Chefs table menu, when does it change?

[TheBubbs]

Did the chefs table earlier this year, Awesome. Skipped it last cruise, but have booked the sunshine repositioning cruise, so I reserved the chefs table again (april 2014).

 

My question: how often does the menu change?

[happy cruzin]

Did the chefs table earlier this year, Awesome. Skipped it last cruise, but have booked the sunshine repositioning cruise, so I reserved the chefs table again (april 2014).

 

My question: how often does the menu change?

 

 

Not often! The one you enjoyed is only the second Chef's Table Menu...since it's inception. :cool:

[ellen9974]

The Chef on my September cruise said it will change sometime in

January :)

[wxguyinms]

I've also booked the Chef's Table on the April 6 Sunshine repositioning cruise and am keeping my fingers crossed for a new menu by then. I did the Chef's Table on the Conquest in September, and don't get me wrong -- the food was excellent. However, I'm hoping for a different experience.

[cruise_mojo]

cool, we are waiting on a confirm for a dec 14th cruise so it will be our first ct

 

maybe by april 28th we can have a new menu!

[jimbo5544]

John Heald posted on his blog site about a month ago that the CT menu would be changing around year end. I have seen nothing since then and I am sure he will post something once that occurs. It may be tied to the MDR menu changes that are rumored to be changing as well.

[wmowan8485]

John Heald posted on his blog site about a month ago that the CT menu would be changing around year end. I have seen nothing since then and I am sure he will post something once that occurs. It may be tied to the MDR menu changes that are rumored to be changing as well.

 

That is my understanding also! I've done CT twice now so I'll wait for menu change before doing it again. ;)

[jimbo5544]

That is my understanding also! I've done CT twice now so I'll wait for menu change before doing it again. ;)

I have done it 5 times (2 old, which I prefer actually and 3 new). Will do it again after the menu change.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

What's so complicated with changing it EVERY YEAR? We've done it a few times (also greatly preferred the old menu) but would not consider it again until they update their offerings.

 

OR... they could actually allow each chef to create their own menu. That would be much more interesting in my opinion.

 

Tom

[shonuf]

What's so complicated with changing it EVERY YEAR? We've done it a few times (also greatly preferred the old menu) but would not consider it again until they update their offerings.

 

OR... they could actually allow each chef to create their own menu. That would be much more interesting in my opinion.

 

Tom

 

I like your idea. That way if you cruised different ships, you could have a different experience.

[jimbo5544]

What's so complicated with changing it EVERY YEAR? We've done it a few times (also greatly preferred the old menu) but would not consider it again until they update their offerings.

 

OR... they could actually allow each chef to create their own menu. That would be much more interesting in my opinion.

 

Tom

Agree on both counts.

[RuthlessBoss]

I just don't get the need to change menues often. It's a unique thing, very limited in numbers that attend per meal. If you don't like the menu, why book over and over? Most attend for the experience and that's it, they don't know the menu is not new.

If one books a scuba dive, do you expect it to be different the next time you cruise? No, you do something else. If one takes a tour, will the next time be different? No. Why is going to the chef's table thing different?

[jimbo5544]

I just don't get the need to change menues often. It's a unique thing, very limited in numbers that attend per meal. If you don't like the menu, why book over and over? Most attend for the experience and that's it, they don't know the menu is not new.

If one books a scuba dive, do you expect it to be different the next time you cruise? No, you do something else. If one takes a tour, will the next time be different? No. Why is going to the chef's table thing different?

Valid points and I can't argue with them. My point of reference is we 9really I) enjoy it. With each group we bring on a Carnival cruise, there is some either newbie or at least someone who has not expereinced the CT that I end up going with.

 

Tom's point is (he can talk for himself but...) basically is the same. It is fun, somewhat ecletic and an interesting evening. To have it be unique (as in a chef making it his own as opposed to what Carnival wants) would make it more enjoyable.

[Herbaltees]

I just don't get the need to change menues often. It's a unique thing, very limited in numbers that attend per meal. If you don't like the menu, why book over and over? Most attend for the experience and that's it, they don't know the menu is not new.

If one books a scuba dive, do you expect it to be different the next time you cruise? No, you do something else. If one takes a tour, will the next time be different? No. Why is going to the chef's table thing different?

 

Yes, each scuba dive experience should be different, maybe you see something different this time. In this case, the people are different the conversation is different.

 

I would think that the chef's table would be a unique experience. I don't understand the need for a "chef" if the person is just going to cook from a prepared menu, across the whole fleet. You can save money by hiring a cook to follow preset recipe's.

Edited November 12, 2013 by Herbaltees

[TheBubbs]

The experience is awesome, really enjoy how they are all choreographed with delivery and such.

 

I have another question, on the conquest it was in a private room off the MDR, on the dream it looked like they was actually in the question at a table. I googled sunshine and saw they are in a private room on 4th off of steak house. I guess it just depends on the class of ship, but the kitchen one may not be the best setting with all the activity, for me anyway.

 

Whats everyones thoughts?

[jimbo5544]

The experience is awesome, really enjoy how they are all choreographed with delivery and such.

 

I have another question, on the conquest it was in a private room off the MDR, on the dream it looked like they was actually in the question at a table. I googled sunshine and saw they are in a private room on 4th off of steak house. I guess it just depends on the class of ship, but the kitchen one may not be the best setting with all the activity, for me anyway.

 

Whats everyones thoughts?

