Celebrating Special Occasions on Zuiderdam

[tarheelmjfan]

My DH & I have narrowed our 20th anniversary cruise down to this one & the Princess Panama Canal cruise. Our vacations are all about great food, so that will be the deciding factor. We do prefer the HAL itinerary, so we're leaning in that direction if the food quality & dining options are similar. Our actual anniversary will be on a sea day, & we want it to be our most memorable day on a cruise ship ever. For this day, we will spare no expense.

 

Now to my questions:

 

Are lunch & dinner at Pinnacle Grill too similar to book both in one day? If it's not advisable, are there any other options for special meals on sea days? Are there any special room service or balcony dining packages we could reserve? (FWIW, we won't be booking a suite.) If we go with this cruise, we'll definitely try to book the Le Cirque meal, as soon as we book the cruise. We can't count on that being offered on our actual anniversary date though.

 

Also, do you have any other suggestions for things we could do that day to make it special? Due to back problems, I can't have massages. So, a couples massage is out. We'd be willing to consider most anything else.

 

Thanks in advance for the help. :)

[RuthC]

Are lunch & dinner at Pinnacle Grill too similar to book both in one day?

Congratulations on reaching 20 years together, and best wishes for 20 more.

 

I don't know that the two meals of lunch and dinner at the Pinnacle are too similar, but I do think it's too much food in one day. When I have lunch there, I am really not interested in much for dinner---and I dine at 8:00!

 

It may not fall on your actual anniversary, but have you considered doing the Renewal of Vows? Every post I have ever read about it was quite positive.

[tarheelmjfan]

Congratulations on reaching 20 years together, and best wishes for 20 more.

 

I don't know that the two meals of lunch and dinner at the Pinnacle are too similar, but I do think it's too much food in one day. When I have lunch there, I am really not interested in much for dinner---and I dine at 8:00!

 

It may not fall on your actual anniversary, but have you considered doing the Renewal of Vows? Every post I have ever read about it was quite positive.

 

Thanks for the kind words. :) My DH & I have no problem with not finishing our food. It's common for us to order more than we eat in order to experience a greater variety. We would probably be fine with 2 meals in a day. It would be better, if they were spaced pretty far apart.

 

I hadn't thought about a vow renewal for this cruise. We were thinking maybe for our 25th, but I'll ask my DH what he thinks about moving it up.

 

Thanks so much for your help.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Congratulations on your 20th!!

You can order room service for dinner from the main dining room's menu any night you want to. Just go to the main dining room after 12 Noon to look at the menu or at any bar. You can call room service to place your order around 5:15 and request any time you want it delivered.

The portions at the Pinnacle are huge.

I'll post the menus.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Pinnacle Lunch Menu

Menu - $10 per person - can not be booked until you are on the ship.

Starters:

1)Grilled Prawn Bruschetta with a primavera salsa - aged asiago cheese and balsamic fusion

2)Mediterranean antipasto plate - pesto virgin olive oil

3)Scallops creme brulee - caramelized parmesean wafer

4)Northwest five onion soup - tomato shallot soubise

5)Chilled carrot and ginger soup - creme faiche and fried sage

6)Chiffanade of greens and tomato tower salad - Italian vinaigritte

Entrees:

1)Pacific rim beef salad - mesclun leaves, mangoes and lotus fruit

2)Alaskan halibut fillet sandwich - sour dough bread, cilantro relish and cucumber potato salad

3)Crab and shrimp cake - exotic fruit chutney, lime Thai curry sauce and orange rice with pine nuts

4)The Pinnacle burger - apple smoked bacon, cheddar cheese and bistro style shoestring potatoes. This dish can be served with a low carb bun and without the potatoes.

5)Sterling silver beef tenderloin with Oregon blue cheese crust - grilled asparagus and scalloped potatoes

6)Penne with grilled chicken breast, lemon basil sauce, sun dried tomatoes and arugula

7)Vegetarian couscous - grilled vegetables and fried mint leaves and harissa

 

Desserts:

1)Fresh strawberries with raspberry sorbet - sugar dough gaufrette

2)Chocolate brownie decadence - an explosion of chocolate

3)Orange and lime panna cotta

4)Ice creams and sorbets - ask for the day's selections

5)Fruit plate

[Krazy Kruizers]

Pinnacle Menu - $25 per person -- can be booked online, via Ship Services at 1-800-541-1576 or once on the ship

 

The Beginning:

French Onion Soup King Louis XV - beef broth with aged cognac & caramelized onions, baked with gruyere croutons

Spicy Chicken Coconut Soup - fragrant coconut milk & lemon grass

Lobster Bisque - crème fraiche & aged sherry

Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail - brandy horseradish cocktail sauce

Vine Ripened Beefsteak Tomato Salad - sliced purple onion, balsamic vinaigrette or blue cheese dressing

Baby Arugula Salad - tossed with sliced red onion, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and a warm bacon dressing topped with smoked bacon & chopped egg

