Chef's Table Reservation

[Debate]

We would like to participate in a Chef's Table dinner on a upcoming cruise in March.  It appears you make that reservation when you are on board?  Is that correct?  Are the reservations hard to obtain?  Can anyone share with me the cost of this dinner or recommend which night to do it on a 7 night cruise?

[Jezabel2924]

Yes, we made our reservation request immediately when we boarded.  You will then be notified if your request will be honored and on what day the Chef's Table ( or Luminare) will be held.  Sometimes, depending on the cruise, there are more than one nights.  We did not have a choice.  We paid $115pp on the Regal but I believe it is $95pp on non Luminare ships.  It was well worth doing at least once.  Allow about 3 hours.

[Yosef42]

1. Yes, you sign up on board, either by calling the DINE line or speaking to the dining staff (usually set up at/near customer service).

 

2. Availability is by invitation.  If they're holding the event, you'll be contacted (letter to your cabin and/or phone) with details.

 

3. Cost, last time we did it, was $95/person with wine, or $75 without.  On Royal class they do the "Chef's Table Lumiere," which is a bit more ($115?).

 

Definitely worth the trouble, IMO.  Be sure to bring closed-toe shoes for the kitchen portion, and skip lunch that day.

 

 

[Talisi]

And when you go remember this, "It is a marathon not a race." In the kitchen you will eat approximately five small appetizers. At the dinner table one of the first things will be a risotto. There is a chance that if you eat it all you will eat very little of the remainder of the dinner. Pace yourself, drink a little wine, talk with your dinner companions and enjoy the experience.

[lois1112]

I've done this several times, it is well worth the Price. I have always signed up at the front desk, usually when you first get on the ship dinning room staff and dine line are busy.

They will notify you of the date in advance. 

[XBGuy]

1 hour ago, Talisi said:

And when you go remember this, "It is a marathon not a race." In the kitchen you will eat approximately five small appetizers. At the dinner table one of the first things will be a risotto. There is a chance that if you eat it all you will eat very little of the remainder of the dinner. Pace yourself, drink a little wine, talk with your dinner companions and enjoy the experience.

 

This is good advice.

 

Of course, I have a different strategy.  In my case there is no chance that anything put in front of me will not be eaten.  I have never left anything.  Also, in the two Chef's Table events that we have attended, the Risotto course was one of the highlights.

 

So, I just skip lunch.  There is no shipboard lunch so special that I cannot pass on it.

 

😁

 

OP, I certainly hope you have a great cruise and that you get invited to the Chef's Table.

[lstone19]

Sometimes more people want it than can be accommodated and sometimes they can run another table if only they can find a few more interested tables.

 

Last month, my father and I were on Coral Princess on the 19-night Pacific partial Panama Canal cruise. Two of our dinner table mates were on the waiting list for an additional Chef's Table but they didn't have enough to go ahead with us. So we called (four or five days into the cruise) and added our names to the list and with us and one or two other added couples, it went. Interestingly, when we got the invitation, we were told it would be 11, then at the pre-dinner meeting (the day before), were told that three had dropped so we were down to eight but they were going to go ahead at that point, then were pleasantly surprised to find at the dinner itself that two more couples had signed up so we had the full 12.

 

Note about the pre-dinner meeting: On Coral, we met with the Maitre D' the morning of the day before for him to review procedures and requirements. This month, my wife and I did the Chef's Table on Regal Princess and there was no pre-dinner meeting - just a time and place to meet for the dinner itself (on that one, I called the Dine Line as soon as we boarded (shortly after noon). Since there is debate as to whether they pick names at random or it's first-come, first-served, we were in the second of four Chef's Tables they ran on that 10-night cruise).

[denmarks]

Here is a sample menu.

