Culinary Arts Dinner

How do you sign up for the Culinary Arts Dinner & what is the cost?

Sailing on Koningsdam.

We did the dinner at the Culinary Arts and really enjoyed it. We pre-booked online before we cruised. It was not a busy venue, so we easily booked it for a second time while on the ship. They offered 2 different menus and we wanted to try them both. I think the price is $20 without wine, and $39 with wine. The wine was good and plentiful, so for us it was worth the extra cost. We enjoyed our dinners there and would recommend you try it.

We booked it the first day on the ship last June on the Koningsdam. The dinner was fantastic and the wine plentiful. They served a red and a white wine with the meal and we had some of both. The food was so good I actually ate cooked carrots, which I detest. But, they fixed them well!

We did the dinner at the Culinary Arts and really enjoyed it. We pre-booked online before we cruised. It was not a busy venue, so we easily booked it for a second time while on the ship. They offered 2 different menus and we wanted to try them both. I think the price is $20 without wine, and $39 with wine. The wine was good and plentiful, so for us it was worth the extra cost. We enjoyed our dinners there and would recommend you try it.

Was not aware that you could prebook the Culinary Arts dinner. It does not show up as an alternative dining option on our January Koningsdam reservation.

Do you have to do it by calling Seattle? You prepay?

Does the regular Mariner discount apply to the food portion of the extra charge?

Was not aware that you could prebook the Culinary Arts dinner. It does not show up as an alternative dining option on our January Koningsdam reservation.

Do you have to do it by calling Seattle? You prepay?

Does the regular Mariner discount apply to the food portion of the extra charge?

Hmmm. That's weird that you don't see the Culinary arts dinner as a choice for your cruise. It is a choice for our December cruise on the Koningsdam. I wonder if it is going to be changed to something else, now that HAL has entered into a partnership with Americas test kitchen? If I were you, I would call HAL and ask.

As far as I know, we did get our Mariner discount applied, (but I can't swear to it :confused:)

On our recent Veendam cruise we did the Americas Test Kitchen class and the chef said that the Koningsdam would be getting the Americas Test Kitchen folks this month so that may have something to do with the dinner being changed/eliminated.

... If I were you, I would call HAL and ask.

As far as I know, we did get our Mariner discount applied, (but I can't swear to it :confused:)

Good advice!

Smooth sailing :):):)

If I were you, I would call HAL and ask.

Good advice!

Smooth sailing :):):)

Thanks so much but I am not that hungry. :D I think I'll wait until I get on the ship and ask!

I think I'll wait until I get on the ship and ask!

That's the way I feel about a lot of the questions that are asked here. Why try to micromanage a cruise when you know things won't go exactly as planned? Why call HAL and get an answer that may be wrong for your ship, or may be changed by the time you get on the ship? I can see newbies to cruising asking things out of curiosity, but for an experienced cruiser will it really make a difference in their cruise to know in advance whether, for an example today, they get a Mariner discount at the Lobster Shack on HMC? It may be destroyed by a hurricane before you get there. Ask when you get there!

For me, planning a trip is part of the fun of travel. It makes the excitement last so much longer. I like knowing what's available at my destinations, how to get where I want to go and how much I can expect to pay once I get there. Yep, things might change. But knowing I'm entitled to a 25% or 50% at a venue will go into the decision making process of whether or not I might go there.

While I'm not a very experienced cruiser, I am a very experienced traveler and trip research does make a huge difference in our trips.

We plan things broadly, especially in ports - what excursions or sights we want to see - but not all the minutiae that seem important to some. Why do some people need to know what the embarkation lunch menu is like? Go there, look at the menu posted outside, and decide!

Was not aware that you could prebook the Culinary Arts dinner. It does not show up as an alternative dining option on our January Koningsdam reservation.

Do you have to do it by calling Seattle? You prepay?

Does the regular Mariner discount apply to the food portion of the extra charge?

Lou, Gigianne says that she heard from the manager that things were going to change soon. As you know, they're on board now.

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Lou' date=' Gigianne says that she heard from the manager that things were going to change soon. As you know, they're on board now.

 

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Thank you. Actually, we are meeting them for lunch (tea) when they come back home. It`s probably still open now but will be closed by the time we board in January.

Thank you. Actually, we are meeting them for lunch (tea) when they come back home. It`s probably still open now but will be closed by the time we board in January.

Yeah, it looks like that may be the case. Too bad for anyone that didn't get to try it. We really enjoyed it, but it did seem to be sparsely attended. It seemed like people didn't know that it was an option for dinner. I don't think HAL did enough to promote it.

