Best nights/times for speciality restaurant res?

[KathiB]

We will be on the Westerdam beginning June 25 for an Alaska cruise. We would like to make reservations one or two nights in either the Italian restaurant or Pinnacle Grill. Is it best to do these on sea days / days when we leave port early, or port days. Also, the time might be important if there are particular shows we want to see. I am leaning towards 7:00pm on a sea day or day when we leave port around 1:00- 3:30 pm (as we do for Sitka and Ketchikan). Any advice is welcome!

[serendipity1499]

We will be on the Westerdam beginning June 25 for an Alaska cruise. We would like to make reservations one or two nights in either the Italian restaurant or Pinnacle Grill. Is it best to do these on sea days / days when we leave port early, or port days. Also, the time might be important if there are particular shows we want to see. I am leaning towards 7:00pm on a sea day or day when we leave port around 1:00- 3:30 pm (as we do for Sitka and Ketchikan). Any advice is welcome!

 

We always book the Pinnacle on a night we are in port because we enjoy formal nights in the MDR which is usually on a sea day..

 

But if you don't care about formal nights in the MDR then book it whenever you want..

[Krazy Kruizers]

You are going to get lots of answers.

We are just the opposite.

We like to go on Formal nights. We have not been impressed with HAL formal night menus.

[dakrewser]

Of course HAL no longer has "formal" nights, but what they choose to call "gala" nights (search the board for "gala" to get scads of opinions on that). Late show is usually at 10, so plan accordingly. The last night menu in the MDR is, we feel, the worst of the week - a good night to dine elsewhere.

[luvteaching]

Good morning,

 

On the Alaska cruise the first full sea day will be a more formal dining experience as well as the day we do Ketchikan (if I remember correctly). Personally, we'd rather do the Pinnacle for lunch and do it the day we go to Victoria. We've found the dinner menu that night one of our least favorite so having the Pinnacle on the Victoria day gives us a good meal and then a good reason to walk all over when we dock in Victoria!

 

Karen

[avian777]

We will be on the Westerdam beginning June 25 for an Alaska cruise. We would like to make reservations one or two nights in either the Italian restaurant or Pinnacle Grill. Is it best to do these on sea days / days when we leave port early, or port days. Also, the time might be important if there are particular shows we want to see. I am leaning towards 7:00pm on a sea day or day when we leave port around 1:00- 3:30 pm (as we do for Sitka and Ketchikan). Any advice is welcome!

 

FWIW, we generally favor 7 pm on sea days for specialty restaurant dinning - this gives us time to get ready and have a drink beforehand without rushing. The one notable exception is when we dine at Canaletto with a larger group of friends/family, then we prefer an 8 pm time so that we can enjoy a nice long dinner without "overstaying our welcome".

 

Another piece of advice: consider going to the "Evening at Le Cirque" which is offered once during each cruise of 11 days or less. Le Cirque is our hands-down favorite dinning experience on HAL ships, and we never miss it.

 

Whatever you decide, be sure to book your reservations early, as the Pinacle Grill (especially on Le Cirque night) tends to sell out quickly.

 

Smooth sailing.

Edited February 27, 2016 by avian777

[GeorgesGal]

You are going to get lots of answers.

We are just the opposite.

We like to go on Formal nights. We have not been impressed with HAL formal night menus.

 

Agreed!

[kazu]

We book several, but always book the last night at the end of any segment on the cruises. Prefer the PG to the last night's menu ;)

[KathiB]

Thank you all. Our first sea day is the first full day (since sailing from Seattle). So would that be a Gala night? Thinking of the specialty restaurant for the day we are Sitka since we sail at 3:30pm. Many state they like the specialty on the last night but our last night is in Victoria so we might want to have dinner in the port or just night worry about it since we will want to enjoy the city. We are only in Victoria from 6:00pm - 12:00. maybe lunch in the Italian would be a good idea that day.

[dakrewser]

Thank you all. Our first sea day is the first full day (since sailing from Seattle). So would that be a Gala night? Thinking of the specialty restaurant for the day we are Sitka since we sail at 3:30pm. Many state they like the specialty on the last night but our last night is in Victoria so we might want to have dinner in the port or just night worry about it since we will want to enjoy the city. We are only in Victoria from 6:00pm - 12:00. maybe lunch in the Italian would be a good idea that day.

 

Canaletto is only for dinner. Dining in Victoria would be excellent, though. Head over to the "Ports of Call" forum for there and ask for some recommendations.

[joepeka]

Of course HAL no longer has "formal" nights, but what they choose to call "gala" nights (search the board for "gala" to get scads of opinions on that). Late show is usually at 10, so plan accordingly. The last night menu in the MDR is, we feel, the worst of the week - a good night to dine elsewhere.

