It seems fitting that our 7-night cruise from Rouen to Bordeaux was also designated a James Beard Foundation voyage. Windstar has partnered with the foundation for 11 years now, sailing its award-winning chefs alongside guests and folding their dishes into Amphora menus, and this trip felt like a perfect showcase of why. So many of the ports we visited were immersed in a world-class way in either culinary arts or wine — and often both. It started in Rouen, on the Seine River. It’s a city I’d guess a lot of us weren’t that familiar with, but one that’s been named a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. And our voyage finished in Bordeaux, by way of Honfleur, Guernsey, and St. Malo.
What stuck with me most wasn’t the food itself — it was how little distance there was between us and the person making it. Chef Gabriel wasn’t a name on a menu; he was someone you bumped into at the market, traded trekking stories from our visit to Mont-Saint-Michel, or chatted with by the pool. Here’s where that showed up.
Our guest chef
Chef Gabriel Kreuther, a restaurateur in Manhattan who has earned two Michelin stars, was born and raised in France’s Alsace — a nice connection, even though it’s on pretty much the opposite side of the country. Early in the week, I sat in on a cooking demo where he prepared a sea bream with the most incredible green tomato marmalade (later that night, the dish was on every restaurant menu onboard). He didn’t just tell us how to make the marmalade — he shared his farm upbringing, about how at the end of summer his mother needed to find a way to use up the last, often not-quite-ripe, tomatoes. As he wove his family story into the recipe, I was entranced, both by the dish and the storytelling. How often do we get a private audience, as we did on Star Legend, with a James Beard award-winning chef?
The price tag for James Beard activities onboard? Zero.
They’re simply part of the cruise experience. This voyage was the fourth of five onboard partnerships this year; there’s one more to come in October. Does this program offer superb value for the money? You bet. And a PS: Windstar will announce its 2027 lineup in October.
Chef-led voyages also spotlight crew and culinary staff
Guest activities got the spotlight, but the crew benefited too. It was wonderful to learn that the kitchen team and Amphora waitstaff got their own time with him. The onboard chefs cooked his dishes alongside him, while the waitstaff joined tastings so they could speak knowledgeably about his menu with guests. For them, working with a James Beard award-winning chef who’s also earned two Michelin stars was the chance of a lifetime.
The onboard chefs cooked his dishes alongside him, while the waitstaff joined tastings (and sampled dishes) so they could speak knowledgeably about his menu with guests.
Making friends
Speaking of participating, the entire week with Chef Gabriel felt, for me and many others, like making a new friend who just happened to be a superstar chef. I overheard one passenger saying they’d taken a hiking excursion with he and his family, and that he was great to talk with. He, like many of us, complained about a few aches and pains after the trip up towering Mont-Saint-Michel. He joked with us, sat down for quick get-to-know-you conversations, and patiently answered every question we had during and after his cooking demos. My favorite interaction with him was at the Deauville Market, where the Frenchman could identify exotic dishes and explain how they were put together, while Star Legend’s executive chef, Renato, was busy buying fresh ingredients for all of us to try back onboard.
Something to enjoy for every level of culinary enthusiast
You don’t have to be a passionate foodie to have a blast on these chef-hosted cruises. You can pick and choose where you participate. You get to eat really great dishes that you can also make at home (or not — your choice). You can wander off to soak in a hot tub, read a book by the pool, or spend time in port just poking around. The ambience couldn’t have been more relaxed.
And one of the nicest realizations during my first James Beard Foundation-hosted cruise was this: Chef Gabriel’s dishes remain on the menu for future guests to enjoy, alongside selections from previous JBF chefs. It’s an inspiring (and delicious) way to celebrate Windstar’s 11-year partnership and the incredible collection of chefs who have graced its kitchens over the years.
