With wine experts and sommeliers on board, California wine cruises offer wine pairings, tastings and classes for both novices and seasoned connoisseurs. Day trips take guests on tours to wineries and vineyards in the Napa and Sonoma valleys and elsewhere, complete with tastings and luxurious meals. Whether traveling with Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises or Glacier Bay Travel, there is no better way to discover California's wine country.
Princess Cruises offers a week exploring California's wine country. During stops at ports between Los Angeles and Vancouver, guests enjoy tastings at wineries in Santa Barbara and the San Francisco Bay Area, along with microbreweries in Astoria, Oregon. A wine expert and guest chef offer special meals, demonstrations and wine tastings on board the Sapphire Princess. Activities for all ages are available with pools, game rooms and classes. Theaters, lounges, casinos and dance clubs are available for the late night crowd.
Princess Cruises
800-774-6237
princess.com
Savor Your Destination specialty wine cruises are available through Celebrity Cruises for wine lovers. A guest winemaker is aboard to enhance the food and drink experience. Guests will engage in tastings of wine, champagne, sparkling wine and port; learn about the relationship between food and wine and the importance of the shape of a wine glass; and experience pairings of port wine and chocolate. Shore excursions are available to wineries, accompanied by tastings and dinner. A fine dining experience awaits with the best of the Pacific Coast's food combined with French and California wines.
Celebrity Cruises
800-647-2251
celebritycruises.com
Guests will experience the best of both Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley with Glacier Bay cruises. Beginning at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, guests are greeted with a flute of champagne and a toast as the ship cruises past the skyline of San Francisco. Early morning balloon excursions combined with exploration of the Carneros region in Napa Valley are followed by a stop in St. Helena for an exclusive tasting at Merryvale Winery. A tour of the cave theater at Clos Pegase includes a three-course lunch and wine tasting. Clos Du Val's winery in the Stags Leap appellation provides a tasting of Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Chardonnay, all of which have made this winery famous. Sonoma Valley treats guests to the Benziger Winery and a visit to the Tuscan marketplace.
