Are You a Specialty Restaurant Hold Out?

[nschamp]

But isn't that the whole point of the discussion? Good food is supposed to be a part of what is included, you shouldn't have to pay extra to get it. HAL touts the "Fine Dining" in every locale onboard in all ads and promotions.

 

Two thumbs up!!

[shandryl]

Sail, I apologize for being chatty tonight...........I've been drinking wine lol Everytime i drink wine of think of HAL! They have these wine tasting events that go on while on the ship.........at very little cost to me. Brings back many fond memories :)

 

Thanks for the comments.

I wondered....... :)

 

[sunviking90]

We tried the Pinnacle Grill for the first time recently and LOVED it! We have always enjoyed eating in the MDR and most of the time our meals there are good, but the atmosphere has suffered with cutbacks. The waiters are rushed off of their feet, and it affects the environment. As far as dressing formally goes, we always dress nicely for dinner, but the MDR doesn't really seem like the place for a formal dinner anymore. I used to enjoy dressing up for formal night but it seems like a bit of a farce these days.

We are definitely converts to the Pinnacle Grill now. The service was good, the environment was quiet, intimate and relaxed and the food was wonderful!

Cruising is so much cheaper than it was over 20 years ago when we, as newly weds saved up for our first cruise. It is now something that many of us can afford to do many times a year and the reduced cost shows in the MDR. I dont mind paying extra to dine, as they have to get the money somehow and I feel the value is there.

[BruceMuzz]

Frankly, I enjoy the specialty restaurants but am only willing to pay a small ($25max?) additional fee. Is the Le' Cirque experience worth $39 per person? Well some say it is minimal compared to the cost at actually dining at Le'Cirque, but let us not forget the charge is IN ADDITION to the cruise fare which already includes meals, so it is not $39 per person, it is an additional $39 per person. The only time I was disappointed in a specialty restaurant was when we sailed Princess to Alaska on the Sapphire and the specialty restaurant overwhelmed us with quantity but not quality (no evidence of the "chef's hand" in any of the food). Most nights my husband and I love to eat in MDR at a large table and make new friends. But at least once each cruise we do like an intimate table for 2 in the Pinnacle (this year on his bithday!)

 

Mass Market lines like HAL charge you somewhere between $12 and $15 per day for the 8 meals you have onboard every day.

I'm guessing if you eat at a specialty restaurant, you do not skip the other 7 meals that day to do so. So if you spend a bit extra for a special meal, you can safely say that you are actually spending the cover charge plus $3 to $5 dollars extra for the food you would have eaten in the dining room.

 

Dinner at Le Cirque Restaurant in New York will run you a few hundred dollars per person if you are careful, but remember the ADDITIONAL 20% tip required, and the ADDITIONAL taxi fare plus tip required, or the ADDITIONAL valet parking plus tip required.

Last year I parked a rental car at Le Cirque. The Valet charged me $50 for the parking plus a (required) $10 tip.

Of course I also had to pay an ADDITIONAL $400 per night (plus ADDITIONAL taxes) for the hotel room.

[vicocala]

Mass Market lines like HAL charge you somewhere between $12 and $15 per day for the 8 meals you have onboard every day.

I'm guessing if you eat at a specialty restaurant, you do not skip the other 7 meals that day to do so. So if you spend a bit extra for a special meal, you can safely say that you are actually spending the cover charge plus $3 to $5 dollars extra for the food you would have eaten in the dining room.

 

Dinner at Le Cirque Restaurant in New York will run you a few hundred dollars per person if you are careful, but remember the ADDITIONAL 20% tip required, and the ADDITIONAL taxi fare plus tip required, or the ADDITIONAL valet parking plus tip required.

Last year I parked a rental car at Le Cirque. The Valet charged me $50 for the parking plus a (required) $10 tip.

Of course I also had to pay an ADDITIONAL $400 per night (plus ADDITIONAL taxes) for the hotel room.

 

Bruce, interesting as to the dollars per day, but how do you figure it is eight meals per day? I can see three and a little grazing here and there, but eight?:eek: The rest of your message makes sense, but I do not consider a tip to be required. I tip and tip well, any required tip isn't a tip but a surcharge.

 

PS- I don't feel like looking it up, but if half of the hotel charge is for the dining staff, let's say $6.00 and it is around a 15% gratuity, shouldn't that mean that we are actually paying about $40.00 per day for three meals? That sounds a lot more logical.

[BruceMuzz]

Bruce, interesting as to the dollars per day, but how do you figure it is eight meals per day? I can see three and a little grazing here and there, but eight?:eek: The rest of your message makes sense, but I do not consider a tip to be required. I tip and tip well, any required tip isn't a tip but a surcharge.

