Samplers

WHAT’S NEW IN THE WORLD OF FOOD, DRINK & TRAVEL?

COLOMBIA MEETS THE GOLD STANDARD

TRAVELLERS SEEKING TO ENJOY THE LATEST “it” destination should consider Luxury Gold’s new Art, Culture & Cuisine of Colombia itinerary.

This 10-day adventure offers a plethora of Exclusive VIP Experiences, including a tour of Bogotá’s vibrant culinary scene with the guidance of Chef Sofia Gaviria. The journey will take guests to local markets, including Paloquemao Market, where they will learn about and shop for local produce before preparing a traditional Colombian meal for lunch.

The exceptional dining experiences continue in Cartagena, where participants meet Chef Jorge Escandon for a meal at La Cevicheria, his culinary hotspot which was propelled into the spotlight after the late Anthony Bourdain shot an episode of No Reservations there.

Cartagena, Colombia

Among other “wow” moments to be had on this journey, guests will enjoy private visits to the Gold Museum and the ZipaquiráSalt Cathedral when they are closed to the public.

Plus, an after-hours visit to the Antioquia Museum in the transformed city of Medellín is also included on the journey, where guests are joined by Alejandra Quintana, the daughter of Fernando Botero, an acclaimed Colombian artist, to admire one of the largest collections of his works. Call your travel advisor for more information or to book.

PRINCESS CRUISES’ RELAXATION REPORT SAYS WE’RE NOT RELAXING ENOUGH

Princess Luxury Bed

It’s time for most of us to start prioritizing more sleep according to the 10th annual Relaxation survey released by Princess Cruises, in collaboration with Wakefield Research.

With 10 years of data analyzing the sleep and vacation habits of adults, this year’s stats reinforce the stress and lack of relaxation experienced by adults globally. Results from the survey show more than half of those surveyed are getting less sleep than they need (52 per cent) – a decrease of one per cent from 2018.

Taking time off is one of the ways for adults to relax and de-stress, and as part of Princess’s commitment to ensuring its guests come back from vacation feeling refreshed, renewed and rejuvenated, it has developed the Princess Luxury Bed in partnership with board-certified sleep expert, Dr. Michael Breus. Curious to try it out? More than 45,000 Princess Luxury Beds are now in over 22,000 staterooms.

The bed features a plush, two-inch thick pillow top, a nine-inch, single-sided medium firm mattress for enhanced support, individually wrapped coils for less partner disturbance, a European-inspired duvet and 100 per cent luxurious Jacquardwoven cotton linens. The only downside? Perhaps not wanting to leave your room.

Dr. Michael Breus with the Princess Luxury Bed

TOP-NOTCH CANADIAN DINING

Though the final top 10 have yet to be revealed, Air Canada has released details of the 35 nominees for Canada’s Best New Restaurants presented by American Express. The annual list highlights the top restaurants that have opened across the country over the last 12 months and deliver exceptional experiences through the quality of their food, level of service and commitment to culinary creativity.

The highly anticipated longlist, drawn from a coast-to-coast culinary exploration, has a beautiful variety of temptations; from a Nordic-Japanese tasting menu offered in a Thornhill, Ontario, strip mall, to an elevated oyster house in Whitehorse to a plant-forward spot called Nowhere *A Restaurant in Victoria.

Based on the recommendations of a diverse new panel of food experts from all over the country, Air Canada sent one writer on an anonymous, month-long, cross-country dining marathon to determine the notable new openings that became contenders for the coveted Top 10, set to soon be announced.

Wayfarer Oyster House

The 2019 nominees for Canada’s Best New Restaurants are:

❱ Alma, Montreal ❱ Alobar Yorkville, Toronto ❱ ARVI, Quebec City ❱ Beach Hill Smokehouse, Toronto ❱ Beau Mont, Montreal ❱ Black Rabbit, Moncton ❱ Como Taperia, Vancouver ❱ Dispatch, St. Catharines ❱ Donna’s, Toronto ❱ Dreyfus, Toronto ❱ Flame + Smith, Bloomfield ❱ Frilu, Thornhill ❱ Grand Cru Deli, Toronto ❱ Hearth, Saskatoon ❱ Home Block at CedarCreek Estate Winery, Kelowna ❱ House of Boateng, Victoria ❱ Le Petit Boeuf, Calgary ❱ Le Petit Mousso, Montreal

❱ Le Swan, Toronto ❱ Lulu Bar, Calgary ❱ McKiernan Luncheonette, Montreal ❱ Moccione, Montreal ❱ Monarque, Montreal ❱ Nowhere *A Restaurant, Victoria ❱ Origines, Caraquet ❱ Partake, Edmonton ❱ Pastel, Montreal ❱ Pluvio, Ucluelet ❱ Sakai Bar, Toronto ❱ The Sensory, Canmore ❱ Seoul Shakers, Toronto ❱ Ten, Toronto ❱ Ugly Dumpling, Vancouver ❱ Wayfarer Oyster House, Whitehorse ❱ Zuì Là, Markham

ROYAL STANDARDS

Luxury cruise line Cunard has announced its program for the remainder of 2021, including an extended season in Japan and new voyages in Iceland, the Baltics and North Cape.

