Contemplating a James Beard Basis Cruise With Windstar in 2026? This is Who You Can Meet.

Windstar’s partnership with the James Beard Basis is now in its eleventh season, bringing acknowledged cooks and culinary consultants to sea.

Which Cooks Are Internet hosting James Beard Basis Cruises in 2026?

Six cooks will host Windstar’s 2026 culinary cruises:

• José Garzón – Latin American delicacies specialist primarily based in Seattle

• Belinda Bishop – Grenadian chef and Caribbean culinary ambassador

• Kirsten Dixon & Mandy Dixon – Alaskan chef and restaurateur duo

• Gabriel Kreuther – Michelin-recognized Alsatian chef from New York

• David Uygur – Dallas chef-owner of Lucia restaurant

Every chef leads onboard cooking occasions and collaborates with Windstar’s culinary workforce to create themed eating experiences.

What Is a James Beard Basis Cruise With Windstar?

A James Beard Basis cruise with Windstar is a themed crusing the place an award-winning or nominated chef hosts culinary occasions onboard. These cruises mix small-ship journey with food-focused programming.

Typical experiences embrace:

• Stay cooking demonstrations

• Chef-hosted dinners and tasting menus

• Culinary lectures and Q&A classes

• Vacation spot-inspired dishes

• Native market visits in choose ports

The six acclaimed cooks — José Garzón, Belinda Bishop, mother-daughter duo Kirsten Dixon and Mandy Dixon, Gabriel Kreuther, and David Uygur — will deliver their regional culinary experience and signature dishes to sea and host market excursions on their itineraries. And it’s greater than that: The enchantment of Windstar’s culinary-themed cruises, friends can take part in cooking demos, take pleasure in particular dishes impressed by the visitor chef, and, one of the in style actions of all: buy groceries with the chef.

The Cruise: José Garzón and Mayan Legacies on the Wind Surf

Date: February
Ship: Wind Surf
Route: Roundtrip Philipsburg, St. Maarten

In February, Ecuadorian chef José Garzón, the artistic spirit behind Garzón Latinx Road Meals and Unhealthy Chancla, a vibrant eatery serving Latin American–type sandwiches and rice bowls situated on Capitol Hill in Seattle, is understood for mixing Latin American flavors with modern culinary strategies. His inspiration comes from each his heritage — and the culinary scene of the Pacific northwest. The James Beard Basis tells us that “he now channels that power into dishes that remember tradition and group. At Unhealthy Chancla, he emphasizes sustainability and native sourcing, incomes recognition from critics and patrons alike. Past the kitchen, chef Garzón shares his data by means of workshops, promotes sustainable meals practices, and continues to discover new culinary improvements.”

The Cruise: Seaside Enjoyable & Solar: A Distant Caribbean Getaway

Date: March 14  – 21
Ship: Wind Surf
Route: Roundtrip Philipsburg, St. Maarten; ports embrace Antigua, Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, St. Barth’s

Belinda Bishop, an award-winning American-Grenadian chef and Grenada’s culinary ambassador who has been reworking the island’s meals scene for over 14 years, is internet hosting this cruise, roundtrip from Philipsburg, St. Maarten, on Wind Surf. At present, she leads Belinda’s Bistro @ The Tower Property in Grenada. Her culinary type fuses Caribbean delicacies with modern strategies, providing a melange of contemporary greens, spices and tradition influences throughout the area. Past the range, she contributes to humanitarian efforts as a chef with World Central Kitchen and is concerned with the Grenada Culinary Community and the Gemstar Scholarship program.

The Cruise: Scenic Alaska

Dates: Might 15 – 23
Ship: Star Seeker
Route: Juneau to Vancouver; ports embrace Haines, Tracy Arm, Petersburg, Wrangell, Misty Fjords, Ketchikan

Be part of mother-daughter chef duo Kirsten Dixon and Mandy Dixon as these celebrated Alaskan cooks, authors and lodge house owners are host on Star Seeker from Juneau to Vancouver, British Columbia. Kirsten, who skilled at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, is an award-winning chef and cookbook creator who operates the household’s Inside the Wild Journey Firm in Homer, Alaska. There on the on-site restaurant, she provides cooking courses influenced by her philosophy of foraging off the land and sea; specialties embrace Alaska king crab beignets and shrimp toast. Her daughter Mandy, who skilled on the Culinary Institute of America and was mentored by chef Thomas Keller, leads the kitchen at James Beard Award semifinalist® Tutka Bay Lodge, the place she blends classical strategies with Alaska’s extraordinary substances. Collectively, they’ve authored acclaimed cookbooks, earned worldwide recognition, and proceed to nurture future generations of cooks whereas celebrating Alaska’s distinctive sense of place.

The Cruise: French Feast, Normandy, Brittany & Aquitaine

Dates: August 19 – 26
Ship: Star Legend
Route: Rouen/Paris to Bordeaux; ports embrace St. Malo, Honfleur, Guernsey, L’Orient

Onboard Star Legend, Gabriel Kreuther, a culinary icon, and a 2025 James Beard Award nominee® for Excellent Chef and chef/proprietor of his eponymous advantageous eating restaurant, hosts this seven evening journey. Chef/proprietor of Gabriel Kreuther in Manhattan, he fuses traditional French coaching, Alsatian heritage and his love of New York. The cruise travels from Paris/Rouen to Bordeaux.

In the course of the first decade of his profession, chef Kreuther created culinary delights at Michelin-starred kitchens all through Germany, France, and Switzerland earlier than bringing his expertise to the U.S. In New York Metropolis, chef Kreuther joined the workforce at La Caravelle then held a management function at Jean-Georges earlier than turning into the manager chef of the much-lauded Atelier on the Ritz-Carlton after which The Fashionable, the place his cooking obtained quite a few accolades all through his practically decade-long tenure. A protracted-standing member and mentor for the distinguished Bocuse d’Or USA Culinary Council, chef Kreuther was named one in all Meals & Wine‘s Finest New Cooks in 2003 and received the James Beard Award for Finest Chef: New York Metropolis in 2009.In 2021, chef Kreuther revealed his first cookbook, Gabriel Kreuther: The Spirit of Alsace, a Cookbook, sharing his restaurant creations and interpretations of conventional Alsatian dishes.

The Cruise: Traditional Italy and the Dalmatian Coast

Date: October 7 – 15
Ship: Wind Surf
Route: Civitavecchia/Rome to Venice; ports embrace Sorrento, Giardini Naxos, Kotor, Dubrovnik, Trogir

Chef David Uygur, chef-owner of Dallas’ Lucia, is host of this traditional Rome/Civitavecchia to Venice cruise on Wind Surf. Lucia is a comfy neighborhood spot, showcasing house-cured salumi and handmade pastas, and is owned by Uygur and his spouse. He’s earned a 2024 James Beard Award nomination for Excellent Chef, following a 2023 James Beard Award nomination for Lucia as Excellent Restaurant.