Master Chef Dinner - Master Disaster

[mtnmommy]

Families with small children would probably enjoy it. However, it makes for a long dinner, and on our last cruise (two years ago so this may have changed), the children's menu was not available. Our waiter told us we couldn't have the "always available" menu, either. My kids order off the adult menu now, but at the time there wasn't much choice for the 4-year-old, although she enjoyed the antics. I think that since we've seen it once, we can give it a miss.

[ShipsAreTheBest]

My family did a B2B on Veendam last July. The first week the MCD was held Saturday evening (turn around day was Sunday). We were late to the dinner, because we were attending Mass. We get to the dining room, realize that we were late, and tried to make a gracious exit and hit the Lido. The management was very accomodating, and seated us anyway, so up to the upper level we go (we were As You Wish, so usually ate on the lower level). One look at the menu, and YUK. Too much emphasis on mushrooms (DW and I can't stand them). DD was thrilled with the duck, however. We suffered through, and on week 2, ducked it and hit the Lido instead. There we had peace and quiet with the beautiful evergreens of British Columbia sliding by lit by the late afternoon sun. The menu, while similar, was more to our taste, and we were thrilled with the choice. Plus, it was the last night for us - more time for drinkies up in the Crows Nest to enjoy the scenery.

 

Just my opinion, but I will skip the MCD (and do either Lido, Canalletto, or Pinnacle for that night) on my future HAL cruises. While I enjoyed dinner each night in the Rotterdam Dining Room, the MCD was my least favorite event and meal of the cruise. HAL could toss this, and I'd never miss it.

[jtl513]

But I think 35% sounds high for first-timers. I would be interested to know where you got that number.

On several cruises I have heard the CD or the Captain cite the number of Mariners on board as between 60% to 70%. I just said 65% as being a mid-range WAG. However, all of our cruises except one have been 7 to 12 days, and I know on long cruises the Mariner % goes much higher. On the current voyage of the Prinsendam Capt Albert said that "nearly every passenger" was a Mariner, and they had to hold two Mariner brunches to get everybody in.

 

GeriatricNurse: my DW told me you asked the question about where I got the 65% number earlier. I did not see it, because your persistent large font and profusion of exclamation points strike me as constantly shouting, and I have you on my Ignore list. I don't see anything you post unless someone quotes you. Sorry.

[FINTUCKYFARMS]

WOW! I must like cheesy stuff, because I thought the chef's dinner was great in 2007 on the Amsterdam! The dinner staff was joined by the show staff and they looked like they were having so much fun. I especially liked the desert that was all chocolate chefs hat and everything on the plate was chocolate. I wait staff appeared to be really proud of their performance and we all had a really great time. When my mom went on the Oosterdam a year later, the waiter even went and got icecream when my 2 yo niece threw a big fit and ate it under the table with her. Way above and beyond if ya ask me.

[Mary Ellen]

....we were As You Wish....

Every passenger on the ship had "As You Wish" dining. Since you were on the lower level of the MDT, I'm guessing you had the open seating option. Or, maybe you feel that those with the fixed seating weren't dining as they wished.... ;)

[ShipsAreTheBest]

Every passenger on the ship had "As You Wish" dining. Since you were on the lower level of the MDT, I'm guessing you had the open seating option. Or, maybe you feel that those with the fixed seating weren't dining as they wished.... ;)

 

Touche, Mary Ellen! Actually, if I had "As I Wished" it would have been fixed time with the same table/waitstaff!

[jtl513]

WOW! I must like cheesy stuff, because I thought the chef's dinner was great in 2007 on the Amsterdam!

It's just that when I want to be entertained, I go to an entainment venue, and when I go to the dining room I want a pleasant dinner that doesn't drag on way too long, and with a menu that I don't particularly care for to boot! :rolleyes:

[Mary Ellen]

Touche, Mary Ellen! Actually, if I had "As I Wished" it would have been fixed time with the same table/waitstaff!