 

 

Chef’s Table Menu

Grand Princess

October 5, 2015

 

First Course, French Champaign & Hor’s d’ouvres in the Galley

 

Alaskan Crab Legs and Lobster Margarita with Avocado Mango and Lime

Tartare of Sterling Silver Beef Fillet with Traditional Condiments

Mini Qioche Fontina Cheese with Black Truffle and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Warm Potato Timbale with Caviar and Sour Cream

 

***

 

Italian Seafood Risotto with Creamy Fresh Tomato Sauce

Pan Roasted Shrimps, Calamari, Mussels and Scallops

 

***

 

“Amalfi” Lemon Sorbet with Pineapple Slaw

 

***

 

Roast Lobster Tail, Veal Shank & Beef Tenderloin, Carved Table Side

With Cepes and Jus, Today’s Premium Market Vegatables and Chateau Potatoes

 

***

 

Baked Camembert with Pine Nuts

Port Wine Reduction and Walnut Bread

 

***

 

Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse with Carmel Cream and Milk Chocolate Crunch

 

***

 

Coffee or Tea with Executive Chef Jeremy’s Homemade Amaretto & Biscotti

 

Buon Appetite

[lstone19]

Here are the menus from my two Chef's Tables on Coral Princess (October) and Regal Princess (this month).

 

 

Edited November 19, 2019 by lstone19
Updated attachments to display inline

[Lotto1]

We are interested in trying to get signed up for the Chef's Table.  We have cruised with Princess many times and somehow never noticed or inquired about it.  Thanks to all that brought it to our attention & we will be looking to sign up as soon as we get on the ship this time.  My question is ...... if we are doing a 58 day cruise with three legs, do we have to resign up each leg if we are not able to get an invitation the first leg?

[JF - retired RRT]

18 minutes ago, Lotto1 said:

We are interested in trying to get signed up for the Chef's Table.  We have cruised with Princess many times and somehow never noticed or inquired about it.  Thanks to all that brought it to our attention & we will be looking to sign up as soon as we get on the ship this time.  My question is ...... if we are doing a 58 day cruise with three legs, do we have to resign up each leg if we are not able to get an invitation the first leg?

Probably would be a good idea.

[Steelers36]

31 minutes ago, Lotto1 said:

We are interested in trying to get signed up for the Chef's Table.  We have cruised with Princess many times and somehow never noticed or inquired about it.  Thanks to all that brought it to our attention & we will be looking to sign up as soon as we get on the ship this time.  My question is ...... if we are doing a 58 day cruise with three legs, do we have to resign up each leg if we are not able to get an invitation the first leg?

Why not inquire on board when you sign up for the first leg?  My guess is YES.

[dockhl]

We have done the Chef’s Table many times and will always choose to do it on a new cruise. We just boarded the Sky for the TA on Nov. 17 and were told by the maitre’d that there are 110 (!!!) people on the waiting list from the previous legs of this cruise. Looks like we might not make this one 😫

[GFLeeper]

I have participated in about a dozen Chef's Tables. I book and pay for the Chef's Table when I book the cruise through my travel agent. I usually book B2B cruises and pay for about one Chef's Table for every 2 weeks.

The meal and prepranidal activities are always enjoyable. Rarely, there are group of table mates who have booked together and are very cliquish. This disrupts the normally convivial dining experience.

If you enjoy dining, in contrast to just eating, book the Chef's Table. The additional expense is worth it.

A marvelous experience on our last cruise. A couple across the table from us, with whom we had not had an opportunity to converse, joined us a few evenings later in the Wheelhouse Bar for an enjoyable evening.

Good food, good service, and good camaraderie know no superlative.

I can not recommend this dining experience  highly enough. Each of the chefs explain the joy they put into their dish. The sommelier explains his wine nuance and choice with each course.

If a 3 hour meal is within your tolerance, then indulge.

George 

[CPs4591]

So I am gluten free.  Will this be possible for me?  We’re celebrating major birthdays on our cruise this Fall.

[XBGuy]

@CPs4591, the Chef's Table accommodation of dietary restrictions seems to be dependent on the ship's management.  There have been reports, here on Cruise Critic, where such accommodations have been made, and there have been reports that no accommodations have been made.  My suggestion to you is to make your request to attend.  If you do receive an invitation, then ask your question.

