Interview with Claudine Pépin, Sirena's Godmother

Now just a few months away, Claudine Pépin’s Signature Sailing is a unique culinary voyage aboard Sirena that features alluring European destinations, cooking demonstrations, exclusive menus, special lectures and much more. Claudine, Sirena’s godmother and celebrated cookbook author, is looking forward to meeting many of you during the cruise and sharing the experience with her husband, Rollie, and their daughter, Shorey. The 12-day Lisbon to Bilbao voyage brings you to the home of the famed port wine industry, Oporto; the charming capital city of Dublin; the sunlit vineyards of renowned Bordeaux and an array of other fascinating European cities. We recently caught up with Claudine to find out what she’s most excited for, her culinary favorites on board and much more.

Which destinations are you most excited to explore during this voyage?

We are all looking forward to this trip so very much! Shorey and I have never been to Wales or Ireland. We are going to try to see as much as we can and have a few excursions already planned.

We can’t wait to visit the Beaumaris Castle in Wales and we’re excited for our St. Emilion Exploration while in Bordeaux – it’s a beautiful medieval village set above vineyards that are known as the heartland of the Merlot grape. I know our Walking Tour & Tapas excursion in La Coruña and A Taste of the Basque Country tour in Biarritz will be memorable too. I’m looking forward to meeting many guests during all of these adventures.

Can you give us a sneak peek of the dishes you’ll be preparing during your cooking demonstration?

We'll be mixing a bit of summery Spain with France – it will be fun, but more importantly, it will be easy to make at home!

What is your top recommendation at Jacques Bistro for guests?

Definitely go with a few people and share lots of dishes. You'll find Shorey enjoying escargot; Rollie, the salade niçoise, and I'll be having the warm leek salad – and that's just to start!

Now that you have sailed on Sirena a few times, what are you most looking forward to this year?

What I look forward to every time I am on board is seeing happy people. Happy because their stateroom is fantastic, because their meals are wonderful, because the shows are terrific, and they feel relaxed and completely taken care of by Sirena's gracious officers, crew and staff. It feels like family.

Join Claudine this July on her memorable culinary sojourn!