Despite the often astounding amount of food on a cruise, celebrity chef restaurants onboard and an increased focus on food and wine, cruising has often left true gourmands feeling the culinary experience fell flat like a bad souffl��.

Last year, Windstar Cruises teamed up with the James Beard Foundation to elevate select cruises into true epicurean experiences that could rival any top culinary vacation.

In 2017, the program expanded from three sailings to 10, including the flagship cruise I took this August featuring Celebrity Chef Hugh Acheson, Sommelier Steven Grubbs-named one of the top seven sommeliers by Food & Wine Magazine in 2011-and Kris Moon, Vice President of the James Beard Foundation.

My 10-day trip aboard the Star Legend took fellow gourmands and me from Dublin to Lisbon, exploring the wines and culinary traditions of France and Spain along the way.

According to Moon, the idea for a partnership between the Beard Foundation and Windstar was born 2.5 years ago.

"We partnered with them because of the principles they have around small ports, increasing local food sourcing and their appreciation for the culture and experience of a place," he said. "James Beard loved to travel, often asking 'What does it taste like here?'"

All of the James Beard cruises benefit the James Beard Foundation, specifically the Chef's Boot Camp for Policy and Change and the James Beard Chef Action Network.

Acheson kicked off the foodie focus on our first sea day with a cooking demonstration featuring a Lyonnaise salad with poached egg.

"Food and cooking are like a Lego set that you can cobble together to make things," he told the audience. "Today, we're disconnected from cooking from scratch. Food should be an intimate thing and a skill you pass on to the younger generation. Notice how much enjoyment you get from cooking with your family. You don't make memories over pizza pockets."

When I sat down with Acheson privately, he told me that his goal with these demos was to highlight regional things from the areas we were visiting that would be easily doable at home:

"I hope to teach a few techniques and not be too cheffy. I don't want to teach people how to cook restaurant food."

Acheson held three cooking demos during the cruise, expertly managing to cook and entertain with quips likening poaching to soaking in a Jacuzzi and sharing that his culinary tweezers actually come from the pet store because they're way cheaper.

Sommelier Grubb-who works with Acheson at Five & Ten and Empire State South in Georgia-also hosted three wine tastings for guests featuring wines, ciders, ports and sherries from areas the ship visited.

"I Just hope the guests find things they haven't tried before. I want to turn them on to classics that matter in the world of wine," said Grubb.

[READMORE]READ MORE: Windstar to Stay Small Despite Big Growth[/READMORE]

The culmination of Acheson and Grubb's efforts was a James Beard dinner towards the end of the cruise that featured all the dishes demonstrated, along with wines Grubb selected to pair with each course.

While there was a clear culinary focus to the cruise, the everyday food in the restaurants and buffet still was typical cruise fare.

However, those in the know could see several offerings that were made with things the chefs picked up in the markets from our port stops. (Windstar is doing a disservice to themselves and passengers by NOT explicitly labeling the fresh local strawberries or highlighting that the chocolate covered marshmallows started with fresh, handmade marshmallows procured in the La Rochelle market.)

The way for guests to really elevate the James Beard cruises is to continue the foodie fixation on land.

By far the best shore excursions I did were the complimentary market tours led by the Windstar chefs. I was lucky in that Windstar's Executive Chef, Graham Cockburn, was on my sailing. I followed him around the market in La Rochelle as he led our group through the stalls, stopping to chat with the cheese monger as he purchased several samples for our group to taste.

Breakfast of truffle cheese? You bet.

Then it was on to sample oysters and local white wine. (At 9:30 am? When in France.) Then it was on to taste and buy succulent berries and divine chocolate. Throughout the tour, Cockburn's passion for food and educating people shined through.

[READMORE]READ MORE: Windstar Cruises is Now the Official Line of the James Beard Foundation[/READMORE]

In each port, visitors could search out culinary experiences ranging from Michelin starred restaurants to local finds like the chocolate sorbet with black peppercorns from Ernest Glacier in La Rochelle. The $4 cone was my best bite of the trip.

"The key to a trip like this is to maximize your time in port," said Acheson. "Seek things out and do your due diligence ahead of time to figure out where to go. I ask people who have been here before. Go beyond Trip Advisor reviews. You have to go out and wander."

There are three more James Beard cruises left in 2017 including an October 20 Mediterranean sailing with Chef Amy Brandwein, a November 10 Caribbean sailing with Chef Keith Rhodes, and another Caribbean itinerary with Chef Mario Pagan on December 9.

According to Windstar officials, there will be a full plate of 2018 sailings released soon.

---

For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.

Topics From This Article to Explore