Caesar Salad - crisp romaine tossed with very own Caesar dressing, grated parmesan cheese, garlic croutons and anchovies, prepared tableside

Dungeness Crab Cakes - spiral shaved cucumber & sweet chili-mustard sauce

Pinnacle Ocean Platter - carpaccio of lightly smoked salmon, accompanied with hot smoked salmon, sea scallops and wasabi cream

The Intrique:

Land & Sea - master chef Rudi Saloman’s interpretation of Surf & Turf - filet mignon and jumbo prawns on whipped potatoes with garlic, rosemary beurre blanc

Lobster Macaroni & Cheese - chef’s favorite: a delicate gratineed combination of mascarpone-enriched pasta and creamy lobster broth with chunks of lobster

Roasted vegetable tower -- with onion confit and tomato coulis

 

 

 

The Grill:

Filet Mignon, New York Strip Steak, Bone-In Rib Eye Steak, Porterhouse - served with our own hand crafted sauces: sun-dried tomato; Master Chef's green peppercorn bearnaise; horseradish mustard; hollandaise; maitre d' garlic butter

 

Colorado Lamb Chops - spiced apple chutney & fresh mint jelly

 

Grilled Veal Chop - marinated overnight in a savory blend of rosemary, garlic & pepper vinegar with scallions

 

Chicken Breast - stuffed with spinach & garlic herb cheese & served with lemon garlic beurre blanc sauce

 

Filet Steak Diane - pan-seared medallions of beef tenderloins & enriched with mushrooms & cognac

 

Filet Mignon Burger - a half-pound of freshly ground beef, fin herbs & truffle-infused

 

 

Sea Food:

Broiled King Salmon - troll caught (for sustainability) in Alaskan waters, quick seared & broiled, served with your choice of lemon garlic herb splash or sesame-soy kalbi

 

Broiled or Poached Lobster Tail - on a bed of wilted spinach & arugula, mustard seed & "mangochurri" pesto sauce or melted butter

Cedar Planked Black Cod with Shrimp Scampi - roasted garlic & cilantro butter

 

Pinnacle Signature Skewers:

 

Beef Delight - beef tenderloin marinated with parsley, onion, thyme, rosemary & marjoram

 

Tantalizing Lamb - lamb loins marinated with herbs, garlic, cumin, honey, coriandor & red chilies, served with yogurt sauce

 

Chicken & Turkey Temptation - with onion confit & tomato coulis

 

Delectable Seafood - shrimps & swordfish, seasoned with lemon, paprika, garlic, mustard, cayenne & dill

 

Vegetarian Zen - array of mixed vegetables seasoned with herbs de provence

 

 

Side Dishes:

Creamed Spinach, Sautéed Button Mushrooms, Sautéed Onions, Asparagus, Scalloped, Whipped, Jumbo Baked or Shoestring Potatoes and/or Basmati Rice

 

The Finale:

Not-So-Classic Baked Alaska, Warm Grand Marnier Chocolate Volcano Cake, Velvet Soufflé – Chocolate or Vanilla, Creamy Homemade Raspberry Cheesecake, Chocolate And Raisin Bread Pudding, Pinnacle Crème Brulee, Fresh Seasonal Fruits and Berries, Premium Ice Cream or Sorbets and/or the Assortment of International Cheeses.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Why not have breakfast in bed on your special day?

Cabin Breakfast Menu

Preferred Time Frame

6 AM - 6:30 AM 7 AM - 7:30 AM 8 AM - 8:30 AM 9 AM - 9:30 AM

6:30 AM - 7 AM 7:30 AM - 8 AM 8:30 AM - 9 AM 9:30 AM - 10 AM

Juices

Grapefruit; Orange:; Cranberry; V-8; Prune, Tomato

Fresh Fruit

Half Grapefruit; Sliced Bananas; Diced Oranges; Mixed Fruit; Seasonal Melons; Stewed Prunes

Low Fat Yogurt

Plain; Fruit

Breads

English Muffin; White Toast; Wheat Toast; Rye Toast; Danish; Croissant; Blueberry Muffin; Bran Muffin; Bagel

Preserves

Assorted Jams; Marmalade; Honey; Butter; Margarine; Cream Cheese

Cereals

Corn Flakes; Special K; Mueslix; Raisin Bran; Granola; Fruit Loops; Frosted Flakes; Rice Krispies; Shredded Wheat

With: Milk; 2% Milk; Skim Milk

 

Eggs & Meats

Two Eggs: Scrambled or sunnyside up or over easy

Omelet: With Cheese or With Ham and Cheese

Eggbeaters: Scrambled or Omelet with Cheese or Omelet with Ham and Cheese

Meat: Ham or Sausage or Bacon

Beverages

Regular Coffee; Decaf Coffee; Tea; Hot Chocolate; Milk; 2% Milk; Skim Milk; Half & Half

 

If you can wait until the main dining room opens -- usually 7:30 on port days and 8 on sea days, you can write in anything you want like Eggs Benedict. Waffles, Chocolate croisants, etc.

