Chef's Table Disappointing

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Glad you had a wonderful experience.

 

To me it's not about different strokes for different folks. Clearly most people who book this dinner enjoy fine cuisine and have high expectations for the evening. Every dinner is unique, and every experience is unique, and maybe some hit the mark more than others. For $75, in what is otherwise an all-inclusive cruise, I would expect one of the best meals of my life.

 

Also, some people's seating arrangements work out better than others. That is a big part of the evening. From the comments I have read, it seems a round table would be more conducive to social interaction for all participants.

 

 

Well said. It seems people are saying if we were disappointed then it's just not the kind of experience we would enjoy. I'm a bit of a foodie, so this experience was something I jumped at; definitely my kind of "stroke."

 

I'd read so many reviews about Chef's Table and how amazing and wonderful the experience is that I was very excited about it. In our case, it didn't match the reviews I'd read. I've had much better meals and love fine dining. Again, I'm glad I did it but will likely not do it again.

 

JMHO.

[CthyC]

Next time try the chef table on splendor, fantastic. We received a signed cookbook, and two pictures signed by the chef himself. The picture was taken at each end of the table so no one was missed. The food was hot, and delicious. Had a wonderful time. Also enjoyed a really nice magic show in between. I would do it over again. The tour of the kitchen was awesome, also included snacks, and champagne. Enjoy!!!

 

I would love to do this...How do you make a reservation?

[leonardofan]

I suppose as the Chefs Table concept is copied across brands and

from ship to ship the commitment of the staff diminishes. I did it

on the Crown Princess a couple of years ago when it was still

exclusive to Princess, and the effort put into it by the Chef and his staff--

for a trivial financial gain to Carnival Corp--was really astonishing.

One of the most agreeable experiences I've ever had on a ship (The CP

was my 23rd ship and first on Princess, so I had no preconceived

notions at all)

[patrice1]

DH & I did CT on the Destiny last year. They do not have a Steak House Option. We love, love, loved it! The chef was approachable and informative, the wait staff were over-the-top in terms of service, the other diners were foodies that we talked about cook books, chefs and food reviews with. We thoroughly enjoyed every part of it. Did we eat everything? -NO, but we tasted everything. We plan on doing it again next cruise in December - in fact, we are so looking forward to it! If the company isn't as great as the last, well...we enjoy each other's company. We certainly don't need another CCL cookbook! It's an experiance and we plan on availing ourselves of it every chance we get!:D

[CGinMTL]

Sorry to hear you had a disappointing experience. Maybe it depends on which ship you are on. We did the Chef's Table aboard the Carnival Magic in Europe and were very impressed!!! The table was set up in the actual main chef's kitchen area and we were actually able to watch them put our meal and hordervours together. Watching them create each piece was entertaining and the food and wine a plenty. I tasted food I never had before and will probably never have again! We had a blast...but again, that was on the "Magic."

.

This is the 1st post for the Magic. Glad to see the venue was great......did you get the cookbook ?

[Zubsin]

So my DH and I have reservations for the CT on the Valor. We have done the CT on the Emerald Princess and really loved it. These reviews/comments are making me nervous. Anyone experience both? How would you compare?

 

We've done 2 princess CT and one CCL. I would say the CT on the Caribbean Princess was the best, CCL Destiny 2nd and Star Princess a distant 3rd. We have signed up for the CT on our Splendor trip this august with folks we met on the Star Princess cruise.

 

I think your table mates are as important as the food and galley tour. We LOVED everything about the Caribbean Princess CT and my DS and I had a great experience on the Destiny and we had to beg a couple we met to join us as there were only 4 people signed up. So the 6 of us has a "private" dining experience.

[dragonsdesyre]

We did the CT on the Spirit last November. I felt the experience was akin to being on Iron Chef America. The food was imaginative and delicious, the wine was plentiful (and quite tasty, IMHO), and the service was impeccable. My only regret is that I've recently had stomach surgery, can only eat about a cup of food at a time, and therefore can't justify the $75 pp for our cruise in September. :(

[nys1emt]

We did the Chef's table in May on the Legend. Our son is an Executive chef so we are definite foodies. Our dining was set up in the Disco right next to the kitchen. Yes, we received a signed cookbook (and by the way, I had never seen a cookbook mentioned in Carnival webpage descriptions I had read over the last year) so I was surprised to get it ! Also got the picture of the Chef with our table. Our Chef that night was a Sous Chef. He had a hard time projecting his voice in the kitchen so we could hear him, but tried. All the appetizers in the kitchen were very tasty. Almost did a Russian split on the slippery galley floor....

The table setup in the Disco was poor at best. The table was extremely wide (2 banquet tables put together) so impossible to speak with your partner sitting across from you. Almost impossible to reach the butter and S&P. We were on one end, so that left me with one person to talk to. She was more interested in batting her eyes at her boyfriend (which is fine). Just made the dinner a little boring. I did mention this to John Heald and said a round table would be better, so you could at least sit next to your partner and still converse with others. He said he would mention it to the Beards to look into. He knows that they don't carry portable round tables on board, but there wasn't a reason that they couldn't...so we'll see what happens.

