Cooking Classes

Going on my first HAL cruise in December. I keep seeing these cooking classes. I have traveled on Carnival before and the cooking classes seem like a great change of pace. Can someone explain them a little more in detail for me?

Going on my first HAL cruise in December. I keep seeing these cooking classes. I have traveled on Carnival before and the cooking classes seem like a great change of pace. Can someone explain them a little more in detail for me?

That's a very good question. First time HAL here as well this November, was wondering about the cooking lessons myself and will be interested to hear the responses.

I'd be happy to. There is a cost involved, $29, but well worth it. I make a stop at the front office as soon as we board, check what days the classes are being held and the menus, if they have them, and nail down a spot. They do tend to fill up quickly.

The classes will be held in the Queen's Lounge. There is a maximum of 12, I believe, and you will get an apron, recipes and a notepad. You'll also have some wine and cook with a chef giving instructions. Lots of fun if you love to cook like I do. You won't eat the food you prepare (health reasons) but will go into the Pinnacle Grill and be served the same menu with wine. A lovely way to spend a sea day.

Cooking classes - things prepared somewhat but you do get to cook

and you get to eat the food cooked:) usually in the pinnacle grill or there depending upon the ship from my experience.

Sign up early. They sell out fast for a reason.

They also have some you can watch, but it's not the same thing.

hope this helps a bit

Is this something that you can pre-book or do you have to book when you get on the ship?

Can only be booked when you are aboard the ship.

If they say it is full, ask to be placed on the waiting list. I did and I got a call in my cabin the next day that someone had cancelled.

It is a lot of fun. We had a "guest Chef" from Food Network. (Her name was Suzie Something)

They do have an "lecture" demo which is free, but the last one I went to was so disorganized we walked out. The cards they gave us with the recipes was for 100 servings, and we were told to "scale back" ingredients to the servings we needed. It also started 25 minutes late.

Just as tooalto wrote, the first thing we did on our cruise last week was go to the Front Office to signup. We were on a Quebec-Boston cruise and there were two classes offered. The first was our At-Sea day, and the second was during the port call while in Halifax. My DW signed up for the class held in the Wajang Theater on the Veendam At-Sea day. It was held at 1100 and she really enjoyed it! There was a waiting list as a passenger had stood by before it started but then left. He should have remained as there was a cancellation so only 11 participated.

The only wrinkle was the Mariner Luncheon was at 1300. She was having the Culinary Arts class lunch at the same time while I attended the Mariner Luncheon. She did join me for the desert though.

DW said it was one of her highlights of the cruise - and will do it again!

OP

I see that you will be on the Westerdam. The classes are held in the Queen's Lounge which is also the Culinary Arts Center.

HAL also has some cooking demonstrations that are free. You get to watch 2 items being made -- you also get the recipes for them. And at the end, you usually get to sample one of the items.

On our Ryndam T/A a couple of years ago, one of the cooking demos was given by the Captain! He made one of his mother's recipes for a Dutch dessert, apply "assisted" (actually, impeded) by the CD. About half way thru, the CD had arranged for the ship's fire brigade (who were just finishing up a drill) to come charging in to the Culinary Arts Center to "fight the fire" the Captain was starting.

It was a great deal of fun all around. And the recipe was great!

Cooking Demos:

On our last Nieuw Amsterdam cruise, a chef from the Tamarind, Pinnacle Grill, and Canaletto each demonstrated the preparation of one dish from their respective menus. Recipe cards for home-sized servings were available for each of the dishes. The demo did spark a lot of interest in the Specialty Restaurants.

Cooking Classes:

The cooking classes are quite fun and can involve family members playing pranks on each other. One class became a chocolate and powdered sugar face-painting effort between six family members. There are definitely some good photo ops during the class.

Some chefs allow the class participants to do more of the prep than others but in every class, cooking/prep techniques are presented. Feel free to ask lots of questions.

In my 14 cooking classes, we prepared a three-course meal and then ate the three-course meal, prepared properly by the PG staff. Since participants do not have Health Certificates, the food prepared in the classes cannot be served but there are spoons for tasting during the prep phase.

On a number of occasions, the PG staff allowed the opened, but not emptied, wine bottles to be taken back to participant staterooms after the meals.