[NoobCruise]

My DH & I have narrowed our 20th anniversary cruise down to this one & the Princess Panama Canal cruise. Our vacations are all about great food, so that will be the deciding factor. We do prefer the HAL itinerary, so we're leaning in that direction if the food quality & dining options are similar. Our actual anniversary will be on a sea day, & we want it to be our most memorable day on a cruise ship ever. For this day, we will spare no expense.

 

Now to my questions:

 

Are lunch & dinner at Pinnacle Grill too similar to book both in one day? If it's not advisable, are there any other options for special meals on sea days? Are there any special room service or balcony dining packages we could reserve? (FWIW, we won't be booking a suite.) If we go with this cruise, we'll definitely try to book the Le Cirque meal, as soon as we book the cruise. We can't count on that being offered on our actual anniversary date though.

 

Also, do you have any other suggestions for things we could do that day to make it special? Due to back problems, I can't have massages. So, a couples massage is out. We'd be willing to consider most anything else.

 

Thanks in advance for the help. :)

 

Congratulations on 20!

 

They can do other massages. I've already had one spinal fusion and have a second vertebra sliding with a torn disc, an impinged nerve root, and a large cyst on my spinal cord. I'm trying to put off a second fusion, so I know where you're coming from. If you tell them to stay away from an area and why, they usually will. I tell them to stay away from my lower back, and they'll focus on head, neck, shoulders, arms and legs. They're completely relaxing, even though they don't touch the lower half of my back. If a massage is something you think you would like, don't scratch it off! You have a whole lot more body to work with then just your back :) and you can always say "stop!"

[PathfinderEss]

Personally I think there is enough difference in the Pinnacle menu to eat there on the same day but like I believe Ruth said thats alot of food. You said you like food, and I say then Hal is for you. I've done Princess and their food is eatable but not near as good as Hollands IMO. Yes please do Le Cirque, you will enjoy it.

[tarheelmjfan]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

Congratulations on your 20th!!

 

You can order room service for dinner from the main dining room's menu any night you want to. Just go to the main dining room after 12 Noon to look at the menu or at any bar. You can call room service to place your order around 5:15 and request any time you want it delivered.

 

The portions at the Pinnacle are huge.

 

I'll post the menus.

 

Thanks for the congrats & all the great info.

 

The Pinnacle menus looks fabulous. I can see us dining there several times for lunch & dinner. We're used to pacing ourselves & not cleaning our plates. I never do that, so the portion size doesn't really concern me. I was mostly concerned with variety & quality. It sounds like they have that covered for both meals. For curiosity, how does "The Intrigue" part of the menu work? What courses are those option considered? I can't tell if it's two entrees & one side or 1 entree & 2 sides. Are they an additional fee. The lobster mac & cheese sounds good to me. My DH would probably like the surf & turf. It really doesn't matter either way. I'm just curious how they fit into the meal.

 

I really like the fact that HAL allows all their guests to order from the expanded breakfast menu. One of our favorite things about cruising is breakfast on the balcony. We usually order room service & eat out there every morning. It's not vacation, if I don't start the day with a chocolate croissant. It's my vacation guilty pleasure. Guess what I'd be ordering every morning? :D

 

Congratulations on 20!

 

They can do other massages. I've already had one spinal fusion and have a second vertebra sliding with a torn disc, an impinged nerve root, and a large cyst on my spinal cord. I'm trying to put off a second fusion, so I know where you're coming from. If you tell them to stay away from an area and why, they usually will. I tell them to stay away from my lower back, and they'll focus on head, neck, shoulders, arms and legs. They're completely relaxing, even though they don't touch the lower half of my back. If a massage is something you think you would like, don't scratch it off! You have a whole lot more body to work with then just your back :) and you can always say "stop!"

 

Thanks for the congrats & suggestion. I have a deteriorating spine, so my doctor says to not let anyone near any part of my back. I also have nerve damage, which causes spasms in my back & legs. The last time I got a pedicure the lady was massaging my legs & I about came out of the seat. I think I scared the poor girl to death. :o Needless to say, I no longer have pedicures. I do love having my hair brushed & fixed, but they may think it's a bit weird for my DH & I to go in for a couples hair brushing. :p I'm sorry you also have back problems. They can be extremely limiting.

 

Personally I think there is enough difference in the Pinnacle menu to eat there on the same day but like I believe Ruth said thats alot of food. You said you like food, and I say then Hal is for you. I've done Princess and their food is eatable but not near as good as Hollands IMO. Yes please do Le Cirque, you will enjoy it.

 

We're all about quality food. That's the one thing that can make or break a trip for us. We're pretty laid back & take everything else in stride. We've sailed on Celebrity in the past & have enjoyed a combination of meals in the MDR & specialty restaurants. I'm glad to see HAL also has good food. Le Cirque will be the 2nd thing we book. We'll book the cruise, then book it immediately after. :D