Princess chefs cruise to top honors at annual Baccardi competition

by Chris Owen on

Much is said about the fabulous food and dining options on major cruise lines. Celebrity chefs lend their name to onboard cuisine adding trendy offerings for passengers to select while at sea. On occasion, everyday working members of the cruise industry excel and rise to top their peers in regional and world-wide competitions. Princess Cruises announced this week the award of top honors in the prestigious Bacardi Bartender and Chef Cruise Competition.

“We’re tremendously proud of both chefs for demonstrating such culinary excellence,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. “It’s always a great honor to be singled out from one’s peers and receive industry acknowledgment of the creativity that enhances our passengers’ experience. We congratulate them on this achievement.”

%Gallery-116985%Pacific Princess Executive Chef Antonio Cortese received top honors in the “Heart Healthy” category for his Red Snapper Mojito, while Coral Princess Sous Chef Abelardo Alvarez won the “Vegetarian” category with his Deep Fried Sushi with Bacardi Wasabi Emulsion and Spicy Kimchi.

The Bacardi Bartender & Chef Cruise Competition, an international event open to all bartenders and chefs in the cruise and ferry industry, requires bartenders and chefs to create original recipes using Bacardi products. The goals of the competition are to “support the cruise industry and its talented artisans, recognize innovation onboard the world’s best cruise and ferry lines, and foster a path for staff to further their trade expertise”.

Other winners include top chef Emerlito Lago of the Phillipines from Cunard Line for his Baccardi Rum Touched Maine Lobster Tail, Noxeke Thanduxolo of France from Royal Caribbean International for his Baccardi Rum Poached Crayfish with Cucumber Cheese Roulade and Kuppakkattu Bulakris Nair Ajayakumar from Italy representing Carnival Cruise Lines with is Martini and Rossi Braised Basa Fillet with Tomato, Chili and Fennel. A complete list of winners and their recipes can be found at BarrardiCruiseCompetion.com.

On the bartender side of the competition, Royal Caribbean International, Carnival Cruise Lines and Viking Line took top honors with an assortment of cocktails with Assistant Bar Manager Chris Chudley from Royal Caribbean International winning top honors for his Bombay Sapphire winner in the gin category named “Elderphine”.

Photos courtesy Baccardi Competition

Bahrain Protests: What you need to know (including where it is on a map)

by McLean Robbins on


The small country of Bahrain is now well into its third day of protests. Following the fall of Mubarak in Egypt, countries like Bahrain, Yemen and Libya have attempted to create a “Tahir Square movement” to create change in their own country.

The country, like Egypt, is protesting the lack of political freedom and economic opportunity. Protests have generally been peacful until police forces killed two protesters yesterday and attempted to subdue crowds by use of rubber bullets and tear gasses.

Bahrain protesters are calling for a new constitution as well as the release of hundreds of Shia men and boys who have been rounded up since August 2010 and an end to civil rights abuses.

The king went on state television promising to investigate the deaths of the two protesters and offering to set up a committee to discuss change, BBC reported.

Like in Tunisia and Egypt, social media is playing a key organizing role (see this great list of people to follow).

Where’s Bahrain, you ask? The small island country has Saudi Arabia to the west and Qatar to the southeast.

The Top Seven Places to See Egyptian Wonders in 2011 (Outside of Egypt)

by Melanie Renzulli on

Although the revolution in Egypt ended rather peacefully with the resignation of Hosni Mubarak on February 11, it may be a while before the country appeals to international travelers again.

With its rich heritage and ancient treasures, Egypt tops the list of many travelers’ bucket lists. But if you’re shelving your Egypt travel plans for another time, here are some other destinations where you can explore Egypt without worrying you’ll have to make a sudden exodus.

Egypt Attraction: King Tut
Where to See It: St. Paul, Minnesota, Houston, Texas, and Melbourne, Australia

The blockbuster King Tut and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibit left New York City in January, but portions of it will be on display at three other locations in 2011. Beginning February 18, The Science Museum of Minnesota will be host to Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs, which will feature more than 100 artifacts associated with the Boy King and other ancient rulers. The exhibit will also travel to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, running from October 16 to April 15, 2012. Lest Americans be the only beneficiaries of the traveling Tut show, the Melbourne Museum will put on a show of pharaonic treasures beginning April 8, 2011.

Egypt Attraction: Cleopatra
Where to See It: Cincinnati, Ohio

After King Tut, Cleopatra has the best name recognition among Egyptian royalty. Beginning February 18, 2011, items associated with Queen Cleopatra will be exhibited in the “Queen City” at the Cincinnati Museum Center. Artifacts such as the Colossus King and Queen statues from Heracleion will be on display, as well as busts, small sphinxes, papyrus, pottery, coins, and more. There are plans for Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt to travel to other North American cities after the Cincinnati show ends on September 5, but those cities have yet to be announced.

