"Sip Tour Brunch" experiences/reviews?

[S.A.M.J.R.]

We'll be on Harmony in July to celebrate youngest DD's HS graduation.  She plans to go to school for Culinary Studies.  I noticed in our cruise planner a "Sip, Tour, Brunch" availability on the last sea day.  

 

"Spend your sea day with the Executive Chef on an exclusive tour of the galley — plus brunch in the Main Dining Room complete with unlimited sparkling wine. We’re giving you a taste of the secret sauce it takes to run a massive dining operation that never stops — serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner for thousands of guests and crew. Then, we’re treating you to an exceptional brunch and unlimited sparkling wine in the Main Dining Room. Space is limited and may sell out, so be sure to book before your cruise for the biggest savings."

 

Has any one done it?  It doesn't say how long it is (starts at 11am). I thought DD might be interested in it.

[jacobtsf]

My wife and I did this on Freedom of the Seas during a Mediterranean cruise before Covid and we had a blast.

 

We started in the upper dining room, greeted with tables full of champagne and mimosas. After a few glasses a few important crew members, including the head chef, were introduced. These crew members gave an overview of just how much the kitchens do, and what to expect during our tour (including all of the rules). After that we broke into 2 or 3 smaller groups, and started the tour. 
 

My wife and I are foodies who both worked in the food industry when we were younger, so we loved seeing just how they were able to manage all of the food in such a relatively small space. Yes, it can be cramped, and yes, it can be hard to hear (especially since the kitchens are in full work mode getting ready for both your brunch and lunch for the rest of the ship), but we got a pretty good look at most of the areas in the galley, a chance to talk to various members of the crew, and our guide was able and willing to answer tons of questions, both about the kitchens and life living on a ship in general. 
 

After the tour we ended up in the lower dining room and got to have a lovely brunch, with more drinks, and a live musician. It was the typical quality we have come to expect from

the main dining room, not super elegant, but not disappointing. 

[S.A.M.J.R.]

Thank you!

 

Do you remember how long the tour was?

[jacobtsf]

1 hour ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

Thank you!

 

Do you remember how long the tour was?

I don't sorry, I feel like the whole experience (welcome, tour and brunch) was maybe a little over 2 hours.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

Thank you!

 

[LilBlackDress]

We did it on Anthem back in 2016... The Tour was great, but the Brunch was a huge disappointment!! But I heard they upgraded the brunch to include dishes that were promised and not delivered when we did it. 
I think it was about 2.5 to 3 hours in total 
 

[crewsweeper]

We've booked this on our Wonder of the Seas cruise coming up in 10 days.

Will give a rundown once we return.

[djyellowsub]

I have down this tour on the Harmony and really enjoyed it. Anyone interested in the food industry like your DD will find it fascinating.  It is amazing how precise the procedure is.  Even if the brunch is not as good as expected, the actual tour is worth it in my opinion.  I also did this tour on the Liberty of the Seas.  It was also quite good, but the size of the Harmony will make it even more interesting for all of you.

[sadiwest]

Guess im in the minority here. I enjoyed the experience with my dd but was hoping the tour would be longer.  The total time lines up with pp but I would say the tour part was maybe 20 mins?  It's definitely insane to see the scale...you know but you don't KNOW til you see it. 

 

[LoisGriffin1]

The tour was interesting but the brunch was nothing special. They were not particularly fast to top up the glass either.

 

i enjoyed it but to be honest I would happily of done the tour and skipped the brunch.

[The Fun Researcher]

Sorry to resurrect this from a few months ago... but just thought I would comment...

 

They have downgraded the menu since we did this on the newly AMPED Navigator in 2019.  Back then they had a wonderful spread, and even included a cheese and cured meat spread,  filet mignon on the menu, etc....  Now what I'm seeing is eggs benedict, strip steak, or a seafood linguine maybe.  Not terrible, but nothing to write home about.

 

Having said that, I'm o.k. with a dumbed down menu.  I booked this for $39.99 on our upcoming Liberty sailing in June.  For us it's about seeing the galley and how they prepare the dishes, and just doing something interesting. (I primarily booked this because my parents will be with us, their first time doing the tour).

 

Is it worth $40?  Perhaps.  Perhaps not.  It's something to do and we're not expecting anything extravagant.  We'll be spending some fun time together making memories and that's what matters.

[KLMB]

We did this a couple weeks ago on Radiance.  It was fine, but nothing really special.  As soon as it started we went to the kitchens.  Made a couple of stops, the person giving the tour was hard to understand and it was crowded.  A regular dining room lunch selection. We each got a mimosa when we walked into the dining room, but had to hunt someone down to get a second one.  We met some nice people which made the tour enjoyable in that respect.  For the $30, it ok - certainly a lot less expensive than decorating cupcakes!

Edited May 6 by KLMB
spelling

[SuzD123]

2 hours ago, KLMB said:

We did this a couple weeks ago on Radiance.  It was fine, but nothing really special.  As soon as it started we went to the kitchens.  Made a couple of stops, the person giving the tour was hard to understand and it was crowded.  A regular dining room lunch selection. We each got a mimosa when we walked into the dining room, but had to hunt someone down to get a second one.  We met some nice people which made the tour enjoyable in that respect.  For the $30, it ok - certainly a lot less expensive than decorating cupcakes!

Well described.  It has been a few years since DD and I did this one on a sea day.  Touring the kitchen was interesting, but we had both toured commercial kitchens previously...so it wasn't terribly new/different.  Yes, you received a beverage or two in addition to the luncheon.  The lunch was nice but nothing super special as I recall. 

 

For the cost and if you have someone interested in exploring the culinary arts, then sure...it's a nice experience.

Edited May 6 by SuzD123

[celoplyr]

I did it once and loved it.  I tend to ask a lot of questions, and saw a machine that I had no idea what it was.  The crew member said "oh that's the roll machine, wanna see how it works?" HECK YES! Most fascinating thing ever.  

 

For me, the food was fine, but the tour was fun.  They definitely used to let you take as many pictures as you want, and I managed to get some recipes and stuff.

[crewsweeper]

I did it on the Wonder, DW opted for the regular MDR breakfast..  Very poor coordination on where to meet.  There was another "brunch" group there without the tour. had an interesting conversation with table mates, but a distant second to the Taste of Royal we did in the past.

[SuzD123]

49 minutes ago, crewsweeper said:

I did it on the Wonder, DW opted for the regular MDR breakfast..  Very poor coordination on where to meet.  There was another "brunch" group there without the tour. had an interesting conversation with table mates, but a distant second to the Taste of Royal we did in the past.

LOVE Taste of Royal!

[USERBOYD66]

We did it in October on the Anthem and it was a waste of time and money.  We could not hear the group leader, and when you could, it was still a challenge to catch every word due to his accent.  Breakfast was not worth it and we already had the drink package.  If you look at the pics someone posted above, that is exactly what you see.  And, that's it.

Edited May 9 by USERBOYD66