Elcruzer Posted September 23, 2014 #26 Share Posted September 23, 2014 Hi Eleanor...they called us a couple of nights before the dinner & didn't ask what date we wanted to attend. The chef & head waiter select one menu & wine pairing per night but if a group are the only ones that night it may be possible to request a certain menu. On our TA it wasn't offered on the port intensive Med portion of the cruise but only during the crossing. We dined early each night in the Symphony where the "Wine Cellar" area is located & never saw anyone there until the time we had the WMD. I wish they'd offer it nightly but like the CT it's very limited participation. Let's keep the WMD a "secret" to increase the odds of getting it on our cruise. ;) OK, it'll be our little secret :D. Looking forward to seeing you on board :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timetravler Posted September 23, 2014 #27 Share Posted September 23, 2014 On the Royal last year, we also did both the chefs table and the wine makers dinner. The wine makers dinner is a outstanding deal and at a much better price then the chefs table. Alfredo Farzi really made that night special too. About the wine, our was a Mondavi wine makers dinner and I am pretty sure most if not all of the wine was from Mondavi. However none were of his high end wines. But it was still great. I will do it again when I have the chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cibaygirls Posted September 23, 2014 #28 Share Posted September 23, 2014 Glad this thread re-surfaced. AstroFlyer thanks for the review. I will be on the repo cruise with you and have been debating with my husband if he should get the beverage package and if he didn't I didn't plan on doing the WMD. But now after re-reading the review and menu, I think we will forget the beverage package, (it seemed like a break even thing for him) and attempt to get on the list for the dinner. I plan on boarding early, so maybe it will be a table of all Retreaters ;) Dana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2pbears Posted September 23, 2014 #29 Share Posted September 23, 2014 I am a little surprised at how popular this dinner seems to be. When we were on the Royal in July we noticed that one evening they were serving only one couple in the winemaker dinner area. A few nights later they were actively recruiting people in the dining room for the winemakers dinner. In fact when they told us that the next dinner was on formal night, we said we would not be eating in the dining room that night as we did not bring formal wear on this trip. He said, "No problem, they will ease up on the dress code for you." We weren't comfortable with that so we declined. A little later he came to us with another date and asked us to sign up so we did. We had a full table of 8 for our dinner and it was very nice but we both said we would probably not do it again as there was just too much food and too much to drink (and we're not slouches when it comes to eating and drinking). The wine and limoncello just kept coming even after saying no thank you. I think everyone should try it if they are inclined to do so, but for us it was a one time experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruisinChris Posted September 23, 2014 #30 Share Posted September 23, 2014 We did the Wine Makers dinner last December on the Royal, and I'm sorry to say that I was hugely disappointed. The Headwaiter who ran the experience was disorganized and unprepared and the food was not good. The crepes Suzette dessert was inedible - and drowning in syrup. I had a rock in my salad (of which I very discretely made the Headwaiter aware) and barely received as much as an apology. The experience had much potential - and I was really looking forward to it but was hugely disappointed. I've been on the Chef's a number of times, including with Chef Marzi and Maitre D Generosso. Their presence always takes things up several notches. It's unfortunate that their colleagues don't feel compelled to deliver the same experience (and quality of food and service. I think the Ultimate Balcony Dinner is a far better experience - and yes it is possible to be done reasonably comfortably on the balcony on a mini on the Royal/Regal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elcruzer Posted November 15, 2014 #31 Share Posted November 15, 2014 We thoroughly enjoyed the Winemakers Dinner on our recent cruise. It was a wonderful experience and everything was delicious. There were 12 people attending and being seated in the wine bottle enclosed area made it more intimate. Would recommend it highly, worth every penny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunsetbeachgal Posted November 15, 2014 #32 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Assume it is offered on the Regal? Think I will do it on our upcoming cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dietemann Posted November 15, 2014 #33 Share Posted November 15, 2014 In case someone has food issues, do you find out the menu when they call you with the date? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elcruzer Posted November 15, 2014 #34 Share Posted November 15, 2014 In case someone has food issues, do you find out the menu when they call you with the date? In my case, they just sent a letter to my cabin specifying time & date. If I were you, I'd tell them your particular food issues when you make the reservation and ask if they could tell you the menu. They do not charge your account until after the dinner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dietemann Posted November 15, 2014 #35 Share Posted November 15, 2014 In my case, they just sent a letter to my cabin specifying time & date. If I were you, I'd tell them your particular food issues when you make the reservation and ask if they could tell you the menu. They do not charge your account until after the dinner. Thank you, good information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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