Yeah, it looks like that may be the case. Too bad for anyone that didn't get to try it. We really enjoyed it, but it did seem to be sparsely attended. It seemed like people didn't know that it was an option for dinner. I don't think HAL did enough to promote it.

The concept was also designed and implemented "pre-Ashford". The man seems intent on putting his mark on the cruise line regardless of the success of programs instituted before him.

We plan things broadly, especially in ports - what excursions or sights we want to see - but not all the minutiae that seem important to some. Why do some people need to know what the embarkation lunch menu is like? Go there, look at the menu posted outside, and decide!

I'm also fairly new to HAL (this will be my 3rd) but will be my 31st cruise since 2001.

I rather like knowing ahead of time what's available and where.

I'd rather not spend my time walking from venue to venue looking at menus (and wasting time) when I can decide before I board where I'll have lunch that first day. Or where I'll have dinner.

I do plan on trying the Culinary Arts Dinner once I board (I sail Wednesday) but want to see which menu is offered which nights. If I knew ahead of time, I probably would've gone ahead and booked it.

Some of us like to plan. If you don't, fine! But why criticize those of us who do?

Now, there are questions that I never understand, like "what deck do you board?" What possible difference can that make, but I don't respond to the OP and ask why it matters. It apparenlty does matter to them so, whatever!

On our recent Veendam cruise we did the Americas Test Kitchen class and the chef said that the Koningsdam would be getting the Americas Test Kitchen folks this month so that may have something to do with the dinner being changed/eliminated.

We LOVED the CAC dinners we had - tried both of their offerings (they rotate between the 2). I forget which one of the 2 different menus we preferred and we would have gone back for a third time (on a 10 day cruise) but our preferred menu wasn’t the one offered on the night we still had open. We so enjoyed trying all the dining options on the Kdam but CAC was our favorite. So, to hear that the CAC dinners as we know them will probably be changed (hopefully not eliminated) is sad but hopefully whatever they end up offering will also be amazing - especially because we have a 21day Kdam cruise next Summer.

We LOVED the CAC dinners we had - tried both of their offerings (they rotate between the 2). I forget which one of the 2 different menus we preferred and we would have gone back for a third time (on a 10 day cruise) but our preferred menu wasn’t the one offered on the night we still had open. We so enjoyed trying all the dining options on the Kdam but CAC was our favorite. So, to hear that the CAC dinners as we know them will probably be changed (hopefully not eliminated) is sad but hopefully whatever they end up offering will also be amazing - especially because we have a 21day Kdam cruise next Summer.

We didn't get a chance to dine on the Kdam last year (although we did the demos each day), and I was hoping to eat at least one this January. It looks like I won't, and, from my search, it looks like the Americas Test Kitchen isn't available for any but 5* mariners?

ATK presentations are open to everyone. There are some ATK cooking classes that folks pay for and are “free” for 5* (I think)

The CAC will be changing soon - attendance is not good and with only 2 menus (Lavender and Basil) how many times would you go. We have done it twice now and love the concept. The manager does not even know when exactly it will change. You do get the 4-5 star Mariner price 1/2 off.

The CAC will be changing soon - attendance is not good and with only 2 menus (Lavender and Basil) how many times would you go. We have done it twice now and love the concept. The manager does not even know when exactly it will change. You do get the 4-5 star Mariner price 1/2 off.

How nice of you to take the time and $ to post while you are cruising. Thanks for the insight and the help.

Enjoy the remaining time of the Koningsdam :D

The CAC will be changing soon - attendance is not good and with only 2 menus (Lavender and Basil) how many times would you go. We have done it twice now and love the concept. The manager does not even know when exactly it will change. You do get the 4-5 star Mariner price 1/2 off.

Thanks Gigianne. It will change soon. It is not being offered as an option on our January 14 Koningsdam cruise. Hopefully by then something else will be offered in that venue.

Enjoy the rest of your cruise.

I really enjoyed the CAC when I was onboard the Koningsdam. I'm looking forward to what will replace those dinners. The one I had was really good.

The CAC will be changing soon - attendance is not good and with only 2 menus (Lavender and Basil) how many times would you go. We have done it twice now and love the concept. The manager does not even know when exactly it will change. You do get the 4-5 star Mariner price 1/2 off.

I know we got the discount when we all attended the CAC. I just can't remember if it was on the whole deal (food +wine) or just on the food part.

CAC online dinner reservations should be available mid December for early 2018 cruises

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