Princess Cruises Offers Two Pacific Coast Wine & Food Experience Cruises

Premium cruise line Princess will offer two specially-themed Wine & Food Experience cruises on the Pacific coast this fall.

I took a transatlantic cruise for the sole purpose of walking the famed Camino de Santiago from Portugal to Spain. **

Helena??**

**para**

What is the Camino de Santiago?

*para*

Choosing a transatlantic cruise to walk the Camino de Santiago

Is walking the Camino de Santiago anything like cruising?

Although embarking on a 12-day hike carrying every necessity in a backpack sounds like the antithesis of a cruise vacation, I found so many parallels to what I love about cruising on my journey.

When I started taking cruises almost a decade ago, I had offered my then-teenage daughter a high school graduation trip of her choice**

**Read my story**

**travel background – make it short**

But as a seasoned traveler, I didn’t see the disconnect between cruising and walking the Camino.

**Almost everyone I talked to asked me, “If you’re so used to luxury travel on cruise ships, why would you want to walk the Camino?**

What to expect on the Camino de Santiago

Walking the Camino Portugues on a budget

As a seasoned cruiser, **

But for this journey, I was committed to spending (on average) just €35 per day—the equivalent of about $35 US dollars each day.

As a kid, I was fascinated by the book Europe on $5 a day**, and later by my high school French and Spanish teachers’ stories of beer/wine and tapas**

So I developed a plan to spend just €35 a day—encompassing all of my food, drink, and shelter needs, as well as any sightseeing. Did I stick to my budget? Absolutely!!

Do you need to be Catholic (or religious in general) to walk the Camino de Santiago?

How to plan a Camino de Santiago before or after a transatlantic cruise

My top *x* tips for walking the Camino de Santiago

With just one Camino de Santiago under my belt, I’m absolutely not an expert. **

1. Pack light

Essentials for walking the Camino de Santiago

What to expect once you reach Santiago de Compostela

**text**

*Getting your Compostela**

*The Pilgrims’ Mass**

The famous Pilgrims’ Mass is a must-do after your long walk to Santiago. As a very (like 35 years’) lapsed Catholic, I was wary about

Princess Cruises‘ themed Wine & Food Experience sailings will happen aboard Discovery Princess departing on October 1, and Sapphire Princess departing on October 8, 2023.

The six- and seven-day voyages will feature two celebrated family wineries, including the Wagner Family of Wine (which includes Caymus Vineyards), and Jackson Family Wines, the largest owner of coastal vineyards in California and Oregon.

Cruisers will be able to visit Napa Valley wineries while exploring the Pacific Wine Country, with curated onboard wine and food experiences including winemaker dinners, expert-guided wine tastings with wine hosts and sommeliers, and food and wine pairings.

Upcoming Pacific Coast Wine & Food Experience cruises

The two Wine & Food Experience cruises for fall 2023 include a six-day voyage with the Wagner Family of Wine and a seven-day sailing with the Jackson Family of Wine. Both journeys embark in Vancouver and end in Los Angeles.

Wagner Family of Wine on Discovery Princess

October 1-7, 2023, sailing from Vancouver to Los Angeles

The first Wine & Food Experience cruise this autumn includes a stop in Victoria, BC and an overnight in San Francisco, highlighted by a special excursion to Caymus Suisun Winery in American Canyon. Fares start at $319 per person.

Additional activities include:

• Wine Discovery: Discover the history of Caymus and Wagner Family Wines, with an introduction to wine terms, wine regions, and tasting techniques.

• Caymus Winemaker Dinner: Learn the art of food and wine pairing from the Wagner Family Wine experts. Five carefully selected wines have been chosen to pair with different courses to enhance the flavors of the meal (cover charge applies).

• Nautical Wine Tasting: Enjoy culinary delights paired with Sea Sun Chardonnay, Sea Sun Pinot Noir, Red Schooner ‘Voyage’ Malbec and Red Schooner ‘Transit’ Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre blend (cover charge applies).

Jackson Family of Wine on Sapphire Princess

October 8-15, 2023, sailing from Vancouver to Los Angeles

The next Wine & Food Experience cruise includes day-long stops at four popular coastal destinations, including Victoria, Astoria, San Francisco, and San Diego.

Cruisers will enjoy specially selected wine pairings that celebrate the cuisine of the region with sailings starting at $349 per person.

Other themed activities include:

• Wine Discovery: Learn about the history of Jackson Family Wines, with an introduction to wine terms, wine regions, and tasting techniques.

• Jackson Family Wines dinner: A five-course meal uniquely paired with five pinnacle wines from the winery paired to complement each course (cover charge applies).

• Winery Tours from San Francisco (excursions to be booked onboard).

• Chardonnay Comparative Tasting: Discover the subtle nuances, aromas, and flavor profiles that set apart the chardonnays from four regions including Kendall-Jackson ‘Special Select,’ Hartford, Brewer-Clifton, and Diatom Unoaked (cover charge applies).

• Explore Oregon: Discover the wine region and taste three local wines, including Gran Moraine Chardonnay, Siduri Pinot Noir, and Gran Moraine Yamhill-Carlton Pinot Noir (cover charge applies).

• Food and Wine Pairing Event: Embark on a journey where the rich flavors of Oregon’s world-renowned wines are perfectly paired with a selection of bites.

• Old World/New World Comparative Tasting: Celebrate the tradition and terroir-driven character of old-world wines in comparison to the bold flavors of the new world (cover charge applies).

• VIP Winemaker Dinner: Hosted by Kendall-Jackson’s head winemaker Randy Ullom and master sommelier Michael Jordan (cover charge applies, not included in package price).

Guests can also purchase an experience package onboard for $229.

“Enhancing our Pacific Coastal cruises with these two specially-themed cruises offer our guests an engaging experience while we’re visiting these top wine regions,” said Sami Kohen, Princess Cruises’ VP of food and beverage.

“Our relationships with the Wagner and Jackson families pair their winemaking prowess with our enthusiastic chefs to serve up wine and food pairings our guests will sip and savor,” Kohen continued in a press release.

Princess Cruises’ Caymus Vineyards Winemaker Dinner

Princess debuted the private Caymus Vineyards Winemaker Dinner earlier this year. The new experience, available across the fleet for $140 per person, draws on the expansive knowledge of Chuck Wagner, owner and winemaker of Napa Valley’s Caymus Vineyards, to provide a five-course menu designed to compliment the tasting notes of his wines.

The dinner, which can accommodate up to 12 guests per seating, will be offered up to three times per voyage, depending on the length of the sailing. Interested guests can book the dinner once on board.

In related news, Princess Cruises was recently distinguished by Wine Spectator with 15 Awards of Excellence for curating wine lists that pair well with the menu. All of the main dining rooms across the brand’s 15 cruise ships were recognized for their wine selection.

Learn more: Princess Cruises Earns 15 Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards of Excellence

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Have you ever sailed on a wine-themed cruise, or would you like to? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!