2 questions on Pinnacle Grill

[PlanetMoolah]

If we book Pinnacle Grill for our HIA dinner, is the tip included or should we tip in cash? It's my understanding that if we weren't using the HIA dinner, there would be an 18% tip added automatically. How does the tipping work with the HIA dinner? 

 

Do other dinner reservation times ever open up after you board the ship? Right now there are only 5:00pm or 8:30 or later reservation spots open. If other people cancel or change their reservations, do the times show up on the app as available to book during the cruise? 

[Linaeve]

Tip is included so you don't need to tip additionally (unless you simply want to but it's not needed). My understanding is they do open up more spots for on board reservations. However, I would consider making a reservation to secure a second choice spot. Then once you are on the ship you can go right away to see if there is a different day and/or time you would prefer and they can move your reservation to that other slot. 

[ellieanne]

My experience was if you did not pre-book the specialty dining, nothing was available on board. I went right after we boarded to the desk and nothing was available, and tried later in the cruise several times, and the only thing that ever opened up was a table for 2 at 9pm, which was too late. So we didn't use the specialty dining part of our HIA package.

[pmjnh]

We have always booked the Pinnacle once onboard. We have never had an issue getting a reservation.

[Sea42]

Availability varies once onboard. I've found that the longer the cruise, the easier it is to get reservations.

[Shmoo here]

3 hours ago, Sea42 said:

Availability varies once onboard. I've found that the longer the cruise, the easier it is to get reservations.

I'm hoping this is true on our upcoming cruise.  I didn't want to make HIA reservations before I see what's on the menus in the MDR.

[REOVA]

8 minutes ago, Shmoo here said:

I'm hoping this is true on our upcoming cruise.  I didn't want to make HIA reservations before I see what's on the menus in the MDR.

Suggest booking a time you want and then once onboard try to change if needed. With full cruises and HIA booked, getting a time onboard can be difficult unless you eat before 6 pm or after 8 pm. Also depending on ship, they may be short staffed and not fill times due to service. We were once told we couldn't book 6:30 but could 6. While we were eating restaurant was mostly empty but they didn't have staff for kitchen and service. Another time it was full and service was over 2.5 hours to get through. It's a toss up but if you can get a time you want now, do it. 

[PSR]

7 hours ago, Shmoo here said:

I'm hoping this is true on our upcoming cruise.  I didn't want to make HIA reservations before I see what's on the menus in the MDR.

On our HAL cruise last week, you couldn’t see the next day’s dinner menu until late on the night before; there probably would be no next day availability by then. REOVA’s suggestion is good.

Edited May 22 by PSR

[Khlela]

10 hours ago, Shmoo here said:

I'm hoping this is true on our upcoming cruise.  I didn't want to make HIA reservations before I see what's on the menus in the MDR.

it can be glitchy but you should be able to see your menus on the navigator app if your ship is on the same itinerary now. Whatever menu in the app is the same menu that is currently on that ship. Sometimes when you click on it the menu won’t appear. That’s a technically glitch and you may be able to try again then or later and have success. 

[PSR]

20 hours ago, Khlela said:

it can be glitchy but you should be able to see your menus on the navigator app if your ship is on the same itinerary now. Whatever menu in the app is the same menu that is currently on that ship. Sometimes when you click on it the menu won’t appear. That’s a technically glitch and you may be able to try again then or later and have success. 

 

I forgot about that, but it wasn't working for me starting about 1 week before our cruise on May 5th. Haven't tried since; hopefully it will be working for others.