DisappointedChef

I dedicated a whole evening of my time to answering all the responses.......from the very noteworthy suggestions to the viciously vile (you know who you are!!!!!)

The posts will help any future Cruiser with their research. I did not find anything much, other than empty promises, when I set out to look-into the Top Chef at Sea Competition.

I will try and log on here occasionally to see if I can offer genuine responses and clarification.......

To those of you who have spewed venom my way........my response if "sticks and stones may break my bones........but at the end of the day I can write you off the table and onto the floor.....where you belong!"

I am a real person.....(not some automated call-centre responder).......and the varied responses have intrigued me. Does give one a lot of insight into the human mind.......and how some people can point fingers at you for being "disappointed".......but are so reprehensibly malicious themselves...... it's sad!!!! Are they venting their spleens here in an attempt to let off steam? My heart goes out to them as pressure cookers burst sometimes. Point to ponder eh???

Over and out!!!!!

OP

(Outstanding personality!!! LOL)

Ah, now I understand. Pedantry to the end. I think we worked together once in Sweden.

 

 

.

Not pedantic Chunky......just clarifying (albeit in cryptic vein) that I am a woman!

Having sailed 3x with Ken Mills as the CD (whom I was not at the time overly fond of off-stage, but having sailed now with other CD's, I consider him one of the best) I am quite certain his words are being taken out of context. I also feel confident in saying that his jokes are not always in the very best taste, but he is by no means a person who is likely to discriminate.

Hello again Fishlover,

Ken wasn't discriminating against race/nationality as much as he was picking only members of large groups/families. Most of the non-Americans were only couples (like us) or small families.

If that was in the brief of the event I would have invited all the new friends I made onboard to come and cheer me on. Another reason why I'm posting this is for future Cruisers to have material to research. Celebrity should be a lot more transparent about their selection processes....or a lot more fair.......by raffle draw!!!!

What was your purpose in posting your comments here?:confused:

Hi Husky,

Not sure if I replied to your query or I missed it yesterday......

The main reason for posting details of this disappointment was so that future Cruisers will get some insight into what might have been.....or what they should do if they are passionate about somethings.

I couldnt find any back-stories on the Top Chef @ Sea before I set sail......and a thread like this would have forewarned me.....

Everyone disagreeing with the OP is wrong and insensitive. I have had to endure similar treatment on Celebrity Cruises before. Time and time again, I find myself purchasing cards for the Jackpot Bingo, however the person calling the Bingo game has not once called the 5 numbers I needed to win the jackpot (4, if you count the free space). OP, at least you got to stand up when your competition started. I have never had the opportunity to stand up at Bingo. Trust me, I am a serious amateur when it comes to Bingo, and I watch all of the Bingo shows from my remote part of New York. I completely understa......Ok, that's enough.

 

Seriously? This post is either comedic genius, or the work of a severely entitled person. OP, if you are actually being serious here, you need to get over yourself. If your idea of showing your culinary prowess is by competing in a cooking competition that most people will forget after it's over, then you should re-evaluate your priorities. I happen to like playing bocce, but I'm not going to write off cruising if I don't get to participate in the Officers vs Guests competition. Also, I love how you suggest the top quality TV programming on Bravo, as it isn't "slapstick-horseplay".....have you ever watched anything else on Bravo besides Top Chef? That entire network is trash. Anyway, if you want to cook that bad, then book a cruise on a ship with a Lawn Club Grill. Guess what, they'll let you cook your entire table's meal at that place, and the Silhouette sails from Amsterdam part of the year. That's a lot closer to you than Seattle.

 

P.S. I love that, if you decide to stay on CruiseCritic, your user name will forever be ridiculous.

 

Ugh, I have a bad feeling that I just played into the hands of this troll...

Trolls originated in Scandinavia.......but I am not Scandinavian!

I will deal with the "ridiculous" name.........it was the best reflection of how I felt. What is your call sign/user name: "Sour Sarcasm"?!!!!!

