Chef’s market excursion…Experience and availability?

[miched]

11 minutes ago, chemmo said:

Thanks so much for posting your experience. It is only when you read some negatives as well as positives that you can make a reasonable judgement on what an experience will be like. In a similar fashion we did chefs table twice. First experience really nice, second one spoiled by Mr Talk a Lot and his wife Mrs Drink a Lot…

We had the same experience at the Chefs table.   A bunch of very rude people.   One couple thought they knew everything about how stuff should be prepared and served.   Nothing was made properly for them and they let the chef know it .  Another couple kept complaining about the slow service and left before the desert was served.   Another couple kept telling the officer sitting with us that they didn’t want to hear the subject he was talking about and didn’t want to hear him talk about his life or experiences as they weren’t interested.  
 

My wife and I just sat there not saying anything and tried to enjoy our dinner. 
 

I read reviews about people having great experiences at those dinners. My wife and I  must be the spoilers as both of the so called special premium dinners we attended have been bummers.   Two times is enough for us plus if we are the spoilers we don’t want to ruin the dinners for others. 
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[rjwex]

We did this recently in Naples. As the last, was unable to shop for food for our dinner based on regulations. 🤷 Did take us to a limoncello shop, they greeted him like a long lost family member and I have never had so many product samples (they had other liqueur flavors, cookies, candies, oil and vinegars). The chef went back to the ship while we continued on to lunch at a local place where they prepared fresh mozzarella. We visited Positano and Sorrento then returned to the ship. We had an Italian family style meal in Tuscan Grille. After extensive appetizers went on to several mains and sides and then dessert. One dessert was an amazing gluten free almond cake with strawberries that he dressed with a white rose balsamic from the shop. Best gluten free item I’ve ever eaten. Bummed on the lack of shopping, but we had a great day and an incredible dinner.

[sunpsyche]

Does anyone know if there is a vegetarian or pescatarian option for these dinners?  Usually we inquire onboard, however it’s easier to plan excursions if we know prior to sailing. 

[xamsx]

I really wish Celebrity allowed reviews on tours like Princess does. I would have left our experience with the lowest score possible.

 

The absolute worst tour we ever took on a ship excursion was last year on our TA on the Constellation. It was a chef’s tour.
 

We were to tour the Mercat de l’Oliver. The market itself was terrific, well what we saw of it in the few minutes we were there. The “chef” never said a word to any of us, and he didn’t purchase anything. The tour guide kept talking and talking, showing us every “very important” statue and street. Our luncheon was abominable, nothing that was served to us was described to us, and this from a tour guide who described everything she saw not related to food or the market in excruciating detail.

 

She gave us the opportunity to have the bus called and to be transported back to the ship after that. Over half of us jumped at that chance. I think we were all just hungry and wanted to head back to the ship for something to eat.

 

Later, at the pool bar one of the other people on the excursion saw us and started discussing how horrible the tour was. She told us we were smart to bail, that the tour guide marched them up a church (!!) and by the time they got there most of the rest of the group had peeled off, and there were only six people left! (There had to have been 25-30 people to start, not 10-12 as others have had on their chef’s market tour.)
 

My husband and I skipped the dinner that evening. We were not fit company, and so decided not to impart out bad humor on anyone else who might attend.

 

Now, that chef’s tour with a whopping 20 minutes in a market followed by a gross lunch may have been an anomaly. I certainly hope it was uncommon. 

 

 

Edited June 27, 2023 by xamsx

[chemmo]

9 hours ago, miched said:

We had the same experience at the Chefs table.   A bunch of very rude people.   One couple thought they knew everything about how stuff should be prepared and served.   Nothing was made properly for them and they let the chef know it .  Another couple kept complaining about the slow service and left before the desert was served.   Another couple kept telling the officer sitting with us that they didn’t want to hear the subject he was talking about and didn’t want to hear him talk about his life or experiences as they weren’t interested.  
 

My wife and I just sat there not saying anything and tried to enjoy our dinner. 
 

I read reviews about people having great experiences at those dinners. My wife and I  must be the spoilers as both of the so called special premium dinners we attended have been bummers.   Two times is enough for us plus if we are the spoilers we don’t want to ruin the dinners for others. 
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

I must confess if I was to do a Chefs Table again I think I would try to do it via a roll call so, hopefully, we could ensure some likeminded company. 
 

