Master Chef's Dinner

[Krazy Kruizers]

So, KK, the point of suggesting the Lido to avoid the MCD in the MDR is...?

 

As I have said many times -- for us -- we have done it 4 times -- 3 times toooooooo many!!

It is just not our style -- we prefer a dinner without a silly show.

So for those who do not wish to attend the Master Chef dinner in the dining room they can at least go to the Lido for dinner if they do not want to spend the Pinnacle at the Pinnacle or if the Pinnacle is already completely booked for that evening. Any many people don't have large cabins in which to dine without balancing plates on their laps.

[m steve]

and just have a nice quiet dinner with excellent food and service.

[Mary Ellen]

So for those who do not wish to attend the Master Chef dinner in the dining room they can at least go to the Lido for dinner if they do not want to spend the Pinnacle at the Pinnacle or if the Pinnacle is already completely booked for that evening. Any many people don't have large cabins in which to dine without balancing plates on their laps.

You missed my point - What is the sense of going to the Lido? It is the same crappy menu. All one would avoid is the silly song/dance.

[CowPrincess]

You missed my point - What is the sense of going to the Lido? It is the same crappy menu. All one would avoid is the silly song/dance.

 

We've not tried the Lido on the MCD evening, but I'd expect that one could mix and match things, to at least get a plate of food that is acceptable. I suppose one could TRY that in the MDR, but then the poor dining steward would get that "deer in the headlights" look and I personally would feel AWFUL to do that to one of them.

 

In my opinion, an entire meal of baked brie would be just fine :D and I could probably manage that in the Lido.

[Krazy Kruizers]

You missed my point - What is the sense of going to the Lido? It is the same crappy menu. All one would avoid is the silly song/dance.

 

And ordering from the dinner menu for your cabin is still the same crappy menu.

The Pinnacle can't handle everyone who wishes to skip the Master Chef Dinner.

[Mary Ellen]

And ordering from the dinner menu for your cabin is still the same crappy menu.

Ah, but with room service I can get something other that what is on the limited MDR menu. A club sandwich would be fine. Salmon. Grilled Chicken. The regular room service menu is FAR superior to the Master Chef's menu. I would NEVER suggest one go the Lido to avoid the MCD menu.

[Krazy Kruizers]

JMO -- but we don't go on a cruise to have dinner in our cabin.

[Mary Ellen]

JMO -- We don't go on a cruise to walk away from dinner still hungry.

 

When I first tried the MCD I thought 'at least there is lobster bisque, something I'd be willing to eat'. WRONG. I'm convinced that possibly someone walked through the kitchen carrying a picture of a lobster what that thin, watery broth was prepared. Maybe, someone just thought of a lobster...

 

We don't use room service for dinner on MCD night, but I would offer that as an option to those who can't get into an alternate restaurant, well before suggesting the Lido. I still don't see the point of offering the Lido as an option if one wants to avoid the MCD menu.

[cruz chic]

I still don't see the point of offering the Lido as an option if one wants to avoid the MCD menu.

I don't mind the menu it's the stupid singing and dancing routine. The last thing the waiters need is something else to do. I wish HAL would kill this thing already!

[RuthC]

We've not tried the Lido on the MCD evening, but I'd expect that one could mix and match things, to at least get a plate of food that is acceptable. I suppose one could TRY that in the MDR, but then the poor dining steward would get that "deer in the headlights" look and I personally would feel AWFUL to do that to one of them.

That's my SOP in the main dining room on many nights anyway. I select the meat from one choice, the potato from another, and the veggie from a third. The stewards never bat an eyelash, and always get it right.

[CowPrincess]

That's my SOP in the main dining room on many nights anyway. I select the meat from one choice, the potato from another, and the veggie from a third. The stewards never bat an eyelash, and always get it right.

 

I have no qualms about doing that, too, on any other night. But for the MCDs (the two of them that we've attended), I hate to add to their workload at all. I get the impression that there are more timing issues for the dining stewards for the MCD than a regular dinner.

[gentlemancruiser]

JMO -- We don't go on a cruise to walk away from dinner still hungry.

 

When I first tried the MCD I thought 'at least there is lobster bisque, something I'd be willing to eat'. WRONG. I'm convinced that possibly someone walked through the kitchen carrying a picture of a lobster what that thin, watery broth was prepared. Maybe, someone just thought of a lobster...

 

We don't use room service for dinner on MCD night, but I would offer that as an option to those who can't get into an alternate restaurant, well before suggesting the Lido. I still don't see the point of offering the Lido as an option if one wants to avoid the MCD menu.

 

I couldn't agree with you more. I thought the bisque was going to be a nice touch to the meal but it turned out the be awful. When the DR waiter placed in in front of me I thought it was another squash soup because it was browny orange colour. I 'd also forgotten what I had ordered because it took so long for the meal to start. At the 8pm seating, the food service didn't start until 8:40.

We never received any salad like KK mentioned, we did get a tiny dried up thing which kind of tasted like dried mushrooms. There was the dance salad but nothing after the dance, just our appetizers.

Our DR waiter told me quietly they all didn't like it, I could see they were over worked because all of the supervisors were helping out, there was a gap of 40 minutes between our main course being cleared and the parade of the baked alaska. My partner was able to walk up to the lido and look for a dessert (with no luck) before they started the parade. We were told it was because any guests on As You Wish were booked for 8pm as well and the kitchen couldn't keep up.