OP should try Oceania. Many hands on Culinary events that would be perfect for him.

Thanks Maggie,

I will research "Oceania" if we ever decide to Cruise again.

Your pronoun at the end of your sentence needs to be "her".......

I'm voting this. Aside from the content, some of the writing and expressions sounds far more US-ian than would be typical of a Swede, and as mentioned earlier even the show itself is US rather than Swedish; just doesn't add up.

No! I am not an American.......and my spellings of the words "colour" and "programme" should have been a giveaway. I'm am not a Swede either.......but married to a Swedish man. I am a female......but everyone on this forum has assumed that I am a male for reasons they know best.

Tack, DisappointedChef, för underhållning er alla. Huruvida detta är "på riktigt", är din engelska ett nöje att läsa ... mycket bättre än min svenska ...

 

Thank you, DisappointedChef, for the entertainment. Whether or not this is 'for real', your English is a pleasure to read...much better than my Swedish...

Hej Crown Vic,

Jag är gift med en svenska man i 16 år, men min svenska språkkunskaper är fortfarande inte perfekt. Jag talar fem språk ...... och är en mästare på många olika kök.

This was my thought as well, or someone from Celebrity trying to get more people interested in the Top Chef program. It would be interesting to see how many people have visited their site looking for info on it today in response to this thread.

If at all......I sought to open the eyes of the naive to realities.

I am real.......

You have replied to so many other posts and ignored mine.....Are you the Swedish chef from the Muppets? Please now just apply for something like 'strictly come dancing'.

Sorry Chemmo,

You got lost in the crowd. The barrage was more like a deluge! Hit me all at once........

I like the juxtaposition of the Swedish Chef from the Muppets.....but in my instance....it would be a female Chef!

The Swedish version of "Strictly come dancing" is entitled "Let's Dance".....and I see no connection whatsoever with the thread at hand. I need to clarify that I was not seeking my 15 seconds of fame..........

What does being passionate about the culinary art have to do with dancing? I don't get it.

Suckers.

 

When will you people learn there are scores of posters on CC all trying to wind you in, and succeeding.

 

Many posters also have multiple nicknames.....surely not!

 

When I signed up about 3/4 years ago i found it quite useful....now its entertainment value only. On those grounds id give the OP (Original Poster) 10 out of 10.

 

He has had his fun...please watch out for similar postings....and don't fall for the idea they are always from first time posters.

 

 

Remember :) ;) :D :D :eek: :o

Ahlan wa sahlan Sollyman,

I am a first time OP. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

I am a REAL person........and all my postings have been genuine.

I rest my case. Its time for dinner here in Sweden.

"Pinning too much hope"...exactly what do you mean by that? That it might be the start of a career/discovery of your talents?

 

There are ways to make your dreams come true. do you work in a restaurant now? Have you been to culinary school? If this is truly your passion, make your dreams come true in the real world, not on a half hour cruise show.

Pinning too much hope in my case meant......ticking it off my bucket list. I have completed courses in Professional Bakery and Confectionery....and worked in a Restaurant as a Sous Chef when I was a student.

In the remote part of the world we live in......I have zero access to any cookery shows live, to watch or participate in......... hence the keenness. Most of you replying on this forum are US based......and wont understand what I mean when I say......it was a "once in a lifetime opportunity"......

I've worked and travelled in Sweden much more than I care to remember. I even used to speak the lingo once, but all these years later it's pretty much gone.

 

All I can say is that if you are a half decent chef, please stop sailing, stay in Sweden and put your heart and soul into improving the local cusine. Any nation that can serve up a stir-fry with Bernaise sauce on top needs all the help it can get. Potatoes, tomatoes, elk meat, sil, lax, they're all great but for heaven's sake, get a bit more international.

 

.

