rain_bowbrite Posted December 10, 2013 #1 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Sorry if this question has already been answered already. We sail next week on the Noordam and it's our first time on HAL! :D We definitely want to try the Pinnacle Grill at least once during our cruise and possibly twice. I see that I can pre-purchase 2 dinners online at a $5 discount for $45pp. Does HAL ever offer a better deal once onboard? If so, do they offer a discount for a single dinner at Pinnacle, 2 dinners at Pinnacle, or a Pinnacle/Canaletto option? :confused: Any info anyone has is much appreciated. Trying to figure out if it's best to pre-reserve online or if I should hold out and reserve onboard. Thanks! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiserBruce Posted December 10, 2013 #2 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Not recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headhunterke Posted December 10, 2013 #3 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Not that I'm aware of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipity1499 Posted December 10, 2013 #4 Share Posted December 10, 2013 (edited) If you can get a discount when pre-ordering, IMO that is the best way to go.. Believe HAL only gives three, four & five star Mariner discounts to frequent Psgrs... Just got off the Ryndam yesterday...We could not get a table in the Pinnacle when they had the special le Clerq (sp?) dinner even though we are 4 star Mariners.. We tried to book it the same day & they were full.. Hope you enjoy your first HAL cruise.. Cheers, Betty Edited December 10, 2013 by serendipity1499 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sail7seas Posted December 10, 2013 #5 Share Posted December 10, 2013 I've never heard of any such discounts offered while aboard. Hope you have a great cruise. Do try Pinnacle. We always enjoy our evenings there. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rain_bowbrite Posted December 10, 2013 Author #6 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Thanks everyone for your quick responses and feedback. Sounds like reserving online is the way to go. Will probably go ahead and do the 2 dinner deal for $45pp! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aruba Posted December 10, 2013 #7 Share Posted December 10, 2013 On-board Zaandam last month they were offering a 2 night dining package at PG for $45pp, a $5pp discount. Other than the standard 25% discount for 3- star and 50% discount for 4 & 5-star Mariners, I've never seen another discount offered once on-board. PG is fantastic -- I eat dinner there almost every night of whatever cruise I'm on. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaofami Posted December 10, 2013 #8 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Years ago, when I first started cruising, Hal gave a discount for the first night once on board. But, only for the first night and they haven't done that in years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aruba Posted December 10, 2013 #9 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Will probably go ahead and do the 2 dinner deal for $45pp! :) I don't think you'll be sorry. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sail7seas Posted December 10, 2013 #10 Share Posted December 10, 2013 On-board Zaandam last month they were offering a 2 night dining package at PG for $45pp, a $5pp discount. Other than the standard 25% discount for 3- star and 50% discount for 4 & 5-star Mariners, I've never seen another discount offered once on-board. PG is fantastic -- I eat dinner there almost every night of whatever cruise I'm on. :) Five Star Mariners have two free Pinnacle dinners per cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toad Posted December 10, 2013 #11 Share Posted December 10, 2013 When it first opened it was FREE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kruizers Posted December 10, 2013 #12 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Before Pinnacle Grill, the couple ships that had originally the specialty restaurant, it was called either the Marco Polo or Odyssey. And it was free. What is now called the Neptune Suites -- those people as well as the PS could go as often as they wanted. All other passengers could only go once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kruizers Posted December 10, 2013 #13 Share Posted December 10, 2013 There were not any special offers on our recent Nieuw Amsterdam cruises. Last week I made several Pinnacle reservations for a future cruise and there wasn't special thing like 2 pinnacle dinner for $45. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sail7seas Posted December 10, 2013 #14 Share Posted December 10, 2013 When it first opened it was FREE! Pinnacle was never free. When it first appeared on Zuiderdam, there was a charge. As KK stated, Marco Polo and Odyssey were at no additional cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toad Posted December 10, 2013 #15 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Pinnacle was never free. When it first appeared on Zuiderdam, there was a charge. As KK stated, Marco Polo and Odyssey were at no additional cost. Actually, I guess you are right. This was years ago, and on the Zaandam and Volendam. It may well have been called something else, but it was free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sail7seas Posted December 10, 2013 #16 Share Posted December 10, 2013 (edited) Actually, I guess you are right. This was years ago, and on the Zaandam and Volendam. It may well have been called something else, but it was free. When Rotterdam and Amsterdam came fresh from Fincantieri as new ship, they each had Odyssey Italian Restaurant..... no additional charge. Volendam and Zaandam came from boatyard with Marco Polo Italian Restaurant..... no additional charge. Zuiderdam was the first of the Vista ships and came from Fincantieri with "Pinnacle at Odyssey". The beautiful tile work reading 'Odyssey' had been set into the floor apparently before they decided upon making it Pinnacle. :) They left it in place and that restaruant was the first Pinnacle. It had a charge from the start. Each new ship that followed got a Pinnacle and as the "S" ships went to dry docks, they had one added. They took the former King's Room, the Maitre d's office and a piece of Explorer's Lounge to use as the space where they are located. IMO that is one of the best improvements/additions they made to the ships. :) Edited December 10, 2013 by sail7seas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
