When did Pinnacle Grill start charging for appetizer?

[albingirl]

6 hours ago, Laminator said:

Here is a menu from a true "upscale" steakhouse. Granted I live an hour from Chicago so I have many choices. This steakhouse has very reasonable prices for the area. It puts the Pinnacle to shame. 98% of upscale steakhouses in the area put the Pinnacle to shame. As you can see they charge additional for soup, salad add-ons and dessert.

I would rather have HAL charge $79 or $99 per person and give me the upscale experience.

This is a ridiculous menu.  The way things are going, I suppose some people think this is normal. With inflation upon us, many are choosing to forgo these expensive restaurants.  If you are on a free cruise, you wouldn't mind paying $79 or $99 pp for an upscale experience?  I'd rather give the money to charity than blow it on nonsense.

[Hlitner]

7 hours ago, Laminator said:

Here is a menu from a true "upscale" steakhouse. Granted I live an hour from Chicago so I have many choices. This steakhouse has very reasonable prices for the area. It puts the Pinnacle to shame. 98% of upscale steakhouses in the area put the Pinnacle to shame. As you can see they charge additional for soup, salad add-ons and dessert.

I would rather have HAL charge $79 or $99 per person and give me the upscale experience.

We have always thought that if cruise lines are going to have an extra cost alternative restaurant, they should make it special.  The reality is that most onboard alternate restaurants are just not very good and the Pinnacle would be in our "lowest tier" of those facilities.  We have enjoyed the Pinnacle (especially for lunch) but if it was a land-based restaurant we would not give it the time of day.  Having been on many different cruise lines, there are few alternate venues that could compare with land-based restaurants.  In the past, our favorite has been Murano (on some Celebrity ships).  The Thomas Keller Grill (Seabourn) can also be very good.  Friends tell us that some of Oceania's restaurants are also land quality, but we have yet to cruise on that line.

 

IMHO, the nickel and diming that happens in the Pinnacle (i.e. paying for an extra dish, add on items, etc) is just one more nail in the HAL coffin that leads us to think that the "suits" have been trying to downgrade the company to a "budget cruise line."   I agree with you that the steaks served in the Pinnacle do not compare to what is found in any half-decent land based steakhouse.  Even MSC, a true budget cruise line except for their Yacht Club, has far better cuts of beef in it's Butcher's Cut Steakhouses.

 

Hank

[GlennG]

I understand that experiences in the Pinnacle Grill vary from Ship to Ship.  It would appear that a positive experience is greatly dependent on those people who manage the Pinnacle Grill.  My wife and I have not cruised for approximately 3 years, but at that time, we held very favourable opinions of the Pinnacle Grill.  We are scheduled to cruise on the Rotterdam in January 2023.  Can any of our members share recent experiences, that they had, in the Rotterdam Pinnacle Grill?

[AFNavigator]

10 hours ago, Laminator said:

I would rather have HAL charge $79 or $99 per person and give me the upscale experience.

Keep in mind the specialty restaurant charge is additive to what you are already paying the cruise line for your included dinner.  I have no idea what HAL values their MDR or Lido buffet dinner cost but, for argument's sake, let's say it is a $30 value.  That would make the $46 Pinnacle Grille cost equivalent to a $76 dinner cost.

[sofietucker]

6 minutes ago, AFNavigator said:

Keep in mind the specialty restaurant charge is additive to what you are already paying the cruise line for your included dinner.  I have no idea what HAL values their MDR or Lido buffet dinner cost but, for argument's sake, let's say it is a $30 value.  That would make the $46 Pinnacle Grille cost equivalent to a $76 dinner cost.

I actually have no objection to the specialty restaurant upcharge in general--it's nice to experience a different ambiance and menu from time to time. It's the upcharge *on top* of the upcharge that offends me. 

[AFNavigator]

1 minute ago, sofietucker said:

I actually have no objection to the specialty restaurant upcharge in general--it's nice to experience a different ambiance and menu from time to time. It's the upcharge *on top* of the upcharge that offends me. 

I totally agree.  And if they are going to impose an upcharge, make it clearly visible, not buried in the fine print at the bottom of the menu page.  I recall on our Eurodam cruise last winter seeing a $15 Pinnacle Grill surcharge for an extra entrée (in the menu fine print).  Charging extra for an additional entrée seems more reasonable than charging extra for an additional appetizer--at a restaurant that already is hitting you with a $46 upcharge.  Either way, make the upcharge clearly visible so guests know what to expect.

[sofietucker]

3 hours ago, Hlitner said:

We have always thought that if cruise lines are going to have an extra cost alternative restaurant, they should make it special.  The reality is that most onboard alternate restaurants are just not very good and the Pinnacle would be in our "lowest tier" of those facilities.  We have enjoyed the Pinnacle (especially for lunch) but if it was a land-based restaurant we would not give it the time of day.  Having been on many different cruise lines, there are few alternate venues that could compare with land-based restaurants.  In the past, our favorite has been Murano (on some Celebrity ships).  The Thomas Keller Grill (Seabourn) can also be very good.  Friends tell us that some of Oceania's restaurants are also land quality, but we have yet to cruise on that line.