Ahhhh, I understand and you have my sympathy. I don't know why HAL calls their dining "As You Wish" as there are just too many (like you) who are stuck in "As HAL Dictates" dining.... :rolleyes: Not my idea of a nice dining experience. I like our waiter knowing I drink iced tea with my dinner. After the first night it is waiting for me, as are the refills. When we are in open seating (breakfast and lunch) it takes a long time to arrive. I won't even get into how incredibly boring we find having the same (inane) conversation each meal we are seated with 'all the people we get to meet' breakfast and lunch. :rolleyes: We aren't putting up with that at dinner too.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Families with small children would probably enjoy it. However, it makes for a long dinner, and on our last cruise (two years ago so this may have changed), the children's menu was not available. Our waiter told us we couldn't have the "always available" menu, either. My kids order off the adult menu now, but at the time there wasn't much choice for the 4-year-old, although she enjoyed the antics. I think that since we've seen it once, we can give it a miss.

 

It has not changed -- on MCD night -- no children's menu and no alternative menu.

[Krazy Kruizers]

WOW! I must like cheesy stuff, because I thought the chef's dinner was great in 2007 on the Amsterdam! The dinner staff was joined by the show staff and they looked like they were having so much fun. I especially liked the desert that was all chocolate chefs hat and everything on the plate was chocolate. I wait staff appeared to be really proud of their performance and we all had a really great time. When my mom went on the Oosterdam a year later, the waiter even went and got icecream when my 2 yo niece threw a big fit and ate it under the table with her. Way above and beyond if ya ask me.

 

When the MCD first started -- it was a white chococlate chef hat -- we had it and hated it -- here is my description of it -- way different than yours:

Act 3 - The Final Service --- the waitstaff, crew and cast began to assemble out in the hallway around 7:15 for this. Then they came parading into the dining room carrying trays of Chef's Rudi's "Hat's Off" dessert. Some of the cast and crew members had bottles of fake champagne that when they popped the corks, some bottles sent out streamers aimed towards the chandeliers which also landed on the people and tables directly below. Other fake botles of champagne gave off smoke. We have had this dessert before. There is a small piece of cake resembling a peg that holds the chef's hat in place - the chef's hat is made out of white chocolate - chef's hat conceals a small amount of chocolate mousse. It was excellent the 1st segment. The second segment -- the cake was flavored in mint -- the mousse was flavored in mint. All you could taste was mint!! A lot of white chocolate went to waste. Many people could not (including us) break the hat up -- it was too thick in places.

[cruz chic]

It's just that when I want to be entertained, I go to an entainment venue, and when I go to the dining room I want a pleasant dinner that doesn't drag on way too long, and with a menu that I don't particularly care for to boot! :rolleyes:

I think that is the way a lot of us feel. I can't imagine why anyone would be entertained by that...but that's just me. The staff works so hard already and I think it's cruel to ask them to do one more thing.

 

For those that think the staff likes it what would you expect....they come out with a disgusted look on their face:eek:.

[Boytjie]

Another plus for our RSVP charters, I guess: we had the Master Chef Dinner only once on the Amsterdam in Alaska in 2007. I don't miss it! ;)

[CowPrincess]

Another plus for our RSVP charters, I guess: we had the Master Chef Dinner only once on the Amsterdam in Alaska in 2007. I don't miss it! ;)

 

That in itself might make paying the extra $$$ well worthwhile :)

[AlexandNessa]

Well, I am not a fan of the MCD, and I say so every comment card I get.

 

I would be happy to start a poll, and will take feedback here on poll choices first. How about something like this:

 

 

What do you think HAL should do about the Master Chef Dinner (MCD)?

• Keep the MCD as it is.
  
• Keep the MCD, but with modifications (e.g.. change the night it's held, improvements to menu and presentation, etc)
  
• Decrease the # of MCDs (e.g., don't have one every cruise)
  
• Cancel the MCD all together.
  
• Add more MCDs
  
• Ambivalent or don't care
  
• I haven't experienced the MCD yet so haven't formed an opinion.
  
• Other (please specify).
  

