Five Star Mariner Dining

[bcummin]

Hopefully you will have the good luck that I had recently on ms Zaandam.  Both of my Pinnacle Grill dinners were billed $0 right from the beginning.  I did mention my five star status when making reservations by phone and when arriving at the Pinnacle.  I checked my statement afterwards on the Navigator and was pleased.  

Instead of standing at line at the Front Desk, phoning or using the Navigator both work.

Barbara

[REOVA]

10 hours ago, RedneckBob said:

If you are five star then you are entitled to a full refund if charged in full while on board. I don’t know of a specific website for Guest Services. I am currently trying to get a credit back for similar issue with Guest Services but for only a partial credit for dining at PG.

 

Bottom line per my experience the whole process for five star mariners is terrible. If you are on a cruise less than ten days you need to book these restaurants prior to boarding to get times you wish to dine. That means you have to prepay for the dinner. Recently sailed on NS for 14 days and dined at PG four times. I prepaid a total of $368. Each time we dined at PG I informed the person checking us in that I had prepaid for the PG dinner and that I require a credit back of $92 since I was five star Mariner. Never happened. Had to visit Guest Services onboard four times to request credit to my account. Unfortunately the last request was on Friday night, the day before disembarkation, since we had just completed dinner at the PG; so never received credit.

 

This happens on every cruise !!!!

I did same . I did get a credit through credit card company already as HAL email system takes forever (if they respond). The response from HAL claims I am going to get 50% back. I told them why then advertise 2 complimentary dinners for 5 star members? Still waiting for their response. Appears they are not trained in knowing their own rules. Or maybe they are trained to make 5 star mariners angry enough that they never sail again with HAL. Pretty unique way to thin out the top tier and not have to provide as many benefits. 🤔

[RedneckBob]

1 hour ago, REOVA said:

I did same . I did get a credit through credit card company already as HAL email system takes forever (if they respond). The response from HAL claims I am going to get 50% back. I told them why then advertise 2 complimentary dinners for 5 star members? Still waiting for their response. Appears they are not trained in knowing their own rules. Or maybe they are trained to make 5 star mariners angry enough that they never sail again with HAL. Pretty unique way to thin out the top tier and not have to provide as many benefits. 🤔

Ditto, I got credit via credit card for three PG, not fourth.

 

Before the cruise I also make a hard copy of the prepaid costs for the PG, bring it to Guest Services for proof of payment and they still can’t get it right.

[DaveOKC]

Last two cruises, both on Eurodam but 3 months apart, I had to fight with accounting to get the free 5 Star Pinnacle dinners.  They kept charging me 50% instead.  I told them that it should be free when I booked while onboard and again when I entered the dining area for the meal, but I still got charged.

Since it also happened in the Tamarind (twice) I suspect it is something off in their accounting system.

 

Be sure to watch your account and avoid booking a free dinner on the final night,

 

 

[iflyrc5]

We were on the NA for 4 weeks in Nov and had no issues with getting our free 5 star meals in the Pinnacle and Tamarind.

 

[richwmn]

I joined a friend last night in Zuiderdam's Pinnacle Grill. She notified the hostess that we are both 5* when she arrived. Both accounts were properly credited before the meal ended.

 

[DaveOKC]

8 hours ago, iflyrc5 said:

We were on the NA for 4 weeks in Nov and had no issues with getting our free 5 star meals in the Pinnacle and Tamarind.

 

Glad to hear this as we are on the NA in about a month.

 

[dmcfad2]

Just wanted to follow up on my original post to say that all of my 5* prepaid dining was refunded on the ship without a hitch. I didn't even have to ask. They already knew. 

[RedneckBob]

14 hours ago, dmcfad2 said:

Just wanted to follow up on my original post to say that all of my 5* prepaid dining was refunded on the ship without a hitch. I didn't even have to ask. They already knew. 

