Costa Cruises presents ChocoCruise – Explore the World of Chocolate. In partnership with Barry Callebaut, Costa Toscana will host five of the world’s best master pastry chefs from Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland and Belgium. Together with Costa Cruises’ Corporate Pastry Chef & Baker, Riccardo Bellaera, they will be the protagonists of an extraordinary Mediterranean cruise dedicated to chocolate in all its forms.
Costa Cruises and Barry Callebaut, a world leader in the production of high-quality chocolate and cocoa, renew their partnership in the name of excellence for ChocoCruise – Explore the World of Chocolate: an entire cruise dedicated to chocolate, designed to give to pastry lovers a week of sweetness and relaxation aboard Costa Cruises’ flagship, Costa Toscana.
From November 17th to 24th, 2023, the ChocoCruise will take guests in a gastronomical itinerary through the wonderful landscapes of the Mediterranean, with calls in Genoa, Marseille, Barcelona, Cagliari, Naples, and Civitavecchia/Rome.
During this themed cruise, five of the world’s greatest master pastry chefs from Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, and Belgium, all members of the Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy and Ambassadors of Barry Callebaut, along with Riccardo Bellaera, Corporate PastryChef & Baker of Costa, will offer a real journey within the journey, discovering the refined art of chocolate-related pastry. The five pastry masters who will aboard the ChocoCruise 2023 are Alberto Simionato (Italy), Joël Perriard (Switzerland), Philippe Bertrand (France), Ramon Morató (Spain), and Alexandre Bourdeaux (Belgium).
The program includes a rich proposal of experiences, all featuring chocolate as the protagonist. Guests will be able to experience chocolate dishes from breakfast to dinner, including savory dishes, tasting this food in all its variations and combinations, depending on the destination visited by the ship.
Throughout the week, there will be meetings and show cookings held by the master pastry chefs and Riccardo Bellaera, who will tell their professional stories and share secrets in the kitchen, all while showing the preparation of the chocolate dish of the day.
Every day, guests will have the opportunity to attend workshops related to chocolate culture in the Lab, the ship’s galley laboratory, accompanied by tastings of the pastry masters’ signature dishes.
Chocolate will also be a protagonist in beverages. Thanks to the partnership with Bacardi, two Italian master bartenders, Europe Cruise Brand Ambassadors of the brand, will present special and unique cocktails, using chocolate among the ingredients.
The chocolate-themed events will further enrich the gastronomic offerings of Costa Toscana: throughout the itinerary exploring Italy, France, and Spain, guests will have the chance to enjoy the “Destination Dishes, dishes related to the destination they will visit the following day, signed by one of the Costa’s three world-renowed international chef partners Bruno Barbieri, Ángel León, and Hélène Darroze. For those seeking a unique experience, the Archipelago restaurant offers a choice of three menus, one from each chef, composed by five refined dishes designed to explore and discover the tastes of the sea through the flavors of the cuisine. Additionally, aboard the Costa Toscana guests can indulge in the creative Asian cuisine at Teppanyaki, Sushino, and Pummid’Oro, for 100% Made in Italy pizza.
Contact us for more details and to book your cabin on the ChocoCruise 2023, departing on Costa Toscana on November 17th, 2023.