[latebloomer56]

We plan to request this on the Grand in Oct. It has been years since we enjoyed this treat. Fingers crossed we get selected.  Maybe between now and the cruise I will see the menu for the Grand. The one on this post is 2015, sure they have made changes.

[latebloomer56]

In addition question for those who have enjoyed this venue recently. What is the current dress code? My husband likes smart casual (chinos, shirt with a collar no tie) is this how acceptable.

[hpeabody]

12 hours ago, GFLeeper said:

I have participated in about a dozen Chef's Tables. I book and pay for the Chef's Table when I book the cruise through my travel agent. I usually book B2B cruises and pay for about one Chef's Table for every 2 weeks.

 

@GFLeeper I have enjoyed the Chef's Table multiple times.  But NEVER have I heard of reserving and paying in advance.  Are you sailing in a suite?  Does your TA have special connections to the ships? How are you doing this?

 

The typical experience AFIK is to make contact with Dine Line or Guest Services and request to be put on the list, then wait to see if you are selected and then receive your invitation in your cabin.

[GFLeeper]

22 minutes ago, hpeabody said:

 

@GFLeeper I have enjoyed the Chef's Table multiple times.  But NEVER have I heard of reserving and paying in advance.  Are you sailing in a suite?  Does your TA have special connections to the ships? How are you doing this?

 

The typical experience AFIK is to make contact with Dine Line or Guest Services and request to be put on the list, then wait to see if you are selected and then receive your invitation in your cabin.

hpeabody

Recently, I have been sailing in a balcony cabin, not a suite. As far as I know, my TA has no special connections. She places an order for Chef's Table and it appears as a line item on my invoice. She probably drops the word that I am Captain's Circle Elite with many hundreds of days on Princess.

Once on board, I get a call from Dine Line about my availability on a given night.

Ask your TA if they would do the same for you.

[hpeabody]

@GFLeeper Thanks for your reply.  

[memoak]

2 hours ago, GFLeeper said:

hpeabody

Recently, I have been sailing in a balcony cabin, not a suite. As far as I know, my TA has no special connections. She places an order for Chef's Table and it appears as a line item on my invoice. She probably drops the word that I am Captain's Circle Elite with many hundreds of days on Princess.

Once on board, I get a call from Dine Line about my availability on a given night.

Ask your TA if they would do the same for you.

The number of evenings that it is offered depends on chef and how many sign up. If they cancel it do you get your money back ?  We stopped going years ago because it is way more food than we can eat and way expensive. We much prefer the Tuscan luncheons and other wine centric meals offered on board. 

[JF - retired RRT]

On 11/19/2019 at 1:58 PM, Lotto1 said:

We are interested in trying to get signed up for the Chef's Table.  We have cruised with Princess many times and somehow never noticed or inquired about it.  Thanks to all that brought it to our attention & we will be looking to sign up as soon as we get on the ship this time.  My question is ...... if we are doing a 58 day cruise with three legs, do we have to resign up each leg if we are not able to get an invitation the first leg?

Probably. Each cruise is separate and has different passengers.

[lstone19]

5 hours ago, memoak said:

The number of evenings that it is offered depends on chef and how many sign up. If they cancel it do you get your money back ?  

 

Of course. They are not going to charge you if they don't hold it. 

 

For all the worrying about getting selected, sometimes, spots are going begging. The first time we went, we were at a traditional dining large table and the Maitre D' stopped by to apologize to one couple that it appeared they wouldn't have enough people for another one. We asked questions as did another couple and boom! - the table was now complete.

[memoak]

2 hours ago, lstone19 said:

 

Of course. They are not going to charge you if they don't hold it. 

 

For all the worrying about getting selected, sometimes, spots are going begging. The first time we went, we were at a traditional dining large table and the Maitre D' stopped by to apologize to one couple that it appeared they wouldn't have enough people for another one. We asked questions as did another couple and boom! - the table was now complete.

 The post I responded to had to do with booking this through their TA and seeing  the charge on their invoice.  It sounds like they are paying for something that may not even happen