It's not every day you go to a cruise event and come away with a packet of gnocchi, a pot of tomato sauce and a large wedge of cheese.
So I was bewildered to be handed all three items in my press pack when I went to Southampton this week to see the traditional handover of gifts to mark MSC Poesia's maiden call to the port.
Maybe MSC Cruises was looking to cut costs by getting everyone to cook their own lunch?
Happily not. It was all because there was a cookery demonstration before lunch with one of the chefs showing us how to make gnocchi.
It was also to promote MSC's three forthcoming food and wine-themed cruises - on MSC Lirica as it sails from Genoa to Buenos Aires in November, on a Venice roundtrip voyage on MSC Magnifica next April and a Genoa-Genoa cruise on MSC Splendida in December 2011.
On sea days, there'll be cookery demonstrations, wine, cigar and liquor-tasting events, sessions explaining how to mix a cocktail, as well as lessons on how to receive guests.
That's the good old napkin folding!
Who says cruising isn't what it used to be?
Jane Archer
