Too often in PR it’s easy to think you thoroughly understand and know your clients’ products simply because you’ve repeated the same facts and figures enough times that they become second nature. When Team Siren headed to Taste of London last night to support our colleagues and friends at Celebrity Cruises, we got to see why its nice to, once in a while, be sprung from a position of talking points and stats, to one of first-hand experience.

Celebrity Cruises has hosted guests at the capital’s premier food festival for six years, using it to showcase their exceptional onboard culinary offering. For 2018, however, apart from a fine selection of wine (who would expect less from the modern luxury cruise line with the most comprehensive collection of wine at sea?), we were treated to a wonderful preview of some of the menus that guests can expect on board the new Celebrity Edge.

I’ve been talking about Celebrity Edge practically every day since I joined Siren a year ago. I could tell you all about the Magic Carpet, the Infinite Verandas, or the signature colour pallet of the Kelly Hoppen designed suites. I’ve seen renderings and read descriptions, but nothing quite brings the guest experience to life better than the food that will delight holidaymakers on board.

Unlike Celebrity Cruises’ current ships, Celebrity Edge will forego the single large dining room and, instead, offer guests a choice of four restaurants in their all-inclusive package – Cyprus, Tuscan, Normandie and Cosmopolitan (and that’s not including the other 14 speciality dining venues on board). We were lucky enough to sample two new plates from the Cosmopolitan menu.

With wine pairings chosen and introduced in person by the charismatic Wine Show expert, Amelia Singer, we enjoyed a salad of mozzarella coupled with carrots and smoked trout, followed by a grilled New York strip steak prepared before our eyes by a team of industrious Celebrity Cruises chefs. I’ve naturally been looking forward to the launch of Celebrity Edge, but one bite of trout, carrot and velvety-soft mozzarella cheese, I’m downright excited for Celebrity’s new ship to weigh anchor in Southampton next May. Guests are in for a culinary treat.

If you can get down to Regents Park today or tomorrow, make a bee line for the Celebrity Cruises stand at Taste of London. You won’t be disappointed.

^Andrew