Hi Chunky,

I am married to a Swede.......and have lived and worked in 10 countries in the past 20 years........so I do know my cuisines and food!!!!! Nothing screams "International" quite like my background does.

I don't cook Swedish food for my friends and family as they expect the exotic at my table. Don't even get me started on the "Surströmming". Japanese/Indian/Thai/Chinese define the basis of fusion food that I have perfected. Mina svenska språkkunskaper är mycket grundläggande.

It all makes sense now; the OP is Ken Mills having a little fun under a pseudonym. Well played!

What is an OP?

Forgive my ignorance.......but this is my "virgin" attempt at using a Cruise message board.

And no.......I am not an avatar/pseudonym/incarnation of Ken Mills.

I am based in a remote part of Sweden......and made the mistake of pinning too much hope on something I am extremely passionate about.

The number of responses is intriguing!!!!!

I think you are putting too much faith in your definition of what the Top Chef at Sea program was. To go by the Celebrity wording you just quoted: "We've partnered with Bravo and its Emmy Award winning TV show..." that means they have reached a legal agreement allowing Celebrity to use the words "Top Chef." No more. "Tantalizing experience" is a marketing expression. "Quickfire Challenges"...they did offer that. It was not the serious cooking demonstration you thought it would be but it fulfills the legal responsibility Bravo and Celebrity worked out. There was a "Top Chef Night" in the MDR on your cruise I'm sure.

 

Celebrity was not misleading at all. You interpreted what the experience would be based on the Top Chef TV shows you have seen at home. The experience wasn't the serious culinary competition you had expected it would be. That is unfortunate but Celebrity, again, did not mislead you and therefore I really wouldn't expect a response from them. I've provided feedback when my toilet overflowed and was not fixed for 24 hours and they did not respond to that!

Hi Helen,

Thank you for taking the time to type out details.

I am NOT going to go with a "My bad" for misconstruing the promise on the website. If the Powers that be at Bravo and Celebrity want to position the show as "frivolous" entertainment unlike the decorous and staid TV Show......then they need to specify that, so that shoppers are not misled!

The "Top-Chef Night Menu" enthused me even more......

Hopefully my suggestion of more transparency.....coupled with this thread being out-there in cyberspace........will help future cruisers better with research.

Its better if wannabes come onboard with no expectations whatsoever.......

Those of us who have to endure 13 hours of flying to position ourselves for a cruise will also think twice........

I think you owe Ken Mills an apology. He didn't do anything deliberately to hurt your feelings. His job is to organize entertainment for 2,000 + people. His job is NOT to make all your cooking show dreams come true.

 

It's hard to believe you would spend thousands of dollars and drive 4 hours to the port, to take a cruise, so that you could participate in a 30 - 60 minute competition. Perhaps you were hoping a Top Chef producer would be there, immediately recognize your culinary brilliance and whisk you off the ship to begin your career as the new Gordon Ramsey??

 

If you are joking then thanks. This makes a nice change from the usual dress code/tipping threads.

 

If you are serious, perhaps you should look into taking courses at a cordon bleu school, or, as someone mentioned, apply on-line for a tv-show cooking competition.

 

But the blame for your mis-managed expectations should not be placed at the feet of Mr. Mills.

No! I'm sticking with pinning all the blame for the disappointment on Ken Mills!

My exact words to him on departure were' "A Cruise Director can make or break the experience for a Cruiser.....and he CHOSE to break it for me!!!!!!"

The cruises offering their sailings related to any renowned cookery shows will most likely always be a competition against a couple thousand other passengers just to get on stage so would just lead to further disappointment.

 

Now, I am not sure if you are eligible to book through an American based travel agency (not a bias but maybe because of some legalities in your laws) but there is a big box store agency (we aren't allowed to mention agencies in this forum) in the US that has what are referred to as Buyer's Choice cruises. Many of these cruises are culinary -- I see some culinary cruises offered on the Millennium, Reflection and the Solstice for 2017. We've done these before and loved them. The groups are kept under 100 people and there is no competition but the chefs they invite onboard are easily accessible if you want to discuss cooking techniques. There are also some wonderful wine pairing luncheons offered as well as other amenities that you might enjoy. It is not competition based ... but for the enjoyment of the small group that books with this particular agency.

