Chef's Table Included vs. Upgrade Wines

[duquephart]

Are the "premium" wines worth the extra $25 pp? We are not wine snobs but don't mind spending "well spent" $$$.

[keokukjoe]

The premium wines at The Chef's Table are included if you have the Silver Spirits Package without any  extra charge.

[FetaCheese]

1 hour ago, keokukjoe said:

The premium wines at The Chef's Table are included if you have the Silver Spirits Package without any  extra charge.

Thanks Joe, good to know. On upcoming cruise, (2nd V),we have SS pkg.  On 1st, never went to Chef's, menus did not appeal to us, but think we'll try it.  (Unrelated, but are you from Iowa?  Was in Music Man in HS, and 1 song has lots of Iowa towns named, including Keokuk.)

Edited June 8, 2022 by FetaCheese
Spelling

[keokukjoe]

51 minutes ago, FetaCheese said:

Thanks Joe, good to know. On upcoming cruise, (2nd V),we have SS pkg.  On 1st, never went to Chef's, menus did not appeal to us, but think we'll try it.  (Unrelated, but are you from Iowa?  Was in Music Man in HS, and 1 song has lots of Iowa towns named, including Keokuk.)

Yes. 

[molymoo]

FWIW … I am neither a “foodie” (but I do like to eat!!) or the least but knowledgeable about wines but my daughter and travel partner is.  She can absolutely tell the difference in the wines and appreciates the premium pairings at Chefs Table.  

[Liz Masterson]

I plan on asking for a taste of both the regular and the premium. I’ve got the Silver Spirits Drink Package and plan on enjoying it! I mean by trying new things… not getting smashed and sleeping through the next port. 🙂

[Haqdeluxe]

Once your wine steward knows you are interested in experiencing both offering levels they are typically more than happy to accommodate you. I have done so myself. Almost every time the premium offering is the better wine. However there have been a couple of times where the standard wine for the course was my choice. We have yet to be disappointed with what wines Viking offer as the standard choice. Cheers 

 

[duquephart]

19 minutes ago, Haqdeluxe said:

Once your wine steward knows you are interested in experiencing both offering levels they are typically more than happy to accommodate you. I have done so myself. Almost every time the premium offering is the better wine. However there have been a couple of times where the standard wine for the course was my choice. We have yet to be disappointed with what wines Viking offer as the standard choice. Cheers 

 

 

From you I'm hearing "Save the fifty bucks" --- thanks.

[BluebonnetTexan]

It really depends on how you value and perceive the Chef’s Table experience, in my opinion. For us, it was about trying things we might not have tried otherwise. And although we did have the SSP, so the “upgraded” wines were available to us, I think we would have paid for them at the Chef’s Table based on the assumption (yes, I know better) that these would be the Chef’s preferred selections for each course. There are four courses, so four wines. If we hadn’t had the upgrade, I’d probably never have tried Tia Maria, which is now a staple in my liqueur lineup. Instead, it would have been a port, which my husband loves, but I’ve yet to try one that I’ve really enjoyed. Everyone’s tastes are different, so really it just depends. 
I’d recommend going and getting the menus when you board to see what the pairing options are for included vs. upgraded wines for each course and decide then. 

[Haqdeluxe]

25 minutes ago, duquephart said:

 

From you I'm hearing "Save the fifty bucks" --- thanks.

That is not at all what I'm saying and I do not mean to suggest that the premium wines paired with each course are not the better wine nor the better choice. I merely meant to say that there has been occasion where I've enjoyed the standard wine that was paired more. 

[Haqdeluxe]

Completely agree with Bluebonnet. 

Edited June 9, 2022 by Haqdeluxe

[KBs mum]

27 minutes ago, BluebonnetTexan said:

 There are four courses, so four wines. If we hadn’t had the upgrade, I’d probably never have tried Tia Maria, which is now a staple in my liqueur lineup. Instead, 
 

Tia Maria is not an upgrade in the UK, its a drink popular with teenagers and elderly female relatives. 

[duquephart]

35 minutes ago, BluebonnetTexan said:

It really depends on how you value and perceive the Chef’s Table experience, in my opinion. For us, it was about trying things we might not have tried otherwise. And although we did have the SSP, so the “upgraded” wines were available to us, I think we would have paid for them at the Chef’s Table based on the assumption (yes, I know better) that these would be the Chef’s preferred selections for each course. There are four courses, so four wines. If we hadn’t had the upgrade, I’d probably never have tried Tia Maria, which is now a staple in my liqueur lineup. Instead, it would have been a port, which my husband loves, but I’ve yet to try one that I’ve really enjoyed. Everyone’s tastes are different, so really it just depends. 
I’d recommend going and getting the menus when you board to see what the pairing options are for included vs. upgraded wines for each course and decide then. 

 

On our last cruise we dined in Chef's once and cancelled the rest of our reservations in favor of Manfredi's. We had the "included" wines that one time but those did not factor in.

[Clay Clayton]

7 hours ago, Liz Masterson said:

I plan on asking for a taste of both the regular and the premium. I’ve got the Silver Spirits Drink Package and plan on enjoying it! I mean by trying new things… not getting smashed and sleeping through the next port. 🙂

It was our experience when one of us ordered the premium (we had shipboard credit to use or lose) and the other did not that one of the premiums wasn’t to either of our tastes. Otherwise, I enjoyed one of them more and Mike one of the others more. So, that’s no help but what you’re planning is the best idea!

[Liz Masterson]

1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:

It was our experience when one of us ordered the premium (we had shipboard credit to use or lose) and the other did not that one of the premiums wasn’t to either of our tastes. Otherwise, I enjoyed one of them more and Mike one of the others more. So, that’s no help but what you’re planning is the best idea!