 

We book several, but always book the last night at the end of any segment on the cruises. Prefer the PG to the last night's menu ;)

 

Interesting points about the last night and perhaps dining elsewhere than the MDR. We hadn't really thought much about the last night in the MDR maybe not being up to par with the previous days but definitely something we will keep in mind. Thanks! ;)

[Lizzie68]

Some people here assume that when few people are in the MDR on the last night it is because the are avoiding tipping the servers. Not so - it is because the menu is not very good. We always tip the last but one night and enjoy a meal in the PG instead. However if you are in Victoria go for fish and chips at Fishermans Wharf instead.😉

[retiredkid]

how far in advance are we able to see the menus? Can I, for example see the MDR menus for the next 7 nights?

[SilvertoGold]

OP: you've had lots of opinions, all good!

 

My own advice: just make sure you are hungry. These are serious eating restaurants!

 

Have a super cruise to the Great Land!

[KathiB]

How do I optain a schedule of each nights dinner or dress code? I do not want to make a specialty restaurant reservation only to find it is a formal or gala night. Should we assume gala nights are on sea days? Our first full day is a sea day so would that be a gala night. But there are also two days when we sail from port between 1:00pm - 3:30pm. Anyway to find out our particular sailing schedule. Westerdam, Alaska, round trip out of Seattle, June 25, 2016. Thanks!

[DaveOKC]

We like to do the Pinnacle on the last evening - great way to end the cruise, plus usually the menu in the MDR is not to our liking the last evening for some reason.

[retiredkid]

We like to do the Pinnacle on the last evening - great way to end the cruise, plus usually the menu in the MDR is not to our liking the last evening for some reason.

 

I have read this MANY times. May I ask what is it about the last-night-menu that is unappealing to so many others?

[DaveOKC]

I have read this MANY times. May I ask what is it about the last-night-menu that is unappealing to so many others?

 

Some people may like this menu, some not (from our last night - thanks to Crew News):

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Z2013-Day-11.pdf

Edited February 28, 2016 by DaveOKC

[retiredkid]

Thanks Dave. And Roger.

Funny, you would think that with offerings from around the globe, one would easily find something wonderful. I am presuming that the 'always available' dishes aren't. ;) I agree that some would absolutely love this menu, but we just may check out ressies for the Pinnacle that night too. Thanks again, guys.

[KathiB]

Still hoping for an answer to my question....how does one obtain a schedule so we know where nights are gala nights, etc? I would like to book the specialty restaurant on another night. Perhaps when we leave our ports at 1:00pm or 3:30pm but don't want to miss gala night in the main dining room. Somehow this thread has been hijacked by a discussion of the final night's menu in the main dining room...I listed the info on our itinerary in a post above. Thanks.

[dakrewser]

Still hoping for an answer to my question....how does one obtain a schedule so we know where nights are gala nights, etc? I would like to book the specialty restaurant on another night. Perhaps when we leave our ports at 1:00pm or 3:30pm but don't want to miss gala night in the main dining room. Somehow this thread has been hijacked by a discussion of the final night's menu in the main dining room...I listed the info on our itinerary in a post above. Thanks.

 

There is no way to know with certainty what the dining schedule will be. However, if you list your itinerary some folks here can make an educated guess. Just mentioning the ship and the sailing date is expecting a lot of work out of folks who are voluntarily trying to help.

[DaveOKC]

Thanks Dave. And Roger.

Funny, you would think that with offerings from around the globe, one would easily find something wonderful. I am presuming that the 'always available' dishes aren't. ;) I agree that some would absolutely love this menu, but we just may check out ressies for the Pinnacle that night too. Thanks again, guys.

 

As I recall others stating - the Always Available dishes are not on this menu for some crazy reason.

[JPH814]

Two comments:

 

We will frequently do dinner in a specialty restaurant on the first night on board. I have found that the main dining room is rushed and somewhat disorganized the first night of a cruise. The specialty restaurants are usually easy to book that night and sometimes feature a special (on two occasions it was a free bottle of wine).

 

I also do not understand the problem with the menu on the last night in the MDR. On my recent Zuiderdam, it was kind of an "all-star" repeat of the featured items from the weeks menu. (There was a different chef "featured" each night and there were special menu items each nights from those chefs) The last night menu was no better or worse than the items featured during the week. I know I ordered the prime rib the last night (my waiter gave got me a very generous end-cut) and it was as good as any prime rib I have had in any restaurant anywhere!)

Edited February 29, 2016 by JPH814

[igraf]

What's wrong with beef tenderloin? Sounds good to me!

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

 

Some people may like this menu, some not (from our last night - thanks to Crew News):

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Z2013-Day-11.pdf

[KathiB]

Thank you. Post #21 suggested I post our itinerary so I can get some better advice:

June 25 Seattle, sail at 4:00

June 26 at sea

June 27 Juneau 1:00- 10:00pm

June 28 Glacier Bay

June 29 Sitka 7:00 - 3:30

Ketchikan 7:00- 1:00

July 1 Victoria 6:00- 12:00am

July 2 Seattle 7:00am

 

We would like to book one or two nights in a specialty restaurant. We would prefer to do gala nights in the main dining room. Looking at this itinerary, when would you think the gala nights would be? I am thinking of booking one restaurant on the Sitka or Ketchikan day since we leave port early. The last night we will likely have dinner in Victoria, not on board. Suggestions?