Master Chef's Dinner - options?

[LindaKE]

Would someone please summarize dining options on the night of the Master Chef's Dinner. I've tried to figure it out by reading posts, but am still unclear about where we can eat if we want to skip the "festivities"? If it makes any difference, we'll be on the Zuiderdam next June. Thank you!

[taxmantoo]

Would someone please summarize dining options on the night of the Master Chef's Dinner. I've tried to figure it out by reading posts, but am still unclear about where we can eat if we want to skip the "festivities"? If it makes any difference, we'll be on the Zuiderdam next June. Thank you!

 

Same as any other night... Main Dining Room (not for you), Lido, Pinnacle, Room Service, Canaletto.

[RuthC]

If none of those choices work for you, starving is an attractive option.

[mearsfansinboise]

Just posted this on another thread - - what is the Master Chef Dinner....last night...?...and why would one want to miss it?..it's dinner, no?

[LindaKE]

I thought I understood that certain venues, (like Lido?) weren't available that night. They were closed to let extra waiters help in the MDR?

[Mary Ellen]

Just posted this on another thread - - what is the Master Chef Dinner....last night...?...and why would one want to miss it?..it's dinner, no?

See this thread: Master Chef Dinner - Master Disaster

[mearsfansinboise]

See this thread: Master Chef Dinner - Master Disaster

 

 

Thanks - don't like the title of that - LOL

[lazey1]

It's dinner and in my opinion a very good one. There are a lot of dishes with mushrooms. The dinning room crew does some dancing and the baked Alaska dessert is served with sparklers. :D

 

We enjoy both the food and the entertainment provided by the staff. It is obviously not for everyone but everyone should try it at least once.;)

 

Jane and Gary

[sparky-elpaso]

I thought I understood that certain venues, (like Lido?) weren't available that night. They were closed to let extra waiters help in the MDR?

 

No - everything else is open as usual. We decided not to do the Master Chef Dinner and ate in the Lido instead.

[Cruising-along]

It's dinner and in my opinion a very good one. There are a lot of dishes with mushrooms. The dinning room crew does some dancing and the baked Alaska dessert is served with sparklers. :D

 

We enjoy both the food and the entertainment provided by the staff. It is obviously not for everyone but everyone should try it at least once.;)

 

Jane and Gary

 

I agree, each person should make up his/her own mind and you can't do that without trying it once. We've gone twice. The first time the only thing we didn't like was the menu, which was full of mushrooms. Then on our last cruise the menu had changed. Not all the mushrooms like before, and more choices. So I'm glad we gave it a second try. I hope this is fleet-wide and not a fluke.

 

I'm bothered much more by some of the sour-faced, arms-folded PAX who sit and glare all through the dinner. Is that anyway to show appreciation to our stewards who are working so hard??

[Old As Dirt Mom]

The Master Chef's Dinner in the main dining room frequently gets a bum rap. Even I have panned it. But I had to re-think my stance last month. The Chef's Dinner was held the next-to-last-evening on our recent Amsterdam Alaska itinerary (the evening before Victoria, B.C.) My sister and I decided to go because it was her first HAL cruise, and the dining room staff seemed eager for us to be there. You know, it really was much better than I remember. The menu has been revamped and improved, and there are more selections, as Cruising-Along mentioned in her post above. In fact, it was one of the best meals we had in the main dining room. The food was very well-prepared.

 

 

Also, the whole "performance" aspect has been toned down, and it's not very intrusive. Only the dining room and kitchen staff are involved, with one singer/MC from the theater/showroom staff. The main difference that evening is that all seatings are "fixed", even in the open dining section. You have to tell the dining room staff the evening before at what time you wish to dine, as I recall it was something like 5:45 pm and 8 pm, does that sound right? (Sadly, it's been less than a month since I got off the ship and there are so many things I'm forgetting already. It must be time for another cruise, right?)

