Increased Pinnacle Price..... What Does it Mean?

[mamaofami]

Thanks for clearing that up, Judy. We had such wonderful service in The Pinnacle on the Maasdam. We went there once for lunch and couldn't eat any dinner. It was really good. I miss Tamarind and wish they would add it to more ships.

[ASIWISH]

My family always buys the most or near most expensive wine while on a cruise. Why? Value. A $30 bottle of wine on a cruise is $8 on land. A $50 bottle on the seas is about $18 on land. But, an $80 to $100 bottle of wine on the ship is the same price on land. We don't want to overpay so we get the wines that are comparably priced to the ones on land.

 

Actually, Northstar Merlot is about $34 on land, and was $104 onboard the Nieuw Amsterdam last month.

 

But, there is some merit to your statement. As someone pointed out on these boards before... the higher the price, the lesser percentage markup. Although 30% is about average, as I understand it.

[edmusic]

Not sure that I can agree with your rationale. Your $30 bottle of wine on a ship will likely cost you pretty much the same in a bar or restaurant on land. You can't compare it to the price you might pay for example in a liquor store or Costco. Typically a wine that you would buy from a store for $100 is going to be marked up to $250-300 in a restaurant, bar or ship.

I'm referring to what the bottle would cost at Costco vs what you'd pay on a ship. If you're buying wine for home and it is three to four times as much on a cruise, that tends to feel like you're getting gouged. As a businessman, I fully understand markup but there comes a point where you're just flat out taking advantage of people. And, we vote with our wallet when on a ship. Last year aboard the Sapphire Princess, a bottle of Opus One was $104 which is roughly the same price as can be bought on land. In our eyes, that is a fair deal.

 

Actually, Northstar Merlot is about $34 on land, and was $104 onboard the Nieuw Amsterdam last month.

Perhaps I should have worded it to say a bottle of wine you pay $100 for on a cruise is generally about $100 on land when bought at a large liquor discounter.

[Jalex63]

I think I have said this somewhere before on a thread about the Pinnacle, but truth is I have never had a meal in the Pinnacle that was $50. better than the meals in the MDR. Hard to justify the extra $$ when the MDR food is so good? But, yes I still go occaisionally.;)

[GeriatricNurse]

Three and Four Star Mariners get a discount at Pinnacle and Tamarind. That's a nice benefit IMO

 

But, HAL increased the price so discount considered, the price went up.

 

Why did the price go up? Because the restaurant couldn't handle as many reservation requests as they were getting? Raise the price, fewer people will want to come.

 

Or to cover some of the discount given to Three and Four Star Mariners...... or both? :confused:

 

Well, could it be because the costs have increased? :rolleyes: And why does it matter? :confused:

[Krazy Kruizers]

I think I have said this somewhere before on a thread about the Pinnacle, but truth is I have never had a meal in the Pinnacle that was $50. better than the meals in the MDR. Hard to justify the extra $$ when the MDR food is so good? But, yes I still go occaisionally.;)

 

The last couple of cruises that we have been on we were not impressed with the main dining room dinners -- thus we ate more at the Pinnacle and Canaletto.

The majority of our nice restaurants charge you for everything. Separate price for appetizer, separate price for salad, separate price for soup, separate price for entree, separate prices for each side dish (potatoes, begetables, etc.) and seprate price for dessert. You would spend well over $25 per person in our restaurants.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I'm referring to what the bottle would cost at Costco vs what you'd pay on a ship. If you're buying wine for home and it is three to four times as much on a cruise, that tends to feel like you're getting gouged. As a businessman, I fully understand markup but there comes a point where you're just flat out taking advantage of people. And, we vote with our wallet when on a ship. Last year aboard the Sapphire Princess, a bottle of Opus One was $104 which is roughly the same price as can be bought on land. In our eyes, that is a fair deal.

 

Perhaps I should have worded it to say a bottle of wine you pay $100 for on a cruise is generally about $100 on land when bought at a large liquor discounter.

 

 

In our state you can't buy any alcohol or wine in a store like that. Everything is bought from a State Liquor Store -- and the prices are high.

[mountainmare]

We live in Pa and can't shop around for deals. That's why we love being able to go to Total Wine.

Of course this time we are driving down--through Maryland, we may have to stop along the way.

[sail7seas]

The last couple of cruises that we have been on we were not impressed with the main dining room dinners -- thus we ate more at the Pinnacle and Canaletto.

 

The majority of our nice restaurants charge you for everything. Separate price for appetizer, separate price for salad, separate price for soup, separate price for entree, separate prices for each side dish (potatoes, begetables, etc.) and seprate price for dessert. You would spend well over $25 per person in our restaurants.

 

Same for us..... a la carte.

[mszula]

In these times it seems as though each business has three choices:

 

Raise prices

 

Reduce quality

 

Reduce quantity

 

In this instance I vote for raise prices.

[Sea42]

In these times it seems as though each business has three choices:

 

Raise prices

 

Reduce quality

 

Reduce quantity

 

In this instance I vote for raise prices.

