5,500 cruise line bartenders will this year be trained in the art of mixology on the high seas.5,500 cruise line bartenders will this year be trained in the art of mixology on the high seas.

One of the world’s most prestigious cocktail competitions is taking to the high seas to turn floating bartenders into mixologists extraordinaires.

The Diageo Global Travel team announced the launch of the biggest ever Diageo Reserve World Class programme, in partnership with four of the world’s leading cruise lines: Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises.

This year, the programme will see over 5,500 cruise line bartenders (almost 15 times the number of 2013 participants) trained in the art of mixology, then whittled down to just four via a series of tests.

These four will go head-to-head at the glamorous Diageo Reserve World Class Global Travel semi-final event in Miami, Florida, on June 5.

The winner will compete at the star-studded Bartender of the Year global final, pitted against bartenders from the four corners of the globe.

Managing the training programme this year will be World Class global winner for Latin America and the Caribbean 2013, Mario Seijo, supported by leading mixologists Julio Cabrera, Joseph Brooke and Michael Parish.

In sessions around the world from Shanghai to Sydney and Naples to Cozumel, they will coach bartenders in showmanship skills and the latest cocktail-making trends to create delicious drinks for onboard guests.

Pushing the boundaries of high-end cocktails, the bartenders are encouraged to innovate and experiment using some of the world’s leading collection of fine spirits: Diageo Reserve’s brand portfolio.

The competition can be followed on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WorldClass.

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