 

What is your secret ?  Never works for me. Always like pulling teeth. Maybe my CC name confuses them 😀

[mfanderso]

I am getting ready to go on my first cruise as a 5 Star Mariner.  I understand that I get 2 free Pinnacle Grill meals.  The person traveling with me in the same cabin is not 5 Star, but in the past they have received the same benefits I have regardless of their status.  Will they also get the 2 free Pinnacle Grill meals or do I get 1 and they get 1?

[DaveOKC]

1 hour ago, mfanderso said:

I am getting ready to go on my first cruise as a 5 Star Mariner.  I understand that I get 2 free Pinnacle Grill meals.  The person traveling with me in the same cabin is not 5 Star, but in the past they have received the same benefits I have regardless of their status.  Will they also get the 2 free Pinnacle Grill meals or do I get 1 and they get 1?

You should both get two dinners.  However, be prepared to have to go to the service desk to get it handled.  Even though both of us are 5 Star, the ships try to charge us 50% off instead of free and most times we have to go request the proper billing (even after I informed the Pinnacle when making the reservation and when entering the room for dinner.  Another HAL IT issue it seems.

[mfanderso]

28 minutes ago, DaveOKC said:

You should both get two dinners.  However, be prepared to have to go to the service desk to get it handled.  Even though both of us are 5 Star, the ships try to charge us 50% off instead of free and most times we have to go request the proper billing (even after I informed the Pinnacle when making the reservation and when entering the room for dinner.  Another HAL IT issue it seems.

Thank you.  I actually pre-paid for these meals and I understand that I might be up for a fight to get my money back.   I just didn't want to get there and be told that I was entitled to 2 free meals and that my friend wasn't a 5 star so got no meals and I needed to give her one of mine.  I sent an email to the Mariner Society a few months ago asking this question and it went unanswered.  I then called them and asked and they said I was entitled to 2 meals for 2.  If that were the case, if two 5 stars were in the same cabin and they each got 2 meals for 2, wouldn't they get to eat in the Pinnacle Grill 4 times during a cruise?

[DaveOKC]

32 minutes ago, mfanderso said:

Thank you.  I actually pre-paid for these meals and I understand that I might be up for a fight to get my money back.   I just didn't want to get there and be told that I was entitled to 2 free meals and that my friend wasn't a 5 star so got no meals and I needed to give her one of mine.  I sent an email to the Mariner Society a few months ago asking this question and it went unanswered.  I then called them and asked and they said I was entitled to 2 meals for 2.  If that were the case, if two 5 stars were in the same cabin and they each got 2 meals for 2, wouldn't they get to eat in the Pinnacle Grill 4 times during a cruise?

No, I do not think it works that way.  Basically, your cabin mate becomes a 5 Star and gets the benefits for themselves.  No double dipping!

 

[mfanderso]

6 minutes ago, DaveOKC said:

No, I do not think it works that way.  Basically, your cabin mate becomes a 5 Star and gets the benefits for themselves.  No double dipping!

 

I agree with you, that we would each get 2 meals. I think the guy at the Mariner Society worded it incorrectly. Thanks for clarifying this for me. 

[Crew News]

1 hour ago, mfanderso said:

Th  If that were the case, if two 5 stars were in the same cabin and they each got 2 meals for 2, wouldn't they get to eat in the Pinnacle Grill 4 times during a cruise?

Each person in a stateroom with, and the 5* Mariner, is entitled to two free PG meals.  They may be enjoyed together or separately.

[Real NHDOC]

Just a note that what I had been told and experienced previously about 5* perks is apparently correct but some seemed skeptical of. I even asked about it onboard. 
 

We have been receiving 2 free meals for two for each of us (both being 5*) for each booking on our current Rotterdam cruise. So 4 nights of free dining in any of the specialty restaurants other than Rudi’s per leg.
 

We have some upcoming 7 day legs so it means getting free special meals 4 out of 7 nights on those legs. 

Edited March 9, 2023 by Real NHDOC