I'd have to say I would prefer they reduce the portion size. In almost every restaurant I find I have so much food leftover. If we're near home it's not as much of a concern as I can bring the leftovers home but when we're on vacation it's just such a waste of food.

[smslms]

I'm referring to what the bottle would cost at Costco vs what you'd pay on a ship. If you're buying wine for home and it is three to four times as much on a cruise, that tends to feel like you're getting gouged. As a businessman, I fully understand markup but there comes a point where you're just flat out taking advantage of people. And, we vote with our wallet when on a ship. Last year aboard the Sapphire Princess, a bottle of Opus One was $104 which is roughly the same price as can be bought on land. In our eyes, that is a fair deal.

 

Perhaps I should have worded it to say a bottle of wine you pay $100 for on a cruise is generally about $100 on land when bought at a large liquor discounter.

 

Not sure what their deal is with Opus, but I still stand by my statement that most wines are marked up by 2.5 - 3 times onboard. I seldom spend more than about $40 - 45 a bottle for wine on a ship because I know I can go home and pull it out of my cellar for a fraction of the cost.

[sail7seas]

I agree about the Opus wine. We had it on Nieuw Amsterdam a few weeks ago.

 

[bepsf]

The cost while it may supplement the over head of provisions provided in the Pinnacle and Tamarind is actually more for limiting Crowd control.

 

Pinnacle was jam-packed our last night out aboard Eurodam - I guess there were a great many people like me who wanted to avoid the MDR for Master Chef/Baked Alaska...

[ASIWISH]

I agree about the Opus wine. We had it on Nieuw Amsterdam a few weeks ago.

 

 

They told us Opus was no longer available on HAL... and that was mid-November!! Thankfully, we brought our own...

 

Maybe they were saving it for you, Sail!

[iancal]

It means that you are going to pay more.

 

It also means that there is enough demand for reservations that HAL does not think that it will negatively impact business.

 

HAL is a business. They will keep increasing the price gradually until they demand falls.

[sail7seas]

They told us Opus was no longer available on HAL... and that was mid-November!! Thankfully, we brought our own...

 

Maybe they were saving it for you, Sail!

 

Seems they loaded more on for Thanksgiving.

[edmusic]

Not sure what their deal is with Opus, but I still stand by my statement that most wines are marked up by 2.5 - 3 times onboard.

Not on Princess as of last year. Opus One was $104. I find it a blatant ripoff that cruise ships mark up a $100 bottle of wine to $250 or $300.

[Opinions]

Why did the price go up? Because the restaurant couldn't handle as many reservation requests as they were getting? Raise the price, fewer people will want to come.

 

Or to cover some of the discount given to Three and Four Star Mariners...... or both? :confused:

 

First, they found out there are those who will pay extra to eat in the extra charge restaurants.(I have not and never will)...Now they are looking to see how much more they will pay!

[edmusic]

Opinions wrote: First, they found out there are those who will pay extra to eat in the extra charge restaurants.(I have not and never will)...Now they are looking to see how much more they will pay!

I guess it's whether it's worth the extra to each person. While the MDR is definitely very good, our experience in the Pinnacle and Tamarind earlier this year was that each was a notch above the MDR and worth the extra. Even Canaletto was a fun and unique experience and it didn't cost extra. To each his own, huh? And, BTW, Tamarind was $15 and Pinnacle was $20 extra pp. Looks like it's creeping up.

[igraf]

Charging extra for Canaletto would be unreasonable as one is basically getting a lot of low-cost pasta in a rather average dining venue (a corner in the Lido buffet). We had dinner in the Canaletto on our last cruise and while it was a change from the main dining room, it was not better than the MDR. Certainly not worth paying extra.

 

igraf

 

 

 

...I would not be surprised to see them start to implement a small charge for Canaletto.

[English_in_Spain]

$25.00 is still a bargain for the Pinnacle. IMO. Where can two people dine in a fine restaurant for $50.00?

 

But the point is that you are not paying $50 for the meal. You are paying $50 extra - above the meal you have already paid for in the MDR.

 

Don't get me wrong. We always eat in the 'extra cost' restaurants at least once on every cruise (not just HAL). We do this not because we think it is cheap or good value or even because the food is better. We just like the special atmosphere you get in these restaurants.

[jtl513]

Charging extra for Canaletto would be unreasonable as one is basically getting a lot of low-cost pasta in a rather average dining venue (a corner in the Lido buffet).

I believe the Canaletto concept was first introduced on the Signature ships to help reduce the crowds in the MDR Open seating with 200 more people (than Vistas) on board, and use otherwise idle space in the Lido at night. Charging for it would go contrary to that purpose.

[oofroggie]

Just remember that at $25 it is still a less money than the $30 it started out as when first opened

[sail7seas]

Just remember that at $25 it is still a less money than the $30 it started out as when first opened

 

 

The point I raised at the start of the thread is also that Three and Four Star Mariners get discount off the price. Three Star get 25% and Four Star get 50% off.