Is Chef Table worth it

[Jim and Monika]

Hi,

Having never experienced this, we are asking if the Chef Table is worth it.

If ships make a difference, we will be on the Venezia out of NY.

Thanks

[staceyglow]

It depends.

 

A similar meal in a fine restaurant on land would be much more expensive than what Carnival charges, so in that respect, yes, it is definitely worth it.

 

If you are a picky eater or don't enjoy very high-end dining experiences (multiple courses, tasting-size portions, emphasis on presentation), you might not think so.

[lazydayz]

I loved it.  Hubby did not. He much prefers the Steakhouse. 

[klfrodo]

Define "Worth It" for us in your own words.

What I find value in may be complete hogwash to you.

Edited July 22, 2023 by klfrodo

[ObstructedView2]

1 hour ago, Jim and Monika said:

 

Having never experienced this, we are asking if the Chef Table is worth it.

 

 

Hi @Jim and Monika🙂

 

Click on the links below. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Click Here) YouTube Videos Carnival Chef Table

 

 

(Click Here) Carnival Chef Table

 

 

(Click Here) Cruise Critic Article

 

 

(Click Here) Cruise Critic Search: Carnival Chefs Table

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

🍹

 

[Haljo1935]

Value is very subjective  - not worth it for me as my palette is more simple. I appreciate the imagination and creativity that goes into it, but I don't eat seafood or many of the other things frequently used. So, it's a pass for me.

[KKB]

It was for us.

DH would only dine at sports bars if given a chance...but he has grown to be more adventurous after 20+ cruises.

We did Chef's Table on the Miracle in January & both loved it!

It was 26 different bites of food--and many of those were more than a bite!

My advice--take a bite or 2 of each item.

I got 1/3 of the way thru & already felt quite full...that huge delicious popover covered in angel hair Parm did NOT help...should never have eaten the whole damn thing!

PACING is key!

[May1cruiser]

Yes, Seeing the galley and appreciating the efforts of the team. It is a unique experience.  

 

For us, it was one and done, just because we are simple eaters. Glad we did it.

[BlerkOne]

For me? Once in a wile, yes. For others, maybe every cruise. For some, meh.

 

Some pictures from our Chef's Table on Carnival Venezia start around post 442 on this page and continue on the next...

 

The pictures always get a little jumbled. Here is a different presentation

 

 

[1025cruise]

For me, no it's not worth it. I'm a "selective" eater and wouldn't appreciate the menu.

However, that doesn't mean that other people won't enjoy it.

[LatinaInTexas]

I have it booked for the first time in Sept but I don't think I will do it justice. I don't drink wine, I get full pretty fast, and I don't really like seafood.

But it looks so interesting, such pretty food, and seems like a very fun and unique experience. I'm not a picky eater and like variety so I think it will be worth it. Especially since I could sit on a slot machine in that time frame and lose more than the meal will cost lol.

[Saint Greg]

As someone who doesn’t like long meals…I say it’s worth doing once. I did it in Feb and would do it again.

 

https://www.saintgregtravel.com/chefs-table-on-carnival-magic/

 

 

[vwrestler171]

43 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

As someone who doesn’t like long meals…I say it’s worth doing once. I did it in Feb and would do it again.

 

https://www.saintgregtravel.com/chefs-table-on-carnival-magic/

 

 

I'd do it again when they change the menu, but once per menu, I will agree.

 

The Vista class and newer have dedicated rooms for the Chefs Table.  I know Vista had it down in the galley, but it was a room so it wasn't noisy at all.  

[Susan in Maine]

We did the Chef's Table on the Magic. It was very good, but I would not say outstanding. If you don't do a lot of higher end white tablecloth dining, it will seem pretty exotic. If you like plain food, it's REALLY exotic.  The people who dined with us thought it was outstanding. I'm a bit of a foodie, some of the items were outstanding, others not so much.

 

It is a nice thing to have done, but I have no desire to do it again.

[Saint Greg]

1 hour ago, vwrestler171 said:

I'd do it again when they change the menu, but once per menu, I will agree.

 

The Vista class and newer have dedicated rooms for the Chefs Table.  I know Vista had it down in the galley, but it was a room so it wasn't noisy at all.  

It either changes or it’s different on different ships because I’ve seen a few other chefs table menus the past six months and they weren’t the same as mine.

 

[Oldsweets]

We did it aboard conquest on our last sailing in June and did the kitchen tour and while it was worthwhile for us could see why some wouldn’t like it.  The food was outside my wheelhouse of enjoyment but my wife loved it.  The actual event and staff was great.  I’m not sure I would book it again at least for awhile.  

[ryanpatricksmom]

We do it on longer cruises when we have a lot more free time onboard.  I enjoy it more than DH.  He likes the food for the most part, but isn't a wine drinker, and usually has to leave after about 1 1/2 hours because he has Parkinson's Disease and there's a bunch of sitting involved.  Last time he missed the beef course and dessert, which would have been his favorite.  We have two booked for upcoming cruises, once on the Legend when we do a 2 week sailing to Greenland (7 sea days with a lot of time to kill), and once on the Pride when we do a B2B in Europe for 19 days total.  I may cancel the Pride dinner if they are serving the same menu as they do on the Legend.

[Cruising_Addict]

We just did it on the Pride and yes, it’s definitely worth it. Food is outstanding, the treatment you get from the Chef is a wonderful experience, and getting to meet nice people to share a dinner with is a lot of fun. 

[Viajera7]

Anyone here has done it on the Vista? I’m doing it next month on the Vista.

I liked the menu from the pictures of the Venezia and Magic except the mushrooms.

[jimbo5544]

Yes

[Indytraveler83]

We treated the Chef's Table as an excursion.  It was fun to see how things worked behind the scenes, fun to be served some interesting food, and the free flowing wine helped as well.  It was a very cool experience.

 

At the same time, if you are looking at it from purely a meal perspective, that money could go much further at other places onboard.  Also keep in mind that the Chef's Table isn't a quick seating and will take most of the evening (3+ hours usually).

 

I agree with those who have already posted that said they'd likely only go back again once the menu is rotated.  

[Eli_6]

Imo, yes.  For adults.  But we don't do it on cruises we take our kids on because I think it would be lost on them.  

[klfrodo]

On Carnival? No

On Royal? Yes

The huge difference for me is that Royal actually has a Sommelier who pairs a wine with each course and gives a quick lesson on each wine and why they have chosen that wine for that course.

On Carnival, you get to choose a red or a white and that's it.

The course selection, preparation, and presentation are very close to one another on each cruise line.

[ObstructedView2]

26 minutes ago, klfrodo said:

On Carnival? No

On Royal? Yes

The huge difference for me is that Royal actually has a Sommelier who pairs a wine with each course and gives a quick lesson on each wine and why they have chosen that wine for that course.

On Carnival, you get to choose a red or a white and that's it.

The course selection, preparation, and presentation are very close to one another on each cruise line.

 

Hi @klfrodo🙂

 

Yes, sadly Carnivals Chef Table does not do wine pairing. Only red or white.

 

However, Carnival does do wine pairing in their Steakhouse.

 

1/2 glass with each course for $20

 

 

🍷See Below🍷

 

 

 

 

 

 

🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷

[Phanlee91]

Its worth it for the experience itself, but the food for me wasn't spectacular by any means.