 

PS- I don't feel like looking it up, but if half of the hotel charge is for the dining staff, let's say $6.00 and it is around a 15% gratuity, shouldn't that mean that we are actually paying about $40.00 per day for three meals? That sounds a lot more logical.

 

A few years ago I was working for a mass market line that decided to start tracking where each passenger ate throughout the day. We were quite surprised to discover that 30% of the passengers ate breakfast twice every morning. Most had a mid-morning snack after that. Then there was early lunch in the buffet and and a later lunch in the dining room.

Then ice cream in mid afternoon, followed by tea time with sandwiches. Over 40% had early dinner in the buffet, followed by regular dinner in the dining room.

After the show there was the late evenuing snack in the buffet, or something from room service later on.

On my current ship, the dining room staff every evening has a betting pool on how many main courses the more ravenous diners will consume in one sitting. There are always 3 or 4 tables of very serious consumers who will eat the full menu, plus anywhere from 30 to 40 main courses - all consumed by only 6 people. It is quite amazing to watch.

 

You are correct. On ships, a tip is generally not required. But if you eat in a NY City Restaurant and leave less than a 20% tip, there is a very good chance the waiter and manager will follow you onto the street for some serious discussion on your tipping habits.

 

For all the major mass market lines, the wait staff receives about 30% of the daily service charge. Depending on the line, that comes to somewhere between $2.75 and $4.00 per day.

The better mass market lines are charging each passenger around $12 to $15 per day for food, no matter how many meals you eat that day.

So looking at the highs and lows, you could be paying a low of $14.75 per day up to a high of $19.00 per day for all the food and service you receive.

The only exceptions would be Thompson, NCL and Carnival, who spend far less money on the food they serve you.

 

If you decide to eat one of those meals in an extra charge restaurant that has a $25 cover charge, that means your total charge for food AND service for that day - regardless of the number of meals you consumed - could be as low as $39.75 or as high as $44.00.

 

We all have our own ideas on what is good quality and what is expensive, but I cannot think of too many places on planet earth where one can have unlimited dining for 24 hours, free room service, and dinner in a nice restaurant, for a maximum $44.00 and no additional charges.

[cruisemom42]

I've been cruising since the early 1970s and have yet to set foot in a specialty restaurant on any ship.

 

Lest you get the wrong idea about me, I enjoy fine food and I don't mind paying for a good meal in a good restaurant. It's not about the cost or the food itself (although I HIGHLY doubt that the Cirque experience on HAL is anything like the same experience as dining in the actual restaurant....). Nor do I think the MDR food is so great. I just don't agree with the principle of charging extra on board ship for food.

 

I even got a free lunch in the Pinnacle Grill on my last HAL cruise -- never used it.

[KirkNC]

I am fine with a nominal charge for specialty restaurants. We usually go to each at least once per cruise.

[gaylecool]

Are they charging for Canaletto now? What is the charge?I love their antipasto, but the rest of the meal is not good enough to pay an extra charge for IMHO.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Are they charging for Canaletto now? What is the charge?I love their antipasto, but the rest of the meal is not good enough to pay an extra charge for IMHO.

 

 

$10 per person

[Krazy Kruizers]

We love the Pinnacle and Tamarind and feel the price that HAL charges for them is fine.

There is no way we could get a complete dinner for those prices. Most of our best restaurants charge for the appetizer, then for soup, then for ssalad, then for entree, then for the sides and then for dessert. That can add up very quickly to a big bill.

As for Canaletto -- no way will we pay $10 for poor service and poor food.

[gaylecool]

$10 per person

 

 

Thanks! I'll have to think about that next time. I really, really loved the antipasto there, but the rest of the meal was rather mediocre. Not sure I'd be willing to pay $10 for just the antipasto.

 

Pinnacle on the other hand is worth every penny, and I personal;y loved the Le Cirque dinner and would do it again in a heartbeat.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I think everyone should boycott them as it appears the main dining has suffered, not only at HAL but across all the main cruise lines.

 

That said I ate at one once and it was excellent. But if people don't stop supporting them, traditional dining is dead.

 

Boycott the speciality restaurants?? Won't happen.

Before Marco Polo and Odyssey came along, we had no choice put to eat in the main dining room. And we had quite a few dinners that were really bad. Many people were complaining. So the speciality restaurants will not mean that the traditional dining will be dead.

[kazu]

A few years ago I was working for a mass market line that decided to start tracking where each passenger ate throughout the day. We were quite surprised to discover that 30% of the passengers ate breakfast twice every morning. Most had a mid-morning snack after that. Then there was early lunch in the buffet and and a later lunch in the dining room.

Then ice cream in mid afternoon, followed by tea time with sandwiches. Over 40% had early dinner in the buffet, followed by regular dinner in the dining room.

