Emerald Cruises has partnered with Chef Ben Robinson for two culinary-themed sailings onboard the line’s 100-guest yachts Emerald Azzurra and Emerald Sakara. Chef Robinson, best known as an executive private yacht chef from TV’s Below Deck, will bring his culinary style to two eight-day sailings: first in the Mediterranean onboard Emerald Cruises’ Coastal Gems of Italy and Croatia sailing departing Venice on 28OCT, 2023, then to the Caribbean on the Hidden Charms of the Caribbean sailing departing San Juan, Puerto Rico, on 02MAR, 2024.
At an evening welcome reception that kicks off each sailing, guests will meet the chef and try a signature cocktail. During an onboard cooking demonstration, Chef Robinson will share his creations from locally-sourced ingredients, along with cooking tips with time for an interactive Q&A session. There will be a shore excursion with the chef to try local dishes, and he will customize three dinner menus for guests in La Cucina dining room during the sailings.
The eight-day Coastal Gems of Italy and Croatia sailing on Emerald Azzurra departs Venice on 28OCT, 2023, and calls on two ports in Croatia—Šibenik and Dubrovnik—before making its way back across the Adriatic to the port towns of Brindisi and Gallipoli. From here the yacht calls on Messina in Sicily and heading north to Naples and Rome. A few highlights on this itinerary include a visit to a falconry center in Šibenik, a private concert in the old city theatre in Dubrovnik, and a guided tour of Pompeii.
The eight-day Hidden Charms of the Caribbean, aboard Emerald Sakara will depart San Juan on 02MAR, 2024, and island hop its way east calling on Culebra and Vieques Islands in Puerto Rico, St. John, USVI and Jost Van Dyke in the BVI, St. Barths and St. Kitts before concluding in St. John’s Antigua. Guests can look forward to kayaking in the bioluminescent bay in Vieques, a BBQ lunch on the beach in Jost Van Dyke, and plenty of opportunities to snorkel in the clear waters of the Caribbean.
Chef Ben Robinson has worked under Italian master chefs in Florence and gained an apprenticeship at three-Michelin Star restaurant The Fat Duck, based in the United Kingdom. Ben was a head chef on yachts for more than ten years, including the largest sailing yacht in the world. He has appeared on Bravo Television Network’s Below Deck, Below Deck Mediterranean, and Galley Talk, and is also featured on The Food Network. He also runs a catering business.
Learn more about Emerald Cruises here.
