Pinnacle Grill experience declining?

[DaveOKC]

We dine at least once per cruise at the Pinnacle Grill (at least 20 times now) and recently it seems like the experience has declined (at least for dinner).  

 

First, the price increased to $35 pp from $20 and then $25.  Then they started charging extra for some items (like lobster tails).  Then portion sizes were reduced (not a big issue for us, but still...).  On our past several cruises we have noticed a decline in food quality (my two favorites - crab cakes and lobster bisque especially) and we even both experienced bad baked potatoes on one cruise.  Further, the dress code is no longer enforced - we just saw a couple with old jeans and sandals being seated.  Also, the service level has declined IMO.

 

IMO, part of this decline could be due to HAL giving away "free" Pinnacle dinners as part of some promotions, but another part is likely due to overall cost cutting by HAL.

 

After our experience this past week, I think we will stop going to the Pinnacle for dinner (lunch is still excellent).  At a price of $35 pp, I sure will not recommend it to others (even at a 50% discount we are "passing" on it).

 

What have others experienced recently??  

[mcrcruiser]

Wow that bad . You convinced us not to go there  . We do prefer Canaletos 

[Krazy Kruizers]

I guess that since we no longer eat in the main dining room for dinner, we are well taken care of.  Same table each evening.

 

Yes, there is a decline in the food -- everywhere on the ship.  Service has declined for some people as HAL has cut back on the number of people who dine in the Pinnacle and Tamarind.

 

We noticed a couple of years ago that the majority of the people no longer dress up for the specialty restaurants.  T-shirts, hats, etc., are all acceptable.  

 

When we were on the Eurodam 3 years ago, there were so many freebie dinners it was unbelievable.  Explore4, Dine Around, Fun times (or something like that) as well those of us who are 5 stars getting free dinners.

[kazu]

We ate in the PG several times on our last cruise (May & June, 2018) on the Prinsendam.

 

PG was excellent and the food was very good.  (And I am pretty fussy).

 

The PG manager and staff were fabulous.  But, in all honesty, I've always found that the PG on that ship was top notch.

[*Miss G*]

Wow.  Old jeans and sandals. Maybe they didn’t realize.  Or care.  Most people do though.  What ship are you on?  My experiences have been varied.  Overall I still prefer it to the MDR.  (And Canaletto - sorry MCR.)

[RuthC]

My recent experiences in the Pinnacle Grill---both this year and last year---have been excellent. I have found the food more than sufficient, and delicious. Always hot! Service has been divine, for the most part.
I like to dine in the Pinnacle about once a week, and since these were 28-day cruises there were several opportunities to sample the experience. Now, both cruises were on the Prinsendam, which tends to be better at everything, but my memories of the Nieuw Amsterdam and Oosterdam are also just as good.

[DaveOKC]

15 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

Wow.  Old jeans and sandals. Maybe they didn’t realize.  Or care.  Most people do though.  What ship are you on?  My experiences have been varied.  Overall I still prefer it to the MDR.  (And Canaletto - sorry MCR.)

 We were on the Zuiderdam, which we have sailed on 5 times prior.  Definite service decline shipwise (but not BAD service, just well below prior experiences).

 

I know it sounds "picky" - old jeans and sandals - but it does reduce the atmosphere (most men had jackets on though).  Also, it would have been less of an issue to me if the woman had left her sandals (flip flops really) on during the meal........

[mcrcruiser]

Seems to us all  of the main line cruise lines have cut back  on service & quality . When we  started cruising in the early 90s service was tops & food quality was excellent .Over the years & now 80 + cruises we can no longer say the same . There definitely has been a decline due to corporate mandates for  higher bottom line profits & that cuts across all levels 

[grsnovi]

If you peek in my Gallery, you'll see that we dined in PG on Eurodam in 2009 - mostly for the experience of something different. Neither of us eat (much) red meat, so the upcharge of going to a "steak house" doesn't appeal. Now, we absolutely LOVE Tamarind and eat there at least once every cruise where it is available. I always felt the service in PG was great but I also feel we are well attended to in MDR. I do feel the service in Tamarind is more attentive than in PG. Others have noted how long a meal can last in PG - sometimes it's just too long.

