Cordon Bleu questions

[basedow]

For those of you who have taken the Cordon Bleu course, I have a few questions.

 

For a 15 day cruise, with about 5-6 sea days total, are the classes given on those sea days? I would presume so, but I wanted to double check.

 

Is there a specific night where the final dinner is held? Are there other nights that have dinners specific to CB?

 

In general, are there preferred nights in which to dine at Compass Rose?

 

I believe TravelCat has written about these questions and would appreciate her thoughts and anyone else who should respond.

 

Thanks for your input!

[Travelcat2]

Yes -- we took this course last year on the Voyager (loved it). The graduation dinner is in Signatures (closed to other guests). The cocktails and appetizers before dinner were outstanding (caviar, etc.) They also had a dinner in La Veranda (they closed off half of the restaurant for our private dinner). It was better than any meal we previously had in La Veranda.

 

There is also a cocktail party at the beginning of the cruise (do not recall which day) where you meet the Head Chef as well as the Guest Chef that is giving the class.

 

The lecture and demonstration part of the class took place in Prime 7 while the cooking part is in the Signatures kitchen (you walk through the P7 kitchen to get there). It was fun as well as challenging. After preparing your food, you take it into the P7 dining room and eat it (if you can - or, if you want to). Some classes end before lunch -- others before dinner, so, you may or may not want to eat all of your food.

 

The classes were held on sea days. There were actually two groups. On one sea day, for instance, one group would have a morning class and the other an afternoon class. The next time it switches.

 

In terms of a specific night for the dinners, it appeared random to me. They were not held on a special night (Captain's Reception or Farewell Dinner). Part of the La Veranda dinner depends upon which group you are in. They do give you a schedule in advance of the classes.

 

Obviously this is a subject I enjoy talking about (perhaps too much):p I know that Wendy the Wanderer did the class in December. If I missed something, I'm sure she will post.

[basedow]

Great detail! Thanks, TC! I had really no idea what to expect and this is good to know.

 

Do you find you like to eat in CR on those two nights, i.e., Captain's dinner and the Farewell Dinner? Is the first one held on the second evening of the sail and the Farewell dinner on the last night of the cruise?

 

It is getting time for me to make those dinner reservations in a couple of weeks!

[Travelcat2]

Yes, definitely like to eat in CR on those special nights. The Farewell Dinner has been on the 2nd to the last night of the cruise. The Captain's Welcome is the 2nd night. What itinerary are you doing (and when?) We booked our dinner reservations just a few weeks ago for our S.F. to Alaska cruise.

[basedow]

Thank you very much.

 

We are going to the Norwegian fjords and to Spitsbergen for 15 days. It looks like a beautiful journey and we are very much looking forward to it. So many sea days for us! We have always done port intensive cruises so this will be very different for us.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

For those of you who have taken the Cordon Bleu course, I have a few questions.

 

For a 15 day cruise, with about 5-6 sea days total, are the classes given on those sea days? I would presume so, but I wanted to double check.

 

Is there a specific night where the final dinner is held? Are there other nights that have dinners specific to CB?

 

 

Yes, the classes will be held on sea days. The final dinner will probably be held on the second-last night. The group dinner, in La Veranda should be early, about mid-course. The course tends to end a few days before the end of a 14-day cruise.

 

Speaking from a culinary point of view, the La Veranda dinner was just so-so, but socially it was great, it provided time to get to know your fellow would-be chefs. The Signatures evening was quite special.

[Travelcat2]

Yes, the classes will be held on sea days. The final dinner will probably be held on the second-last night. The group dinner, in La Veranda should be early, about mid-course. The course tends to end a few days before the end of a 14-day cruise.

 

Speaking from a culinary point of view, the La Veranda dinner was just so-so, but socially it was great, it provided time to get to know your fellow would-be chefs. The Signatures evening was quite special.

 

It is good to read your point of view. Apparently you had a better experience in Signatures than we did. We found the food in Signatures to be VERY inferior while the food in La Veranda (just that night) was excellent. What a difference a few months can make. . . . . or, perhaps it is simply how subjective the whole subject of food is:confused:

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I said the evening was special. Overall on our trip (just after you got off), we found the food good, but a bit inconsistent. And that included Signatures. The meal that night was very nice, but the "occasion" was the centrepiece, not the food. Funny, they forgot David during the graduation ceremony, just left him off, and they had to scramble to get him a certificate. Then they gave certificates and books out to all the spouses who *didn't* take the course. This, I thought, was very weird. Not that I care much about the certificate, but that was over the top. They also could not provide different cookbooks to couples, we got two of the same and donated one to the crew fund auction that took place near the end of the cruise.

 

We loved our teacher and intend to try to take a course at his CDB school in Ottawa, the only school in N.A. that's actually run by CDB.