Once the course was described and served, they waited about a minute or two and then we saw no chefs or waiters until just before the next course. They left us alone to enjoy the course. The service was impeccable. Wine, drinks or water was never empty. We did have wine pairings of sorts. Choice of wines at the start and then white wine was served with the fish course, red wine with the meat course.

If the seating was fixed, it would have been excellent. As it was, the food was hot, extremely well presented and delicious. Yes it was a long evening and yes you could get stuffed. I ate a little of everything except the bread (bread is bread)...and didn't leave feeling like I over ate. Wait, I lied, I did eat every bit of the sea bass - I am a fish fanatic... but otherwise, mostly just ate a couple bites of each of the other things.

Not big on wine, so only had a little of the champagne and that was it. Drank water.

We are doing it again on the Freedom in Nov with my BIL and SIL, and can't wait. Thought it was a lovely night out !!

Edited July 8, 2011 by nys1emt

[HUNKY]

I find it odd that the CT does not include a wine pairing with each course.

[klsimpson]

It's a trial on 3 ships right now, Triumph being 1 of them.

 

 

What are the other two?

[DEBnGAB]

What are the other two?

 

 

I just talked to my PVP and she says the Steakhouse Selecitons are now available in the MDR on all ships without a seperate steakhouse.

[Cruisini]

White was a simple pinot grigio and I cannot even remember the red...emphasis was on the food...what inspired the chef to prepare it like he did and trying and tasting food prepared in a differant way...wine was served with the meal as an enhancement to the whole dining experience..but it was not high end at all...although enjoyable..it was the food..the chef.. and the setting that made it special:):):)

 

I did Chef's Table on the Ruby Princess last April and it was just wonderful! We had wine pairings with every course. Fine wine, such as Fransican Magnificat, and Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio. I don't remember the year, but wrote them down and looked them up later. Bought a bottle of the Magnificat for $50, the Pino Grigio was more. The food was great. Best of all was Generoso, wonderful man in charge of it all. He made sure we all had the best time. Got a cookbook! Highly recommend Chef's Table on Ruby Princess!

[Nanaimobound]

I don't think I could handle so much food, considering I can barely waddle out of the MDR after dinner! Oh well you did it once and it wasn't for you.

Obviously it is a really good experience to many who choose to pay the price more than once. I used to try all the specialty restaurants, especially when they were a new thing. My best experience was on Celebrity Infinity in her inaugural

season. The United States Dining room. It was simply the most elegant evening I have ever spent. The food was just superb, and the room was incredible to just be in. We did a few, then kind of just gravitated back to the dining room experience which is totally enough for us at this point. we also enjoyed the Mystery dinner theater that RCI does one evening on a cruise. Carnival should do something like that, I am sure it would be a big hit. Nice to have choices!

[adrienneadkins]

hmmm.. hope im not get that experience..

[bobsfamily]

Did the chef's table on Sensation end of May this year and had a wonderful time. Would I (wife and me) do it again... maybe. It would be another ship and NOT the last night of the cruise. As stated here the time is LONG. 4+ hours is just to long. The magic tricks could go along with some long winded explanations about certain dishes. 3 hours would be great. As for this being offered on only 3 ships I have heard of at least 6. Call your PVP or TA and ask about your ship or call CC directly. Have a great time!

[Zubsin]

I find it odd that the CT does not include a wine pairing with each course.

 

Not sure where you had that experience all the CT's we have done have included wine pairings. I would say that Princess does a better job of it but CCL did ok.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Not sure where you had that experience all the CT's we have done have included wine pairings. I would say that Princess does a better job of it but CCL did ok.

 

 

CCL doesn't do a wine pairing; they simply serve wine with dinner. I agree with the PP who said it would have been better if they'd done a pairing. :)

[LRene]

To each his own...i'll add my two cents worth.

 

We've done the CT three times. Miracle, Ecstacy and Magic. The worst of the three.....the Magic. The best of the three...Miracle. The menus were 95 percent the same although I understand they are rolling out a new menu now. The wine was always the cheap Black Opal for the red. It's not a bad wine but it's not a fine wine either. That's probably my biggest gripe about the CT.

 

Spread out over such a long time, it's not that much food if you do it reasonably. I never do bread or dessert. Not at the CT and not in the MDR. I enjoy appetizers, soups and salads more than anything. I rarely eat much of my main course at any meal and sometimes don't even order one but at the CT, I take a couple of bites of the fish (not my favorite) but love the filet. I like the ambience (on some ships), the explanation of preparation, the service and the quality of the food. It's well worth the money as compared to that type of dinner with wine on land.

 

What I didn't like about the Magic was the set up in the galley. It's so incredibly noisy in there that the chef has to use a mic for you to hear him. I don't want to sit in the kitchen of any restaurant. I think the MDR is way too noisy but it's nothing compared to all the activity in the galley. Being surrounded by stainless steel isn't my idea of elegant. Waiters are rushing through while you're eating. We liked the ambience set up in the library or disco much better.

