Crystal Adds A Dozen New Mouthwatering Adventures To Menu Of Mediterranean Shoreside Options

Luxury Travelers Can Sip, Savor and Cook Their Way through European Destinations

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Jun 10, 2015, 02:13 ET

LOS ANGELES, June 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Epicurean travelers this summer and fall have an abundance of opportunities to savor the Mediterranean in the most literal sense, as luxury cruise leader Crystal Cruises unveils an extensive menu of culinary experiences ashore, with 12 brand new options added this year. In total, three dozen Crystal Adventures in 2015 are specially designed to highlight the local flavors and signature cuisine of Spain, France, Italy, Turkey, Malta, Portugal and Greece, including hands-on cooking instruction, wine tasting and pairing, and exploring local marketplaces for the freshest ingredients.

Crystal Cruises will be celebrating 25 years of sailing in 2015 with multiple theme cruises bringing back former Crystal captains, as well as current top executives

"Like many of our guests, we feel that food, drink and the dining experience are among the best ways to intimately acquaint oneself with a destination," says Crystal's CEO, Edie Rodriguez. "It's only natural that the immersive culinary programs that travelers relish aboard our ships should continue ashore, allowing guests to expand their palates while learning about new cultures."

Among the mouthwatering shore-side Mediterranean excursions this year are:

NEW Meandering through the Tuscan countryside to Verrazzano Castle, in a small village within Chianti, for an extravagant wine-pairing meal (from Florence, Italy in June, August, October and November)
NEW Roaming the local marketplace to select fresh ingredients, then use those ingredients to create a feast of traditional Turkish delicacies with hands-on instruction at a local family farm (from Kusadasi, Turkey in September and October)
NEW Crafting, bottling and labeling one's own wine in Spain's renowned Vera de Estenas wine region, led by an expert winemaker and oenologist (from Valencia, Spain in June and November)
Wine tasting and dining on world-famous Ston oysters in Dubrovnik, Croatia in June, September and October
Hands-on cooking instruction from the head chef of Faggera Restaurant in the charming village of Megalochori, creating appetizers, entrees and desserts using traditional local ingredients (from Santorini, Greece in September and October)

With an impressive onboard culinary program that comprises a bevy of globally-inspired delicacies, from Nobu Matsuhisa's Silk Road and The Sushi Bar and regional Italian comfort food in Prego to internationally-themed selections in the Lido Cafe, tastes of the world have always been an integral part of the renowned Crystal Experience.

Crystal's 2015 Mediterranean voyages range from seven to 12 days, with all-inclusive cruise fares starting at $1485 per person when booked by the June 30 "Book Now" deadline.

Crystal Cruises is the world's most awarded leading luxury cruise provider, having earned more "World's Best" awards than any other cruise line, hotel, or resort in history. Crystal Cruises has won "World's Best Cruise Ship" in Conde Nast Traveler's Reader Choice Awards for 21 years; voted "World's Best Large Ship Cruise Line" by Travel + Leisure readers for 19-consecutive years; the "Best Luxury Cruise Line" by Virtuoso; and both Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity were rated as two of the "Top 5 mid-size ships" by the 2015 Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships.

For more information and Crystal reservations, contact a travel agent, call 888-799-4625, or visit www.crystalcruises.com.

CONTACT:	Paul M. Garcia,	Molly Morgan
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