Speciality Dining

[scotslizzy]

We will be  on our  first Holland America cruise in Sept on Nieuw Statendam and very much looking forward to it.

I have a couple of questions if I may:

Is it easy enough to get decent reservations time wise i.e. 7.30 to 8.00 in the speciality restaurant's?

Is there any real benefit in the dining package if we want to decide ourselves which restaurant's we want to eat in, rather than one in each dining area?

Is there any music played  out side of the main designated areas. I am thinking of  a smaller lounge which I saw in a photo with a piano set up ?

 Scotslizzy

  

[terrydtx]

You can go online on the HAL website and book reservations for any of the specialty restaurants. You can do that now. If you wait until you board the prime times will usually already be booked. I suggest that you try at least one night at the Tamarind Asian Fusion restaurant. I think it is the best specialty restaurant of any cruise line. The Wasabi crusted tenderloin there IMO is better than any steak in the Pinnacle Grill.

[Moriah]

Tamarind and Pinnacle Grill will be "open" for taking reservations in person when you board.  I would go directly to them and book if you want times between 7 and 8 PM, unless you have booked online previously. 

[Djptcp]

We always make our Pinnacle Grill and Tamarind dinner reservations online as soon as we book our cruise reservations, or as soon as it is allowed. For our Nieuw Statendam cruise in Dec., the online booking wasn't available for about a month after we booked but we were able to make them last week. I prefer to book the times we want ahead of time instead of waiting until we board.

[kazu]

8 hours ago, scotslizzy said:

Is it easy enough to get decent reservations time wise i.e. 7.30 to 8.00 in the speciality restaurant's?

 

That can really depend on the ship, it’s itinerary and the demographics of people sailing on that cruise.

 

I find those times can often be booked up so, I tend to book on line before I cruise to secure important days or times.  

 

If you have flexibility on your times and dates you have more success booking on board IMO.

[sofietucker]

Book everything you want NOW. Those times are by far the most popular. Then if you get on board and decide you don't want to eat somewhere--or on a different night--you can cancel for a refund or switch if date/time are available. But we've found that the 7:30-8 slot is pretty hard to get once aboard. We changed a Pinnacle rez once, but there was nothing at all left when we wanted to change a second reservation as well. And that was on Day 2.

[Vict0riann]

We have sailed on the NS and enjoyed all the specialty restaurants.  Nami Sushi (sushi bar in the Tamarind Restaurant, a la carte like the Sel de Mer, was especially fun.   The Grand Dutch Cafe is not to be missed - food has no charge, just the drinks, specialty coffees etc., are charged.

 

I think the venue you mention with the piano is the Ocean Bar across from Sel de Mer, if I remember correctly.

[scotslizzy]

Thanks for the replies. Guess I will book the restaurant's we would like to dine in before we board.

 

A supplementary question now, do HAL offer reductions on some nights  like Celebrity to entice people to book their restaurant's ?

 

Scotslizzy   

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

I have never seen a price reduction on specialty restaurants on HAL. Since there is only 2 or 3 depending on the ship, perhaps HAL thinks they don't have to.

[jbecker6469]

7 hours ago, scotslizzy said:

Thanks for the replies. Guess I will book the restaurant's we would like to dine in before we board.

 

A supplementary question now, do HAL offer reductions on some nights  like Celebrity to entice people to book their restaurant's ?

 

Scotslizzy   

On the last several cruises we have been on, HAL has offered a 25% discount at some or all of the specialty restaurants on embarkation night, and occasionally during the cruise.  This is usually advertised with a small table tent on the Lido Market tables.  

[Vict0riann]

3 hours ago, jbecker6469 said:

On the last several cruises we have been on, HAL has offered a 25% discount at some or all of the specialty restaurants on embarkation night, and occasionally during the cruise.  This is usually advertised with a small table tent on the Lido Market tables.  

 

Same here.  And on Nieuw Statendam there was a podium, I think it was across from the Pinnacle and Sel de Mer, where there was sometimes someone taking reservations - especially the first day, who might know when the discounts would be.

[MeandtheSea]

Tamarind is the better specialty dining option in my experience.  I also recommend the new Club Orange dining for Neptune/Pinnacle Suite class.  Service is very personalized and restaurant is not crowded.  You can opt in to Club Orange even if you don’t have a booking in this cabin category.  Do it before the trip via your TA if interested.  On the NS and Koningsdam Club Orange is where the America’s Test Kitchen was.  

[bjkrlk]

We just did our dining for koningsdam on holiday cruise. We could not do bookings for 24/25/31/and 1. Anyone know why?

[kazu]

1 hour ago, bjkrlk said:

We just did our dining for koningsdam on holiday cruise. We could not do bookings for 24/25/31/and 1. Anyone know why?

 

I’m guessing there is a special dinner planned for January 1st or a special lunch.

It might be the same for the 24th and the 25th may be a special brunch?    And the 31st is New Year’s Eve so I am guessing a very special dinner or Cellar Master.

 

Just a guess on my part unless of course, there is a Sel de Mer scheduled for one of those nights.

[scotslizzy]

Thank you to all who replied. We will def book the two restaurant's we want and then wait until we get onboard to see if there are any offers before deciding on the others or even revisit Tamarind which really appeals to us.

 

Cheers

Scotslizzy