Chef's Table..is it worth it?

[pippin10]

Just a few more:

 

 

 

 

[Very Frequent Flyer]

How did you get it for $50?

 

I was having breakfast in the main dining room one morning. The wait staff came around to my table and showed me the brochure for the specialty restaurants. He then told me they were doing a promotion for Chef's Table for $50 per person. I took up the offer straight away. He gave me a receipt straight away but I still went to guest relations, just to make sure the offer is genuine.

[GalloAJ]

Thanks everyone for the reviews...I have been on the fence about doing this on an upcoming cruise...I think you have all inspired me to book this adventure as a suprise for my husband and I to celebrate our anniversary we have an on board credit that will cover the cost so I am thrilled with the positive reviews..........

[CcCcCcCindy]

I have been thinking that I wanted to try this, and now I am convinced. I have a $175 OBC on one of my upcoming cruises, so it would be like doing it almost for free. DH does not drink wine, so I wonder if I will be going solo on this one? :cool:

[swcruise]

Most definitely worth it. I only paid $50 instead of $95 on my recent cruise on Radiance!!! Loved every minute of it.

 

How did you get if for 50 bucks, was it a promotion...??

[Trainman-2]

The Chef's Table is too slow for us!

 

We enjoyed it, the food was excellent, and the comments from the Chef and Wine Steward were interesting, but the whole process took too long.

 

We are glad we did it and recommend everyone try it, but it takes a long time.

[Very Frequent Flyer]

How did you get if for 50 bucks, was it a promotion...??

 

Not sure, maybe they were trying to fill the table for a particular sitting. It certainly wasn't publicised around the ship during the cruise.

[westcoasttech]

this is good to know..I am allergic to most kinds of shellfish, and I was worried about having too many courses with it, that would have gone uneaten. is this something you need to mention ahead of time, or can the Chef work on the fly?

 

I would recommend giving the Maitre'd a call either the day before or the morning before. That's what I did (can't eat scallops, other seafood okay - a bit weird). Just explain that you need to speak to someone about the Chef's Table menu and tell them your allergy. You'll just get something different for the courses that are effected - no fuss at all. I ended up with a chicken croquette dish instead of the scallop course.

[Brigbound]

Thanks everyone for the reviews...I have been on the fence about doing this on an upcoming cruise...I think you have all inspired me to book this adventure as a suprise for my husband and I to celebrate our anniversary we have an on board credit that will cover the cost so I am thrilled with the positive reviews..........

 

Yes, do it! That will be a wonderful surprise and treat for you both. Man, I miss that porcini mushroom soup!

 

 

Enjoy your cruise (and your evening of elegance at the Chefs Table)! :)

[dappledumpling]

Definitely worth it..

Last week on the brillance we got it for 40/person.. they called our suite and invited us at a reduced rate... unforunately now my wife loves it so I am sure it was a good investment for them

 

 

 

Rick

[Alamogirl]

We do it on every cruise that offers it. We've never had the same meal twice si far. It does take awhile but that is part of the enjoyment, you relax and savor each bite and enjoy the conversation with your tablemates.

[janice2348]

DH and I would like to do this but will probably wait until we sail- hoping to get a price break

 

One question-I don't know if I can eat that much or drink that much wine without feeling sick. Did everyone eat and drink all of what you were served..

I don't want to insult the chef!

 

I am hoping we can participate but we can't afford to pay up front.

[kccrzr]

We went to the Chef's Table on our Radiance cruise last week. The food for the most part was excellent. Two of the 5 courses included seafood but we were specifically asked prior to the meal whether anyone had any allergies of any kind (shellfish, nuts, etc).

 

In my opinion the wine was ok, not excellent. Definitely lower priced wines were included in the pairings (like Clos Du Bois and Estancia) and they were less full bodied than we usually drink.

 

However, the folks we met at the Chef's Table and the experience itself were well worth the price of admission. We had a great time. We were told the meal rarely lasts less than two hours but the length depends upon the group; ours lasted 3-3/4 hours!

[Folk Singer]

YES, Definitily, We did the Chefs table on the Radiance last May and it was superb.

