Is Chef's Table Worth it?

[screwsmcernst]

We are booked on Quantum of the seas Oct. 2022.  This is our first time sailing RC, we usually sail X.  We are thinking about doing the Chefs Table, but I have Celiac disease.  Would it be possible for the chef to accommodate my food allergy, or is it not worth it?    I am aware that my plate would be different from others. I don't want to take away from the experience for other people. And I don't want to have my meal altered so much that it is disappointing.  I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has had the Chefs Table Experience.  Thanks.  

[Sea Dog]

My wife can not seafood so the chef prepared her menu different than the rest of us. I love the Chef's Table but as with anything it's all subjective. We plan on doing the Chef's Table on our upcoming cruise. If you plan on doing it maybe wait and see about purchasing it once onboard. You can usually get a deal for a better price. Some have said the wine selections are not that great. I'm not an expert on wine so I can't tell you. One thing is for sure it's a seven course meal that will take up 2-3 hours. Come hungry.

[persy]

It’s been several years since I’ve been to Chefs Table.  I have Celiac disease and I really enjoyed the experience.  I informed them of my dietary restrictions when I made our reservation.  My plates were very similar to everyone else and in some cases the same.  It was a really fun evening.

[time4u2go]

Some have complained about the location of the chef's table, so you might want to check on that for your cruise.  It's not in the kitchen, as true chef's tables are.

[njkruzer]

Dh and I both have food issues and they were always very accommodating.  Just make sure you let them know in advance.   We usually do it at least a day in advance. 

[karena1]

Not to us.  Way too much $$.  I don't eat meat or seafood so a total waste of money for us.

[njkruzer]

Just now, karena1 said:

Not to us.  Way too much $$.  I don't eat meat or seafood so a total waste of money for us.

Dh doesn't eat meat or shellfish.   I don't eat pork or any fish but we still enjoyed the evening.  Have done it 2x and will do it again. 

[karena1]

1 minute ago, njkruzer said:

Dh doesn't eat meat or shellfish.   I don't eat pork or any fish but we still enjoyed the evening.  Have done it 2x and will do it again. 

Just curious - why would you do it when you won't eat anything they have?  That is my issue.  I eat vegies.  Not going to pay that price to have green beans that I can get in the MDR.

 

[njkruzer]

2 minutes ago, karena1 said:

Just curious - why would you do it when you won't eat anything they have?  That is my issue.  I eat vegies.  Not going to pay that price to have green beans that I can get in the MDR.

 

They always make us really interesting things which are fun to try.  It's not just vegetables.  I eat meat and dh eats fish. We also enjoy the wines they select. For us it's always a pleasant evening.   It's your choice. Don't go if you don't think you'll enjoy it.

[VeggieCruiser23]

I am vegan and I love Chef's table! They always make something special for me, and put extra care in preparing my dish. I also like the wine and the company! It is a lot of fun, a great dining experience!

[nancy2vues]

We have been lucky to be offered the Chef's table at about 50% off on the first day, twice.  We found it to be be fabulous both times!  None of us are huge wine drinkers, so I'm not sure that we would ever pay anything close to full price for it.  Just our opinion.

 

 

[Tropical PJ]

We did the Chef's table along with our two friends on the Allure, we purchased it onboard for about 60% discount. It was the most amazing experience! All 6 couples at that table shared an incredible meal and wines and loads of laughs!

[MillyBean]

We tried the Chef's table on each of our cruises and have been incredibly impressed.  In addition to the great food, we really had fun with the other guests.  Since it's typically only my hubby and I traveling, we really enjoy talking and drinking wine with the other folks at the table.  I'd say it's worth it, but it is an additional cost...   If you're not on a strict budget, i'd say try it!! 

[fenton04]

We consider the chefs table a highlight of all our cruises.  We did our first one 2014.  We have enjoyed them since.  No two are the same.  We always tell newbies that at the end of the dinner you will be full, and the wine is always top notch.  The only time we were not in our own room was on the  Rhapsody.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 29, 2021 by fenton04

[karena1]

17 hours ago, njkruzer said:

They always make us really interesting things which are fun to try.  It's not just vegetables.  I eat meat and dh eats fish. We also enjoy the wines they select. For us it's always a pleasant evening.   It's your choice. Don't go if you don't think you'll enjoy it.

Like I said, I only eat veggies, so to pay for nothing but a plate of veggies, makes no sense.  We don't drink wine either.  So yes, for us, makes no sense to do it.  It is made for people that enjoy that experience, we just have no desire to sit there for hours when I basically cannot get anything to eat.  My husband likes the MDR so that is what we do

 

[orville99]

Way too much, way too rich food for the way we eat. We'd be satiated after the appetizer course.

[EllaDuChien]

Here is an example of a Chef's Table with people allergic to shellfish and soy.  My meal was the regular offering, but others were allergic.  There was no noticeable delay to our meal in accommodating the allergies.  The chef's are awesome and they have a plan for people with every type of allergy.  

siblingrevelries.com/2020/01/24/dinners-at-sea-chefs-table/

 

Of course everything is subjective, but I think it is worth it and I reserve it every cruise even though the menu rarely changes.  It is my treat to me!

