By Ivette M. Yee
Chef’s Table promises a memorable meal experience with white-glove service.
For travelers who love delicious things, a 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, multicourse dinner curated by some of the cruise world’s best chefs at a fraction of the cost of Chef’s Table on land.
While there is no end to the type of food you can eat on cruises, these carefully crafted meals offer the best new flavors, choice cuts, creative plating, and more for people with adventurous palates. Prices range between $90 per person and higher. 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.”
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.
Princess 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 mouthwatering 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 bread basket 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 puree, 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 puree
- 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
- Mango sphere with rosemary biscuit
- Salmon tartar cornets sprinkled with sesame seeds
- Beef carpaccio on an air pillow with chocolate bacon and apple ribbons
- Double-cooked lamb
- Crab stack with corn custard, polenta cracker, tangerine, and passion caviar
- Duck with creamy quinoa, parmesan churros, olive snow, and port wine jus
- Bisque with two tomatoes, 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®, 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.
Mike Rydberg of Oak River, Minnesota, who also opted for Royal Caribbean’s Chef’s Table, adds: “I loved it; the setup, the attention to details, how much work they do to prepare and present every course. It was quite the production.”
Chef’s Table by Daniel Boulud is Celebrity Cruises’ version, and was designed by the world-renowned Boulud, 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 puree.
“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.”
