Walter Staib Emmy Award

NEW YORK, NY – Victoria Cruise Lines (www.victoriacruiselines.com) is enjoying a surge of exposure after the Yangtze River episode of now six-time Emmy© Award-winning celebrity chef Walter Staib’s PBS-aired A Taste Of History – filmed aboard the recently renovated Victoria Anna – received an Emmy Award in the 2015 program. This was one of two Emmy Awards taken home the same year by Chef Staib, whose team designed Victoria Cruise Lines’ menu and trained the five-star line’s culinary staff.

Through its long history with Celebrity Chef and six-time Emmy Award-winning host of PBS’s A Taste of History, Walter Staib, founder of Concepts By Staib, Ltd., Victoria Cruise Lines ensured that its culinary program is at the forefront of the river cruise industry and light-years ahead of other lines on the Yangtze River.

“We’re happy to see A Taste Of History receive the type of acclaim we’ve been enjoying as a result of Chef Staib’s contributions to our food and beverage program,” said Larry Greenman, manager of public relations and customer service for Victoria Cruise Lines.

“As the only food and beverage program on the Yangtze designed with the western palate in mind, our dining program is consistently sighted as one of our key advantages by our tour partners, the media and our valued guests,” he added.

Chef Staib’s latest visit served dual purposes as he took advantage of the opportunity to film an episode on the Victoria Anna while overseeing the implementation of new menu items and conducting training exercises with the vessel’s culinary staff.

Chef Staib, along with a team of executive chefs, have been periodically stationed on Victoria Cruise Lines’ five-star ships to train and equip the staff and kitchens with all the recipes, ingredients and expertise needed to exceed guests’ expectations. Under the guidance of Staib and his executive chefs, Victoria Cruise Lines introduced Western items for its buffet and a la carte menus on all ships, from Steak Diane, Breast of Chicken Kiev and Smoked Duck entrées to tantalizing soups such as Italian sweet basil and tomato.

Beyond delectable tastes and aromas, Concepts By Staib recognizes that presentation is also a fundamental aspect of the culinary experience and has been working with dining room supervisors and staff to guarantee a world-class setting.  From aesthetic design to the correct pronunciation of dishes, passengers who book with Victoria Cruise Lines will enjoy comfort and peace of mind sailing with an American-managed company that adheres to strict Western standards and ensures English-speaking wait staff are able to answer any questions guests may have.

“Training with Walter Staib was an inspirational experience,” said Chen Gang, an executive chef with Victoria Cruise Lines. “He showed us how to approach cooking from a completely different perspective – more like an art form than an exercise in food preparation,” he noted. “The reaction from passengers has been extremely gratifying.”

For more information or to book, or for a list of tour operators which include the Yangtze River in their China programs, visit www.victoriacruiselines.com or contact Victoria Cruise Lines at 800-348-8084 or 212-818-1680.

About Victoria Cruise Lines

New York-based Victoria Cruise Lines established new standards of excellence for sailing China’s Yangtze River when its first ship edged out of port in 1994.  Victoria Cruise Lines remains the service leader on the Yangtze River with each ship earning the coveted five-star rating from the China Ministry of Culture and Tourism.  Victoria Cruise Lines has earned numerous awards and recognitions over the years including the TravelAge West WAVE Award Editor’s Pick for Best River Cruise Line as well as Best New River Cruise Ship with the launch of the luxurious Victoria Jenna, which also received the Silver Magellan Award from Travel Weekly. The cruise line operates a variety of itineraries on the Yangtze ranging from four to eight days.

For more information and a free color brochure or promotional footage and materials, contact Victoria Cruise Lines at 136-18 39th Avenue, 12th Floor, Flushing, NY 11354; phone (800) 348-8084, (212) 818-1680; fax (212) 818-9889.  E-mail contact@victoriacruiselines.com or visit http://www.victoriacruiselines.com.

Contact Molly Yun to arrange interviews with Chef Staib at (215) 413-1443 or myun@citytavern.com.