 

[njkruzer]

1 hour ago, EllaDuChien said:

Here is an example of a Chef's Table with people allergic to shellfish and soy.  My meal was the regular offering, but others were allergic.  There was no noticeable delay to our meal in accommodating the allergies.  The chef's are awesome and they have a plan for people with every type of allergy.  

siblingrevelries.com/2020/01/24/dinners-at-sea-chefs-table/

 

Of course everything is subjective, but I think it is worth it and I reserve it every cruise even though the menu rarely changes.  It is my treat to me!

 

Great review.   Btw on Radiance class ships they turned the old card room into private dining room for Chef's table which makes it really special. 

[cruiselvr04]

We’ve done it several times.  One was a bit dull but it was the company.  The others have been very enjoyable.  The DH has a food allergy.  We let them know ahead of time and his food was very good too.  It is a full evening as most went from 6 or 6:30 to 10 or 10:30.  The pace was not too slow, the food and wine were very good. 
 

We’ve been approached on board to join an evening at a discount.  I’m not sure if it was random but if you are,  take advantage of it to try it out.  We really enjoy it but only book ahead for birthdays and anniversaries.  
 

Liberty does it on a landing in the MDR.  That is a really noisy place but it was still good.  

 

 

[Rogueperson]

I did it on Saturday night on the Mariner.  I did note that it was the same menu as when I was on Allure in 2019. 

 

 

 

This I linked page 4 of my live thread that has the menu and food photos.  If it defaults to page 1, go to page 4, and its the first message i think.

 

I did it on Anthem and they have a room in Chops where Chef's table is held.  Also, when i was on Grandeur, I did it with my sister in law who has a host of allergies (peanuts, tree nuts, strawberries, glutten, and that's off the top of my head, she has more).  And the Chef took it as a challenge and gave her one of the most memorable dinners ever.

[twinmommy08]

We’ve done it once. Glad to have the opportunity but probably won’t do it again unless the menu changes. It’s a lot of food and I was satisfied tasting each dish. There is no way I could eat an entire serving of each item. I didn’t like the location on Adventure. I’m sure the newer ships with their own room is nicer. The wine was awesome! 

[Rogueperson]

4 minutes ago, twinmommy08 said:

I didn’t like the location on Adventure. I’m sure the newer ships with their own room is nicer. The wine was awesome! 

 

You would think so, but no.  We did it on the Allure.  They had it on the second floor of the Diamond Lounge.  At 6:30.  What's going on at 6:30?  The Diamond Happy Hour.  It was loud until the end at 8.

You're right that on the Voyager class, they have it on the landing between deck 4 and 5 of the dining room, but on Mariner last Saturday, because of reduced capacity, noise level was minimal.  It was awesome.

[twinmommy08]

3 minutes ago, Rogueperson said:

 

You would think so, but no.  We did it on the Allure.  They had it on the second floor of the Diamond Lounge.  At 6:30.  What's going on at 6:30?  The Diamond Happy Hour.  It was loud until the end at 8.

You're right that on the Voyager class, they have it on the landing between deck 4 and 5 of the dining room, but on Mariner last Saturday, because of reduced capacity, noise level was minimal.  It was awesome.

Oh goodness! I could only imagine the noise there. Surprisingly it was pretty noisy on adventure. I had a hard time hearing the chef. 

[TraditionalSiamese]

22 hours ago, screwsmcernst said:

We are booked on Quantum of the seas Oct. 2022.  This is our first time sailing RC, we usually sail X.  We are thinking about doing the Chefs Table, but I have Celiac disease.  Would it be possible for the chef to accommodate my food allergy, or is it not worth it?    I am aware that my plate would be different from others. I don't want to take away from the experience for other people. And I don't want to have my meal altered so much that it is disappointing.  I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has had the Chefs Table Experience.  Thanks.  

We love Chef's Table.  My sister has several allergies (gluten and soy among many) and the chef was AMAZING at making her special meals that matched closely to what the rest of the table was enjoying.  According to her, it was incredible and some of the best food she had on the ship!!  We've also enjoyed Chef's Table with underage children and the sommelier made sure to bring them a very creative and special drink each time they brought the adults a new wine pairing.  Thoroughly enjoyed the experience each time we did it.  

 

I do recommend looking to book on board as you can usually book it at a 60% (or sometimes more) discount.

 

Side note:  on the Allure, we've usually had it in the Concierge Lounge in a secluded area during a more quite time.  On Anthem, it was held in a special room in Chops (that had doors that slid closed).  We've never had an issue with noise.

 

Edited September 29, 2021 by TraditionalSiamese

[JCDCA]

13 hours ago, karena1 said:

Like I said, I only eat veggies, so to pay for nothing but a plate of veggies, makes no sense.  We don't drink wine either.  So yes, for us, makes no sense to do it.  It is made for people that enjoy that experience, we just have no desire to sit there for hours when I basically cannot get anything to eat.  My husband likes the MDR so that is what we do

 

You don’t think they could make elevated, interesting vegetarian food?