By Ivette M. Yee
Chef’s Tables promise a memorable meal experience with white-glove service.
For travelers who love delicious things, the Chef’s Table dining experience available aboard various cruise ships is gaining attention — the gourmet kind.
For a set price, diners can enjoy a high-end, multi-course dinner curated by some of the cruise world’s best chefs at a fraction of the cost of Chef’s Tables on land.
While there is no end to all the kinds of food you can eat on cruises, Chef’s Tables offer the best new flavors, choice cuts, creative plating, and more for people with adventurous palates. Prices range from $90 per person and up. Wine pairings are optional.
“Our Chef’s Table still regularly sells out on all Princess ships, even after nearly 20 years,” says Gabby McNamara, a spokesperson for the cruise line. “It’s limited to 12 people, so it’s an exclusive and personal experience. Guests have the chance to interact with the executive chef, which is one of [their] favorite parts.”
Princess Cruises was the first to debut a Chef’s Table in 2007. Many others soon followed.
For most, it’s the Chef’s Table exclusive experience that attracts: the chance to uncover the secrets of a floating kitchen and the magic of preparing each mouth-watering course.
I was recently cruising with Royal Caribbean and sat down at my first Chef’s Table at sea. It was hands down, the best meal I had on the ship.
Before the very first bite, wine glasses were filled by a host imparting facts about where the wine was from and the environment from which it came. All guests were encouraged to sniff, sip, and savor every ounce. And it was like that with each course that followed, from the warm breadbasket to the final sweet ending.
Chef’s Table Sample Menus
Royal Caribbean
- Scallop carpaccio with yuzu vinaigrette and crispy quinoa
- Smoked tomato soup with garlic focaccia croutons and parmesan
- Maine lobster salad with hearts of palm, pineapple, cilantro, and a vanilla dressing
- Roasted branzino with grilled zucchini, peppers, lemon confit, and pesto
- Grilled filet mignon with truffle potato purée, asparagus, and bordelaise sauce
- Dessert: The World (peanut butter ganache, Valrhona chocolate mousse, and salted caramel gelato)
Princess Cruises
- Potato crisps with sour cream and caviar, tomato and Kalamata olives tartare, braised escargots (snails) vol-au-vent, and roasted scallops with pea purée
- Bone marrow royale, Bordeaux demi-glace, and brioche crisp
- Pork tenderloin, seared sea bass, pan jus coffee sabayon, fava beans, and mushroom and cheese polenta baklava
- Yuzu crème brûlée, pink praline and peach sponge cake, and white chocolate crémeux with lemon cream
Carnival Cruises
- Salmon tartar cornets sprinkled with sesame seeds
- Beef carpaccio on an air pillow with chocolate bacon and apple ribbons
- Double-cooked lamb Top of Form
- Crab stack with corn custard, polenta cracker, tangerine, and passion caviar
- Duck with creamy quinoa, parmesan churros, olive snow, and port wine jus
- Two tomatoes bisque, three basil, crisped brioche, and garlic chip
- Bone marrow soufflé, scallion and garlic panisse, and gremolata crisp
- Sea-salt praline chocolate, raspberry mojito, Key lime cake, apricot vanilla gel, and citrus cream
Interval’s Cruise Exchange
Did you know Interval members can trade weeks or points toward a fun-filled cruise? Dreaming of dogsledding in Alaska, basking in the Caribbean sun, or sailing to the Mediterranean or Asia? You have choices with Cruise Exchange. Enjoy travel on the some of the most popular cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line, and others. Discover how.
“We had so much fun at our first Chef’s Table, we had to do it again,” says Angie McIntyre of Uniontown, Ohio, who was on vacation with her adult daughter and enjoying some fine dining on a Royal Caribbean ship. The duo pointed out that one of the best things of Chef’s Table dining is meeting new, like-minded people who also embrace fine foods and festive experiences.
“It’s like a great social experiment, put a group of people together, serve them six courses with good wine and food, and see what happens,” McIntyre adds.
On Princess Cruises, guests begin their dining journey with cocktails and canapes in the galley and meet the ship’s executive chef and learn about meal preparation. The chef joins the group throughout the meal.
“I loved it; the setup, the attention to details, how much work they do to prepare and present every course,” says Mike Rydberg of Oak River, Minnesota, who also opted for Royal Caribbean’s Chef’s Table. “It was quite the production.”
Chef’s Table by Daniel Boulud is Celebrity Cruises’ version, and was designed by the world-renowned Bouloud, the cruise line’s new Global Culinary Ambassador. In addition to his famous chilled spring carrot soup with prawns and coriander, guests can savor four more courses and receive unique mementos from their culinary experience: a printed copy of the night’s menu, a photograph from the evening’s dinner, and a cookbook autographed by the master chef himself.
At Royal Caribbean, both the chef de cuisine and sommelier take guests through each of its six courses, providing small details and plenty of history behind each dish and ingredients. Courses range from scallop carpaccio with yuzu vinaigrette to grilled filet mignon, cooked to your liking, with truffle potato purée.
“Each chef does things a little different,” says Denise Philemon of Pembroke Pines, Florida, who has tried different Chef’s Table experiences and was taking part in Royal Caribbean’s during her son’s spring break. “It’s amazing how well they prepare everything. It’s the special attention you get that makes it stand out.”