[basedow]

Thanks to you Wendy, for your observations. We were hoping this course would be a lot of fun as neither of us are serious cooks by any means. We were also concerned about filling some time during the sea days.

 

Now I'm excited to take the classes!

[Goofyisme]

The course is certainly a wonderful experience even for those of us who are basic meat and potato eaters and cooks. The instructor was great and most enjoyable to be with, we had dinner with him the last night of the cruise and still stay in touch. Our fellow students were also great and fun to go thru the experience with.

Dinner in La Veranda was a very nice social evening and we also enjoyed the Signatures dinner.

My wife and I got different books on our cruise. There seemed to be 4 or 5 different ones that were given out as there were several repeat students and they tried to give them books they hadn't previously recieved. Chef knew me well and made sure I got a wonderful book on wine.

Have a great time on your cruise and in the classes.

[WesW]

Keith, Ida, and our Canadian friends (who were with you during the LCB workshop) on the Voyager TA 2008 (Diane, Carl) still keep in touch with Chef Phillipe...don't see any more TA's on your cruise dance card...u should consider the Voyager TA this November or the Voyager TA in 2011 (great value)..altho we changed our 2011 TA from the Voyager to Oceania's newest ship, Marina. (btw, Marina will have 24 separate cooking stations for it's Culinary Studio at sea (Bon Appetit is partner), along with it's own galley)

[Goofyisme]

Keith, Ida, and our Canadian friends (who were with you during the LCB workshop) on the Voyager TA 2008 (Diane, Carl) still keep in touch with Chef Phillipe...don't see any more TA's on your cruise dance card...u should consider the Voyager TA this November or the Voyager TA in 2011 (great value)..altho we changed our 2011 TA from the Voyager to Oceania's newest ship, Marina. (btw, Marina will have 24 separate cooking stations for it's Culinary Studio at sea (Bon Appetit is partner), along with it's own galley)

 

Wes, Anne and I are doing a quick getaway to Florida in May for a few days and then hopping on one of the new Celebrity ships for a quick do nothing cruise. Just set this up last minute as Anne really needs a vacation from work and Celebrity is our favorite of the mainstream cruiselines. I just hope RSSC and SS haven't spoiled us too much.

 

Looking at other cruises and options for later on. RSSC has implemented some things that I don't like, not that I will exclude them for future cruises, just making me look harder. One thing that I don't like on SS is their (I hate to use this word) smoking policy. How was your recent experience with this?

 

All our best to Ida.

 

Sorry to hijack this thread.

 

Happy cruising to all.

[WesW]

Keith, pls send me an email, Colonelwes at gmail dot com..will give you skinny on our

Spirit TA. Have a great Celebrity cruise and pls pass our warm regards on to Anne too. Back

on topic..Ida is already reserved LCB workshop this November...hoping phillipe is the

Chef.

[Travelcat2]

I said the evening was special. Overall on our trip (just after you got off), we found the food good, but a bit inconsistent. And that included Signatures. The meal that night was very nice, but the "occasion" was the centrepiece, not the food. Funny, they forgot David during the graduation ceremony, just left him off, and they had to scramble to get him a certificate. Then they gave certificates and books out to all the spouses who *didn't* take the course. This, I thought, was very weird. Not that I care much about the certificate, but that was over the top. They also could not provide different cookbooks to couples, we got two of the same and donated one to the crew fund auction that took place near the end of the cruise.

 

We loved our teacher and intend to try to take a course at his CDB school in Ottawa, the only school in N.A. that's actually run by CDB.

 

Oops, I misunderstood the meaning of "special". Definitely agree that the graduation event at Signatures was special. Also think it is strange that CDB books were give a spouse who did not take the course.

 

I admire the fact that you plan on taking a course at the CDB school in Ottawa. I would flunk out in the first five minutes. My cooking skills provided comedy relief in the Signatures kitchen while I attempted to figure out which ingredients were which:p

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I admire the fact that you plan on taking a course at the CDB school in Ottawa. I would flunk out in the first five minutes. My cooking skills provided comedy relief in the Signatures kitchen while I attempted to figure out which ingredients were which:p

 

Well we'll see. They have lots of weekend courses, someday we'll take one (our cottage is outside of Ottawa so we're up there lots in the summer.)

[Hambagahle]

Cordon Bleu can be great and can be mediocre. Depends on the Chef and the participants. On a Mariner cruise in 2005 it was wonderful. I enjoyed every minute and learnt a huge amount. On my 2006 Voyager cruise it was not great. There was one participant in particular who was a real pain, and the Chef couldn't shut him up. (He finally got his come-uppance when his soufflé refused to rise!!). But he ruined the course for all of us, including the Chef.

 

And CB doesn't really coordinate what is taught so you risk learning the same dish twice...which is too bad since there are so many to learn.

 

I have also noticed that it is getting more and more expensive...