Lidia's Italy: Celebrity chef Lidia to hold court on Silversea cruise

[mercedes]

Fans of Lidia Matticchio Bastianich -- aka Lidia of TV's Lidia's Italy -- have a rare chance to get up close and personal with the celebrity chef this fall on a Silversea cruise out of Venice.

Silversea says the James Beard Award-winning chef and television personality will host a weeklong voyage around Italy on the 382-passenger Silver Whisper that sets sail on Oct. 3.

The $3,995-per-person outing is designed as a money-raising benefit for the James Beard Foundation, and the line says up to 35% of the cruise fare is tax deductible.

Silversea says passengers will be invited to a private welcome reception with Lidia and will spend a day in Venice with the chef as she leads them to her favorite places. She also will offer an exclusive onboard cooking demonstration in the ship's Viking Cooking Studio, and participants can sign up for an additional excursion with Lidia in Catania, Sicily.

The seven-day voyage, which ends in Rome, includes a maiden call for the line in Trogir, Croatia, the medieval town of Kotor, Montenegro, and Catania, Sicily, at the base of Mt Etna. Passengers will also spend a day in Sorrento, Italy, gateway to the ruins of Pompeii.

For more information about the cruise program, including details on its tax-deductible status, customers should call Pisa Brothers Travel, 212.265.8420 ext.324, or visit www.jamesbeard.org/cruise.