LeCirque worth difference from Pinnacle Grill

[TNhome]

Have seen some post from some who think the price difference for LeCirque is not worth the extra over Pinnacle Grill, and others who say it is not to be missed. If we choose only one which should it be.

[CruiseWhere]

My choice would be The Pinnacle Grill!

[OlsSalt]

We did not think Le Cirque was worth the extra cost but we are glad we did it once. The Pinnacle has upgraded itself so much in the past several years we are more than happy to just stick with them.

[kakalina]

I agree. We prefer the Pinnacle Grill menu over Le Cirque. We did not enjoy it the one time we tried it.

[taxmantoo]

$25 compared to $40 :rolleyes: Definitely not worth it! Additionally, Le Cirque has a very limited menu . You can practically have 2 Pinnacle dinners for the price of 1 Le Cirque.

[hotzej]

I have to agree with this board...not worth the price. The menu was very limited, the soup was horrible and the staff was over worked so were not as attentive as I like in the Pinnacle. Overall our experience plus some of the others we met on the Statendam did not enjoy our dinner. Most all cancelled their next reservations. We had three set dates for this meal on our latest cruise....I am sure we will not go again. We do enjoy the Pinnacle Grill and the menu there is great.

[Vict0riann]

We prefer the Pinnacle Grill dinner. Definitely.

[lcand1923]

If you can only do one, do the Pinnacle Grill. The menu is more extensive.

[TNhome]

Thank you all so very much for your quick response. We have cancelled our LeCirque reservations and purchased Pinnacle Grille instead. Thanks for the great advice.

[OlsSalt]

Thank you all so very much for your quick response. We have cancelled our LeCirque reservations and purchased Pinnacle Grille instead. Thanks for the great advice.

 

Now we'll give you advice about what to order. :cool: I loved the lamb kebab skewer and the chicken coconut soup. Stuck in a rut - I order this now every time and never disappointed, though each time it is a bit different depending on the chef. The Pinnacle lunch menu is also tops - one of the best meals I have had on the high seas in the Rotterdam Pinnacle for lunch.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We love both Le Cirque and Pinnacle.

You won't know if you like or don't like Le Cirque until you try it for yourself.

[cruisetrail]

Thank you all so very much for your quick response. We have cancelled our LeCirque reservations and purchased Pinnacle Grille instead. Thanks for the great advice.

 

You've made a mistake.

 

"Limited" menu is not always bad. It depends on what is included.

The number of Eiffel Towers is limited too.

LeCirque has a status of a "Special Event" at Pinnacle Grill.

I've been there (Pinnacle, LeCirque, Tamarind) many times. So I can skip or add some "events" in the future with no questions.

You seem to be a first timer.

So some things are a must for the first timers. It's not about how to save $15 on a $1000 cruise. It's about "A taste of HAL specialty cuisine".

This is how I see it.

 

Lobster salad + Chateaubriand (the best meat course I ever had on a cruise ship).

 

My way: if you are interested in specialty dining - go for it!

I never asked if Murano on Celebrity was worth money. I wanted to try (to test!) Celebrity, so their top option went in my list automatically.

Same for Disney. They charge crazy money, but I had no options: I cannot cruise on a new (to me) ship and leave questions behind me...

Edited November 23, 2013 by cruisetrail

[cruisetrail]

How to cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam:

 

Cabin

Save and get the largest inside cabin at sea (J on deck 1)

Dining

2 formal nights at MDR

1 Pinnacle

1 LeCirque

1 Tamarind

1 Evening at Lido Buffet - get some rest of restaurants and enjoy informal dining

Breakfast - Lido buffet - best breakfasts at sea. Early risers take it all. No room service!

Pools

Sea View pool - aft pool for adults only has real sea views

Well-being

Be on the beautiful wrap-around promenade in the morning. Jog a few circles. Get your endorphin level burst. Repeat it in the afternoon. Try padded loungers.

Book Hydropool &Thermal suite for 7 days.

Check gym once a day.

Try one of the largest sports court at sea.

Enjoy a huge and private sun deck midships.

Still don't know how to spend money you saved? Book a Retreat cabana.

Enrichment

Eurodam & Nieuw Amsterdam are floating museums of art and maritime history. Enjoy.

Itinerary

Eastern Caribbean Grand Turk + Half Moon Cay = Two days in Paradise.

 

Use this recipe and realize that your previous cruises were a prelude to a real Cruise Ship.

[cruz chic]

You've made a mistake.

 

"Limited" menu is not always bad. It depends on what is included.

The number of Eiffel Towers is limited too.

LeCirque has a status of a "Special Event" at Pinnacle Grill.

I've been there (Pinnacle, LeCirque, Tamarind) many times. So I can skip or add some "events" in the future with no questions.

You seem to be a first timer.

So some things are a must for the first timers. It's not about how to save $15 on a $1000 cruise. It's about "A taste of HAL specialty cuisine".

This is how I see it.

 

Lobster salad + Chateaubriand (the best meat course I ever had on a cruise ship).

 

My way: if you are interested in specialty dining - go for it!

I never asked if Murano on Celebrity was worth money. I wanted to try (to test!) Celebrity, so their top option went in my list automatically.

Same for Disney. They charge crazy money, but I had no options: I cannot cruise on a new (to me) ship and leave questions behind me...

