Chef’s Table

[robindina]

How many of you have booked this?  Is it worth it?   

[kcdancerkc]

Depends on how adventurous you are!  I am a very picky eater but tried most of the courses.  We did it once on Miracle, and from galley tour, to several courses, it was about 2.5 hours or more.  Even though you get very full, there are some unique concoctions that makes it an experience!  We also had a magician during part of ours.  Now that we have been there done that, I can’t see us doing this again.  If you search for chef table on this site you will get hundreds of various opinions on thier experience.   

[EllaDuChien]

I've done it at least four times on four different ships.  I love it!  For me it is totally worth it as every ship/chef/experience is different even if the menu stays fairly similar.  I have two more Chef's Tables booked on my upcoming cruises.  It is not for everyone, but it is my treat to myself (I don't take the kids!!).  

[bury me at sea]

This is exactly how I feel about it.  Sailing mates generally choose how to spend time in ports, and the Chef's Table is the treat for me.

[Moviela]

I usually do the chef's table. I enjoy the galley tour, the announcement of each dish by the chef, the close up magic, and the various flavors and execution of dishes. The wines are a little weak, but expertly curated for the experience. I ask where else can you enjoy a dinner like this (outside of the Great Hall of the People) with superb flavors and superlative service?

 

If it seems expensive, perhaps you should not go, or if your palette is limited to a narrow range of flavors and textures.  

 

[klfrodo]

I enjoy learning how the same item can be prepared and presented differently and taste wonderful in all ways.

However, I do enjoy Royals Chefs Table better. While Carnival provides Red And White wines with the meal, Royal has a Sommelier who matches a regional wine with each course served. You get to try 6 or 7 various wines from around the world.

[Djptcp]

DH and I did the Chef's Table on the Legend a few years ago and enjoyed it very much and well worth the charge. Great food and interesting explanations from the Chef.

[Barnes11]

My husband and I have done it 3 times and have loved every experience. It does last 2-3 hours but it is very entertaining and delicious. For us it has the potential to be a lot cheaper than if the two of us were sitting at a blackjack table for 3 hours. 

[woodman]

We have done it on several different ships and have enjoyed them all. We look at it as an excursion. We have done some shore excursions that cast about the same and wondered why we went . The Chef's table is 2  to3 hours of fine dinning and entertainment. Go for it.

[robindina]

We went ahead and booked it...making it an early Christmas present.  We don’t book shore excursions so this will be our splurge. 

[Don Kehote]

I tried to make a reservation for our next cruise, but it was already sold out.  My next cruise is not for another 414 days, and it is already sold out.

 

Recommendation: Book it.  Make a final decision later.

[dbrucern]

The food was excellent, it will not be what is normally available on the ship.  To say we were stuffed was an understatement and well worth the price.  It lasted almost 3.5 hours.  Will we do it again, no but it is just that we could not eat all that was served. 

[airlink diva]

I booked it for my upcoming cruise and overall the reviews from others are positive.  I can't wait to experience it on the Dream

[skridge]

I have done it 3 times and it was amazing each time.

[James4me]

What do they serve that makes this an expierence to try?  I’m not into weird stuff like frog legs, snails (I know some love it, I don’t)😊

[bury me at sea]

The entrees include such things as veal, quail, and seabass.

 

I hesitate to go into detail because I hate spoilers.  It's a lot of fun, but it's not steak and potatoes.

[coevan]

On ‎10‎/‎21‎/‎2018 at 7:48 AM, Don Kehote said:

I tried to make a reservation for our next cruise, but it was already sold out.  My next cruise is not for another 414 days, and it is already sold out.

 

Recommendation: Book it.  Make a final decision later.

 

 

 

I doubt they even started taking reservations over a year in advance.  We booked a month before the cruise, no problem

[bury me at sea]

47 minutes ago, coevan said:

 

 

 

I doubt they even started taking reservations over a year in advance.  We booked a month before the cruise, no problem

 

That could depend on the ship.  Our reservations for an April, 2019 Freedom cruise were confirmed on January 5, 2018.

 

Reservations for our March, 2020 Freedom cruise were confirmed last week.

Edited October 24, 2018 by bury me at sea

[MrFunInTheSun]

Chefs table is definitely worth it. Book it. 😀

[klfrodo]

3 hours ago, James4me said:

What do they serve that makes this an expierence to try?  I’m not into weird stuff like frog legs, snails (I know some love it, I don’t)😊

If you’re not open to a new experience or new foods, this might not be for you. Have to be a little adventurous.

A small example was one time the Chef had each of us try a marinated Kalamata olive. Then he had us get another olive but try it with some fresh Parmesan cheese. Changed the entire flavor. Then, he took that olive and twisted it in a smal cotton candy type machine. The same olive prepared 3 different ways. Just amazing.

[MrFunInTheSun]

One of my recent Chef Table Experiences, though this was not on a Carnival Ship. Still similar experience from one I did on Carnival a few years back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MrFunInTheSun]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MrFunInTheSun]

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LoungingMcCoy]

I'm not a foodie.  In fact, I'm pretty picky.  The first time I heard about a meal like this, a few years ago, it sounded exotic and elegant and I wanted to give it a try.  My wife and I did the Chef's Table on our first cruise in January.  It was a great experience!  The galley tour was terribly interesting.  It was fun getting to try all the "exotic" foods and most of it tasted very good.  Our tablemates, for the most part, made the experience even more fun.  I can't see us doing the Chef's Table on every cruise, but I'm sure we'll do it again once the menu changes.

 

 

[christyran1228]

We just attended our 3rd chef's table last week on the Vista ... it's just an amazing experience, like an excursion for foodies.  🙂