Egypt Attraction: Egyptian Museums
Where to See It: London; Runners-Up: New York City and Paris

A number of museums throughout the world have small to sizeable Egyptian collections. However, the most impressive store of Egyptian artifacts can be found at The British Museum. The British Museum houses the largest collection of Egyptian antiquities outside of Egypt, including the Rosetta Stone, the Tomb Chapel of Nebamun (which dates from the 14th century BC), and an entire gallery of mummies’ coffins. Through March 6, the British Museum is also showcasing a special exhibit on the Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead.

Coming in at a very close tie for second are New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and Musee du Louvre in Paris. Highlights from these two museums include the imposing Temple of Dendur, which occupies one of 40 Egyptian galleries in the Met, and the Chapel of the Tomb of Akhethotep in the Louvre.

Egyptian protests reinforce the importance of safety while abroad

by Gadling Staff on

Some people run away from danger; others run toward it.

Multimedia journalist Rachel Anderson is one of the latter. She’s lived in Egypt for six months and chose to stay after the highly publicized protests prompted an American evacuation. “Nope. Never!” Anderson said when asked if she’s considered leaving. “[I’m] spreading the word of what the Egyptian people are currently enduring and am providing a voice to an audience who wouldn’t otherwise be able to.” That doesn’t mean she’s ignoring her personal safety.

“I’m staying in a hotel close to the protests so I don’t spend much time on the street alone,” Anderson said. “I’m not walking around outside the square by myself.”

That’s a good thing, said retired U.S. State Department anti-terrorism expert Ed Lee. Lee consults travelers on international safety and believes that civil turmoil – like what is currently happening in Egypt – is a good time to reinforce the pillars of travel safety.

“No country is completely safe. A lot of people don’t get that,” Lee said. “That’s why roughly 20 percent of travelers have some sort of security issue while away.” Lee recommends following a safety routine before traveling – no matter if you’re traveling to Egypt, Tunisia or London.

Do Your Research

“Make sure you go to the U.S. State Department website and look at any available information on the country you’re going to,” Lee said. Don’t stop there – U.S. travel warnings are thorough, but crosschecking that information with the equivalent U.K. and Australian travel sites is also important.

Register Your Itinerary with the U.S. State Department

“You can actually register your itinerary with the State Department directly on their website,” Lee said. Registering your location, passport number and contact information can help the U.S. Embassy locate you if disaster strikes.

Get International Medical Insurance

“You must have international medical coverage,” Lee stressed. He recommends looking into companies that specialize in travel insurance, like MEDEX and International SOS. And have a medical exam before your trip. “You’re in trouble if you get an illness in a developing country,” he said.

Always Carry Photocopies of Your Passport

“Keep copies in your luggage,” Lee said. “Put the originals in a safe at your hotel, if you can trust it.” Also, be sure to know if you’ll need an exit visa to avoid problems if you need to leave a country quickly.

Know Where the Embassy and Hospitals are Located

This might seem like common sense, but many travelers don’t think of looking for the U.S. Embassy and hospital until it’s too late. Make it a point to locate these landmarks on the first day of your trip.

Don’t Be Too Trusting“People let their guards down while traveling,” Lee said. “And that’s how people get robbed.” He recommends avoiding taxis – especially in developing countries where thieves are known to steal commercial taxis. “Being robbed when you just wanted a ride has a way of turning a normal day into a really bad one.”

Tutankhamun statue and other artifacts stolen from Egyptian Museum, Zahi Hawass reports

by Sean McLachlan on

The Head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, Dr. Zahi Hawass, has posted some sad news on his blog. During the recent political upheaval in Cairo the Egyptian Museum was broken into and some artifacts were stolen. We reported earlier that two mummies were damaged but nothing was stolen. Now that the museum staff have been able to do an inventory it appears that during that incident the intruders also took some artifacts.

The most famous is a gilded wood statue of Tutankhamun being carried by a goddess, shown here. Another Tutankhamun statue was damaged. Several other priceless artifacts are also missing. A complete list can be found here. Dr. Hawass writes that 70 artifacts were knocked over or damaged.

Dr. Hawass also reports a storeroom near the pyramid at Dashur was broken into. There were attempted break-ins at a few other museums as well. No word yet on any missing artifacts.

The Egyptian Museum is on Tahrir Square where the Cairo protests were centered. Dr. Hawass and museum employees have been sleeping in the museum to protect it. On several occasions during the past weeks many protesters made a human barrier to protect the building. Sadly, the thieves took advantage of the confusion on the street level to break in through the roof.

The BBC reports that previous reports of damaged mummies appear to be incorrect and were the result of confusion over a couple of skulls that had been taken from their cases. Also, a group of suspects have been arrested and are being questioned in relation to the break in. The museum remains closed for an indefinite period.