 

I don't know that we'll do it again for a while but I'm pretty sure we will do it again some day particularly if there's a new menu to try.

Edited July 10, 2011 by LRene

[ohiocyclist]

Just did CT on the Legend. Had read all about it here and it lived up to expectations. Two differences from what I read and what we experienced? The "cookbook" was just a laminated sheet of paper with the WCMC recipe, not a cookbook. That was put in a nice folder with our group photo. Chef did sign it. The other difference (well, maybe more of an assumption on my part) was the wine. Only two wines; the white and the red. Both were very forgettable common table wines. They were fine to drink, just not in the same league as the food that had been prepared and served. A proper wine pairing would have been very appropriate, and in my opinion is pretty much required when in a fine dining environment like CT. Hearing the "crack" of the cap seal being broken just doesn't have the same panache as hearing a cork being pulled from a bottle. But cork vs cap is a whole different thread ;). For me, it just didn't fit in at all.

 

Would we do it again? Without hesitation. It was well worth the price. The table setup with your partner across from you at a wide table really wasn't a problem for us, but DW and I were in the center. Was never a problem to join a conversation, and all at our seating were very pleasant and chatty. I can see the benefit of having a round table, though.

[Yourefrmwhere?]

Just got off the Triumph yesterday. Following the advice of many on these boards, I booked the Chef’s Table upon boarding the ship. It was confirmed for the last evening on the cruise.

 

 

Sooo sorry it was a bummer. We did the Chef's Table on RCCL Oasis. Our first Chef's Table and $75 too. The company, food, wine and presentation was fabulous! Worth it to us. We've done specialty dining on Azamara and Celebrity and found them quite good. Don't rule it out completely. And, yes we got a recipe book.

[Burlingtontownie]

I did not know that "Chef's Tables" was available on Carnival Cruise Lines or Norwegian. I thought it was limited to Royal Caribbean, and so I was surprised to see the negative comments.

 

I guess "Chef's Tables" should be a concept function that is not limited to RCCL.

 

I did attend a "Chef's Tables" type of program on the Norwegian Spirit a couple of years ago, but it was called the "Enchanted Dinner" and it took place in the Park West art gallery. It was just a gourmet dinner with a wine and spirits paring. No souvenir items were given away. The food was great and the service was excellent. My wife and I had a great time and we took a lot of pictures that were posted on another Roll Call board.

 

I guess it all depends on the reputation of the cruise line and what is actually going to be served and where it will take place that determines the success or failure of "Chef's Tables," and the concept is NOT limited to one cruise line or a specific class of ships. { Oasis and Allure}

 

I do not know if RCCL was the first to offer a "Chefs Tables" concept event, and I may be very biased, but it seems that when Carnival tries to copy something from RCCL it does not exactly come out the same.

 

 

FRL

[Cruisini]

I don't know this for sure, but I think that the original "Chef's Table" was offered on Princess and Carnival. Princess is owned by Carnival, just like Celebrity is owned by Royal Caribbean. I think it might be that Royal Caribbean has copied from Princess. I have never seen Chef's Table offered on Royal Caribbean or Celebrity. Must be new concept for them. I love Celebrity and Royal Caribbean and have only been on one Princess cruise, but they did "Chef's Table" wonderfully.

[DEBnGAB]

I do not know if RCCL was the first to offer a "Chefs Tables" concept event, and I may be very biased, but it seems that when Carnival tries to copy something from RCCL it does not exactly come out the same.

 

 

FRL

 

Just wondering...in your statement if you dont know if RCCL was the first to offer it, how do you know Carnival copied it?

[halos]

the emphasis seems to be on wine.

 

:confused: HUH???:confused:

Yes, you get wine with your dinner, but there is absolutely NO emphasis on it....it isn't even a pairing. You get red and white....one type of each and you can keep drinking it and have your glass refilled OR not.

[EMc&DrS]

To each his own...i'll add my two cents worth.

 

We've done the CT three times. Miracle, Ecstacy and Magic. The worst of the three.....the Magic. The best of the three...Miracle.

 

What I didn't like about the Magic was the set up in the galley. It's so incredibly noisy in there that the chef has to use a mic for you to hear him. I don't want to sit in the kitchen of any restaurant. I think the MDR is way too noisy but it's nothing compared to all the activity in the galley. Being surrounded by stainless steel isn't my idea of elegant. Waiters are rushing through while you're eating.

 

Interesting. We were in the galley on Dream and thought it was surprisingly quiet--even quieter than the MDR. The waiters were in and out near by, but our table was away from the traffic flow. Chef didn't even have to raise his voice to be heard. You'd think Dream and Magic would be similar.

 

I can see why it wouldn't be enjoyable if the chef had to wear a mic! I wasn't sure what I was going to think about being "surrounded by stainless steel" because atmosphere is such a plus, but in this case it seemed to work okay--and everything was so clean. Sorry you had a negative experience.