Jacques Pepin on Regatta

[digby]

The May issue of Food and Wine Magazine has a major feature about a cruise on Regatta with Jacques Pepin along for the trip. It follows some excursions he led onshore as well as his activities on board.

[travelingduo]

Thanks, Digby. We are booked on the Regatta November TA with Jacques Pepin and we are really looking forward to it. I am going out to buy the magazine tomorrow. Thanks for the tip! Les

[digby]

I just found that the article is available on the Food and Wine Magazine web site too.

[Rickey 88]

I just found that the article is available on the Food and Wine Magazine web site too.

 

Thank you, Digby. We will be on the Regatta in November and are looking forward to two weeks of Jacques Pepin and his cooking.

This article will help with the "Countdown".....

[Friscorays]

Here is the link:

 

http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/cruising-the-mediterranean-with-jacques-pepin

[tak2]

Is there a review of the Nov 2008 Jacques Pepin cruise?

I guess there was no land food tour. Was he accessible during the cruise?

How many food related sessions were held onboard? Was the special dishes presented in GDR in his honour any special?

Thanks?

[Rickey 88]

So far, I have not come across anyone's review of the Nov. 11th cruise.

 

However, in answer to your question, there were three sessions with Jacques and his wife, Gloria during the cruise. Since our stops were few, there was no shore shopping trip that I noticed.

 

However, and I don't remember the exact details, there were a number of new dishes created during the cruise that were in addition to his "Signature" dishes.

 

He was quite gracious throughout the cruise, and as might be expected, there were copies of many of his books for sale, and he was available to sign copies if desired.....

[RetiredFL]

We were on the same cruise. Except for the cooking demos I don't remember any other special things. There may have been one or two thing new on the menu but other than that we did not see any difference.

In reality, he and his wife seemed like any other passengers. We saw them sitting around the pool and waiting in line like everyone else for a table for dinner.

He was always gracious and responded to a greeting in French but other than that people left him pretty much alone.

In fact, we felt a little sorry for him at times as it seemed he and his wife were getting no special treatment at all. The crew seemed to be ignoring them. Perhaps that is what they wanted.

[china addict]

I too was on the November Regatta cruise with Jacques Pepin and agree with previous posters that he was extremely gracious and mingled freely on board, posing occasionally for photos, autographs, etc. He did 3 cooking demonstrations assisted by wife Gloria, and I understand his daughter Claudine will take Gloria's place on the next cruise. The 4th cooking demo was postponed a couple of times because of rough seas, but at JP's insistence eventually went forward as a Q&A session, very fascinating to be able to fire questions to explode cooking myths, learn short-cuts, get utensil, ingredient and restaurant recommendations, etc. He's warm, friendly and very down to earth. DH had to be dragged to the first session but was early to the other three in order to secure good seats! We thought he was a great enhancement to the cruise. We rubbed shoulders with him often in the buffet line at lunch but mostly spotted him in Polo or Toscana. I asked our favorite waiter at Toscana if it put pressure on the chef, having him dine there so often. He said just the opposite, that Jacques Pepin is one of their favorite guests and they love having him on board. He sails with them at least twice a year so he's no stranger, but they said he is very undemanding and never wants anyone to fuss over him. Interesting that he's so low key, yet every once in a while there's a passenger who relishes sending food back to the kitchen and advertising it to the world. Bottom line, if you have the chance to sail with Jacques Pepin, do it. He's written a very interesting autobiography called "The Apprentice" which I bought for a bargain on Ebay after the cruise. It's recommended reading for anyone who plans to sail with him.

[jamesm]

We were also on the Nov. 11 TA with Jacques Pepin. He and his entourage were seated at an adjacent table in the Dining Room for most of the cruise - except for the few nights they ate in Toscana and Polo. We shared the same wait staff. I asked them if they were at all nervous about taking care of his table but they told us he was among the easiest people they served. As others have noted, we found him to be very gracious when we had occasion to talk with them. Do read "The Apprentice" as mentioned earlier - it's a great book!

[Friscorays]

Jacques and Claudine Pepin were on our April 2009 Mediterranean trip on the Regatta.

 

According to the reception desk, they were to board our ship in Marseilles but because of a strike by local fisherman, we were not permitted to dock there. So we went straight to Monte Carlo. When my mom and I were leaving the ship to go ashore that afternoon, we saw Jacques and Claudine getting on after they drove about 3-4 hours to met the ship-(they weren't allowed to leave Marseilles either). Which was on a Tuesday. We saw him again through the glass doors of the Terrace dining area out on the back of the ship at a private dining function.

The first "offical" event with Jacques was on Sunday during a 2 hour cooking demo and a 1 hour question/answer session that afternoon.

He then left the ship for the second week,so nothing else.

 

The events with him were very informative and the food he cooked was outstanding. and he did sign the books I had brought with me and took pictures with everyone.

 

My mom and I were disappointed with the amount of events featuring them considering the cruise was described as being "With" Jacques. It was the whole reason we chose this cruise. It would have been nice to have more events with him...

[Lane40]

If you have the opportunity to meet face to face and in private with the head chef on any of the Oceania cruiseships, ask them their thoughts on this whole Jacques Pepin thing and his influence on the meals, menus, etc. I will leave it at that. :)