Upgrade Your Silversea Cruise: Dinner At Le Champagne, Worth The Extra Fee?

From the North American Degustation Menu: Maple-glazed New England Duck Salad, with crispy green beans and Corn Flake topping - perfectly paired with Domaine Drouhin, Pinot Noir 2007. photograph by Ralph Grizzle

Controversial on some of the cruise message boards is Silversea’s Le Champagne specialty restaurant by Relais & Chateaux. The issue that some cruisers have raised has nothing to do with the quality or experience but rather the cover charge: the degustation menu with pairings of fine wines, which goes for $200 per guest; or $30 for the dining experience without complimentary wines.

My take is that it’s worth the splurge for a special evening in an intimate setting with world-class cuisine painstakingly prepared (I know for a fact about the effort that goes into this evening as I spent a day in the galley with Julie Le Gallic, the Relais & Chateaux Chef who once worked under Gordon Ramsey).

With Silversea’s on-board credits, you needn’t dip into your pockets to pay for the evening. Simply apply the credit, and even if you go all out, you’ll still have plenty left over.

'I come from Paris, and there you couldn't even have a Croque Monsieur and a Coca Cola for $30,' says Julie Le Gallic, the Relais & Chateaux Chef in Le Champagne who says that when it comes to preparing food, she is an ultra-perfectionist.

“Nowhere in the world can you have a menu like this for $30,” Le Gallic says. “To have a similar menu in London would cost around £120 (US$195), so I think it’s a very good value for guests to discover dishes they may have never eaten before.”

To assess for yourself whether or not it’s worth it, drop by Le Champagne early on in your cruise to see if the experience is something you’d appreciate. There’s an “open house” on embarkation day where you can review menus and make reservations. Or plan ahead by viewing PDFs of the Le Champagne menus listed below:

• Le Champagne Degustation Asparagus*
• Le Champagne Degustation Bordeaux
• Le Champagne Degustation Burgundy
• Le Champagne Degustation Caviar
• Le Champagne Degustation Flavours of the Fall*
• Le Champagne Degustation Italy
• Le Champagne Degustation Lobster*
• Le Champagne Degustation North America
• Le Champagne Degustation Spain