Each ship is set to focus on different unique regions of the world, with a goal of offering more immersive experiences. As such, Queen Victoria will offer a new 14-night itinerary in majestic Iceland, and will also sail a new nine-night Baltic itinerary with a maiden call at Aarhus, Denmark.

Queen Elizabeth will spend more time in East Asia with five roundtrip Tokyo journeys, including a maiden call at Seogwipo in Jeju Island, South Korea, followed by two Southeast Asia sailings before heading to Australia.

Flagship liner Queen Mary 2 will increase the number of the brand’s signature Transatlantic Crossings in 2021, with short breaks in Europe, along with New England & Canada voyages.

Queen Victoria

EXPLORATION AT SEA

Explorers, wanderers and travellers looking to connect with cultures around the world can choose from new itineraries aboard Holland America Line’s Maasdam for its 2019-2020 cruising season.

Ranging from seven to 30 days, the popular journeys navigate the waters of Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Two new Mexico & Sea of Cortez cruise departures are also available, sailing roundtrip from San Diego on April 3 and 15, 2020.

Cabo San Lucas

These 12-day itineraries feature unique scenic cruising in Bahía Magdalena and call at Cabo San Lucas, Pichilingue (La Paz), Loreto, Guaymas, Topolobampo, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta, deeply immersing guests in the culture of the country.

A Pacific Coastal itinerary is also new to Maasdam’s route, taking travellers on a sevenday voyage from San Diego to Vancouver, with calls at Santa Barbara, Monterey and San Francisco, California; Seattle, Washington; and Victoria, British Columbia. Get in touch with your travel advisor when you’re ready to book!

SAIL WITH MASTER CHEF NOBU MATSUHISA

Hosted omakase dinners, a cooking demonstration and sake tasting are just some of the experiences to be had aboard a special sailing with Crystal Expedition Cruises featuring Master Chef Nobu Matsuhisa.

The culinary star behind Crystal’s Umi Uma & Sushi Bar, Chef Nobu will join the October 15, 2020 departure of the Indonesian Immersive & The Great Barrier Reef itinerary, which will explore the southern islands of Australia, the Great Barrier Reef and Indonesia’s tropics.

Master Chef Nobu Matsuhisa

On the menu for Crystal Endeavor guests will be three limited-availability omakase, or chef’s choice, dinners. Two hosted in Umi Uma for 30 guests each will feature a menu of Nobu’s specialties selected and prepared by him and his chefs, and include a signed cookbook.

Another, extravagant Omakase Sushi Bar & Ultimate Vintage Connoisseur Wine Dinner limited to just nine guests in the expedition yacht’s Vintage Room, will offer a multi-course feast, each dish paired with specially selected sake and wines.

The dinner will be hosted by Nobu, Sake Master Hazu and Crystal’s own head sommelier. Guests will have a number of opportunities to mingle with Nobu, including via a cooking demo, a cookbook signing and photo session during the cruise. Call your travel advisor to reserve your place at the table before it’s too late.

ONE OF THE GREATS

It’s no small feat that the AmaMagna has joined the coveted roster of TIME magazine’s “World’s Greatest Places.” The 2019 list showcases 100 global destinations that are breaking new ground, leading industry trends and offering visitors an extraordinary experience.

At twice the width of traditional European river cruise ships, AmaWaterways’ AmaMagna is the first new build of its kind in the river cruise industry, offering more luxurious personal space onboard and bringing travellers fresh new amenities, dining venues and programs.

AmaWaterways’ AmaMagna

AmaMagna welcomes just 196 guests with more than half of her 98 staterooms designated as spacious ocean-cruise style suites measuring between 355 and 710 sq. ft. Complementing the intimate Chef’s Table and Main restaurants, which are found across the AmaWaterways fleet, AmaMagna introduced two new dining venues for the brand – Jimmy’s, family-style dining named for AmaWaterways’ late cofounder Jimmy Murphy, and Al Fresco restaurant, with retractable ceiling and windows and a distinctive vegetableforward menu.

AmaMagna also provides enhanced entertainment offerings, an impressive Zen Wellness Studio and an expansive sun deck with a large heated pool, relaxing whirlpool and sky bar.