Since the classes are limited to 12 participants, registration needs to be a first stop at the Front Desk (Deck 1 forward) after boarding. It is important to ask when the classes are presented because some may interfere with shore excursions.

On our Ryndam T/A a couple of years ago, one of the cooking demos was given by the Captain! He made one of his mother's recipes for a Dutch dessert, apply "assisted" (actually, impeded) by the CD. About half way thru, the CD had arranged for the ship's fire brigade (who were just finishing up a drill) to come charging in to the Culinary Arts Center to "fight the fire" the Captain was starting.

 

It was a great deal of fun all around. And the recipe was great!

I would have loved to have seen that.

Sure does sound like it was a lot of fun.

I've done classes a few times and enjoyed them a lot. The chef teaching the class makes a difference - some are quite engaging and seem to really enjoy it, others not as much.

Definitely head for the front desk upon boarding if you are interested.

Experience has taught me several things about trying to attend the paid cooking classes:

Sign up at the Front Desk as soon as you board and make note of the date/time/venue.

Confirm two days before the date you were given that the class will take place

and you are listed as an attendee.

Confirm the day before the date you were given that the class will take place and you are listed as an attendee.

If you are told the class has been cancelled, show up at the proper venue on the date and time you were given initially to see if the class is taking place.

If you are told that classes are full, ask to be put on the Wait List. If you aren't called, show up anyway. You may get in.

Can you tell that I have had trouble attending these classes? You bet. I've signed up for five on two different cruises and only attended one. Why? Because the classes were supposedly cancelled due to lack of interest (twice) or rescheduled and "somehow" my name dropped off the list of attendees (twice).

Do not look for and/or trust the information on these classes in the "On Location" papers delivered to your cabin. This is where I was notified that the classes were cancelled due to lack of interest. I happened to meet a fellow passenger who had "dropped in" at the venue to see what was taking the place of the cancelled class. She found that the class was taking place after all.

The one class that I managed to attend was great.

Don't fret if you are on the waitlist. On my last cruise I found out they keep a couple places open for Neptune Suite passengers. The day of the class, if still open the places go to the people on the wait list.

Also, if there are foods you don't like, ask when you make the reservation what the menu is.

Are paid cooking class offered on every cruise? We will be on the Westerdam Dec 26.

I would have loved to have seen that.

Sure does sound like it was a lot of fun.

We had one Captain who was very serious but a very good sport about doing a cooking demo!

Have also seen a few HDs and other officers doing demos, too.

What we enjoy the best has been the Cook-offs. Great "competitions" between the CD and various officers (Staff Officer, Cul Ops, GRM). Once the Captain was one of the judges.

I would love it if HAL continued these demos.

Thanks to all of you! I never thought I'd be interested in one of the classes, but your descriptions have encouraged me to try one on my next cruise.

Don't fret if you are on the waitlist. On my last cruise I found out they keep a couple places open for Neptune Suite passengers. The day of the class, if still open the places go to the people on the wait list.

 

Also, if there are foods you don't like, ask when you make the reservation what the menu is.

Do Neptune Suite passengers get priority somehow? Not sure if this is suggesting a suite passenger can sign up later on and still get a spot?

Do Neptune Suite passengers get priority somehow? Not sure if this is suggesting a suite passenger can sign up later on and still get a spot?

Well of course they do. When a customer is spending the big bucks, it's only wise to be able to offer whatever they might like. Within reason, of course. ;)

Well of course they do. When a customer is spending the big bucks, it's only wise to be able to offer whatever they might like. Within reason, of course. ;)

:):):)

Do Neptune Suite passengers get priority somehow? Not sure if this is suggesting a suite passenger can sign up later on and still get a spot?

No. Once the class is full, it's full.

No. Once the class is full, it's full.

Nor do 5 stars get any priority. HAL adds another class.

No. Once the class is full, it's full.

Nor do 5 stars get any priority. HAL adds another class.

It's not that they're trying to exclude anyone. It's just that there are only a limited number of slots and a limited number of days on which the classes can be conducted. (Usually one per week.)

They may add an extra class with house instructors, but not when there are guest chefs.

Just wondering if the classes are offered during the NA Vancouver RT 7 Day cruises to Alaska?

Thanks!