We have done 4 different settings. In the kitchen, lower level of the night club, library and little dinig room off of the one attached to the atrium. Personally, I enjoyed the kitchen atmosphere the best, although it was a tad loud.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

... Personally, I enjoyed the kitchen atmosphere the best, although it was a tad loud.

 

Our favorite setting as well. There's a lot more going on to watch!

 

Tom

[jimbo5544]

Our favorite setting as well. There's a lot more going on to watch!

 

Tom

 

The setting just fits so well.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app from my IPhone

[cruise_mojo]

most likely, the chief chef at carnival develops the menu for the table

 

and it takes some time, to train each crew to meticulously prepare that menu exactly they way the head chef wants it each time, so Id suspect the new menu to roll out one or two ships at a time until the whole fleet has a new menu, this might take a few weeks or couple months

 

also, with the crew rotating in and out as their contracts expire, new cooks will be training on the menu to be up to snuff on it

 

this is and the fact that people can only experience this particular menu while on the ships which for many people will be just once in a while, ( though regular cruisers might cruise 2-3 times a year ) so Carnival probably feels little need to change the menu very often

 

I would agree, that the same thing over and over would get a little stale, but I wonder how many complaints they get over time about the menu not changing. It seems like you might be offered a choice of entree's but what if everyone picked the exact single entrée? With extensive prep for some dishes, a lot of food would get wasted OR, someone might not get their entrée if they only cooked half or 2\3 of a particular one based on trend data.

[DSJ28]

The evening is so well choreographed; it's probably more challenging to change the menu than it might seem. However, it would be nice if each chef prepared a unique course as part of the experience.

 

Even so, I really enjoyed the current menu last year, and I'm looking forward to it again in 17 days.

[cruise_mojo]

when we cruised I think prechristmas last year, we saw one of the last showings of a particular show, they said it was the longest running carnival show in the lines history and it was currently being phased out, there were only three ships that had that show on board at that time, the fascination, dream and I'm not sure of the other.

 

the CD said they had been rotating that show out of the fleet for a year and a half or so I believe he said... I think we'd seen that show ( cannot remember the name of it! ) three or four times. when we crusied in may on the FASC it had left the building like Elvis!

 

so, from peeps pics, there looks like quite a few guys participate in the table WE have eaten in the Steak house on the Dream which was GREAT! But it had a weird effect.....

 

We had pretty bad service in the dream dining room, ( some of it caused by a couple at our table insisting on being anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour late to dinner ) AND I had never seen as much dancing on the tables and wasting time singing on any Carnival ship ( or any other ) as we experienced on the DREAM. Anyway, the Steak house was GREAT as I said, but it kind of made me mad that when we started cruising back in the 80's we got waited on perfectly, on almost every cruise line in the dining rooms ALL THE TIME! Speaking about the difference in the quality of service in the specialty restaurant.

 

It made my pine for the days, believe it or not, of when we first cruised the three day party cruises on NCL's Sunward II, and Chandris Amerikanis ( this line became Celebrity ) Even the tiny Crown del Mar had super service. Actually this will sound strange but the one cruise we had any reservations about was on the Carnivale! The reason we didn't cruise Carnival for years and years after that one cruise was, that the waiter and busboy

literally "hounded" us the entire crusie for positive feedback ratings. I mean every single meal you got the drill! And back in the 80's there was no breakfast buffet, and breakfast, lunch and dinner were often eaten in company with the others at your regular dinner table! So we got the treatment 2-3 times a day!

 

They did have a grill for lunch on the pool deck back then, and the midnight buffets ruled the day with two ( the midnight and late night! ) back then the buffets roamed the ship being in different locations each night and often the midnight and late night would be in a different place on the same night!

[1313steve]

We did it on Glory last month and really enjoyed it. I'm not sure I'd do it again with the same menu.

 

I do like the idea of each ship having a customized menu (or at least partially), but one thing to keep in mind is the culinary skills of the head chef on each of these ships. During our CT, Chef Singh talked about his training and background, and while he has some culinary experience, the majority of his training and job history was in management, inventory and cost control, logistics, etc. etc. etc. It sounded to me like his role was more of an operational role than a culinary role.

 

I'd be willing to bet that the chef's on the other ships have similar backgrounds. More management, less cooking and creating. Having the menus created by corporate and being identical on each ship makes it another management/operations job for the head chef on the ship, which may be a role they are better suited for.

[CatlinSTJ]

At our last CT, the chef told us that changing the menus was a long process because not only do they use the same menu on all of the ships, they also use the same suppliers. Whatever they decide on has to be available in all the different markets.

 

He also told us that the lobster tails for the majority of the cruise lines all come from the same supplier, thought that was interesting.

[jimbo5544]

At our last CT, the chef told us that changing the menus was a long process because not only do they use the same menu on all of the ships, they also use the same suppliers. Whatever they decide on has to be available in all the different markets.

 

He also told us that the lobster tails for the majority of the cruise lines all come from the same supplier, thought that was interesting.

I am sure there are logistics involved. Cerrtainly would be different if it were pot luck:eek:

[1313steve]

At our last CT, the chef told us that changing the menus was a long process because not only do they use the same menu on all of the ships, they also use the same suppliers. Whatever they decide on has to be available in all the different markets.

 

He also told us that the lobster tails for the majority of the cruise lines all come from the same supplier, thought that was interesting.

 

No surprise there. I look at the dining operation of Carnival (or any cruise line) just like a large chain restaurant. They all have standards, and deals cut with major suppliers to supply them at as many locations as possible.