We are probably late to the cruising experience among those our age we know. Much of what I describe is likely a discovery for me, but old hat for many others. Here is one experience I can guarantee you past cruisers have not had. This is a combination virtual reality / 5 course meal. This was explained as the third such facility in existence and the first on a ship. You sit at a tables with a special top with dishes that must be in exactly the right position. The lights dim. Before each course a special projector system fires up and a miniature chef appears on your table and prepares a course from the meal. This is not a cooking show in the sense that you see the preparation of an actual meal. You see more of a comedy routine which the chef capturing a lobster from the sea, lighting a barbecue grill, making ice cream from snow, etc. Here are some images of the VR displays and actual pictures for several of the courses.
Boilie Base
Lobster
Filet mignon
Rice pudding
Ice cream sundae
We had this experience at half-price as Celebrity cruise line wants to make certain the experience will be well received and to work out the kinks. This had to be very expensive to create – a room with very carefully placed tables, special furniture and plates, and projection systems over each table. The cruise line gave each attendee a one-hour courtesy wifi access code ($9) to encourage images and promotion of the experience. This does not apply to us as we purchased a wifi plan, but it does allow for both of us to be online at the same time this evening.
There must be plans for more than this one “performance”. It was an interesting experience and for we techie types, it promises more to come.
For more posts from our travel blog, see Grabe Travels.