Quick Question: Free Beverages in the Main Dining Room

[LadyLuck]

We've never been on HAL before. Besides water, coffee, & tea, what other beverages that you can get in the main dining room at no additional cost? I assume that in the morning, you can get fruit juices with your breakfast. What about other times like lunch and dinner?

 

Thanks.

[kryos]

We've never been on HAL before. Besides water, coffee, & tea, what other beverages that you can get in the main dining room at no additional cost? I assume that in the morning, you can get fruit juices with your breakfast. What about other times like lunch and dinner?

Yes, you can get juice in the morning in the dining room, as well as in the Lido.

 

In the evening, at least as far as I am aware, I think the only other beverages you can get without an additional charge are iced tea or milk. I don't drink wine, so I got my waiters trained early on during my 30-day Amsterdam cruise that I liked a nice cold glass iced tea sitting at my spot when I arrived for dinner each evening.

 

You can get iced tea for free in the Pinnacle as well. I don't think they are necessarily happy about it there ... as I think a real revenue spot for them is wine sales ... but you can get it with a little persistence. Hey, I'm not being cheap ... I'm just not much of a drinker, and I'm sure not gonna drink just for the sake of increasing their nightly beverage revenue. :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[peaches from georgia]

You can get iced tea for free in the Pinnacle as well. I don't think they are necessarily happy about it there ... as I think a real revenue spot for them is wine sales ... but you can get it with a little persistence. Hey, I'm not being cheap ... I'm just not much of a drinker, and I'm sure not gonna drink just for the sake of increasing their nightly beverage revenue. :)

:confused: My DH always has iced tea with dinner and has never had the slightest problem at all ordering it in the PG and we have eaten dinner there many times on many different ships. It is served with a smile as quickly as my wine is. I have no idea why you felt you had to use persistance or that the stewards were not happy serving you whatever you wanted to drink.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I'm an iced tea fan as well. And have never had problems getting it in the Pinnacle.

[ldog]

You can get cappucino after dinner for free too. They even do a decaf one.

[hrhdhd]

:confused: My DH always has iced tea with dinner and has never had the slightest problem at all ordering it in the PG and we have eaten dinner there many times on many different ships. It is served with a smile as quickly as my wine is. I have no idea why you felt you had to use persistance or that the stewards were not happy serving you whatever you wanted to drink.

 

When we ate in the PG on the Westerdam, our wine steward either couldn't believe we don't drink wine (we don't) or thought we were cheap (okay, we are :rolleyes: ). He returned at least once to the table to make sure we didn't want any wine, and also reminded us that if we didn't drink the whole bottle, they could send it to the main dining room for the next night. He was overly persistent.

[CattyMom]

Juices are also free in the dining room with dinner. I ordered tomato juice with the appetizer the first two evenings and after that it was brought to me each evening, even refills. Saw another passenger with orange juice each evening. HAL is most accommodating.

[Thunderbolt]

How about the time honored beverage, H2o. Great stuff on ice. :D

[lka1012]

Sorry H2O costs $15 a glass, per glass (just kidding)

[kryos]

:confused: My DH always has iced tea with dinner and has never had the slightest problem at all ordering it in the PG and we have eaten dinner there many times on many different ships. It is served with a smile as quickly as my wine is. I have no idea why you felt you had to use persistance or that the stewards were not happy serving you whatever you wanted to drink.

The regular waiter had to get the iced tea ... not the bar waiter. For some reason, it was always slow in coming ... and sometimes I had to ask a couple of times. On our last dinner there (a group of us dined at the Pinnacle four times during our 30-day Amsterdam cruise) one of the people in our group made a joking comment that I might just want to order a drink if I'd like to get one before dinner was over. I had asked for an iced tea like 20 minutes ago and still did not have it. A short while later, though, the waiter brought it over. But, in the regular dining room, my iced tea was always waiting for me or delivered within minutes of my sitting down.

 

That's why I assume that at the Pinnacle, they probably wanted you to order a drink ... or at least a soda. That way the bartender gets it for you ... less work for the waiter.

 

On a related note ... is it just me or is the coffee in the Pinnacle Grill among the worst on the ship? I got better coffee in the Lido ... and certainly in the dining room it was more tasty. But, I noticed this same thing when I sailed Princess as well. The coffee in the Bayou Cafe and Sabatini's was far worse than anywhere else on the ship. Wonder why?

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Himself]

I drink regular coffee and there is no additional charge. When you get into the fancy coffee's (Capichino etc.) now that is a fish out of a different stream.

[rochnd]

I drink regular coffee and there is no additional charge. When you get into the fancy coffee's (Capichino etc.) now that is a fish out of a different stream.

 

I had capachino every night after dinner, in the main dining room, on our recent Ryndam cruise and it cost nothing extra. Another great feature on HAL.

 

Don

[Mjasp]

How about soda? Is soda free in the main dining room?

[peaches from georgia]

No, soda is not free in the dining room or anywhere on the ship.

[KAKcruiser]

No, soda is not free anywhere on the ship.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Yes, you can get juice in the morning in the dining room, as well as in the Lido.

 

In the evening, at least as far as I am aware, I think the only other beverages you can get without an additional charge are iced tea or milk. I don't drink wine, so I got my waiters trained early on during my 30-day Amsterdam cruise that I liked a nice cold glass iced tea sitting at my spot when I arrived for dinner each evening.

 

You can get iced tea for free in the Pinnacle as well. I don't think they are necessarily happy about it there ... as I think a real revenue spot for them is wine sales ... but you can get it with a little persistence. Hey, I'm not being cheap ... I'm just not much of a drinker, and I'm sure not gonna drink just for the sake of increasing their nightly beverage revenue. :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

Rita,

I don't eat in the dining room for breakfast. Just the Lido. I must say that the fresh squeezed OJ is awesome. Do they have that in the dining room also??

 

Bill

[AAAAmerican]

We have American Cranbury JUice always..

 

With Budwiser now Distributing the Worlds Best Beer ((Grolsch)) I wonder if Holland American is going to carry it at the much lower costs now?

 

Grolsch is from (Holland) the Kingdom of the Netherlands ...

 

So I sure ho:D pe so...

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Good old Grolsch. Only drink it on cruiseships. Bought a case once, about $32.00.:eek:

 

Bill

[AAAAmerican]

Yes it is a nice brew and from wonderful water, not like heineken is from the river...

 

:)

 

Just think now with Budweiser distributing it in the USA here now your going to be able to attain it easier and less costly..:D :D

[LHC]

I loved to get Milk and juice from the lido, use my thermal cup and put it on ice...it was great with my bedtime chocolates, the milk that is...and I loved the juice while I was dressing in the AM.

LHC