Cooking classes on HAL?

Anyone done them? How are they? Did you feel like you learned anything? Were the pay classes worth the money?

[quote name='limace']Anyone done them? How are they? Did you feel like you learned anything? Were the pay classes worth the money?[/QUOTE]

there are demonstrations which are free.

The cooking classes I have done were quite enjoyable - but I have only done a few.;)

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4]I have never done them.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4]But I have read where people have done different things on different ships.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4]The classes are $29 per person -- limited to 12 people. One of the chef's from the ship is in charge. Originally everyone was broken down into 3 groups - and were shown how to prep the food. After everything was done, they got to eat the meal either in the Queen's Lounge or the Pinnacle Grill. Complimentary wine is served with the meal.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4]A few people here mentioned that the chef did all the cooking -- just gave them the recipe to look at - they just stood around watching.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4]The cooking classes 99% of the time are on sea days.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4]When you get on the ship, go to the front desk and ask to see what the menu will be and when it will be. Most times you have to sign up right away as some of the classes fill up quickly.[/SIZE][/FONT]

We've taken maybe six or seven of the paid classes since HAL started the program. I don't remember the details of every class but I think all but once the chef running the class was the Pinnacle Grill head chef. I think the one time it wasn't the Pinnacle Grill chef was also the one time where the instructor, who was some kind of assistant chef, did all the prep and cooking instead of letting the students get hands on experience. We obviously really enjoy the classes and enroll as soon as we board as the classes usually fill up fast.

I don't recall seeing any cooking classes on the Westerdam in June in Alaska and I even asked about them at the front desk. They did have some nice cooking demos and I attended each one and took away at least one idea and all the recipes they featured. They gave out samples of one item to all attendees. You sit in the lounge and watch and listen. They have two larger screen projections to show the details of the cooking. I think this was one of the nicer things on the HAL cruise.

I have taken every class possible on my cruises if they occur on sea days. The Zuiderdam in May moved them to port days for some strange reason.

Learning to skin fish, flip crepes, create garnishes, cooking salmon, using molds, dessert tips, preparing southern Mexico dishes, French techniques, etc. make the classes very informative.

When entire families attend the classes, it can become hilarious with floured or chocolated noses as some of the outcomes. A family of six did have a flour altercation that left us all laughing with tears. It is certain that some folks should never be allowed inside a kitchen or even pot-stirring spoons. The patience of the chefs are truly tested.

My favorite experience was carrying my double portion of warm, fragrant, piled high with whipped cream, class-prepared, dutch apple strudel in an elevator back to the cabin for later consumption. When asked where I got it, I responded with, "From the Pinnacle Grill (where we had just finished our class meal)."

In many cases the classes cook items that will be on the MDR the same evening OR a theme provided by the ship's "visiting" chef.

The free wine that comes with the class meal eaten in the Pinnacle Grill, Food and Wine Magazine apron, chefs hat (sometimes), cooking tips, chuckles at the class mistakes, and the new friends make the class one of the highlights of my cruises.

We get one free per cruise, so this may cloud my judgement, but we loved our last one. What a hoot.
Made the Pinnacle's Volcano Cake. It took three of us to figure out the recipe. Maybe that was because we were into the wine! The Chef Tourannt was great, but he didn't command the class enough to teach much. It was fun!
The Pinnacle lunch was fine, from the regular menu. We thought perhaps the Pinnacle Chef had the day off (port day), because the offerings were not really up to par.
Different ships do things differently. I see this mostly as an inexpensive shorex, if you have to pay!

Thanks you guys! I love to cook and would love to try this, and it doesn't seem like a bad deal at all if you get wine and food for your $29...classes locally are twice that, no wine. I'm doing a quilting cruise so classes during at-sea days, so I hope I can make this work, too.

[quote name='limace']Thanks you guys! I love to cook and would love to try this, and it doesn't seem like a bad deal at all if you get wine and food for your $29...classes locally are twice that, no wine. I'm doing a quilting cruise so classes during at-sea days, so I hope I can make this work, too.[/quote]

You might want to hit the Front Desk on boarding, ask for the list of classes and sign up right then. On some cruises these classes sell out fast. Usually on more that 10 or 12 participants are booked.
Otherwise, go talk to the hostess in the Culinary Arts Center to find out about the classes.

Have a lot of fun!!

Just returned home tonight from the Volendam. My DD and I took the cooking class given on the last sea day. The menu was five onion soup, steak Diane, and volcano cake. In previous cooking classes the group was divided and each group actually did the cooking on part of the meal.

This time, the chef just asked for a volunteer to stir and cook the ingredients for the volcano cake (my dd did this.) He then asked for a volunteer to prepare and saute the onions for the soup (since other volunteers were slow to respond, I did that). Another guest made the sauce for the steak Diane under his directions. It was very enjoyable, but seemed more like a demonstration where we could be fully involved in asking questions. (And yes, wine was plentiful for those wanting it.)

On earlier cruises, we actually ate the food we prepared, but this time we just went to the Pinnacle Grill where we were served Five Onion Soup, Steak Diane, and Chocolate Volcano Cake. For $29 it was a bargain as the class was fun, plus we got the meal--which is on the regular menu for $25 although you also get additional sides for the $25 dinner.

[quote name='calteacher']Just returned home tonight from the Volendam. My DD and I took the cooking class given on the last sea day. The menu was five onion soup, steak Diane, and volcano cake. In previous cooking classes the group was divided and each group actually did the cooking on part of the meal.

This time, the chef just asked for a volunteer to stir and cook the ingredients for the volcano cake (my dd did this.) He then asked for a volunteer to prepare and saute the onions for the soup (since other volunteers were slow to respond, I did that). Another guest made the sauce for the steak Diane under his directions. It was very enjoyable, but seemed more like a demonstration where we could be fully involved in asking questions. (And yes, wine was plentiful for those wanting it.)

On earlier cruises, we actually ate the food we prepared, but this time we just went to the Pinnacle Grill where we were served Five Onion Soup, Steak Diane, and Chocolate Volcano Cake. For $29 it was a bargain as the class was fun, plus we got the meal--which is on the regular menu for $25 although you also get additional sides for the $25 dinner.[/quote]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4]Thank you for the report.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4]I would rather like being involved.[/SIZE][/FONT]

We were on the Nieuw Amsterdam last fall for 37 days - the 1st 24 were busy and they did not offer cooking classes - offered a few on the TA - I signed up as did another gal I know - but they were cancelled because of insufficient numbers - don't know how many they need to conduct a class

We have done it 3 times, and loved it. They are fun and a bit informative but the food you cook is not the food you eat at the end of the class in the PG. Health regulations won't allow it. When we did it on the Nieuw Amsterdam there was wine with our meal in the PG but on the Big O there was not.

Different ships, different ways of doing things.
Our Pinnacle lunch was regular menu, have what you wish, with supplied wine.