 

 

So often, someone posts a poll and then someone else comes along and says, "I wish [this option] were included in the poll choices." So, here's is your chance. :)

[bob brown]

I haven't been on HAL for a few years, so I was wondering....does the MCD with its 'hats', etc. sort of take the place of the old "Dutch Night"?

I used to select that night as the one to go to the Odyssey or the later Pinnacle.;)

[m steve]

skip the MCD and eat elsewhere. I like the menu but not the show.

[jtl513]

I haven't been on HAL for a few years, so I was wondering....does the MCD with its 'hats', etc. sort of take the place of the old "Dutch Night"?

I used to select that night as the one to go to the Odyssey or the later Pinnacle.;)

At least on Dutch Night all you had were the hats, and a nod to Holland on the menu. With the MCD you've got a silly show, much of which can only be seen by the relatively small number of tables that have a view of the stairs. Mark Twain once said "Golf is a good walk spoiled", and in IMO the MCD is a "nice dinner spoiled". :cool:

[Krazy Kruizers]

Well, I am not a fan of the MCD, and I say so every comment card I get.

 

 

I would be happy to start a poll, and will take feedback here on poll choices first. How about something like this:

 

 

 

 

What do you think HAL should do about the Master Chef Dinner (MCD)?

• Keep the MCD as it is.
  
• Keep the MCD, but with modifications (e.g.. change the night it's held, improvements to menu and presentation, etc)
  
• Decrease the # of MCDs (e.g., don't have one every cruise)
  
• Cancel the MCD all together.
  
• Add more MCDs
  
• Ambivalent or don't care
  
• I haven't experienced the MCD yet so haven't formed an opinion.
  
• Other (please specify).
  

 

 

So often, someone posts a poll and then someone else comes along and says, "I wish [this option] were included in the poll choices." So, here's is your chance. :)

 

The options look good to me -- I can't think of anything to add to the list.

Go for it!!

[RuthC]

I would be happy to start a poll, and will take feedback here on poll choices first. How about something like this:

 

 

 

 

Comprehensive list of choices; seems to cover the spectrum. I can't think of anything you left out, anyway.

Thanks for asking our input first.

[mudscraper]

The options look good to me -- I can't think of anything to add to the list.

 

Go for it!!

Cancel the MCD but keep the hats.

 

 

Rich

[Aruba]

I did not at all like the MCD on the Ryndam. I understand people having different opinions but I personally don't want dancing waiters at dinner, nor do I want to wait until EVERYONE in the dining room has finished each course before we are served the next. Dinner took well over 2 hours. The MSD concept seems so unlike HAL.

Next time, it's Pinacle Grill BOTH on the first night and last nights of the cruise!

[kickin904]

MCD last night of cruise---uses up slow moving supplies from the week--limited menu frees up active kitchen staff, so the rest can begin restocking, prepping and cleaning for the new cruise beginning the next day---encourages:D return customers who do not like the MCD to use Pinnacle, thus extracting extra revenue from guests who otherwise would not pay the Pinnacle surcharge---clears out the expiring food from the Lido lockers---increases the number of room service orders which also increases the mandatory service fee revenue---We won't really remember the MCD when it comes time to book another cruise, just the good things---sounds like a heck of a good business plan to me.

 

Do I dislike MCD--not enough to spend the extra $$$$ for the Pinnacle or staying cooped up in the stateroom eating luke warm dinners. If it went away, I would definitely not confront the hotel manager and demand a return.

[room010]

My first (and hopefully last MCD) was tacky, embarrassing for everyone involved and not a good way to end an otherwise wonderful cruise. Those stupid hats....... :mad:

[sr5242]

My first (and hopefully last MCD) was tacky, embarrassing for everyone involved and not a good way to end an otherwise wonderful cruise. Those stupid hats....... :mad:

 

I guess I am in the minority- I will be purposely going to the MCD for 2 reasons:

 

1. I am too cheap to pay $20pp for the pinnacle grill

 

2. my twin 7 yr olds love "corny" stuff like this- on our last cruise they loved the final night singing by the staff

[AlexandNessa]

OK, the poll is done. Don't forget to vote!

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1168999