Chef's table experience

What are your thought on this? With the free specialty dining coverage fee on the sip and sail, is this experience included?

 

 

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We hope to try it on our cruise in November; it is not included in the free specialty restaurant. It is, I believe $90 or $100 per person.

No. It's not included. I think it's worth it for the experience once or twice. You'll find many reviews of it here on Cruise Critic. Here's an old video (the price has gone up since then) on YouTube:

 

If you will search, you will find plenty of others there as well.

An absolutely amazing experience and well worth the price.

Since specialty restaurants cost a max. of $29 and the Chef's Table costs $80ish without wine and $90ish with wine, it wouldn't be included.

We have tried the Chef's Dinner twice. Once on the Royal and once on an older ship. We preferred the one on the Royal because it takes place in a designated area that is somewhat more private. That felt more relaxing and intimate. On the older ship it was held in a corner of the main dining room where everyone was watching. We enjoyed both as the food was excellent and very plentiful.

I would recommend skipping or at least eating lunch early on the day of the Chef's dinner.

I did it a couple cruises ago and absolutely loved it. On my next cruise, next July, I'm going to put my name in the pot and hopefully I'll get chosen. The cost was $95, but I think it's well worth it, for the experience.

Just did Chef's Table on Majestic and it was $115 each. And OK if you like veal.

The Most Travelled lunch was better but you can't buy your way straight into that.

I've done it 5 times, on 5 different ships, so far, and feel it was definitely worth the price every single time.

I've done 3 chef's tables and loved 2 of them. You get a tour of the galley with 5-6 different appetizers and free flowing sparkling wine. Then you get a meal in a section of the dining room with a beautifully set table. We've always had both shellfish and red meat served. There is wine pairing for each course. We've always had chef make use of fire someway in a table side preparation.

You will get a photo of your self (and partner) with the Maitre D'hotel & executive chef and a cookbook. I'm going to try and post a few pics.

My favorite was on the Grand with executive chef Joel Directo and Maitre D'hotel Rui Pereira. They really put a lot of thought and effort into every detail.

After our last less than stellar experience on the Island with executive chef Dirk Daumichen and Maitre D'hotel Ig****o D'Agostini we will not do anymore. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great. I didn't take a single picture as nothing was that outstanding. Eat a very light and early lunch. Do not have a predinner cocktail if you drink.

During one cruise we kept seeing references to the "Chef's Table" as a specialty restaurant on the ship. But there was no such facility. I called and found out that was a special arrangement only offered occasionally where they really do it up big. As they advertise; "An extraordinary treat for both gastronomes and gourmet novices. Enjoy a behind-the-scenes galley tour with Champagne and hors d'oeuvres, followed by an extravagant multi-course dinner created and hosted by the executive chef." This pitch is not an overstatement, it is truly an eating experience. They even forget to mention the variety of wines served with each course and that you end up in a special section (They drape a huge circular curtain around everybody after seated). in the MDR for the main course and desert. Only ten guests allowed each time, very-very good. They gave us a quality cook book and pictures of us and group. My wife loved it. Trouble was I didn't ask the price. Found out when we received the final bill getting off the ship. $230. But it was still great. Do it again for sure. Regal Princess:)

I've done it 5 times, on 5 different ships, so far, and feel it was definitely worth the price every single time.

What do you do with all of those cook books? IMWTK:confused:

What are your thought on this? With the free specialty dining coverage fee on the sip and sail, is this experience included?

 

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As others have posted, the Chef's Table is not included as a option with the free specialty dining offer. The current cost is $115 for the Chef's Table Lumiere on the Royal, Regal, and presumably the Majestic. The meal is served at a special table and a curtain separates the table from the rest of the dining room. On other ships the current cost is $95 for the Chef's Table and the meal is served at a large table in the open dining room. As far as I can tell, the only thing you get for the $20 extra charge for the Chef's Table Lumiere is the curtained off special table. We have different be the CT three times and each was special for different reasons.

 

The CT is not always limited to 10 people. It was only offered once on our Med cruise on the Pacific last November and they accommodated 14.

 

 

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What do you do with all of those cook books? IMWTK:confused:

Give them away as gifts.