While you might be too disappointed to pick Celebrity again, I thought I would just throw it out there in case you might be interested in something a little different but also based on culinary expertise.

We did one with John Howie, a well known restaurateur from Seattle, and had an amazing cruise. Best thing is, he treated our small group like family.

We've also done several of the wine cruises under this group promotion. The prices are great and there are some nice events included ... again, just for the small group.

Thanks for the suggestions CruiseRaider.

I will certainly do more research........ I'm currently still trying to figure out which "Big Box store" you are referring to. Must work on figuring that one out.....

Whether it was meant to be serious or meant to be light-hearted entertainment, the fact remains that you were ONE out of how many in the audience? Dozens? Hundreds? How many were even in the first row with you? And how many were chosen...sounds like 4 or 5?

 

This cannot be something you actually complained to Celebrity corporate about.

Hi Warmwinds,

If the selection was fair.......read: Interested candidates dropped their names into a hat....or something similar.......like a sign up form.......I would bear no grudge or carry no millstone!

And why dont the BravoTV or Celebrity websites advertise this as "Strictly for laughs?"

Isn't it time someone brought these shortcomings to the attention of Celebrity Corporate? I'd be happy if future "Cheftestants" were not disappointed. Hopefully this thread will serve as "research" to future Cruisers.....

OP, you clearly need to share your talents in another venue. A cruise ship is not the place. The Top Chef @ Sea is not an awards program on TV. No one really considers the person that wins a real winner of Top Chef. It's a joke and meant to be that way.

 

You clearly have cooking talents that would be better suited to other cooking competitions. But, the point I take away from your post is that if you're really, really interested in doing 1 particular thing on a cruise, do everything you can beforehand to increase your chances of being picked for whatever it is you want to do.

Thanks DrivesLikeMario,

That is one of the most convincing suggestions I have received. I presumed the selection would be "fair and fortright" and that was my undoing. There were no details of the actual "selection" to be found. I did speak to the Cruise Director when I met him the day before......

Next cruise (IF there is a "next" cruise!) I will make sure I curry favour with the Cruise Director and make sure I've done all the necessary spadework in advance. I just didn't think it was necessary. Selections for anything in Sweden are pretty cut-n-dried. I need to think outside the "spice-box"....and your input threw light on the fact that one needs to work to an end!

Thanks again!!!!!

Thanks to all for the very entertaining afternoon.

 

DiappointedChef, I am sorry you did not get picked & did not realize the activity was supposed to be fun entertainment & not a showcase for chefs, or chef wannabes. However, I think you are way over-reacting to a perceived slight on the part of the cruise director. Get over it and move on; you'll feel better.

Hi Richsea,

If the Masterchef @ Sea was intended to be "all fun and light entertainment"......why does the website misrepresent this thus:

Exclusive Top Chef at Sea program sharpens your skills and invigorates your palate with delicious culinary experiences on most of our sailings.* We've partnered with Bravo and its Emmy® Award-winning TV show, Top Chef, to bring you this tantalizing experience. Quickfire Challenges toss you into the spotlight—if you dare—and Top Chef Night in the main restaurant treats you to dishes conceived by popular cheftestants from the show. You'll be in foodie heaven from appetizer to dessert.

Bear in mind this was the deciding factor in my selection of Celebrity over the other........

If Celebrity had the courtesy to reply to my feedback......it might have lessened the sting of the disappointment.........

And have an obvious flair for the dramatic. You remind me of my 5 year old grandson who had a temper tantrum because he didn't get to fight Darth Vader when he visited Walt Disney World.

 

Next time, do your homework so that your expectations are somewhere close to the reality.

