Crystal, Cabaret and Cuisine
 Not just the same old entertainment on this cruise! Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, along with a sampling from the American popular songbook... performed in the intimate style of Cabaret by some of New York's most dynamic Broadway performers... The Crystal Symphony's Starlight Lounge was transformed into a trendy New York night club featuring the sophisticated entertainment and music one would expect at a late night show at the Hotel Carlyle!
Thanks to the combined efforts of CruiseGourmet.com Magazine and The Mabel Mercer Foundation, an exclusive group of Crystal Symphony guests were able to attend the first ever Cabaret Convention at Sea in March 2005. Along with memorable performances, guests enjoyed a Champagne and Caviar reception, meeting and socializing with performers, wine tasting and cooking demonstrations while sailing the Caribbean on the luxurious Crystal Symphony!
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Artists Sylvia McNair and
Klea Blackhurst |
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| Klea Blackhurst, Jason Graae and James Followell |
Mabel Mercer was the toast of Paris in the 1930s, introducing her inimitable style of singing to adoring audiences with steadfast admirers including Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and the Prince of Wales. At the outbreak of World War II, she returned to America and started a series of engagements at New York's finest supper clubs, the Carlyle and St. Regis Hotels. Noted for her stylized interpretations and intimate embrace of "her" audience, this unique Cabaret performer was the inspiration for the Mabel Mercer Foundation.
In 1985, a year after her death, the Mabel Mercer Foundation, (www.MabelMercer.org) was formally established and in 1989 the first annual Cabaret Convention was held in New York City. Sponsored by the Mabel Mercer Foundation, the annual Cabaret Convention is the largest gathering of cabaret performers in the world. It remains the only non-profit arts organization of its kind as it continues to expand with cabaret events around the country including San Francisco, Chicago, Palm Springs, the Hamptons, London and of course the annual New York Cabaret Convention. The Cabaret Convention at Sea was conceived to allow cabaret fans to combine their love for this very special art form with a wonderful cruise vacation.
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Mabel Mercer Foundation Director
Donald Smith |
Mabel Mercer Foundation, Alyce Finell |
The combination of cabaret on a luxury cruise ship with fine dining and dancing under the Caribbean stars was so well received; CruiseGourmet.com has organized by popular demand the Second Cabaret Convention at Sea! Again onboard the luxurious Crystal Symphony, we will be sailing the Mediterranean for twelve days from Monte Carlo to Venice (June 6-18, 2006) with some of Broadway's top cabaret talent. For more information about the Second Cabaret at Sea, click on the Signature Cruise/Cabaret Cruise button on this site or go to:
Crystal's Vintage Room... Simply the best food and wine event at sea!
 The Crystal Symphony Wine & Champagne Makers Dinner held in the ship's private Vintage Room is spectacular. Historically hosted in fine restaurants throughout the world, Crystal Symphony's intimate Vintage Room joins an elite collection of venues - from Miami's Norman's to South Africa's Stellenbosh - to offer the ultimate gourmet experience.
Limited to only twelve guests and hosted by Head Sommelier, Pasquale Gubitosa, our fortunate group embarked on a worldwide sojourn of rare vintages from famed wine-making regions such as Bordeaux, South America, Napa Valley, Australia, and Italy. The Wine & Champagne Makers Dinner encompassed appellations not easily accessible in stores and restaurants paired with an exclusive menu unavailable to anyone else on the ship!
"These dinners draw upon the rich tradition of wine makers to gather and showcase their most treasured vintages - where the wine is in the spotlight and the cuisine is the complement - in an intimate venue exclusive to friends and esteemed customers," says Toni Neumeister, Crystal's vice president, food and beverage operations. "We are creating the same privileged environment for our guests with a truly enriching event that reveals the historical, cultural and culinary nuances of wines."
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| Vintage Room Dinner |
Crystal Cruises exclusive Wine & Champagne Maker Dinners at sea, go beyond mere lectures and tasting to create a total experience designed to enrich, educate and even surprise the most sophisticated aficionado.
Crystal's award-winning culinary team works in tandem with the line's expert sommeliers to create tasting menus designed to showcase the unique attributes of each vintage. Menus may reflect the ship's cruising region and will feature between four to eight different wines or champagnes. We enjoyed no less than eight courses with nine vintages including:
Catena Alta Chardonnay, Adrianna Vineyard "Bodegas Catena - Zapata" Mendoza, Argentina 2000. Boasting impressive aromatic depth, this spicy pear-scented, medium to full-bodied vintage is oily-textured, broad and expansive. Its luscious mouthful, while rich and supple, retains admirable freshness and purity. Served with candied white fruits, anise, and hints of butterscotch, with Tamarindo Glazed Broiled Red Snapper, on Little Seafood Paella with Tomato-Calamato Olive Coulis.
Cabernet Sauvignon "Almaviva" Concha y Toro & Baron Rothschild Puente Alto Maipo Chile 1999. Dense, with roasted cocoa bean, bittersweet chocolate, black currant and blackberry flavors, and a long powerful finish held together by pounding tannins. Served with Cross Grilled Baby Lamb Chops, with Mint Chimichurri, Sweet Potato Gnocchi, and Roasted Beets.
Semillon Late Harvest Santa Rita Winery, Maipo Valley 2000. Super concentrated, with aromas of honey, flowers, sweet fruit and a long spicy finish. Paired with Mille Feuille of Banana and Cuban Chocolate Crème Brulee.
The Wine & Champagne Makers Dinners are offered nightly and are by reservation only. Guests may confirm their participation in advance of their cruise, or once onboard. The cost per person varies depending on the menu of wines and may range from $50 to a few hundred dollars.
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| Vintage Room |
Neumeister adds, "Given the rarity of some of the selections, combined with the discovery of new vintages, the dinners represent tremendous value. More than any other drink across the world, wine fascinates, entices and seduces. It fosters new friendships with others who share the same passion. Combined with the destination, the cuisine, and the luxurious Crystal Symphony, these dinners will be treasured experiences for our guests."
The Wine & Champagne Makers Dinners are the latest addition to Crystal's progressive and sophisticated culinary program which includes its highly regarded "Wine & Food Festival." Now in its 10th year, featured chefs have included Lee Hefter (Spago, Beverly Hills), Angelo Auriana (Valentino's, Santa Monica), culinary icon André Soltner (formerly Lutece, New York) and some of the finest names in wine including Piero Selvaggio (Valentino's), Kevin Zraly (author and educator), Dan Berger (national syndicated wine columnist) and Master Sommelier Jay James (wine director, Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas).
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| Vintage Room |
The line's devotion to the culinary arts is further evidenced by its unprecedented alliances with some of the world's most celebrated names in food, wine and hospitality - Nobu Matsuhisa brings his legendary cuisine to the aptly-named "Sushi Bar" and "Silk Road Restaurant" aboard Crystal Serenity; Wolfgang Puck's acclaimed Santa Monica-based restaurant, Chinois on Main, is showcased at "Jade Garden," the intimate Asian specialty restaurant aboard Crystal Symphony; and famed restaurateur Selvaggio of Valentino in Santa Monica and Las Vegasshowcases the cuisine of his revered restaurant at "Valentino at Prego" aboard Crystal Symphony.
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