LOS ANGELES, May 9, 2007 - Beginning with a 1996 Cristal Rose champagne and concluding with a 1983 Château d'Yquem, Sauternes, Crystal Cruises is introducing the Ultimate Vintage Room Dinner for connoisseurs. During Crystal Symphony's May 17, 2007 cruise from Dubai to Rome, Crystal Cruises will debut a one-of-a-kind luxury dining experience featuring some of the rarest wines in the world. The first eight-course French dinner will be prepared by Master Chef André Soltner, former chef/owner of world-famous Lutèce, paired with, among others, a nearly impossible-to-get 1959 Château Lafite - Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux and a Screaming Eagle 1996 from Napa Valley, considered its dream year. Available for up to a maximum of 12 guests, the culinary event must be booked on board through the dining room maitre d'.

"We have noted an upward trend in the kinds of fine wines guests purchase to complement their dining experience," says Toni Neumeister, Crystal Cruises' vice president, food & beverage operations. "Luxury travelers treasure exceptional experiences - but that experience has to be authentically memorable."

Since 2003 and 2004, Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony, respectively, have been offering wine-makers dinners in their specially designed Vintage Rooms. The head sommelier or guest wine experts guide guests through the experience, providing insights on where the wines were made, the aging process and why it works with a particular dish.

The dinners are offered several times each cruise for approximately $180+ per person, depending on the wines chosen.

The Ultimate Vintage Room Dinner will be scheduled just a few times each year on each ship, with different wines and a varying corresponding menu to be based on regional availability. The May dinner features:

 

 

 

Aboard the ultra-luxurious ships of Crystal Cruises, refined elegance meets casual simplicity. With an emphasis on innovative product differentiation, the renowned Crystal experience is distinguished by classic service, abundant space, extensive choices, and quality, providing worldwide vacations that bridge the best of land and sea.

Crystal Cruises enjoys an unparalleled reputation for excellence, anchored in 11 consecutive years of "World's Best Large-Ship Cruise Line" awards by the readers of Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler magazines - the only cruise line, resort or hotel to have achieved such distinction.

For additional information, please contact a travel agent or call 888-799-4625. Visit the luxury line's website at crystalcruises.com.