which do you prefer

[kcarrots1]

We will be celebrating my DH birthday on 1/6/16 on the Emerald. I want to surprise him with either the ultimate balcony dinner or the chefs table. Which do you prefer and why?

[Shogun]

Hi

 

Both are very good one is private and one is public,

 

it you want a romantic event then the breakfast wins,

 

if more of a party feel the chefs table.

 

yours Shogun

[Steelers36]

It's the UB Dinner, not breakfast for the OP. Never done it and don't think I'm interested, but almost everyone posting about it says UBD is divine.

 

So, I'm with Shogun - do you want something quiet and intimate, or out and about on the ship with other passengers? Either one will be memorable.

[cnd crsr]

We have done both the UBD and Chef's Table. The food was fantastic at both. If you want an intimate romantic dinner then I would choose the UBD. On the other hand sharing a meal with other may be what you would prefer and the Chef's Table was a delightful experience. Whichever you choose, have a wonderful evening.

[Rauld]

I have done both and enjoyed both. If you want a romantic dinner go for the ultimate balcony dinner. You not only get the dinner, you also receive champagne, flowers and a photo of your choice taken by the ships photographer on your balcony. We tend to do this dinners while in port because the wind on sailing days can be bothersome.

[XBGuy]

We have had the UBD twice and have enjoyed it very much. Rauld mkes some excellent points about the photos, the flowers and the Champagne, although on our last one, they actually served Prosecco. (Some people are fussy about that, but it was fine with us.) The flowers lasted in our cabin for several days in both cases.

 

A couple things I would add to Rauld's comments

 

• The dessert. I am not a big fan of chocolate desserts, but even I recognized that this one was killer.
  
• After dessert there is more--a plate of Petit Fours that, like the flowers, lasts for several more days. Actually, we received three plates the last time.
  
• We have had both our UBDs at sea. Both times it was very windy. No problem. The little table that the servers (there are two) bring fits very comfortably in front of the sliding door. We leave the sliding door open are are able to enjoy the fresh air and the sounds of the sea.
  
• I don't know if you enjoy wine, but we always bring our own wine for our room. So, we usually enjoy that with the UBD--after drinking the Sparkling wine and the cocktail/glass of wine that are included.
  

 

Our good experiences with the UBD, notwithstanding, we would love to try the Chef's Table. Multiple people have told us that it is a terrific experience. The problem, by my understanding, is that you just cannot just pick up a phone and get a confirmed reservation. When you arrive at your cabin, you call the Dine Line as soon as you can and have your name added to a wait list. Your chances of being called back confirming a reservation depends on how many people called before you and how many evenings they offer the Chef's Table--usually once, but sometimes twice, per cruise.

 

You might want to consider getting a reservation for the UBD, and also requesting the Chef's Table. If you get both, then you can have an even more special anniversary celebration.

 

At the risk of rambling, I might mention that on our last cruise, I called Princess a couple weeks prior to departure, and made the reservation for the UBD rather than waiting until boarding. On embarkation day the Room Service Manager called us and finalized details--day/time and menu options.

[kcdancerkc]

Depending on your preference

I can chime in that once we did Chefs Table

It took about....or more than ....2.5 hours

 

Have fun!