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Being part of Celebrity’s public relations team means telling people what makes our cruises so special. One of the most exciting stories to tell is that of our Solsticizing initiative. For me, a large part of what makes this story so fantastic is the fact that each revitalization includes the addition of more restaurants; this means more ways for you to enjoy our award-winning, made-from-scratch cuisine and authentic, personalized service. With the addition of Tuscan Grille, Qsine, Blu and Bistro on Five to our Millennium Class ships, you can expand your culinary journey through a much richer variety of flavor combinations, textures, pairings and other taste worthy delights.

The same team of chefs who bring these restaurants to life through the development of modern luxury dining concepts, menus and service recently made history! Earlier this month, Celebrity was the first cruise line to have its chefs featured at the prestigious, historic James Beard House in New York City. Once the home of American culinary pioneer James Beard, who laid the groundwork for America’s gastronomic excellence, the James Beard House is today regarded as a culinary performance space.

I had the opportunity to witness our chefs in action that week, as I was overseeing a video shoot aimed at sharing the James Beard House dinner story with you (the resulting piece is below). The chefs’ excitement was palpable as they prepped at the New York Marriott Marquis kitchen (thanks to Executive Chef Armando Monterroso and his incredibly hospitable staff), sourced ingredients locally, finished prep at the James Beard House, and then presented an amazing dinner that dazzled and delighted everyone who attended.

Some people believe that the practice of public relations is all glamour, no substance. That couldn’t be further from the truth. But if that’s the perception, it means we do a good job of making sure people see what we want them to see: the polished finished product, not the hard work that led to it. At Celebrity, what we really want everyone to see is how passionate we are about delivering unforgettable, luxurious vacation experiences. My job is to tell that story, to explain how we create truly restorative vacation moments and to invoke curiosity and eagerness about how a Celebrity Cruises experience is unlike any other at sea. And a large part of what makes Celebrity so special is the food we serve onboard.

Seeing our team of chefs—the chefs behind the made-from-scratch food we serve onboard—shine at the legendary James Beard House, one of the most prestigious culinary performance spaces in the world, was an honor and a privilege.

And shine they did! Scallop tartare with sea urchin emulsion and pickled ginger. Alaskan King crab nage with ramp panna cotta, Osetra caviar and Kumamoto oysters. Baby lamb rib with morel mushrooms. Toro tacushi with sesame-soy emulsion, in wonton “taco” shells. Grand Marnier soufflé. These are but a few of the delectable items that our team concocted for the guests at the dinner.

Our director of culinary operations and James Beard Foundation Award-nominated Chef John Suley led the team of chefs who cooked at the Beard House. Together, they represent six countries across five continents: John is American; W. Thomas Szymanski, Senior Traveling Executive Chef, is from Poland; Rufino Rengifo, Corporate Executive Chef, is from Venezuela; Steve Van Der Merwe, Corporate Executive Chef, is South African; Executive Pastry Chef Thierry Houlbert is from France; Traveling Pastry Chef Ronald Sioson is from the Philippines.

Izabela Wojcik, The James Beard Foundation’s Director of House Programming, said, “We selected Celebrity Cruises to cook at the James Beard House because the culinary journey offered on their ships truly is outstanding. The incredible creativity of Chef John Suley and his team is the reason why Celebrity’s guests have the opportunity to delve into an extraordinary range of globally influenced flavors and presentations.”

“The James Beard House dinner not only reflected our individual styles, but also the diversity of influences that shape our work,” John said. “With a team approach, we bring this same synergy to Celebrity’s onboard culinary experience every day, and hope that our passion for cooking amazing food adds an element of the unexpected, of adventure, even of astonishment, to our guests’ vacations.”

Just as teamwork and collaboration are at the heart of the success of Celebrity’s James Beard House dinner, they’re what make our onboard service so extraordinary, on every ship, every day. That’s a story I personally love to tell, and I hope you enjoy experiencing it firsthand.

Click here to see our chefs put modern luxury on the table in New York City (and bring your appetite when we next see you onboard!).

Tavia Robb
Manager, Public Relations
Celebrity Cruises

Additional Photos:

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