Cooking classes

[Techno123]

@the_dylaness I am a pretty decent home cook and found my class Farmstand Fabulous enjoyable rather than challenging. It's similar to the excursions 😜 Everything is pretty much prepped for you with a limited amount of chopping required but you do get some useful hints and tips as you go along and of course, you do cook everything under 'Chef's' direction. I'm not sure I would have spent my own money but as we had OBC I felt it was worth spending some of that. The best bit - you don't have to wash up 😂😂

[KenzSailing]

21 hours ago, the_dylaness said:

We are new Regent cruisers and signed up for a wok cooking class, as I have limited experience with wok cooking (and all of the other classes of interest were already booked for the 10am time slot!)

 

Standing for 2 hours is fine and the facility looks lovely... I'm hearing some undertones though that for those who are decently experienced home cooks, that this may not be the right choice.

 

I'd love to know more about this aspect if anyone cares to share.  I'm no Julia Child but I can cook reasonably well and enjoy reading about new techniques... the only magazine I subscribe to is Cook's Illustrated and I can replicate most recipes there with okay results (except spinach and ricotta gnudi, UGH!!!)  I don't want to spend the time and $ on something that is really entry level...

 

We're signed up for this class on the 12/21 sailing.  I know that Regent uses induction cooktops however, given that true wok cooking involves high heat and oil, I'm not expecting us to do a whole lot of wokery.   Still, should be fun. 

[GOARMY]

Reiterate comments made in Post #11.  My wife is a gourmet cook.  Have most of the Julia Child cookbooks; she has replicated many favorites over the many years.  

 

Have utilized OBCs for cooking classes during several Explorer segments, including the one referenced in Post 11.  She comes away with learning a thing or two as to preparation. 

 

Her Conclusion: time (and OBCs) well utilized.  My conclusion as a consumer--Likewise.   

 

But, as always, YMMV.

 

GOARMY!

 

[Smbruner]

So far we have taken 15 of the Culinary Classes.  Some are better than others as well as some instructors are also better than others.

 

I did not enjoy just one "Farmstand Fabulous" - it did not include what I had hoped.  I wanted a class in cooking what we would find at a farmstand.  It was not that.

 

I do wish they would include a more detailed description on their website for each class instead of being so general.  For example "Turn up the Heat" was about cooking with meat, I thought it would be about spices. 

 

I have learned to not have a reservation at a specialty restaurant on the evening of my 4:00 cooking class.

 

 

 

[bitob]

I took a cooking class yesterday on grandeur

 

the good: instructor was fabulous

 

the bad; the name of the class was misleading and I was not interested in what was being taught. The class was called”wok n roll”. I expected a class in wok cooking. Instead it was a class in Asian cooking. Almost nothing to do with a wok and using ingredients I don’t care for. I walked out 

 

I mentioned the issue to David, the cd. The names of the classes should accurately describe the class content. He agreed 

[the_dylaness]

12 hours ago, bitob said:

I took a cooking class yesterday on grandeur

 

the good: instructor was fabulous

 

the bad; the name of the class was misleading and I was not interested in what was being taught. The class was called”wok n roll”. I expected a class in wok cooking. Instead it was a class in Asian cooking. Almost nothing to do with a wok and using ingredients I don’t care for. I walked out 

 

I mentioned the issue to David, the cd. The names of the classes should accurately describe the class content. He agreed 

 

This is VERY helpful, thank you. We are signed up for this exact class and debating whether or not to take it... I think I will pass. (I like Asian food a lot but I was mostly interested in the wok aspect because I have no experience with this. I also learned that they have induction cooktops which seems not conducive to wok cooking... no pun intended.)

[GMIAC]

I cancelled my "Fiesta on the High Seas" cooking class last week because I didn't want to miss my last day of trivia with My Team. 💌 

[Lonedaddy]

I haven't seen any classes posted for our early December Splendor cruise.  How close in do they post the offerings?  Seemed like my other cruises had them posted earlier.  There isn't even a box for the culinary classes showing up in the manage my booking.

[Smbruner]

On 3/21/2024 at 1:11 PM, Lonedaddy said:

I haven't seen any classes posted for our early December Splendor cruise.  How close in do they post the offerings?  Seemed like my other cruises had them posted earlier.  There isn't even a box for the culinary classes showing up in the manage my booking.

Just keep checking back.  I signed up for our culinary classes on Splendor (which is sailing this November-December) on November 11, 2023!

 

We usually take 3 or more depending on the length of the cruise and if we haven't taken that class. Last month on the Explorer the instructor was so scattered and not very good (she was a guest instructor) that I canceled our other class.  She didn't have the right utensils, and she would bang on the pot (which Chef John Stephano had said to never do as it can damage the pot).

 

In November I plan to find out who the instructor is right away and depending I may cancel the 4 we have booked.  

 

We've enjoyed all the rest of the instructors though.

[Smbruner]

On 12/24/2023 at 6:48 AM, GMIAC said:

I cancelled my "Fiesta on the High Seas" cooking class last week because I didn't want to miss my last day of trivia with My Team. 💌 

I've done that!  LOL

[Hearthosesteeldrumsplayin]

Our first experience with cooking classes was on Splendor.  A TA, so many sea days.  We also did it on our Oceania cruise in Feb.  Both were very fun.  Certainly, don't plan lunch/dinner afterwards; you will be stuffed!  I have already signed up for our Jan 2025 Splendor cooking classes.  They are usually on sea days.  I don't remember ever seeing one for embarkation day, but I am new to both lines.  I'm a novice cook, so learning anything is a bonus for me!  Getting to cook something that comes out so wonderful, and then eat it is just great!  And on Splendor, there was wine flowing freely, as it was paired with each segment of the class!

[Smbruner]

2 hours ago, Hearthosesteeldrumsplayin said:

Our first experience with cooking classes was on Splendor.  A TA, so many sea days.  We also did it on our Oceania cruise in Feb.  Both were very fun.  Certainly, don't plan lunch/dinner afterwards; you will be stuffed!  I have already signed up for our Jan 2025 Splendor cooking classes.  They are usually on sea days.  I don't remember ever seeing one for embarkation day, but I am new to both lines.  I'm a novice cook, so learning anything is a bonus for me!  Getting to cook something that comes out so wonderful, and then eat it is just great!  And on Splendor, there was wine flowing freely, as it was paired with each segment of the class!

I agree with all - but, they are very chinsey with their wine these days.  We barely got a taste!  It was about 1/8 of a glass - if that and no refills.  We noticed this on our most recent Explorer cruise (last month) as well as our TA on the Grandeur in November 2023.

[KenzSailing]

On 3/26/2024 at 8:01 PM, Smbruner said:

I agree with all - but, they are very chinsey with their wine these days.  We barely got a taste!  It was about 1/8 of a glass - if that and no refills.  We noticed this on our most recent Explorer cruise (last month) as well as our TA on the Grandeur in November 2023.

 

You should take classes next to me.  You can have my barely touched wine.  I take the cooking classes to pick up a pointer on two and to have a bit of fun, for which I want a clear head.  Regent is an AI line, plenty of time to get pleasantly foggy in the evening.

[irishwitchy]

I agree on the amount of wine being poured during the cooking classes is a bit disappointing.  Like,  none of us cook and drink at the same time when we are home!