 

They do still have the chef's toques at each place setting, but we chose not to wear ours. However, most of the other diners who were there did. We chose the later seating, and it was rather sparsely attended. We had a lot of fun with the glow sticks they provide for the baked alaska parade. The family at the table next to ours was having a blast, because their dining stewards had given the children extra glow sticks, and they had stuck them in their toques and were quite a sight to see. The dinner is definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but there are other options if you wish to avoid it. I'm going to surpise myself by saying I enjoyed it. That's a complete turnaround of opinion for me.

[LindaKE]

No - everything else is open as usual. We decided not to do the Master Chef Dinner and ate in the Lido instead.

 

That's a relief. I think we'll either do Lido or Pinnacle that night. Thanks!

[Typhoon1]

That's a relief. I think we'll either do Lido or Pinnacle that night. Thanks!

 

I'd go with the PG that evening.

[aliaschief]

From these post I wonder if the entire fleet is experiencing fewer people in the MDR's during Master Chef's Dinner and more pressure in the Lidos and specialty restaurants?

 

If the majority of CC members do not like the Master Chefs Dinner than we should start letting Holland America know by our critique cards on the last day of our cruises.

 

If it's a break night for the dining room crew, we can live with it.

 

Just wondering? how many of us can escape to the specialty restaurants, Lido or In Room Service before the problem reverses itself?

[Cruising-along]

From these post I wonder if the entire fleet is experiencing fewer people in the MDR's during Master Chef's Dinner and more pressure in the Lidos and specialty restaurants?

 

If the majority of CC members do not like the Master Chefs Dinner than we should start letting Holland America know by our critique cards on the last day of our cruises.

 

If it's a break night for the dining room crew, we can live with it.

 

Just wondering? how many of us can escape to the specialty restaurants, Lido or In Room Service before the problem reverses itself?

 

The MDR was full the night we had MCD in April, and most of them looked like they were enjoying themselves. Cruise Critic is a tiny tiny percentage of PAX. :)

[cruz chic]

The MDR was full the night we had MCD in April, and most of them looked like they were enjoying themselves. Cruise Critic is a tiny tiny percentage of PAX. :)

Do you think they are going to look upset? They have to look supportive of their employer so I wouldn't expect them to look any other way. All my dining staff have mentioned they don't like it. I'm not in favor of having any extra pressure on the dining staff other then them serving dinner. That is more then enough. IMO HAL is asking too much of them. If people want a show with dinner I hear Carnival is big on that.

[Cruising-along]

Do you think they are going to look upset? They have to look supportive of their employer so I wouldn't expect them to look any other way. All my dining staff have mentioned they don't like it. I'm not in favor of having any extra pressure on the dining staff other then them serving dinner. That is more then enough. IMO HAL is asking too much of them. If people want a show with dinner I hear Carnival is big on that.

 

I was referring to the PAX when I said most of them looked like they were enjoying themselves, that's why I added that CC is a tiny percentage of cruisers.

[kazu]

I know my waiter last cruise really enjoyed it. It showed.

 

Now, in some ways I like the last night, in other ways I don't. (besides who wants to get off)

 

If I have been very happy with my waiters (which is usually the case), I like to give them a little token of our esteem before we leave (on top of the standard gratuity). Also, I do find that the waiters (at least ours) are having fun.

 

If you have enjoyed dining with them all cruise, hard to leave them on the last night.

 

On the other hand, if you have been eating in the Pinnacle, you also have waiters there.

 

I guess, I am kind of neutral on it. Some people like it, some people don't. Last cruise it was very well done. Not too much and enjoyable. Meal was very good.

 

 

so there is no right answer. This cruise? not sure what we will do, but if we have a waiter like we did last time, we will be there.

 

and the MDR was packed (we are on late seating) - everyone has their reasons for going (or not). The main thing to do is what you want to do and have a great cruise. :):)

[Cruise Moose]

I don't think all ships do the dinner.....Our last cruise with HAL didn't do it but the one before did and we really quite enjoyed it. I think its like most aspects of travel (and life, for that matter) if you just set your mind to having a good time you'll probably have a good (if a bit cheesy) time!