 

I posted a review of our cruise on Radiance with a section on the Chefs Table here

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1642023

 

Chef's Table: All I can say is Wow! The food was superb with a wine paring for every course (5). The chef came out before every course and explained the dish, how it was made, the ingredients and the inspiration, then the sommelier would come out and explain the wine pairing. We were only 6 that night though the chef's table normally does not sit with less than 10 and can handle up to 14. Our cruise only had 3 nights where the chef's table was held. The chef's table costs $95.00 per person and at the end of the meal you get two aprons and a Royal Caribbean cook book per couple. They send a nice invitation to your stateroom the night before inviting you to the dinner, it explains where to go to meet up prior to your meal. The Maitre-D comes out and sits you down outside the chef's table dining area and you are served with a glass of champagne prior to going in and sitting down for the meal.:D:D

 

 

sounds great.:):)

[Brigbound]

DH and I would like to do this but will probably wait until we sail- hoping to get a price break

 

One question-I don't know if I can eat that much or drink that much wine without feeling sick. Did everyone eat and drink all of what you were served..

I don't want to insult the chef!

 

I am hoping we can participate but we can't afford to pay up front.

 

We found the portions manageable as they are served over a couple hours. Some things you may not like and they understand that. Same for the wines. You can ask them to remove a glass or two or simply decline the pour. They are very accommodating in that matter.

[kccrzr]

DH and I would like to do this but will probably wait until we sail- hoping to get a price break

 

One question-I don't know if I can eat that much or drink that much wine without feeling sick. Did everyone eat and drink all of what you were served..

I don't want to insult the chef!

 

I am hoping we can participate but we can't afford to pay up front.

 

 

There was no way I could eat and drink everything offered - just way too much food and drink. The server was solicitous and asked whether I liked the food I did not finish. I did tell him that in my opinion one of the soups was not hot enough (not sure if it was served that way or if it cooled before I got around to trying it) otherwise I explained I enjoyed the food very much but could not finish it all. I gave my husband one of the glasses of wine.

[janice2348]

Thank you for your replies. I thought maybe others might have the same issue. Thinking it would definitely be a memorable experience.

Edited March 8, 2014 by janice2348

[Yillup]

My husband and I attended the Chef's Table on the Radiance a few weeks ago. It was a very nice meal and we met some lovely people. The people in the room can have a very big impact on your meal I'd say. We had 15 people in our group, with half of them being from the one family who spoke Russian most of the time. They were lovely, but it did leave the other people at the table a little left out. There were also some smokers in the group who would leave a couple of times to have a smoke and that made the dinner go quite long. It wasn't a problem for me as a lot of my family smoke and I'm used to it. For others it might have been an issue. It did mean that our dinner finished at almost 11pm. I'm so glad Adventure Ocean stays open (for a charge) that late... Lol

 

The courses they serve are quite small (to me), but you do get 5 courses plus petit fours at the end. We left the meal having felt like we'd eaten a similar amount to what we would have eaten in the main dining room. Not stuffed or over full, but not hungry at all. The big difference is the amount of wine. They're not stingy with the pours, and you can have multiple glasses with each course of food if you'd like.

 

My husband and I have eaten in quite a few very high quality restaurants on land. The food at the Chef's Table wasn't of the same quality as we have received in some of those restaurants on land, but then the price wasn't anywhere near the price of some places we've visited either! To us it was worth it.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Trainman-2]

We did it and it was an interesting experience.

 

 

It took just over 3 hours.

 

 

We are glad we did it but we will not do it again!

[gma9]

Most definitely worth it. I only paid $50 instead of $95 on my recent cruise on Radiance!!! Loved every minute of it.[/quote

 

How did you get that discount?

[grinthock]

I have done the Chef's table 3 times on different vessels.

 

The problem is that a "Chef's Table" is typically a Chef's menu, and the chef themselves designs the menu based on available ingredients. On our first chef's table many years ago - that was the case.

 

In the last two, the menu has been designed by RCI, and was exactly the same on two different vessels.

 

IS it a good value? If you don't have unlimited drinks - it's not bad you get more than enough wine. If you have never done a Chef's table, it's a great time . The food was awesome, and they will make adjustments if you have dietary requirements. The company is good, normally only foodie types tend to sign up.

 

So was it good? Yep.... but it's not a true chef's table. So understand what it is... A great multi course meal in an intimate setting with other foodie types with a great selection of wine pairings.

 

Would we do it again? Probably not.

[PrincessBelle39]

 

-They will alter the menu and whip up good stuff if you ask (ie don't eat red meat, don't like fish, etc). They seem happy to do it, unless you go crazy I suppose.

 

That's awesome. I'm pescatarian so thought Chefs Table wasn't an option for us. Glad to hear that it is. Something we will have to try next time.