Are You a Specialty Restaurant Hold Out?

[cruz chic]

 

What he did do is mention about every way there is to eat on board with the exception of the Neptune Grill.

 

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Neptune Grill??

[PathfinderEss]

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.

I believe it was the same couple that was on our 30 day cruise last year. I know they re-booked your cruise while on board ours, and they ate at the Pinnacle for30 days, but there also was 2 other couples that did the same thing.

[VermeulT]

There are always complaints about how other people won't dress up on formal nights, that some don't like to see jeans and t-shirts in the MDR .... but, it seems to me, that some of these alterations in behavior start with the cruise line.

 

In my first few cruises, the MDR was an experience -- I really enjoyed dressing up, walking into a beautifully appointed venue, being escorted to my seat and enjoying remarkably good food, efficient yet friendly service, fun conversations with table-mates, wait staff that enjoyed my son ..... but it seems that things changed with the advent of fee based dining. At least ... that is the point that I can recognize that things changed.

 

My first trip with HAL is in a month. I've enjoyed fee based dining on other lines; I've enjoyed open dining on other lines; I've endured MDR with poor, cold food, rump sprung seats an an AC vent shooting down one's neck -- once. Why should anyone dress up to sit for way too long in a beaten up room with netting to protect the diners from a falling ceiling, to receive "good for banquet type food", that has taken far too long to get to you? That isn't a "formal wear" type of place. But ... for an additional fee -- one can receive edible food, in a nice place, with friendly efficient service ... what we used to get in the MDR - included with the price of the ticket.

 

I love cruising ... but the seeming unending changes to create more on board revenue production (and not just fee based dining) fuels (IMHO) a real division in the overall on-board experience, is really diminishing the enjoyment of this type of travel.

 

Sorry, Ma'am S7S... probably way more introspective than you wished -- but this is a point that has been troubling me in preparing for this cruise.

 

you really hit the nail on the head. For me, the experience has also changed. Personally, I believe it has more to do with anytime/freestyle/as you wish dining, more than the specialty restaurants.

The food quality has slipped. And how couldn't it? Instead of a kitchens preparing for 2 services where main courses needed to be ready at 6p & 8:30p, they now need everything ready all the time.

The service slipping due to staffing cutbacks just adds to the less than 5 star experience. The food & service at the Pinnacle and Timarind are worthy of me getting dressed up and enjoying the whole dining experience.

[pdroth]

I have lived in New York City 26 years, have eaten in many restaurants of various levels and have never, ever seen that happen.

 

Ditto. If you leave nothing, it's possible, but unlikely.

[jer_l]

When specialty surcharge restaurants were introduces I wondered why anyone would pay extra when the food in the MDR was generally quite good and the service anywhere from adequate to excellent. Then we decided to try PG on the Veendam several years ago and it was so good that the next cruise we tried it on the Ryndam and then on the Statendam . . . Bottom line is we eat at the PG each time we cruise on HAL.

 

We did decide that we wouldn't try Le Cirque on our upcoming cruise because of the higher charge and the mixed reviews we've read. However, today I went on the HAL website to book an excursion and saw that Le Cirque night is on my birthday on our upcoming cruise--guess I'll find out for myself if it's worth $39 pp.

 

I believe the advent of AYW dining has also been a boost for the specialty restaurants. We were totally uninterested in AYW dining until we had a couple of cruises in a row with less than memorable table mates we gave AYW a try a realized that we actually did like the flexibility of AYW which also prompts us to eat dinner more often at specialty restaurant and occasionally even in the Lido when we just don't feel like sharing a table or having a large meal. After all, no one in the MDR will miss us since we don't have an assigned table or table mates.

 

I think the best part of these changes is that everyone has a choice. For those who like fixed seating with the same waiter and table and table mates every night they can have that. For those who want flexibility in dining choices, they too can have that. Even those who want a little of each have that option.

[dadroy]

I have always been satisfied with the offerings of the MDR. Our next cruise though, we do have reservations at Pinnacle and Tamarind. I figured first JS, might as well try to go upscale the whole way. Of course, in hindsight, made our reservations on both the formal nights (in my opinion the best nights for MDR) but only time will tell whether it is worth the additional cost or not.

 

My wife is enjoys the finer quality meals but eats very small portions, so it may end up where most of menu is unused on her behalf. Which means of course, I will have to help her to leave a happy plate. More for me:D

 

That might explain why when we married I was a svelte 180 pounds and now am a rotund 230. But hey, it just means she has something to hang onto when we swim with the stingrays!!!!:eek:

[Topcat409]

We usually dine once per cruise at the Pinnacle and we love the food and service. We always leave a tip but never know if it is the correct amount and we have seen other folks dining nearby leave nothing. So - leave nothing, leave something or ----? What do other diners do at the upgrade dining venues?

[vicocala]

Those waiters also get part of the tips or hotel charge whatever you want to call it. I see nothing wrong with leaving an extra tip if you got the service you expected or it exceeded your expectations.

[vicocala]

Neptune Grill??

 

Oops, just saw that. That's what I get for trying to have multiple ideas roaming around at the same time.:D

[1aCruise4wks]

Traditional dining won't be dead but it will continue to decline in quality and service. It's already taken a big hit.

[Durban]

Tried out Tamarind last night (Eurodam) we really enjoyed it, did PG night before ok. We got another reservation for Tamarind for Friday ($15/per person) PG is $25 now.

[innlady1]

Tried out Tamarind last night (Eurodam) we really enjoyed it, did PG night before ok. We got another reservation for Tamarind for Friday ($15/per person) PG is $25 now.

 

Glad you enjoyed it, Durban. Make sure they apply your Mariner's Discount!