DB Chef’s Table…Is Drink Package Honoured?

[CruiserMickey]

We are booked for The Daniel Boulud Chef’s Table on Equinox on our next sailing. Having never done this before, I am interested to know if we are able to use our Premier drink package to order wine with each course, or will they only serve the wine pairings ($75 upcharge…ouch!)?

 

Does anyone have any experience with this? We enjoy wine with dinner, but it’s an already extremely expensive dinner and we don’t want to have to pay more for the wine pairings. Thanks in advance for any insight.

[Pennstatedj]

We just did Equinox Chef table in July. We had premium package and used that for wine. The experience was the best one we have had. The other 8 people were great and we left the table at 1115, It was a great dinner and experience. Well worth it. 

[CruiserMickey]

6 minutes ago, Pennstatedj said:

We just did Equinox Chef table in July. We had premium package and used that for wine. The experience was the best one we have had. The other 8 people were great and we left the table at 1115, It was a great dinner and experience. Well worth it. 

Thank you! That is exactly the info I needed. It sounds like a wonderful evening!

[Pennstatedj]

It was spectacular. They also gave us a photo and a large book by Daniel B. Very heavy. 

[patty1955]

We did it twice in the last year. The first one, the sommelier was excellent and clearly made an effort to match the courses using our drink package. The second time, the sommelier provided the wine but didn't seem to care as much.

Both experience were great. 

[CruiserMickey]

2 hours ago, Pennstatedj said:

It was spectacular. They also gave us a photo and a large book by Daniel B. Very heavy. 

I hope I can fit the book into my suitcase! Perhaps I won’t rely on carry-on only this time…

[Pennstatedj]

The book is large and weighs about 7 lbs. Way too big. 

[Traveling Fools]

We have reserved the Chef's Table for our Sept 2024 50th Anniversary cruise and are really looking forward to the experience.  Have done them on NCL and they were great.

 

Is a one night deal, or do they schedule them every night?  It would be fantastic if they held it on our anniversary!!! 

[KKB]

23 hours ago, CruiserMickey said:

We are booked for The Daniel Boulud Chef’s Table on Equinox on our next sailing. Having never done this before, I am interested to know if we are able to use our Premier drink package to order wine with each course, or will they only serve the wine pairings ($75 upcharge…ouch!)?

 

Does anyone have any experience with this? We enjoy wine with dinner, but it’s an already extremely expensive dinner and we don’t want to have to pay more for the wine pairings. Thanks in advance for any insight.

In April it didn't matter. The other couple said they had the regular drink package (we were in Retreat so premium)...and the Veuve flowed all night!

Edited August 30, 2023 by KKB

[sasset]

Got an email from Celebrity extolling the Chef’s Table but no mention of the cost. What does it cost?

[jelayne]

17 minutes ago, sasset said:

Got an email from Celebrity extolling the Chef’s Table but no mention of the cost. What does it cost?

For our upcoming sailing on the Edge it is showing $170 pp +20%.  Higher than I recall previously.

[patty1955]

32 minutes ago, sasset said:

Got an email from Celebrity extolling the Chef’s Table but no mention of the cost. What does it cost?

I paid a total of $306.76 for our upcoming cruise (in March 2024) on 04/20/2023

[NMTraveller]

On 8/29/2023 at 11:38 AM, Pennstatedj said:

The book is large and weighs about 7 lbs. Way too big. 

What should we do with the cookbook?  Leave it at the dinner?  Ask around the ship to see if anyone wants it?

[jelayne]

1 minute ago, NMTraveller said:

What should we do with the cookbook?  Leave it at the dinner?  Ask around the ship to see if anyone wants it?

They mailed ours to us, but that was back in 2018.

[Jim_Iain]

You can definitely use your drink package in lieu of the wine pairing.    I'm not a drinker and was at a table where everyone except me were doing the pairing.    The Somellier was fantastic and provided me with different Non-Alcoholic wines with each course.   Not great but did make me feel part of the group instead of sipping water. 

[Jim_Iain]

26 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

What should we do with the cookbook?  Leave it at the dinner?  Ask around the ship to see if anyone wants it?

 

You might indicate you don't want it and see if they can reduce the price.   

 

We had a different problem.   Being a male couple they often don't know what to do and treat us a singles giving us a book apiece.   This was at Daniel B's first hosted table and was personalized by him so we felt compelled to bring them home and then gave one away to a friend that collects Cook Books.

[Pennstatedj]

We carried off the book. Very heavy. 

[Pennstatedj]

Jim is right. My wife used the drink package. 

[cruise47]

Is Celebrity still given everyone a cooking book who dine at DB Chef Table ?

[cruisestitch]

Oh, I don’t know if they are still giving the cookbooks away but I know that there are five or six in the library so they must have been left behind

[patty1955]

8 hours ago, cruise47 said:

Is Celebrity still given everyone a cooking book who dine at DB Chef Table ?

They were in June.

[miched]

We did it last year.  We didn’t get any book .

 

The sommelier recommend a wine.  Gave me a sample.  I told him I had the premium package and asked if it was covered.  He said yes.  It is $10.  I said it is ok and agreed to it.  The wine was ok but nothing special. 

 

After I would drink about 1/2  he would top it off.    The last time he came by to top it off  I said I didn’t want  anymore as I going to have a desert wine and didn’t finish that glass.   As things were wrapping up he came by and gave us a bill.   I looked at it and asked about the charge.   He said you had 5 glasses of wine that was $10 over the premium limit.  The bill was $60 with the gratuity added in.  I signed it as I didn’t want to make a disturbance.   I seen others at the table also receiving a bill.   I didn’t really pay attention to what they were drinking.  
 

The next day I went to Guest Relations and told them about the situation and they removed the charge and said they would have a talk to the sommelier and to make sure he is more clear. 
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