Chef's table query

[poorer]

Looking to book the chef's table on our upcoming cruise, I have a few questions

 

Are you positioned away from the main buffet?

Can you just have a table for your own party as don't want to share?

What are your thoughts about it? Was it a good experience?

Are people allowed to walk through whilst you are eating?

 

Any other tips regarding this topic much appreciated.

 

Many thanks in advance

[purplesea]

The Chef's Table is situated in the buffet but away from the open buffet/self service area.

We had a table for two on Arvia.

Exprience wise, it is a matter of opinion. To me the service was the same as the MDR.

Yes, people can still walk through while you are eating.

[Ardennais]

2 hours ago, purplesea said:

The Chef's Table is situated in the buffet but away from the open buffet/self service area.

We had a table for two on Arvia.

Exprience wise, it is a matter of opinion. To me the service was the same as the MDR.

Yes, people can still walk through while you are eating.

Similar on Iona. We had two tables of four for the 8 of us. We enjoyed it. There was a great atmosphere in our section and everyone seemed to be having a good time. 

[daiB]

5 hours ago, purplesea said:

The Chef's Table is situated in the buffet but away from the open buffet/self service area.

We had a table for two on Arvia.

Exprience wise, it is a matter of opinion. To me the service was the same as the MDR.

Yes, people can still walk through while you are eating.

On Arvia those not at the Chefs Table could not pass through.

[Cruising Nomads]

Sorry daiB but you are wrong. People were walking through on all the last 4 formal nights.

[purplesea]

1 hour ago, daiB said:

On Arvia those not at the Chefs Table could not pass through.

They were walking through on the occasions that I was there.

[daiB]

2 minutes ago, purplesea said:

They were walking through on the occasions that I was there.

This was in May this year. The CT area was closed off and doors blocked the passage from the rest of the Buffet. So no9 one could pass through.

[purplesea]

I was on Arvia in April and although the door to the pool area was closed people were still walking through the chef's table area to the buffet area and some were opening the door to the pool area to go out.

[gillme]

Home today from Arvia and did both formal nights at Chef’s Table. Thoroughly enjoyed both times and both times nobody walked through. For the first time we had cards delivered to the cabin to take with us to show we’d booked.

[lindylooellalouise]

22 hours ago, poorer said:

Looking to book the chef's table on our upcoming cruise, I have a few questions

 

Are you positioned away from the main buffet?

Can you just have a table for your own party as don't want to share?

What are your thoughts about it? Was it a good experience?

Are people allowed to walk through whilst you are eating?

 

Any other tips regarding this topic much appreciated.

 

Many thanks in advance

Hi on our recent Arvia cruise in April we booked the chefs table twice had a table for two the food and service  was excellent and no one was allowed to walk through definitely an experience we will try again.

[Sussexboy]

We were on board Arvia a few weeks ago. No one was allowed to wander through the chef’s table area. Our only gripe was that the tables were very close together. We were sat next to a lovely Scottish couple who were on their third back to back on Arvia, this was their 6th week on board. They were a hoot and kept us very entertained!! They did say though that they found it tiresome that you were so cheek by jowl with your neighbours, and were glad that we got on…

[poorer]

Many thanks to all the replies.

 

Have now booked this.

[lindylooellalouise]

18 minutes ago, poorer said:

Many thanks to all the replies.

 

Have now booked this.

Enjoy

[seahorse001]

On 6/9/2024 at 10:39 AM, poorer said:

Looking to book the chef's table on our upcoming cruise, I have a few questions

 

Are you positioned away from the main buffet?

Can you just have a table for your own party as don't want to share?

What are your thoughts about it? Was it a good experience?

Are people allowed to walk through whilst you are eating?

 

Any other tips regarding this topic much appreciated.

 

Many thanks in advance

Hi

I booked the chef's table. I think you can have a table for your party. 

Tables are VERY close together. I had an awful meal & experience there & would never go again 

[jeanlyon]

What is the Chef's Table?  Not sure I've heard of it?

[Gettingwarmer]

4 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

What is the Chef's Table?  Not sure I've heard of it?

It is only on the new ships. The MDR’s are too small to accommodate everyone on the Celebration type nights so they reserve a part of the Buffet for the overspill and call it Chef’s Table. 
It is pre bookable and at a set time. 

Edited June 16 by Gettingwarmer

[jeanlyon]

any charge?

 

[Gettingwarmer]

46 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

any charge?

 

No

[me and the mrs]

On 6/9/2024 at 10:39 AM, poorer said:

Looking to book the chef's table on our upcoming cruise, I have a few questions

 

Are you positioned away from the main buffet?

Can you just have a table for your own party as don't want to share?

What are your thoughts about it? Was it a good experience?

Are people allowed to walk through whilst you are eating?

 

Any other tips regarding this topic much appreciated.

 

Many thanks in advance

We did the chefs table night on the Iona (Dec 23/Jan 24) and the walk through was closed off but on the Arvia in march with 2 chefs table nights booked, we all got dressed up in best outfits only to find that while enjoying the food we had people wandering past in swim wear, bath robes ect and one family even came past with kids bouncing there footballs as they walk, We canceled the second booking. its not as though it's the only way from one side to the other as there is large central corridor on the ship. that said even in the dress up night in main restaurants there was parents that allowed kids to wear football shirts and shorts!!. on different subject but related a good few parents allowed the kids to take I pads and the like into restaurant to play games on while eating the evening meal. Standards in general are getting worse not just on cruises.    

[Angel57]

I did Chefs Table on Iona last week. There is no charge. It was held in the Beach House area of Horizon. It was a different menu to the MDR and was the only venue that offered the Marco PW menu of Beef Wellington (which was delicious). As far as I recall the booking times were 6pm and 8pm and I booked this 14 days before the cruise.

Most passengers were reasonably well dressed and no one was walking thru (apart from a few that had got lost!). There were no children in the area I was in.