[OlsSalt]

The Pinnacle dinner experience (both service and food)  is so inconsistent - never understood this when the overall service level on the rest of HAL ships remains so high.  We still like the more intimate setting, but go now only because it is "free". And usually are quite happy to return to the far more amenable main dining room.

 

Agree, are they now giving away too many "free" dinners to make this a truly premium dining option? If they would only bring back the lamb skewers without all the frou frou flaming presentation nonsense, I would be happier.  Smaller, but far more exquisite portions would make a huge difference too.

 

Pinnacle lunches when avaiilable continue to get high marks - what makes the mid-day experience that different?

Edited October 27, 2018 by OlsSalt

[cabinluvn]

1 hour ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

I guess that since we no longer eat in the main dining room for dinner, we are well taken care of.  Same table each evening.

 

Yes, there is a decline in the food -- everywhere on the ship.  Service has declined for some people as HAL has cut back on the number of people who dine in the Pinnacle and Tamarind.

 

We noticed a couple of years ago that the majority of the people no longer dress up for the specialty restaurants.  T-shirts, hats, etc., are all acceptable.  

 

When we were on the Eurodam 3 years ago, there were so many freebie dinners it was unbelievable.  Explore4, Dine Around, Fun times (or something like that) as well those of us who are 5 stars getting free dinners.

I enjoy reading your posts, however, this script has me scrolling past them. I cannot read them without eye strain. Sorry

[VennDiagram]

Like OlsSalt we've been underwhelmed by Pinnacle Grill dinners.  The only time we ate dinner there recently was the pop-up Sel de Mer in May.  The service was wonderful but the food was just "okay".  We've had issues in the past with poor/disinterested/nearly hostile service, along with inconsistent food quality.  So a few years back, we stopped going to the PG except for special offerings -- Sel de Mer (won't do that again), Cellar Master....

[Vict0riann]

We enjoy the Pinnacle.  I very seldom have a steak, but the other items on the menu are excellent.  We like the other specialty restaurants on the ships, too, and on our 21-day cruise on Koningsdam earlier this year, we ate in the MDR only once.  We even like the Lido - goes to show we are not fussy eaters, I guess.  No complaints.  

[RocketMan275]

Despite any decline in service or quality, the Pinnacle Grill is still head and shoulders above the MDR.

And, we prefer a more relaxed dress code.

[1of4]

We have tried the Pinnacle Grill for dinner once per cruise but have decided we won’t do it again.  The last time, in 2015, we were seated in a room with a large, noisy party that were crude, drunk, didn’t bother to change from the clothes they had wore around the ship that day.  We finally asked to be moved into the main restaurant for dessert as DH and I couldn’t hear each other and there were plenty of other tables available both when we arrived and during our dinner.  Another cruise, after our vow renewal, they had run out of my 2 top choices and they kept coming back to the table saying I couldn’t have what I ordered.  I wasn’t informed when I ordered and other service was sub-standard, IMO, and I am not picky.

 

We did have a Le Cirque dinner with friends on the same 2015 voyage and it was superb.  So who knows.  If we hadn’t been seated in the private party room as a table for 2 it probably would have changed my opinion.

 

But lunch is different.  We enjoy lunch much better.

[St Pete Cruiser]

We were able to dine at the Pinnacle on the Volendam earlier this month.  The Volendam's Pinnacle is located in a very quiet area of the ship on deck 4, mid ship.  Another couple joined us that evening and we had a table toward the far extension of the restaurant under a beautiful tray ceiling and colorful chandelier.  Our reservation was for 7:30 and we were seated immediately, although it was very busy, by the manager.  Our server started us with a small apertif after ordering a bottle of wine, an Australian Syrah that we shared in the larger wine glasses.  The starter plates and side plates add to the setting.  He took much time with our orders, making sure everyone ordered exactly as they wanted with some helpful suggestions from him.  The shrimp cocktail was much nicer than those served in the MDR.  I had the cedar planked haddock with scallops.  A nice thick serving, also better than the fish served in the MDR.  The others agreed that everything was extra nice.  By the time our dinners had been served, many tables had cleared giving us nearly a private area to ourselves.  The manager (matre d?) checked with us several times.  Desert was served with coffee, and the coffee was also better.  We very much enjoyed the Pinnacle and all agreed that is a one time only per cruise treat to be savored, especially if you have a 4 or 5 star discount!    