 

 

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We did Chef's Table on the Star last Feb. I agree you need to eat a very light lunch, if any, the day of this feast because the amount of food they serve is incredible. I think the $95 per person is more than a good deal. The food, from the Hors d'oeuvres to dessert, was fantastic and the wines paired were excellent. Advice to those accustomed to the finer degustation menus; this is more of a gorge fest. The portions are large and they gave us more if we wanted. I am guilty of 2 lobster tails and extra prawns. I can't resist them. Everyone at our table agreed, we ate far too much. I'd do it again. ;p

I just looked at a photo of the Chef's Table Lumiere and there are 12 seats shown around the table.

 

 

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We did Chef's Table on the Star last Feb. I agree you need to eat a very light lunch, if any, the day of this feast because the amount of food they serve is incredible. I think the $95 per person is more than a good deal. The food, from the Hors d'oeuvres to dessert, was fantastic and the wines paired were excellent. Advice to those accustomed to the finer degustation menus; this is more of a gorge fest. The portions are large and they gave us more if we wanted. I am guilty of 2 lobster tails and extra prawns. I can't resist them. Everyone at our table agreed, we ate far too much. I'd do it again. ;p

For $190 for 2 people I would expect it to be nothing less than fantastic.

I've done it twice and it was amazing both times. Well worth the money, in my opinion.

 

 

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I just looked at a photo of the Chef's Table Lumiere and there are 12 seats shown around the table.

 

 

I think the number of participants is determined by the Maitre d'/Executive Chef. I've read at least one report here on Cruise Critic that as many as 14 have been accommodated. (It is not clear whether the Maitre d' was provided with any "spendable motivation" to allow that.) The time we did it there were 10 participants. However, one couple called with regrets because of illness at the last moment. So, our group was downsized from 12 to 10.

 

Similarly, I have read here that if demand is high, and if the cruise is sufficiently long, a second Chef's table might be added. I would assume that "sufficiently long" means at least 14 days.

What do you do with all of those cook books? IMWTK:confused:

 

Every year we have an office white elephant gift exchange. For the last 5 years, every one of my staff know the big, flat package is from me and that it is a Princess Cruises cookbook!

 

 

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I think the number of participants is determined by the Maitre d'/Executive Chef. I've read at least one report here on Cruise Critic that as many as 14 have been accommodated. (It is not clear whether the Maitre d' was provided with any "spendable motivation" to allow that.) The time we did it there were 10 participants. However, one couple called with regrets because of illness at the last moment. So, our group was downsized from 12 to 10.

 

 

 

Similarly, I have read here that if demand is high, and if the cruise is sufficiently long, a second Chef's table might be added. I would assume that "sufficiently long" means at least 14 days.

We did our first Chef's Table on a 14 day Hawaii cruise in 2009. We didn't decide to do it at first until our waiter suggested that we do it. The initial two scheduled CT's were already fully booked but he kept checking and we made it when they had another 10 people for a third CT.

 

 

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I notice some have been at "Chef's Tables" with more than 10. Okay with me, the more the merrier, but that was what we were told at the time we did one in 2015. I was talking to one of the staff about their selection process then. It made sense. They wanted to be certain that the couples were compatible, primarily in language. In other words, they didn't want one third speaking English, one third Portuguese and one third Spanish. So they were frequently harangued by some who had learned there was going to be a Chef's Table forthwith and demanded to be invited. I have a hunch too, that other criteria came into play, like political and ideological persuasions and those obstinate and outspoken in their views. Would love to be a bug on the wall when they evaluated some of those.

We've done the Chef's table 8 times and enjoyed every one of them. You should definitely try it if you've never been.

 

Here's a link to a review of our last cruise with a lot of pictures of our Chef's Table experience. Enjoy!

 

Photo Review Grand Princess Thanksgiving Grand Adventure Hawaii 2016

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2446904

 

 

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I notice some have been at "Chef's Tables" with more than 10. Okay with me, the more the merrier, but that was what we were told at the time we did one in 2015. I was talking to one of the staff about their selection process then. It made sense. They wanted to be certain that the couples were compatible, primarily in language. In other words, they didn't want one third speaking English, one third Portuguese and one third Spanish. So they were frequently harangued by some who had learned there was going to be a Chef's Table forthwith and demanded to be invited. I have a hunch too, that other criteria came into play, like political and ideological persuasions and those obstinate and outspoken in their views. Would love to be a bug on the wall when they evaluated some of those.

 

 

Hmmm - perhaps this selection process is why some of you are "lucky enough" to have attended multiple CTs. Could it be that being a CT veteran gives one an edge? Do they teach you a secret handshake too? lol ... ;)