Either you didn't bother to research this properly, or you allowed your imagination to run amok.

The Celebrity website promises:

Our exclusive Top Chef at Sea program sharpens your skills and invigorates your palate with delicious culinary experiences on most of our sailings.* We've partnered with Bravo and its Emmy® Award-winning TV show, Top Chef, to bring you this tantalizing experience. Quickfire Challenges toss you into the spotlight—if you dare—and Top Chef Night in the main restaurant treats you to dishes conceived by popular cheftestants from the show. You'll be in foodie heaven from appetizer to dessert.

Passion can be misconstrued for the "dramatic"........but you knew that!!! Didn't you?

Nowhere does it mention that the Top Chef @ Sea show is "for laughs only!!!!" What other homework would you suggest for me.......despite the fact that I am not your 5 year old grandson!!!!! LOL

Surely a little research - even coming on CC and asking questions about the Top Chef onboard -- would have let you know that this isn't a real "Top Chef" activity. As are most things onboard this is meant for laughs - and they would NOT have appreciated you trying to take over for the chef because that isn't what you get picked for.

 

They want the laughable train wreck not the guy with desperation in his eyes. So you did not do your research and set all your dreams in the wrong basket. I'm very sorry for that but you need to accept responsibility.

 

Second, part of being a grown up is learning to handle disappointment ... or I'd still be crying about not making the Pom Pom Team in high school, or the Homecoming Court, or ..

 

Hi Jane,

The Celebrity website promises:

-------------------------------------

Our exclusive Top Chef at Sea program sharpens your skills and invigorates your palate with delicious culinary experiences on most of our sailings.* We've partnered with Bravo and its Emmy® Award-winning TV show, Top Chef, to bring you this tantalizing experience. Quickfire Challenges toss you into the spotlight—if you dare—and Top Chef Night in the main restaurant treats you to dishes conceived by popular cheftestants from the show. You'll be in foodie heaven from appetizer to dessert.

--------------------------------------

Which part of that smacks of "only for laughs"......pray tell!!!!! It is advertised as a "Cookery" programme......NOT a stand-up comedy routine!!!! Or did I miss the memo????????

As an avid watcher of the Top Chef competition on TV.........I can confirm that it is a thoroughly professional show. So yes! I did my research......but none of my findings pointed to the "buffoonery" that I experienced onboard. The Cruise Director and the Executive Chef chasing each other away from the table so their teams would excel.......

Chef Tom Collichio and Padma Laxmi would cringe if they were present!!!!

Dear DisappointedChef,

sorry you were disappointed, but the cruise director had no reason to know you were not from the US or Canada if you look Asian. Our population in the US and Canada has a large percentage that have those features.

 

Meanwhile, they wouldn't have let you really cook, anyway.

 

Also, your post sounds awfully entitled. We complain about the young people being entitled. You sound like one of them. Is that how you want to sound?

Hi Algebraluvr,

From which comment exactly did you deduce "young people being entitled"?

I had a long chat with Ken Mills the night before the show when I met him at the Theatre. I did tell him how far we had travelled and how important the Top Chef feature was in selecting Celebrity over their competitors......so he knew my background and reason for selecting Celebrity.

I do have a hifalutin writing style.....but dont let that lead you to wrongly believe that I am of the "entitled" ilk!!!!! I am the most down-to-earth, outgoing person you could ever find!

This disappointment was genuine......not a cry for help!!!!!!!!

For the record, he has NOT been picked more often than he has been picked. Perseverance is key.

I liked your mention of the fact that he "threw his name into a hat" to get selected........that fairness would certainly appease the wannabes!

Have you thought about writing to the TV show, since you feel it is being represented in a way you feel they might not agree with?

 

Top Chef

Bravo TV

3000 W. Alameda Ave., Suite 250

Burbank, CA 91523

I've done that!!!!! Fingers crossed they deign to reply!