[Krazy Kruizers]

The salad keeps changing from ship to ship -- each chef does his own version -- but they do make certain that mushrooms are part of it.

The lobster bisque -- I do not care for HAL's version in either the dining room or the Pinnacle. They make it with either a beef or veal stock. Where we live it is made with a clam or lobster stock -- and thus is whiter and creamier.

[Roz]

I tried the lobster bisque and was very disappointed. All I could taste was salt - no lobster flavor at all. Never tried it again. Too many other delicious choices on the menu.

 

Roz

[jmps]

We tried the Lobster Bisque in the Pinnacle and we too were disappointed. They need to look at the recipe.

[jcrandle]

J

When I first tried the MCD I thought 'at least there is lobster bisque, something I'd be willing to eat'. WRONG. I'm convinced that possibly someone walked through the kitchen carrying a picture of a lobster what that thin, watery broth was prepared. Maybe, someone just thought of a lobster...

 

 

I loved your description of the creation of the lobster bisque. It reminded me of my college roommate, who was in Navy ROTC, and could do a perfect imitation of a Bosun's whistle, followed by the announcement, "Now hear this, will the duty chicken report to the mess hall and run through the soup!"

[m steve]

in restaurants that serve lots of real lobster and they use the shells and body parts to prepare the broth. It's often good in French restaurants and in steak houses that serve lots of lobster, like The Palm. I've never had good bisque on any ship but haven't sail Cunard yet.

[Cruise Fanatic]

I went to the MCD for the first time several years ago. I have to admit it is different. I did think that the chef's toque and menu was a nice surprise. I didn't care for all of the singing and dancing. On our next HAL cruise, we by-passed the MCD and ate in the Pinnacle Grill.

Alot of the passengers seem to enjoy it.

[buckirj1]

This has been a real education (thank you!). I don't care for singing and dancing waitstaff on Carnival, and don't think I'd like it on HAL, either. Moreover, the menu doesn't sound particularly appealing, but tastes vary. One thing confused me, and got lost in the brief discussion of open vs. fixed seating. Do I understand correctly that the MCD is limited only to diners in fixed seating? That'd work wonderfully for me as I prefer open seating.

[Australian family]

We just went to it on the Volendam and our waiters seemed only too happy to do it.

 

There was plenty of food, besides which, there is more food on board then you can poke a stick at. If you don't get enough at dinner then go to the Lido and get a top up, not that we did.

 

We had a very enjoyable night and had 2 other Australian couples at our table and we just roared with laughter.

 

We were very impressed with it.

[jghllnd1]

I hope they continue to have the MCD. I along with everyone around really enjoyed it. Yes, it took a little longer, and I did find the staff in the fixed dinning more into it than in the as you wish dinning, but I saw everone having fun.

[trvlcrzy]

This has been a real education (thank you!). I don't care for singing and dancing waitstaff on Carnival, and don't think I'd like it on HAL, either. Moreover, the menu doesn't sound particularly appealing, but tastes vary. One thing confused me, and got lost in the brief discussion of open vs. fixed seating. Do I understand correctly that the MCD is limited only to diners in fixed seating? That'd work wonderfully for me as I prefer open seating.

 

IME, that would be a 'no.' Our open dining table was visited by a "white jacketed" gentleman the night before the scheduled MCD in order to explain that the next evening's seatings were only at two scheduled times. IIRC, these times were 15 minutes before the regularly scheduled seating times for fixed (on our particular ship and sailing). He was recording the preferred times for diners at each table. We were on a 14-day sailing that was also offered as two 7-day cruises, so there were two MCD events. Our open dining table was visited twice for this discussion.

 

On our Christmas 2008 cruise, we had the menu, but not the show, so there were no specially scheduled dining times.

 

For those who are celebrating the demise of the MCD, my concern is... is the show gone? is the menu gone? are both gone? (Perhaps those statements were in another thread titled something like "dining choices"?)

[Krazy Kruizers]

This has been a real education (thank you!). I don't care for singing and dancing waitstaff on Carnival, and don't think I'd like it on HAL, either. Moreover, the menu doesn't sound particularly appealing, but tastes vary. One thing confused me, and got lost in the brief discussion of open vs. fixed seating. Do I understand correctly that the MCD is limited only to diners in fixed seating? That'd work wonderfully for me as I prefer open seating.

 

All of the dining room gets the MCD -- both fixed dining and open seating.

If you have open seating the night before the MCD you will be asked wether you want to dine at 5:30 or 8 PM. This way the "show" is put on for everyone.

[buckirj1]

All of the dining room gets the MCD -- both fixed dining and open seating.

 

If you have open seating the night before the MCD you will be asked wether you want to dine at 5:30 or 8 PM. This way the "show" is put on for everyone.

 

Thanks to you and trvlcrzy for answering the question. And here's another one: open seating is typically at the lower level of the dining room, isn't it? Or does it vary by ship?

[Mary Ellen]

The only ship that doesn't have open seating on the lower level is the Prinsendam - because it doesn't have a lower level. This link will take you the maps showing the tables (including which are open seating) for the various ships.