The Chef's Table on Emerald Princess

Last night, we were welcomed into the inner sanctum of the ship: the galley. For "foodies," this is a true pilgrimage.

We not only got a chance to see how Princess prepares meals for the more than 3,000 passengers on our sailing but also witnessed just how well service was orchestrated during the busiest time of the day (dinner). There were a few collisions and more than one broken plate, but overall service was carried out with admirable aplomb.

Our behind-the-scenes look was part of a new program called, The Chef's Table. For $75 per person, up to 10 passengers can enjoy this experience on Emerald Princess (the program also is being rolled out fleetwide).

Our evening began in the Da Vinci dining room, where, as curious diners looked on, we walked through the stainless steel doors into the galley. Once inside, we were greeted by Corporate Executive Chef Alfredo Marzi, who treated us to champagne (the real stuff) and hors d'oeuvres. Chef Marzi had gone shopping in Monte Carlo earlier in the day to purchase fresh ingredients for our dinner. The accompanying video shows some of Chef Marzi's creations and highlights of our evening.

Tours today included trips to Florence, the Tuscan countryside and Cinque Terre, as well as Pisa, Lucca and Livorno. Me? I stayed on board. It's a working trip, after all!