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Every ship is different. 

[Hlitner]

We started disliking the Pinnacle (for dinner) a few years ago when they started cutting back on things like the quality of the beef, the elimination of tableside Caesar Salads, etc.  The only reason we go now is because we get some free dinners.  As to the lunches, DW and I really enjoy that experience.  But even lunch has had its cut-backs.  When they first started the Pinnacle lunch they had amazing burgers made from Wagyu Beef.  Now, the burgers are still good, but no longer amazing...and that Wagyu beef is a distant memory...having been replaced with lower quality stuff (like the steak).

 

Hank

[CM1984]

One of our perks on our Alaska cruise on the Eurodam was 2 meals in the Pinnacle and 1 meal in the Canaletto.  Canaletto was extremely disappointing, and the PG was not much better.  Lobster bisque, not edible to us.   We received better service in the MDR.

[oaktreerb]

Our experience in the Pinnacle on the Zaandam in June was not a good one.  The.person who took our order was difficult to communicate with which may explain my extremely rare steak which was ordered as “medium’.  I could not eat it and did not want to wait for a replacement.  The manager apologized twice but did not offer a refund....and I did not ask for a refund.  

 

We preferred our dining experience in the dining room with servers who gave us great service throughout the cruise.

[dfish]

We had multiple meals in the Pinnacle Grill on our last cruise - 3 dinners, 2 lunches and 2 Sel de Mer.    Every time was wonderful for us.   We thought the food was delicious and we varied our orders each time we were there.   The service was great each time as well. As we got to know the staff better each time, it became more so.  I think that may relate to those who like fixed seating in the MDR with the same waiter.   

 

 

[VMax1700]

We find Pinnacle Grill to be overrated. Also found service to be condescending. specially from the European wait staff. 

[rkacruiser]

My experience at the PG has often been disappointing, but as others have said, the experience has been inconsistent.  On all ships when I have dined in the PG for lunch, I have been extremely pleased.  On some ships, the dining experience for dinner is good; other times, it's nothing more than "OK".  I am of the opinion that whomever is the Manager and the PG Chef is makes a major difference.

 

Since the PG's beef vendor has been changed, I find other items on the menu to be much more enjoyable.  Their seafood stew, Lamb Chops, and the Pork Chops have been delicious.

 

Their coffee is, however, terrible!  In my opinion, of course.  But, I do like the sweets that arrive with my coffee at the end of my dinner.

 

As odd as this may be, I have found my dinners at the Steakhouses on those Carnival ships that have them on which I have sailed to be superior to the Pinnacle Grill every time in every area:  ambiance, service, and cuisine.

 

 

Edited October 27, 2018 by rkacruiser
Added an additional thought

[crystalspin]

My family (seven additional to us two) really enjoyed our Ex4 'free' PG dinner. But several noticed that the wait-service in the MDR was more formal with ladies' orders being taken first. My ribeye was fatty and not in a good way. The Colorado lamb and the crab legs both looked better; I will have one of those next April!

 

Two years before we all enjoyed Canaletto, which I had never thought worth paying for (one member wanted to "buy something" for everyone). The two of us don't even eat pasta (except I did have a couple Gnocchi) but found nice things to eat there. Don't know why we didn't have a meal there this year!

 

Both cruises we had EXCELLENT service and very good, varied food in the MDR despite our large group.

[retafcruiser]

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

We started disliking the Pinnacle (for dinner) a few years ago when they started cutting back on things like the quality of the beef, the elimination of tableside Caesar Salads, etc.  The only reason we go now is because we get some free dinners. 

We don't even go to our "free" dinners anymore.