Our last cruise was on Oceania's Riviera, and yes, the food was great! Their various restaurants in addition to the MDR (French, Japanese) were not at additional cost, either.

[RedneckBob]

2 hours ago, GlennG said:

I understand that experiences in the Pinnacle Grill vary from Ship to Ship.  It would appear that a positive experience is greatly dependent on those people who manage the Pinnacle Grill.  My wife and I have not cruised for approximately 3 years, but at that time, we held very favourable opinions of the Pinnacle Grill.  We are scheduled to cruise on the Rotterdam in January 2023.  Can any of our members share recent experiences, that they had, in the Rotterdam Pinnacle Grill?

I was on the Rotterdam in March 2022 for 14 days. Dined at the PG four times during the cruise. It was excellent, food and service. We knew the PG Manager from prior 35 day cruise to the South Pacific in 2019 and she was excellent; great manager. Her name was Abigail and we had her again on the Eurodam in June 2022 to Alaska. Once again service was excellent!

[RedneckBob]

45 minutes ago, sofietucker said:

Our last cruise was on Oceania's Riviera, and yes, the food was great! Their various restaurants in addition to the MDR (French, Japanese) were not at additional cost, either.

Define additional costs. We sailed Oceania a number of times and if I remember the price of the cruise is pricey which I believe pays for the no additional costs special restaurants. But I will admit the food at these restaurants was great, especially Jacques and Red Ginger!

[Wakepatrol]

Well I go out every Friday night and my wife and I get a pizza with two toppings and two cokes and it’s $40 out the door. So Pinnacle in my mind is a bargain

Something tells me that once upon a time people would book their Pinnacle dinner. They then would proceed to order 6 appetizers and four dinners.

HAL was now losing money so they put the brakes on this.

Bringing a bottle of wine, or

bringing three steamer trunks of wine. This was also put to an end. The abusers are what makes policy changes

[Laminator]

5 hours ago, Hlitner said:

We have always thought that if cruise lines are going to have an extra cost alternative restaurant, they should make it special.  The reality is that most onboard alternate restaurants are just not very good and the Pinnacle would be in our "lowest tier" of those facilities.  We have enjoyed the Pinnacle (especially for lunch) but if it was a land-based restaurant we would not give it the time of day.  Having been on many different cruise lines, there are few alternate venues that could compare with land-based restaurants.  In the past, our favorite has been Murano (on some Celebrity ships).  The Thomas Keller Grill (Seabourn) can also be very good.  Friends tell us that some of Oceania's restaurants are also land quality, but we have yet to cruise on that line.

 

IMHO, the nickel and diming that happens in the Pinnacle (i.e. paying for an extra dish, add on items, etc) is just one more nail in the HAL coffin that leads us to think that the "suits" have been trying to downgrade the company to a "budget cruise line."   I agree with you that the steaks served in the Pinnacle do not compare to what is found in any half-decent land based steakhouse.  Even MSC, a true budget cruise line except for their Yacht Club, has far better cuts of beef in it's Butcher's Cut Steakhouses.

 

Hank

That is my point exactly. Instead of the nickel and diming charge me more of an upfront cost for a truly upscale experience and make it a true upscale experience. We were on the Rotterdam 2 months back with 7 friends. 7 of us were 4* mariners. Not one of the 4* mariners wanted to go to Pinnacle for dinner. We went to Tamarind 3 times. Now don't tell HAL but I would be willing to pay more for the Tamarind as I find it to be an upscale experience. 

[Florida_gal_50]

What they should do is base it on what you paid for your cruise.  Less for your cruise you pay more.  That would thin out the crowd considerably.  

[cruisemom42]

39 minutes ago, Wakepatrol said:

Something tells me that once upon a time people would book their Pinnacle dinner. They then would proceed to order 6 appetizers and four dinners.

HAL was now losing money so they put the brakes on this.

 

But why shouldn't a fancy steak house "extra charge" restaurant include an appetizer, salad, soup, entree and dessert?  Grouping salads and soups into a single appetizer category is disengenuous on HAL's part and does not make them "appetizers".

[Laminator]

2 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

But why shouldn't a fancy steak house "extra charge" restaurant include an appetizer, salad, soup, entree and dessert?  Grouping salads and soups into a single appetizer category is disengenuous on HAL's part and does not make them "appetizers".

This is pretty much the way all fancy steakhouses have their menu set up now. You pay for everything individually as you can see from the menu I posted. 

[cruisemom42]

Just now, Laminator said:

This is pretty much the way all fancy steakhouses have their menu set up now. You pay for everything individually as you can see from the menu I posted. 