I must confess in hindsight we have often enjoyed recapping our unpleasant meal.  Hearing Mr Talk a Lot’s views on the British economy was an eye opener as was his opinion on how Celebrity should move sales forward. Mrs Drink a Lot added to the cabaret by stirring her wine with a fork and falling off her high heels when she disappeared mid meal for a toilet break via the M’D to request a cocktail to accompany her wine tasting selection…

[chemmo]

6 hours ago, rjwex said:

We did this recently in Naples. As the last, was unable to shop for food for our dinner based on regulations. 🤷 Did take us to a limoncello shop, they greeted him like a long lost family member and I have never had so many product samples (they had other liqueur flavors, cookies, candies, oil and vinegars). The chef went back to the ship while we continued on to lunch at a local place where they prepared fresh mozzarella. We visited Positano and Sorrento then returned to the ship. We had an Italian family style meal in Tuscan Grille. After extensive appetizers went on to several mains and sides and then dessert. One dessert was an amazing gluten free almond cake with strawberries that he dressed with a white rose balsamic from the shop. Best gluten free item I’ve ever eaten. Bummed on the lack of shopping, but we had a great day and an incredible dinner.

That sounds like fun. Much as I think it must be nice to eat something you have purchased I could accept the rules and be happy with a nice day out and a themed meal on the ship…

[chemmo]

5 hours ago, sunpsyche said:

Does anyone know if there is a vegetarian or pescatarian option for these dinners?  Usually we inquire onboard, however it’s easier to plan excursions if we know prior to sailing. 

In our experience of the speciality restaurants they will always modify to individual dietary needs. As the purchasing at the market seems limited to none existent it could be that what you are served at the evening meal may not be what was purchased but that could be the case for all…

[chemmo]

5 hours ago, xamsx said:

I really wish Celebrity allowed reviews on tours like Princess does. I would have left our experience with the lowest score possible.

 

The absolute worst tour we ever took on a ship excursion was last year on our TA on the Constellation. It was a chef’s tour.
 

We were to tour the Mercat de l’Oliver. The market itself was terrific, well what we saw of it in the few minutes we were there. The “chef” never said a word to any of us, and he didn’t purchase anything. The tour guide kept talking and talking, showing us every “very important” statue and street. Our luncheon was abominable, nothing that was served to us was described to us, and this from a tour guide who described everything she saw not related to food or the market in excruciating detail.

 

She gave us the opportunity to have the bus called and to be transported back to the ship after that. Over half of us jumped at that chance. I think we were all just hungry and wanted to head back to the ship for something to eat.

 

Later, at the pool bar one of the other people on the excursion saw us and started discussing how horrible the tour was. She told us we were smart to bail, that the tour guide marched them up a church (!!) and by the time they got there most of the rest of the group had peeled off, and there were only six people left! (There had to have been 25-30 people to start, not 10-12 as others have had on their chef’s market tour.)
 

My husband and I skipped the dinner that evening. We were not fit company, and so decided not to impart out bad humor on anyone else who might attend.

 

Now, that chef’s tour with a whopping 20 minutes in a market followed by a gross lunch may have been an anomaly. I certainly hope it was uncommon. 

 

 

Not good!

 

Did you complain? Whilst we have experienced the odd less than perfect tour on Celebrity we have only once had a really bad one, we complained and were refunded. It didn’t give us our day back but soften the blow…

[xamsx]

6 hours ago, chemmo said:

Not good!

 

Did you complain? Whilst we have experienced the odd less than perfect tour on Celebrity we have only once had a really bad one, we complained and were refunded. It didn’t give us our day back but soften the blow…

Yes. We went down to the desk to find out where to make our complaint. We were told "on the app" and could never find a place to write comments about that tour on the app. My husband tried somewhere/someone else (I don't recall where or who), but there was no follow-up.

I do wish Celebrity had a rating system. That guide should not be doing a chef's tour.  A city highlights walking tour? Sure. But not a market/food experience.
 

Edited June 27, 2023 by xamsx

[sunpsyche]

13 hours ago, chemmo said:

In our experience of the speciality restaurants they will always modify to individual dietary needs. As the purchasing at the market seems limited to none existent it could be that what you are served at the evening meal may not be what was purchased but that could be the case for all…

Thanks, @chemmo. I knew from experience with Chef’s Table that the menu could be adapted. Having never experienced this particular excursion I was eager for some first person report. It does seem that the food isn’t from the market shopping so all shall be fine.