 

With all due respect maybe what is important to you is not important to someone else. Does it really matter if you asked the question or not? I went to the sommeliers dinner on the Westerdam in 2011. What a waste of money. Others do like it.

[cruisetrail]

With all due respect maybe what is important to you is not important to someone else.

 

Very possible!

 

That was "My Way".:)

[prescottbob]

Ahoy!

 

We enjoy several visits to the PG for both lunch & dinner depending on the length of the cruise.

 

With that said, we also enjoy the Le Cirque format along with avaialble 'Chef' dinners, 'Sommier' Dinners or 'Wine Master' dinners or whatever the lexicon of the day is invloved during the cruise.

 

To be quite honest we ask our wine steward on the first night of any HAL cruise if there is any sort of special 'pairing' / 'special' chef dinner (usually limited to 12 folks or so) avaialable during the voyage & reserve it ASAP.

 

Thus far, we've never been disappointed.

 

If your on a cruise a few bucks extra shouldn't really be an issue IMHO.

 

In any event, enjoy,enjoy, enjoy!

 

Bon Voyage & good Health!

 

Bob

[TNhome]

Thank you very much for sharing your opinions. It's really not about the money it was more the enjoyment of the evening. If the menu and experience were better at PG and the prices were the same or more we would probably go with the PG after reading many favorable posts.

[shrimp56]

The best meal I've had on HAL was Pinnacle Grille for lunch on the Veendam. Tamarind on Eurodam was VERY a close second.

Edited November 23, 2013 by shrimp56

[OlsSalt]

The best meal I've had on HAL was Pinnacle Grille for lunch on the Veendam. Tamarind on Eurodam was VERY a close second.

 

What did you have on the Veendam for lunch at the PG, since we are soon to be on her. Did you try the PG for dinner too?

 

The PG lunch I enjoyed so much on the Rotterdam was an exquisite antipasto that was 100 x better than Canaletto offers which is okay but not great like tho one, a hamburger (!) and an orange panna cotta. Everything was so good, and the hamburger was a delight in itself. Comfort food meal mid-cruise and thousands of miles from home.

[pdroth]

I loved Le Cirque.

 

For $39 pp it's a steal. If you love fine dining, that is. If not, save your money.

 

I work 2 blocks from Le Cirque in Manhattan and can tell you the experience on HAL is definitely worth it for the money. You can't eat at the real restaurant for less than $200 a couple.

 

Like I said though, if you don't enjoy fine dining and are more a meat and potatoes diner you won't appreciate even if it was free.

[Oville]

We were on the NA last cruise and ate at both. We thought Le Cirque was a big ripoff, basically the same food we had a few nights before when we dined at PG. Next time we'll do two PGs and two Tamarinds.

[bphman]

I enjoyed Le Cirque. I prefer the one in New York but the one on Westerdam was enjoyable. I enjoyed the experience and the service was top notch. It is more than just the food. You just have to decide if the experience is worth it to you. I think it is.

[trixiee]

Did it last cruise, and have booked again for my upcoming cruise! I like to pretend I'm a foodie! ;)

[kakalina]

How to cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam:

 

Cabin

Save and get the largest inside cabin at sea (J on deck 1)

Dining

2 formal nights at MDR

1 Pinnacle

1 LeCirque

1 Tamarind

1 Evening at Lido Buffet - get some rest of restaurants and enjoy informal dining

Breakfast - Lido buffet - best breakfasts at sea. Early risers take it all. No room service!

Pools

Sea View pool - aft pool for adults only has real sea views

Well-being

Be on the beautiful wrap-around promenade in the morning. Jog a few circles. Get your endorphin level burst. Repeat it in the afternoon. Try padded loungers. Book Hydropool &Thermal suite for 7 days.

Check gym once a day.

Try one of the largest sports court at sea.

Enjoy a huge and private sun deck midships.

Still don't know how to spend money you saved? Book a Retreat cabana.

Enrichment

Eurodam & Nieuw Amsterdam are floating museums of art and maritime history. Enjoy.

Itinerary

Eastern Caribbean Grand Turk + Half Moon Cay = Two days in Paradise.

 

Use this recipe and realize that your previous cruises were a prelude to a real Cruise Ship.

 

 

My bolding. Just FYI there is no jogging allowed on the wrap around Promenade Deck. If one wishes to jog one must go to the Sports Deck. For those whose cabins are located on or under that deck have to put up with the very loud noise of joggers.

Once we were attempting to sleep and someone was jogging at 11pm. You could hear them coming when they made the turn and just lay there anticipating them getting to your window, and then the slowly echo as the sounds died away - only to repeat minutes later. Very, very annoying.

[OlsSalt]

My bolding. Just FYI there is no jogging allowed on the wrap around Promenade Deck. If one wishes to jog one must go to the Sports Deck. For those whose cabins are located on or under that deck have to put up with the very loud noise of joggers.

Once we were attempting to sleep and someone was jogging at 11pm. You could hear them coming when they made the turn and just lay there anticipating them getting to your window, and then the slowly echo as the sounds died away - only to repeat minutes later. Very, very annoying.

 

Excellent reminder - good catch.

 

There are at least three [B]signs posted [/b]on the ship that need to be embedded every ship's Passengers Code of Honor, because their misuse deeply affects the mutual cruise enjoyment of other fellow passengers:

 

1. No jogging on the wrap around Promenade deck

2. Do not force your balcony door open, day or night

3. Do not dispose any prohibited items down the toilet