Shopping with the chef - Canda/New England

Does anyone know where the chefs usually do shopping with the chef on this cruise itinerary? With many seaside towns, I would think it would be a great chance to get fresh seafood and we would love to go. Also, can anyone tell me, on recent cruises, how to find out if and when there will be a shopping with the chef excursion? It seems to be more of a well kept secret these days. Thanks.

Announcement and sign up for Shopping with the Chef sign up is indeed handled differently these days. On my June cruise it was simply listed as a line item under the day's activities the night before in the Herald. The staff in Seabourn Square will feint ignorance of when and where it will take place and give you the party line of "look for it in the Herald." If you know the chef well you can ask him about it and then at least you will have some idea for planning purposes. I have been on enough Med cruises that I know generally what ports they use there for SWTC. Frankly I wish they would just change it to a paid tour so those who are really interested can sign up ahead of time

Quebec and other ports have great markets within easy walking distance. No need to go with a group.

Yes, just visiting a market is great fun but SWTC is something very different. First you get to see things from his perspective and find out what inspires him and how he intends to prepare it. Second you get to taste many of the items for sales as due to the chef's buying power many vendors will offer samples of items they might not normally offer the average shopper. And finally once the chef has made his purchases you can find out when and where they will be offered on board so you know to be int the right place at the right time.

Exactly. Shopping with the chef is a great experience, well beyond just going to the market. Even though the one time I did it, the markets were not up to the chef's liking in general, so his purchases were minimal, he did get a limited amount of some really fresh seafood which those of us who accompanied him were able to enjoy at dinner that night.

I know many don't like the new system of not being able to reserve a spot for Shopping With The Chef when they board but I think it's definitely fair to make it fair game for all onboard as opposed to those who are in the know and therefore book ahead.

If it continues to be in high demand, I could easily see Seabourn converting this to a paid event (like the premium wine tastings), especially since in some ports it requires not only the chef's time but also a couple of runners to carry items back. In some ports they even rent a bus for the passengers.

It truly is a fun experience... it's a shame that they can't accommodate all who are interested.

I know many don't like the new system of not being able to reserve a spot for Shopping With The Chef when they board but I think it's definitely fair to make it fair game for all onboard as opposed to those who are in the know and therefore book ahead.

 

If it continues to be in high demand, I could easily see Seabourn converting this to a paid event (like the premium wine tastings), especially since in some ports it requires not only the chef's time but also a couple of runners to carry items back. In some ports they even rent a bus for the passengers.

 

It truly is a fun experience... it's a shame that they can't accommodate all who are interested.

I am glad of the new system of booking SWTC.

We have been sailing with Seabourn regularly since 2009 (over 200 days, 2 or 3 cruises per year) and it was only on our cruise in February that we were able to secure our first space for the market visit in Phuket (which was outstanding and throughly enjoyable)

I had not been aware of the ability to book SWTC once you were onboard and I only ever made contact to book a space once I saw it advertised in The Herald (what was the point of placing this advert if all spaces were already reserved anyway???)

I am sure I would be shot down for this, but I would be happy for this to be a paid for excursion. That way you are sure to limit this preferential booking which has existed for the few in the know.

jimmyw9

I would have no problem with it being a paid excursion and I have no problem with all passengers being advised of the opportunity at the same time. I just wish I could find out in advance in which port it will take place so I can plan or not plan other activities.

I just wish I could find out in advance in which port it will take place so I can plan or not plan other activities.

Agreed. I think one of the challenges with that is that it is offered at the discretion of the chef. It's only been offered on 40% of my sailings. We were told this was due to a lack of acceptable markets... I can understand this however for a port where Seabourn (or that chef) has not previously sailed or for some of the shorter itineraries where the ship is more easily provisioned and therefore less likely to need to venture out for local provisioning to add variety.

I would have no problem with it being a paid excursion and I have no problem with all passengers being advised of the opportunity at the same time. I just wish I could find out in advance in which port it will take place so I can plan or not plan other activities.

That is the problem we had last year in Quebec. You have to know to look in the Herald which we didn't do until too late and we had already organized something anyway.

So last year on the Canada/NE itinerary shopping with the chef was in Quebec? In which direction did your cruise go? We end in Montreal so Quebec is the last two days. I was actually hoping for Halifax. I have been before so i was looking for something different.

I understand the new system was meant to make it more fair but it does preclude making plans if you are not sure of the port. And as to the "announcement" in the Herald the have now gone from a big feature box announcement on the front of the Herald two days prior to an simply line item amongst the day's activities the night before.

So yes, I think the problems of fairness and the inability to plan would be solved by making it a paid tour. However I am not sure the Chefs would like this.

So last year on the Canada/NE itinerary shopping with the chef was in Quebec? In which direction did your cruise go? We end in Montreal so Quebec is the last two days. I was actually hoping for Halifax. I have been before so i was looking for something different.

Don't know about last year, but I can tell you that SWTC was in Quebec City in 2013 and 2014.

So last year on the Canada/NE itinerary shopping with the chef was in Quebec? In which direction did your cruise go?

We started in Montreal. The SWTC was the first day in Quebec.

I would say it would be different if going the other direction.

We started in Montreal. The SWTC was the first day in Quebec.

 

I would say it would be different if going the other direction.

We hope to do the SWTC in Quebec in September. We did it in Tallin two years ago and it was a highlight of our trip.

One additional detail question...do you recall the time you left and how long it lasted? We have a tour booked for 1PM. In Tallin, I seem to recall SWTC started about 9 and was completed before noon. Does this sound about right to you?

We hope to do the SWTC in Quebec in September. We did it in Tallin two years ago and it was a highlight of our trip.

 

One additional detail question...do you recall the time you left and how long it lasted? We have a tour booked for 1PM. In Tallin, I seem to recall SWTC started about 9 and was completed before noon. Does this sound about right to you?

I can't speak to Quebec specifically, but in general a SWTC lasts around 2 hours, and in my experience the max was about 2.5 hours, and min was less than an hour (one time it was so boring, we left early).

And my recent one in Bodrum lasted over three hours -- but that was because we spent a half and hour driving to the town on the far side of the peninsula (and back again) where the market was being held. Sometimes after shopping in the market itself the chef will take you somewhere else for a special treat. In Cannes we watched a guy making socca. The chef bought a couple, had it cut up and then took us to a bar across the street to eat it with pastis. In Syracusa we went into a shop selling cured meat, cheese and wine and feasted for half an hour on just about everything in the shop. In Bergen there were just 4 of us SWTC ( it had been a rough crossing from Copenhagen and most passengers were recovering) we tasted cured Minke whale, gravalox and various types of caviar (to bad we didn't have any champagne). My two least favorite markets were in Panama City and Bridgetown, Barbados -- small and filthy.