While we had done the sushi making class on a Royal Caribbean ship in the past, we found that Celebrity offered a handful of new experiences to us. We could have chosen pizza making, which seemed to be very popular, a class on making the perfect steak, or even how to make steak tartare. We chose the ceviche making class, which took place during the first Sea Day. We both really enjoy ceviche and I thought that this would be a unique experience for us.
For this experience, we went down to the Shore Excursions area, where we checked in and signed health waivers. Then, another couple and ourselves were led down to the Tuscan Grille to an area that was set up for our class. Our instructor, Ally, explained to us a little bit about how the system of chefs works on the ship. There is a definite hierarchy, which is apparent in the colors of their uniforms. Our chef helped us to filet the piece of Chilean Sea Bass that we were given. This turned out to be the most challenging task of the class. We probably could have used a bit more instruction in how to do it successfully. We were, however, informed that the “fish man” on the ship was responsible for filleting 600 pieces of Branzino during the previous day’s meal service. While this was an interesting tidbit, it didn’t have much to do with ceviche (which we found humorous). We then were told to cut the fish into small chunks.
With the fish cut into chunks, we were ready to prepare our ceviche. We put the fish into a bowl along with lime juice, olive oil, seasonings, cilantro, tomatoes and onion. Ally came around to make sure that we had added enough lime juice, as that is what helps to cure the fish (this is not a fact that the instructor told us but something that we already knew).
After mixing all of the ingredients together, we plated our ceviche in a glass bowl and took it along with a provided glass of champagne over to a nearby table. Here, we sat with the other couple enjoying our ceviche. While we found the ceviche to be very tasty, we did find that it would have been better if it they had also provided some crackers or plantain chips. Fortunately, we also had a nice time chatting with the other couple while we were eating our ceviche, which added to the overall enjoyment of the class.
The whole process of making the ceviche took about 30 minutes and then we took about 15 minutes to sit and enjoy eating the ceviche. Because I purchased the class during the Black Friday deals, I likely received a discount. We paid a little over $43 for both of us, which is about half the cost of the sushi making class. Generally, we enjoyed the experience, but we feel that if our instructor had been able to give us some more information about ceviche, for example how the lime juice is important to the preparation process, what kind of fish is typically used, and perhaps even a history of the dish, then we could have learned a lot more.
The Ceviche Making Class was a fun, new experience for us to try, but, as it seems that the enjoyment and learning of the class depends on the expertise and teaching abilities of the instructor, I don’t think that we would do it again. If I knew someone who really enjoyed cooking and enjoyed fish, then I might suggest that they give it a try. Perhaps on a cruise that travels through the Caribbean, a ceviche making class makes more sense and would have been more instructive.
If you would like help booking a Royal Caribbean or Celebrity cruise that offers these experiences, I would love to help you find one that works best for you and your friends and family.