After the show there was the late evenuing snack in the buffet, or something from room service later on.

On my current ship, the dining room staff every evening has a betting pool on how many main courses the more ravenous diners will consume in one sitting. There are always 3 or 4 tables of very serious consumers who will eat the full menu, plus anywhere from 30 to 40 main courses - all consumed by only 6 people. It is quite amazing to watch.

 

 

 

I am just in complete awe with these facts:eek: DH and I are not one of the 30% I guess, so the ship is saving money with us:D

 

Btw - Sail - as to your question - we love the Pinnacle and the Tamarind. The Canaletto has never thrilled us and we don't bother with it. But both the Pinnacle & Tamarind are definitely worth the small surcharge to us:D:D

[Roz]

I've had 2 lunches and 1 dinner in the Pinnacle. They were no better or no worse than the main dining room. I know many people rave about the food and service, but I didn't find either so much better as to pay a surcharge. That said, when I get a Pinnacle meal as a perk from my TA, I'll take it, and I'm curious about Tamarind. I've not been on a ship with a Tamarind, but when I do sail on one, I'll probably pay to dine there.

 

Roz

[Roz]

Bruce,

 

I'm in awe of those stats. Wow! I would look like a beach ball if I ate that often on a cruise.

 

Roz

[mamaofami]

I too am in awe of those facts. I can't believe there are people who really can eat that way.:eek:

[George C]

WE have been doing Specialty Restaurant for over 20 years on any line or ship that have them, we used to do once a cruise, on last 7 night cruise we had dinner at Pinnacle 3 times, Cannellto twice and MDR twice. Pinnacle is a bargain for 25 we eat there more if menu was a little larger.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

We go to the Pinnacle at least one lunch and one dinner per cruise, mainly for a change of pace and different food (but not necessarily better IMO).

 

On the NA tried the Tamarand and liked it. One time we ate at Canelleto - OK but not great Italian food. And I won't pay $10. to go there but have not problems paying for Pinnacle. Don't know why, but on other cruise lines have never gone to a specialty restaurant but may try one on Celebrity Century this coming year. Barbara

[cruz chic]

Bruce,

 

I'm in awe of those stats. Wow! I would look like a beach ball if I ate that often on a cruise.

 

Roz

Yeah, I'm having a REALLY hard time believing that. I wonder which cruise line that was on. While I wouldn't call myself a small eater the only time I've ever had more than 3 meals is when I went to Indonesian tea. I have to think if those stats are true it would be for a VERY small %.

[travelnnana]

Just got off the Nieuw Amsterdam after 37 days - ate at Canelloto - complememtary - Tamarind once at the urging of others - Im allergic to flowers and there was a flower in the soothing tea (this was after they were informed of my allergy) - so by the time I finished coughing - I was not hungry - I have a small appetite - so don't see spending extra for food I will not eat[/i]:)

[innlady1]

"Wow" on those stats from me, too! We never have more than three meals a day on a cruise...a small scoop of ice cream in the afternoon, I usually attend one of the teas during a cruise, and that's about it. Almost 100 days on HAL and we've never been to the Lido in the evening to see what's available there for a "late night snack".

 

We go to Pinnacle at least once for dinner and once for lunch on our cruises and really enjoy it. Canaletto not so much. I'm with the person who said they enjoy the antipasto...the rest is mediocre..

[Krazy Kruizers]

I am just in complete awe with these facts:eek: DH and I are not one of the 30% I guess, so the ship is saving money with us:D

 

Btw - Sail - as to your question - we love the Pinnacle and the Tamarind. The Canaletto has never thrilled us and we don't bother with it. But both the Pinnacle & Tamarind are definitely worth the small surcharge to us:D:D

 

I read what BruceMuzz wrote.

We also are not among the 30% that have multiple meals and snacks every day on the cruise.

The ship is saving money on us as well.

[startwin]

I read what BruceMuzz wrote.

 

We also are not among the 30% that have multiple meals and snacks every day on the cruise.

 

The ship is saving money on us as well.

 

 

Us too. Heck, I have enough problems dealing with what I eat for my three meals a day.... "a mile a meal, no mile no meal". If I were eating that many meals I'd never be off the promenade deck:D

[kakalina]

Amazing numbers from BruceMuzz. Wow. We also eat 3 a day. Once in awhile I go to the tea. Room service late evening sometimes for tea and/or cocoa. Never been to the late night snack. We no longer go to the chocolate extravaganza.

 

We do eat in the PG at least every third night on a 30 day cruise. Lunch about every other day or so. We love the food and the service. Canoletto, to us, is not worth the extra fee. We tried it once this cruise for the new menu and were not impressed.

 

There was a couple on for the full 35 days who dined in the PG every single night. I do wish they would come up with a special each night that is not part of the normal menu fare.