 

Land restaurants have always been like that.

 

Extra-charge restaurants at sea are not like that.  Celebrity's Murano, for example. 

 

[Laminator]

2 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Land restaurants have always been like that.

 

Extra-charge restaurants at sea are not like that.  Celebrity's Murano, for example. 

 

I may be aging myself here but I remember when dinner included soup, salad and dessert. Now the best I can find in my area is soup or salad and dessert. Most restaurants in my area will include either soup or salad with dessert being additional. And those restaurants are few and far between. And I eat out every day twice a day for lunch and dinner. 

[jeh10641]

On 9/1/2022 at 9:35 AM, sofietucker said:

This guy is Tha Bomb: https://rogerjett-photography.com/specialty-2/hal-regular-and-specialty-restaurants/hal-specialty-restaurant-menus/

 

Some of it is startling: I didn't know that the Dutch Cafe charges for regular ol' tea! Geez. 

The majority of his photos are dated 2021 not 2022.

 

Jim

[Florida_gal_50]

6 minutes ago, jeh10641 said:

The majority of his photos are dated 2021 not 2022.

 

Jim

Photos?  There are lots of menus etc there.  I don't think people go there to look at photos. 

[Florida_gal_50]

17 minutes ago, Laminator said:

I may be aging myself here but I remember when dinner included soup, salad and dessert. Now the best I can find in my area is soup or salad and dessert. Most restaurants in my area will include either soup or salad with dessert being additional. And those restaurants are few and far between. And I eat out every day twice a day for lunch and dinner. 

Once again you are referencing land restaurants.  Not really relevant.  Just like the discussion about how people can get wine cheaper in a store than on a ship or at their corner restaurant.

[jeh10641]

1 minute ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Photos?  There are lots of menus etc there.  I don't think people go there to look at photos. 

They are photos of the menus and are dated 2021.

 

Jim

[jeh10641]

4 hours ago, GlennG said:

I understand that experiences in the Pinnacle Grill vary from Ship to Ship.  It would appear that a positive experience is greatly dependent on those people who manage the Pinnacle Grill.  My wife and I have not cruised for approximately 3 years, but at that time, we held very favourable opinions of the Pinnacle Grill.  We are scheduled to cruise on the Rotterdam in January 2023.  Can any of our members share recent experiences, that they had, in the Rotterdam Pinnacle Grill?

Hi, GlennG,

How recent? We were on Rotterdam in Dec. 2021 and all of the specialty dining was 5 stars (out of 5 stars). We did not pay for any extras. The steaks were top notch. We love their key lime pie and Caesar salads.

 

Jim

[Laminator]

38 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Once again you are referencing land restaurants.  Not really relevant.  Just like the discussion about how people can get wine cheaper in a store than on a ship or at their corner restaurant.

You are missing the point. I am willing to pay more for an upscale experience whether it is on land or at sea. The cost is not as important as the experience.

[GlennG]

A big thank you to Jeh10641 and RedneckBob for sharing their experiences in the Pinnacle Grill while sailing on the new Rotterdam.  It is reassuring that some of the Pinnacle Grills on some ships still provide excellent food and service for their customers.

[albingirl]

27 minutes ago, Laminator said:

You are missing the point. I am willing to pay more for an upscale experience whether it is on land or at sea. The cost is not as important as the experience.

 

27 minutes ago, Laminator said:

You are missing the point. I am willing to pay more for an upscale experience whether it is on land or at sea. The cost is not as important as the experience.

Easy to say when you are on a free cruise and all you have to worry about is an upgrade to a Neptune or whatever.  The cost of the cruise for many of us is important.  I don't go to expensive restaurants on land and I won't on a ship either.  Maybe I've been too busy paying for college for my kids, no free loans there, and have to be sensible.  No whining here, just reality. Seriously, if that's important to you, have at it, but it's just not reality for alot of people.

[Laminator]

1 hour ago, albingirl said:

 

Easy to say when you are on a free cruise and all you have to worry about is an upgrade to a Neptune or whatever.  The cost of the cruise for many of us is important.  I don't go to expensive restaurants on land and I won't on a ship either.  Maybe I've been too busy paying for college for my kids, no free loans there, and have to be sensible.  No whining here, just reality. Seriously, if that's important to you, have at it, but it's just not reality for alot of people.

My "Free" cruises usually result in a $20,000 to $25,000 statement at the end of the cruise. So I really get tired of hearing how free they are. That has been my point all along. Nothing is free. I will be more than happy to pay for your cruise if you spend the amount of time in the casino gambling at the rate I do. You play $25 a spin on the slot machine and $100 a hand at the blackjack table for hours on end. At the end of the cruise let's see whose cruise wound up costing more. 
This is exactly how Vegas works. The bigger players are comped for their rooms, meals, massages, shows and whatever else they want.