Everyone's taste differs! So drink what you like, not what people tell you to like! 😉

[CCWineLover]

3 hours ago, Haqdeluxe said:

Once your wine steward knows you are interested in experiencing both offering levels they are typically more than happy to accommodate you. I have done so myself. Almost every time the premium offering is the better wine. However there have been a couple of times where the standard wine for the course was my choice. We have yet to be disappointed with what wines Viking offer as the standard choice. Cheers 

 

We too.  We've often tried the standard and the premium to compare.

Sometimes, the standard offering is more to what we were in the mood for than the premium, for a given course, even though they were both good.  They are not always the same varietal or style.  i.e. one could be a red Bordeaux blend and the other a zinfandel.    One could be a port and the other a different style desert wine.

We liked the chance to mix and match and compare.  Viking was always more than happy to fulfill our requests.  Just ask.   Oh - and if there was a particular wine that was fabulous, they didn't mind giving another pour, including one "for the road"  !

 

We enjoy both Chef's Table AND Manfredi's.  Our recent cruise, we went to all 5 Chef's Table menus (some in our opinion were better than others.  Irony is - for us California menu was the worst and we are from California).

Edited June 9, 2022 by CCWineLover

[Moonlion]

In our experience, there is nothing "wrong" with the included wines. The SSBP gives you the opportunity to try a broader variety of wines and beers. 

[Twitchly]

2 hours ago, Moonlion said:

In our experience, there is nothing "wrong" with the included wines. The SSBP gives you the opportunity to try a broader variety of wines and beers. 

I’m still unclear on this. Couldn’t one try that broader variety even without the SSBP by paying as you go?  Is there any wine you can only get via the SSBP?

 

Edited June 10, 2022 by Twitchly

[duquephart]

You can get anything you want. SSBP is just one way of paying.

 

[Moonlion]

8 hours ago, duquephart said:

You can get anything you want. SSBP is just one way of paying.

 

And if dining at Chef's Table and you don't have the SSBP, you can upgrade to the premium wines for $25pp.

[duquephart]

17 minutes ago, Moonlion said:

And if dining at Chef's Table and you don't have the SSBP, you can upgrade to the premium wines for $25pp.

 

Indeed. The whole point of my question.

[BluebonnetTexan]

22 hours ago, KBs mum said:

Tia Maria is not an upgrade in the UK, its a drink popular with teenagers and elderly female relatives. 

I knew I should have added quotes around that usage of "upgrade" too! LOL! Guess, I'm feeling older than my age or maybe younger! Again, individual perspectives and tastes will vary. I was just going with the Viking terminology. All I know is that it went really, really well with the chocolate desserts it was paired with for my taste. Yes, port and chocolate pairs well, too. But as I already mentioned I'm not a big fan of ports, so for me this was the type of experience I was looking for at Chef's Table. And, yes, we have found wines on the included list that we liked better than some on the SSBP list - but that's how it goes with wine and individual tastes. The SSBP just gives us more options to choose from in my opinion thereby broadening chances of finding something you really like. But, as others have mentioned, Viking seems willing to work with you, if you really dislike an included wine, to find a suitable replacement. What we observed is that they cycle through various included wines - so it isn't like they serve the exact same red, white, and rose' every meal. 

So back to the OP's question - Are the "premium" wines at Chef's Table worth the extra $25/person? I think if you view it as getting the optimal pairing for the menu, then it is. If that isn't important to you, then probably not. Either way, it should be a fun experience! I hope you enjoy whichever menu(s) you select as well as whichever wine pairing!   

[KBs mum]

2 minutes ago, BluebonnetTexan said:

I knew I should have added quotes around that usage of "upgrade" too! LOL! Guess, I'm feeling older than my age or maybe younger! Again, individual perspectives and tastes will vary. I was just going with the Viking terminology. All I know is that it went really, really well with the chocolate desserts it was paired with for my taste. Yes, port and chocolate pairs well, too. But as I already mentioned I'm not a big fan of ports, so for me this was the type of experience I was looking for at Chef's Table. 

A thought occurs, as you like Tia Maria, you might also like Baileys, it's an Irish cream liqueur that has several 'flavours'. It's not as sweet, and works well added to coffee to jazz it up a bit on cold days

 

[BluebonnetTexan]

1 minute ago, KBs mum said:

A thought occurs, as you like Tia Maria, you might also like Baileys, it's an Irish cream liqueur that has several 'flavours'. It's not as sweet, and works well added to coffee to jazz it up a bit on cold days

 

I love Bailey's! It was really the only liqueur I'd tried much before the Tia Maria. We didn't have alcoholic beverages in the house growing up, and it has only been in the last few years that I've indulged. My current favorite drink is what I call a "Salty Maria" - Bailey's Salted Caramel with Tia Maria. And Bailey's Vanilla Cinnamon is another I use in my "Nancy B&B". 🍸  There's some other new Bailey's flavors I need to try, too! Another reason I liked having the SSBP - I'd try a different cocktail every afternoon and not worry about if I was going to like it or not. Found some things I liked and some that I thought I'd like, but didn't! Again, for me it was about the experience and ability to try some new (to me) things. And, yes, I could've tried all of those on a pay as you go without the SSBP, but it's just a different mindset when it is all already prepaid for. LOL!     

[friendlyfifer]

On 6/8/2022 at 6:19 PM, duquephart said:

Are the "premium" wines worth the extra $25 pp? We are not wine snobs but don't mind spending "well spent" $$$.

Find out who the sommelier is early on in your cruise. Once you’ve met him/her you’ll find they seek you out at dinner and advise you on wine selection. They are very knowledgeable and keen to offer assistance.