Windstar Cruises and the James Beard Foundation extended their exclusive partnership through early 2021, due to the success of the unique travel and culinary program produced by the two brands. The experiences were first offered in 2016, with culinary experts provided by the Foundation to appear on cruises across Windstar’s six-ship fleet. Now, Windstar is known as the Official Cruise Line of the James Beard Foundation.

Guests traveling on culinary-themed sailings throughout the year expect a James Beard Foundation-selected chef and beverage expert hosting multiple tasting and demonstrations, culinary shore excursions and local market tours. Guests receive plenty of one-on-one time with culinary experts while enjoying top-tier dining experiences.

“Windstar aims to be the leader in culinary offerings among small ship cruises worldwide,” said John Delaney, president, Windstar. “Through our partnership with the James Beard Foundation, we are pleased to introduce an array of incredible culinary superstars aboard our ships. An exciting component of the new multi-year partnership is to pay special attention to both our acclaimed chefs and also to notable wine and mixology experts. Because we believe great meals deserve to be paired with great wines, cocktails and beers indicative of the region in which we’re sailing. These chefs and beverage experts are all selected because of their connections to the countries they are visiting on their cruise — either through their own family heritage or their gastronomic passions. Because Windstar and the James Beard Foundation both are dedicated to making food more delicious, diverse and sustainable for everyone, we make a great pairing.”

“The American culinary world is a mosaic of flavors and influences from around the world which is why we are thrilled to continue our partnership with Windstar allowing us to pair James Beard Foundation-recognized chefs and beverage professionals with sailings to some of the world’s most delicious destinations,” added Kris Moon, vice president, James Beard Foundation. “One of the best ways to experience a culture is through its cuisine and now guests aboard Windstar sailings have celebrated chefs and beverage professionals who can guide them through that experience in an even more meaningful way.”

Travelers not on the specific culinary-themed sailings still enjoy James Beard Foundation-related perks, including culinary demonstrations of James Beard Award-winning chef recipes, beverages and dinner menus featuring James Beard Foundation signature recipes.