canada/New England, Caribbean, Mexico, South America and more. 

For more information, contact a travel professional, call 1-877-SAIL-HAL (1-877-724-5425) or visit the FOOD & WINE EXC Tours webpage here. All of the FOOD & WINE EXC Tours are noted with "in partnership with FOOD & WINE" in the tour name so they are clearly identifiable. FOOD & WINE is a registered trademark of Time Inc. Affluent Media Group and is used with permission.

Editor's note:  Photos are available at https://www.cruiseimagelibrary.com/c/w8abdykl.

Find Holland America Line on Twitter, Facebook and the Holland America Blog.  Access all social media outlets via the Online Communities quick link on the home page at hollandamerica.com.

About Holland America Line [a division of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE:  CCL and CUK)]
Holland America Line's fleet of 14 ships offers more than 500 cruises to more than 400 ports in 98 countries, territories or dependencies around the world. From shorter getaways to 113-day itineraries, the company's cruises visit all seven continents, with highlights including Antarctica explorations, South America circumnavigations, Cuba cruises and exotic Australia/New Zealand and Asia voyages; four annual Grand Voyages; and popular sailings to the Caribbean, Alaska, Mexico, Canada and New England, Bermuda, Europe and the Panama Canal. The line welcomed ms Koningsdam in 2016 and has a second Pinnacle-class ship, ms Nieuw Statendam, to be delivered in December 2018. A third Pinnacle-class ship, due for delivery in 2021, recently was announced.

The company is undergoing $300 million in brand enhancements to secure its position as the leader in premium cruising. Fleetwide, the ships feature innovative initiatives and a diverse range of enriching experiences focused on destination immersion and personalized travel. Guests can expand their knowledge through an exclusive partnership with O, The Oprah Magazine; during an America's Test Kitchen show; at Explorations Café presented by The New York Times; and by taking a Digital Workshop powered by Windows. Outstanding entertainment fills each evening at venues including Lincoln Center Stage, Billboard Onboard and B.B. King's Blues Club. The dining experience can be savored at a variety of restaurants with menus that feature selections from Holland America Line's esteemed Culinary Council, comprising world-famous chefs who design dishes exclusively for our guests.

SOURCE Holland America Line