The Kitchen Table

I am curious to know more about The Kitchen Table, has anyone booked to have a cooking lesson there yet?

It's something my DH and I would perhaps like to book for our October trip.

Any info on costs?

Thanks.

Coco.

We got an invitation letter delivered to our room about the Kitchen Table in Monaco. The cost is $299 per person. I'll scan and post the letter here on April 28th after the sign-up window closes unless I hear earlier that the invite was broadly distributed on the ship.

We're on for the 50 day cruise and don't want anyone from Viking fuming about our postings.

We didn't get an invite...what gives? Not to worry though, we'd already made plans to have dinner with the Monaco royalty...:D

Thank you so much for quick reply, I'll look forward to seeing the letter.

Coco x

Attached is the letter we received in our room inviting us to join what we believe was the first offering of The Kitchen Table. Our understanding of the section under Entree meant passengers would participate in the food preparation.

DW took a call informing her The Kitchen Table was cancelled due to lack of participation. Neither of us signed up but were called anyway.

So Viking Star is 0 for 2 on exclusive culinary events so far with Tuscan Cooking Lesson, a ordinary excursion sign-up, and The Kitchen Table, an invite letter sign-up both flaming out from lack of participation.

If trends continues, Viking excursions and marketing may have to brainstorm a new approach including changed pricepoints and broader sign-up appeals in order to meet the expectations of those sailing with such interests.

All of this based on our own knowledge and not informed by developments only Viking may know about.

Kitchen Table Invite.pdf

Attached is the letter we received in our room inviting us to join what we believe was the first offering of The Kitchen Table. Our understanding of the section under Entree meant passengers would participate in the food preparation.

 

DW took a call informing her The Kitchen Table was cancelled due to lack of participation. Neither of us signed up but were called anyway.

 

So Viking Star is 0 for 2 on exclusive culinary events so far with Tuscan Cooking Lesson, a ordinary excursion sign-up, and The Kitchen Table, an invite letter sign-up both flaming out from lack of participation.

 

If trends continues, Viking excursions and marketing may have to brainstorm a new approach including changed pricepoints and broader sign-up appeals in order to meet the expectations of those sailing with such interests.

 

All of this based on our own knowledge and not informed by developments only Viking may know about.

At $299 pp I can see why they do not have the participation.

...So Viking Star is 0 for 2 on exclusive culinary events so far with Tuscan Cooking Lesson, a ordinary excursion sign-up, and The Kitchen Table, an invite letter sign-up both flaming out from lack of participation...

I speak only for myself here, but the last thing I want to do when I'm on vacation is cook. And I sure don't want to pay to do it!

Wonder why they didn't extend the invite to more people? I can see using the cabin category as a prioritization method, but then when they didn't get the participation from the Suites why they didn't go down a notch?

I heard a rumor (unverified) that on the first segment of the cruise, the Kitchen Table 'students' did not go shopping with the chef, but we're just presented with the ingredients. In my opionion, that would have been the most interesting part - seeing the local markets and hearing why he/she picked certain items over others.

Algaes, thanks for posting the letter as promised.

It is rather expensive at $299pp, especially if the rumours Elizabeth has heard prove to be true. The 'experience' would be very poor indeed I think without the shopping for ingredients at a local market part of it.

I shall keep an eye on this to see if it improves over the coming months.

Coco

Just another example that Viking seems obsessed with cabin categorization.

They seem to be assuming that people who choose lower categories of cabin in the inaugural season are less inclined to spend money.

Of course that isn't so. We all choose to spend depending on our sense of whether it represents good value for money spent. We book higher class cabins on long cruises with lots of sea days, less expensive ones on port intensive cruises and especially during an inaugural season where everyone is a guinea pig.

If we found something we really wanted to do we would spend the money...so Viking might take a chance and offer this opportunity more widely.

Perhaps some of the "plebs" in V1 and V2 might actually love the cooking experience!

(not us I confess - cooking is the very last thing I want to do on holiday!).