Specialty dining - how often?

[DC1979]

I am currently half way between a two and three star Mariner, so I’ve done some cruising (all with HAL) but not a ton. I have not been to the specialty restaurants yet, other than lunch at the Tamarind twice when it was free. I’m going with my parents on a 7 night cruise shortly and wanted to mix things up a bit.

 

Obviously there is no right answer, but how many nights would you book specialty dining? Would you say it’s a significantly better experience versus main dining? I don’t mind spending the extra money if the experience is worth it, but would hate to spend extra and then feel disappointed. I’ve booked 2 nights at the Tamarind, 1 at the Pinnacle and 1 at Canaletto. The other three I am leaving as main dining (the goal being both gala nights at the main dining room plus one standard day). I figured that is a good combination so it won’t be repetitive. I can’t ask my parents their opinion as I am surprising them with the dinners. I’m just curious what you experts would do - more nights or less nights? Different combination or skip one altogether? Again I know there’s no right answer, I’m just interested in hearing some opinions. Thanks!

[CruiserBruce]

Its up to you...as you say, there is no right answer. You may or may not feel it was worth it...depends on your taste in the various foods, which is subjective.

 

We have enjoyed our meals at all 3 restaurants and will go ago in the future. DW particularly like Pinnacle, for me its a tie between Pinnacle and Tamarind.

[bobjoek]

You are correct, there are no right answers, but just lots of opinions. :D My opinion is I rate Tamarind as excellent, Pinnacle Grill as very good and Canaletto as barely good. However, YMMV. Your plan looks good.

 

Bob

[Hlitner]

Agree with cruiser Bruce. In our last few hundred HAL days we have totally avoided the Pinnacle for dinner...but do love going to that venue when they have lunch. But we have friends who love the Pinnacle and like eating there at least twice a week. We just returned from a 21 day Celebrity cruise where we had 14 dinners (our of 21) in the alternative restaurants. I guess you could say we have long been underwhelmed by dinner in the Pinnacle and wish that HAL would totally revamp the menu, concept, and quality. Perhaps some HAL staff could sneak into Celebrity's Murano restaurant and learn how to run a quality facility at sea.

 

Hank

[RocketMan275]

On our next cruise, we've booked two PG, one in canaletto, and a Sel de Mer (the pop up). The last three nights we've left open. We probably will do the Lido for those. Although we might book another PG and/or another Canaletto. We usually avoid the MDR. We find it too loud and too crowded. It's possible that we might do a dinner in the MDR but it will not be on a Gala Night. While some claim there is a better menu there on Gala Nights, you can get the same lobster/filets/etc in the Lido.

 

BTW, we were impressed with Canaletto on our last cruise.

[jenp123]

it depends on the ship. I was on the Rotterdam last year in Feb and found the main dining room to be pretty terrible. I ate at the pinnacle most nights. I was on the eurodam in Sept and the main dining room was the best food I have had on a ship and ate there more often but did one night in tamarind which I love and one night in the pinnacle.

 

I was on the koningsdam for 21 days and the dining room was good. ate specialty about 7/21 days.

[kazu]

we usually average a PG every 7 days on our cruises.

 

and extras possibly for special occasions.

 

Other than one cruise we have found the PG very good. The exception has enough cancellations that you would have thought someone would have said why and even though the PG manager didn't, someone else did.

 

So we book what we want and know we can cancel (hope not) if things aren't right ;)

 

for us, at least once a week and defintely a few PG lunches on sea days ;)

[Krazy Kruizers]

You know what your parents like to eat.

We gave up on the dining room several years ago because of the poor quality of the food -- JMO. We love the Pinnacle and Tamarind. On a ship that does have the Tamarind, we will eat there more.

Only you can decide where to spend your other 3 dinners.

[OceanTraveller4ever]

Have not been to the PG dinner for a long time, even tho there is a 50 percent discount as 4 stars. I have been spoiled with the olden days of Stirling silver beef, and find the present RR beef subpar.

HAL's cost cutting reflects as quality lessening.

The PG lunches are great value however...

[navybankerteacher]

While PG is a notch above MDR, I have generally found HAL's MDR food and service to be perfectly adequate - and the uptick to PG not that significant.

 

We prefer to reserve our discretionary "dining out" expenditures for places at home which we find to be truly superior at preparing things we cannot, or do not want to, do at home.

[DaveOKC]

Dining options are definitely a "personal" choice situation, so this is a tough question to answer.

 

I like the Tamarind and find it well worth the extra charge. Only problem is that it is only on 3 ships right now.

 

The Pinnacle Dinner has gone downhill in my eyes the past several years and to me is not worth the $35 pp extra charge (plus extra if you want the lobster tail which used to be included). We just dined there last Tuesday on the Oosterdam and noticed some food cutbacks and very slow service (over 2 hours for dinner).

 

The Pinnacle Lunch however was a great meal and well worth the price IMO. Generally it is only offered on sea days, thus can sometimes be hard to book.

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

While PG is a notch above MDR, I have generally found HAL's MDR food and service to be perfectly adequate - and the uptick to PG not that significant.

 

We prefer to reserve our discretionary "dining out" expenditures for places at home which we find to be truly superior at preparing things we cannot, or do not want to, do at home.

 

I very much agree with you!

[RuthC]

I like to dine at the Pinnacle about once a week on my cruises. If I'm on a ship that has a Tamarind, and friends want to dine there, I will join them. That's a substitution for one of the Pinnacle dinners since they are both very large meals. Otherwise I would rather eat at the Pinnacle than the Tamarind.