innlady1 Posted December 10, 2013 #17 Share Posted December 10, 2013 To the OP: I would book on line and take advantage of the discount. We booked on line on our recent cruise so that we wouldn't be disappointed if we waited and it was sold out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rain_bowbrite Posted December 10, 2013 Author #18 Share Posted December 10, 2013 (edited) Wow, I see my original question has sparked a conversational walk down memory lane. Thanks for sharing the history of the free specialty restaurants the Marco Polo and Odyssey. Sounds like another one of the numerous things HAL has apparently done away with as time has passed. I would have loved to have been able to experience sailing on HAL many years ago...or on any of the cruise lines for that matter. I've only been cruising since 2006 and I've seen the decline that has happened in those short years. Definitely not complaining though, I believe the quality and service that ALL cruise lines currently offer for the price is AMAZING. And here I am asking about specialty restaurant discounts so apparently I'm ok with the status quo of decreased quality for the masses and additional charges for the good stuff and "can I have the good stuff at a discount please". :p Making my 2 dinner reservation today and looking forward to trying the Pinnacle as well as the food in the MDR on the Noordam! :D:D My last cruises have been on Carnival and the food has gotten just barely passable, although my experience at the Emerald specialty restaurant on the Glory is the best food in a ships specialty restaurant I've had to date. It was truly spectacular and I ended up eating there several times. It was better than what I've experienced from the specialty restaurant on Princess and NCL, although I give Le Bistro a close second to Emerald. I still think about that duck...yumm Edited December 10, 2013 by rain_bowbrite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rain_bowbrite Posted December 10, 2013 Author #19 Share Posted December 10, 2013 (edited) There were not any special offers on our recent Nieuw Amsterdam cruises. Last week I made several Pinnacle reservations for a future cruise and there wasn't special thing like 2 pinnacle dinner for $45. Krazy Kruizers, is it possible you might have might have missed the $45 2 dinner package? I'm looking at my reservation right now and it's kind of hidden. When looking at your reservation it's not under the Dining tab like you might think, it's actually under the Indulgences tab listed as the "Evenings in the Pinnacle Package" under "Dining Packages". Evenings in the Pinnacle Package Package includes two Pinnacle Grill dinners.* Package price is per person. *Special event dining (ie. Le Cirque, De Librije, Sommelier Dinner) in Alternative Dining venues are excluded. Packages are per person $45.00 Edited December 10, 2013 by rain_bowbrite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kruizers Posted December 10, 2013 #20 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Okay I see it now - looks as though I can going to spend the afternoon calling Seattle to cancel the reservations I made and rebook the newest deal HAL is offering. Thank you very much!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rain_bowbrite Posted December 10, 2013 Author #21 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Okay I see it now - looks as though I can going to spend the afternoon calling Seattle to cancel the reservations I made and rebook the newest deal HAL is offering. Thank you very much!! Glad you also have the discount on your sailing! ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilvertoGold Posted December 10, 2013 #22 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Speaking of the Marco Polo --- loved the menu, honest to goodnes real Italian, top quality ingredients. The Creme Brulee was outstanding. Nothing on HAL since has even approached a true Creme Brulee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sail7seas Posted December 10, 2013 #23 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Speaking of the Marco Polo --- loved the menu, honest to goodnes real Italian, top quality ingredients. The Creme Brulee was outstanding. Nothing on HAL since has even approached a true Creme Brulee. I agree. The food in Marco Polo and Odyssey was wonderful and the service fabulous. NOTHING at Canaletto compares in any way. We had some truly wonderful evenings in those lovely restaurants. The only down side was they were interior spaces. No windows to the outside though the restaurants were beautifully decorated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kruizers Posted December 10, 2013 #24 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Speaking of the Marco Polo --- loved the menu, honest to goodnes real Italian, top quality ingredients. The Creme Brulee was outstanding. Nothing on HAL since has even approached a true Creme Brulee. We also loved the menu -- really good Italian food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Typhoon1 Posted December 11, 2013 #25 Share Posted December 11, 2013 I remember the days when embarkation day diners received a ten dollar per person discount. I see why it was discontinued, it really didn't do much to encourage diners on embarkation day. The PG was relatively empty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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