I don't eat at Canaletto.

[TiogaCruiser]

How nice of you to treat your parents to specialty dining.

 

You might like to take a look at the menus. Not sure if these are all current, but they appear recent. They’re from CrewNews’ website:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/specialty-2/hal-regular-and-specialty-restaurants/hal-specialty-restaurant-menus/

[DC1979]

Thank you all for your opinions/advice. I know food is very subjective, but I do like to hear different opinions. You never know when someone will bring something up that you haven’t thought of. I think I’m going to stay with my current plan ( 2 Tamarind, 1 PG and 1 Canaletto) - it’s time to try them all, but I do think based on the menus we will prefer Tamarind so I planned an extra night there! I’ll be sure to report my experience afterwards in case it will help someone else down the road!! Less than a month to go. Woo hoo!

[cbr663]

Besides the food, the one thing that elevates the Tamarind above all other dining venues is the outstanding service. We have always found the service in the Tamarind very warm and inviting with a perfect personal touch. The PG service can be perfunctory and stiff at times and the Canaletto service can feel rushed and impersonal.

[sail7seas]

Have not been to the PG dinner for a long time, even tho there is a 50 percent discount as 4 stars. I have been spoiled with the olden days of Stirling silver beef, and find the present RR beef subpar.

HAL's cost cutting reflects as quality lessening.

The PG lunches are great value however...

 

 

My recent Vendamcruise, Pinnacle as so badd I woulddn't even go ffor my frive Star free dinner. I ewas very disappoined as I had looked forward to nice Pinnacle dinners but I left the ship with a verylow opinion of tghe Pinnacle Manager. Not only did he do an awful job butt he didn't seem o care when people were not sat isfiied. He was most inhospitable on top of it. I hope he is no long er with HAL.

[sail7seas]

Have not been to the PG dinner for a long time, even tho there is a 50 percent discount as 4 stars. I have been spoiled with the olden days of Stirling silver beef, and find the present RR beef subpar. HAL's cost cutting reflects as quality lessening. The PG lunches are great value however...

My recent Vendamcruise, Pinnaclew as so badd I woulddn't even go ffor myFrive Star free dinner just tossed it as worthless. I preferred to eat in MDR than free Pinnacle dinner.

 

 

 

It was . I was very disappoined as I had looked forward to nice Pinnacle dinners but I left the ship with a verylow opinion of tghe Pinnacle Manager. Not only did he do an awful job butt he didn't seem o care when people were not sat isfiied. He was most inhospitable on top of it. I hope he is no long er with HAL.

[sail7seas]

Have not been to the PG dinner for a long time, even tho there is a 50 percent discount as 4 stars. I have been spoiled with the olden days of Stirling silver beef, and find the present RR beef subpar. HAL's cost cutting reflects as quality lessening. The PG lunches are great value however...

My recent Vendamcruise, Pinnaclew as so badd I woulddn't even go ffor myFrive Star free dinner just tossed it as worthless. I preferred to eat in MDR than free Pinnacle dinner. It was . I was very disappoined as I had looked forward to nice Pinnacle dinners but I left the ship with a verylow opinion of tghe Pinnacle Manager. Not only did he do an awful job butt he didn't seem o care when people were not sat isfiied. He was most inhospitable on top of it. I hope he is no long er with HAL. I disliked his running of Pinnacle so much, I didn't even go to lunch.

[kevingastreich]

Besides the food, the one thing that elevates the Tamarind above all other dining venues is the outstanding service. We have always found the service in the Tamarind very warm and inviting with a perfect personal touch. The PG service can be perfunctory and stiff at times and the Canaletto service can feel rushed and impersonal.

 

I've only eaten in the Tamarind once (On NA in April 2017) and I must say...It was THE best service of any restaurant I have ever experienced...and I've been around.

[players]

Dining Room on the Rotterdam last week was not good. Menu selection, preparation and service was poor and the servers never smiled!

[Epicureangirl]

I only have a few HAL cruises under my belt (2* mariner), but most meals we have in the MDR we consider perfectly adequate, provided it comes to the table at the right temperature. We are foodies, and think HAL does a good job across the board for the price-point of the cruise. We are more then happy to pay the surcharge for the other dining venues if we enjoy them. We decided we don't like the atmosphere of Canaletto (since it is connected to the Lido), and the food to me was not any better than the dining room so I wouldn't do that on a future cruise. I would book one night at Tamarind early in the cruise, and if you and your parents enjoyed it would immediately book it for another night. Honestly, I could eat dinner at PG every night. I get great service, if something is not 'right' it is quickly replace and I love the variety of sides and they have always managed to get my steak done perfectly. Dessert is much better than the MDR too. For future cruises we now try to get as many nights in PG as possible except for Gala nights we stay in the MDR. However, my parents aren't as fussy as I am and would probably enjoy the main dining room experience and possibly even sharing with a larger table. PG is intimate, great for a romantic dinner and does take some time -- my parents probably wouldn't want to have such a long dinner, especially my Dad would want to eat and get to a show. Only you can judge what might suit your parents. I would say though, that since the upcharge is now $35 for Pinnacle, you might just want to change it up by eating dinner at a land-based restaurant at one of your destinations. I don't know what your itinerary is, but some of my most memorable meals are in the ports. Instead of dinner, you also might consider lunch at Tamarind (if they offer it), or Pinnacle Grill (usually on sea days). They are terrific value at lunch time, and you get a change of scenery from the dining room. Enjoy your cruise!

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

We go to Pinnacle about every 12 days. And Cantalato about the same.