Pinnacle Grill Format Change

[LHC]

DD and I always go to the Pinnacle at least once per cruise. For me I enjoy the smaller dining experience, slower pace, and individual attention given to us. Of course, the wonderful table setting, the linens, the flowers, and the wall decorations add to it too.

I love Italian but for me why not just offer a couple of new specialty dishes every few months and leave it alone.

If you pay more for this experience and I have never been at the Pinnacle when the tables were not occupied, leave it alone. Change up the menus so those of us who return can change our favs, but as a person who does not get this attention often in my "Real World", let me enjoy it as it is.

LHC

[Live4cruises]

We did the Pinnacle on Prinsendam for lunch last cruise. The dinner menu combined with surcharge was not enough to entice us, as we felt we already had terrific service and good to very good food in the main dining room. "Nothing on PG's dinner menu looks extraordinary, so why pay extra?" was our opinion. When we cruise on Celebrity Millineum class, we make it a point to go to the specialty restaurants because the offerings are so out of the ordinary for us Midwesterners! We won't bother with PG until it does something different.

[bob brown]

I would have to agree regarding the exceptional specialty rooms on the Celebrity Millenium Class ships. They have authentic ocean liner decor from retired ships, and extraordinary "butterfly service" where each person at a table is served simultaneously by a waitperson. I really enjoyed the tableside preparation of Steak Diane on the Constellation!:)

[peaches from georgia]

Seems to me if Celebrity can have such outstanding specialty restaurants, especially on Millenium, then HAL could, too.

 

I'd love to see an X specialty menu, though I haven't checked on X board yet.

[Live4cruises]

Celebrity has an appetizer - Goat Cheese Souffle - that is probably one of the tastiest items I've ever indulged in. Even though I commented on their unusual menu (above), in the 5 cruises we took on 3 ships in 5 years - same menu every time. But worth going back for!

 

We're HAL sailors now, though!

[sab490]

Celebrity has an appetizer - Goat Cheese Souffle - that is probably one of the tastiest items I've ever indulged in. Even though I commented on their unusual menu (above), in the 5 cruises we took on 3 ships in 5 years - same menu every time. But worth going back for!

 

We're HAL sailors now, though!

 

....and for dessert, the chocolate souffle is to die for!:D

 

But we, too, are now HAL sailors! ;)

 

- Steve

[TriGirl]

Husband and I have eaten at the Pinnacle four times (three times our travel agent treated) and it wasn't horrible, but certainly not worth the $30 surcharge. We won't go back, not just because of the $30 charge, but also because the food just isn't that great and the menu doesn't interest us. I don't mind spending extra for exceptional food, in my opinion PG isn't exceptional. We were on the Westerdam in March and the PG was very empty and I noticed they weren't open for lunch at all anymore, at least on the Westerdam.

 

Back in 2002 I went to the Marco Polo restaurant on the Zaandam with my mom, now that was memorable. I'd pay for extra for a meal like that. Also, my mom and I went to the specialty restaurant on the Constellation and that was another truly memorable meal! My mom and I STILL talk about how good it was. Someone mentioned the goat cheese souffle, it was fantastic.

[CDRMark]

We have eaten in the Pinnacle each of our three cruises and I cannot see how I could recreate the Porterhouse alone for $30.

I consider it a premium steakhouse, and have not been disappointed.

"Same old, same old' skews the question.

Dine there or do not dine there; you have no choice. :)

Cheers

Mark

[bestz5403]

We just got back from the Westerdam's T/A. Ate at the grill (at least I tried to). They made me two steaks - the first was so overcooked, that it was like leather. The second came so raw, that the Matre Dee took it from me and had them cook it until it was at least dead. The meat was so though, it couldn't be eaten either. The desert, the three varieties of Creme Brule had no flavor. The steak served in the Dining room, was smaller (I was served two) and far, far superior.

 

No comparison with X's specialty restaurants. The rack of lamb is to die for - I agree with previous comments re: Goat Cheese Suffle.

[Brad1185]

We were impressed with the Pinnacle food on the Oosterdam. We also all felt the charge was not worth it, but the food was great. We only went because of coupons to the grill.

[AWED23]

I agree, would work for me. Keep everybody happy!:)

 

Multiple dining alternatives a la E-dam with its Asian, Italian, and Pinnacle Grill options sounds good to me.

 

Awed, I think we've been outvoted. Looks like the majority prefer the Pinnacle Grill as it is.............

:mad: Phooey!!!!......Oh well, MORE GIN !........Rob:D

[jtl513]

:mad: Phooey!!!!......Oh well, MORE GIN !........Rob:D

With all of the money that HAL has put into the current configuration I'm sure it will stay the way it is for quite some time regardless of any "vote" here! :rolleyes:

[sail7seas]

I agree. :)

 

[earl_m]

I Want My Steaks, No Change!!!!!!

[sail7seas]

I agree the steaks are excellent but also like the idea of nightly or weekly specials. Keep the menu the way it is but maybe offer a different chicken or fish or alternative for those folks who eat little or no meat. We often go to Pinnacle three of four times during some cruises and I don't like meat enough/don't want to have that much meat. I order some of the 'non-red meat' entrees and some alternative specials would be a nice treat. The chicken I had on Maasdam last August in Pinnacle was excellent so I'm looking forward to that again..... as well as a petite filet one night. ;) And will welcome if there is some special that sounds good to me.

 

 

 

 

[JDRMYS]

I agree the steaks are excellent but also like the idea of nightly or weekly specials. Keep the menu the way it is but maybe offer a different chicken or fish or alternative for those folks who eat little or no meat. We often go to Pinnacle three of four times during some cruises and I don't like meat enough/don't want to have that much meat. I order some of the 'non-red meat' entrees and some alternative specials would be a nice treat. The chicken I had on Maasdam last August in Pinnacle was excellent so I'm looking forward to that again..... as well as a petite filet one night. ;) And will welcome if there is some special that sounds good to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On our Noordam cruise in January, there was a special entree on the menu each night. Usually it was poultry or fish.

[sail7seas]

On our Noordam cruise, we only went to Pinnacle for dinner one night and didn't hear about the specials as we knew we were having beef. On our upcoming Maasdam cruises, I know we will be at Pinnacle more and I'll be very hopeful for a good fish/chicken choice.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I wish the Pinnacle would offer BIG lobster tails once in a while. When we were on the Oosterdam a couple of years ago, they did ofer lobster tails once in a while and they were excellent.

[sail7seas]

That is no particular treat for us. We get all the lobster we want locally...... hard to beat those Maine hardshells.

 

It is rare for us to order lobster tails in the dining room when they are offered.

 

[caviargal]

We are just off the Oosterdam and had dinner in the PG 4 nights. One night there was a tuna sashimi appetizer which was awesome, another night grilled scallops, another black cod.

 

There were none offered on ZUI at all so am hopeful that Noordam will have specials as well.

[virgilhilts]

The idea of a truly fine Italian venue is attractive. On the other hand, the Pinnacle Grille offerings are pretty attractive the way they are. Why not do both?

 

We just completed a lovely cruise on the Noordam and enjoyed it thoroughly. What a wonderful ship. However, a couple of the venues were tragically underutilized. If I were a company bean counter, I'd be pretty darned skeptical of the value of some of the public rooms. For example, one venue, the Explorer's Lounge, was quite elegant, featuring an awesomely talented trio (two violins and keyboard) with a very broad-based pop/classical repertoire. Unforunately, there was never anybody in the venue to hear them -- or to buy drinks. Right now, that space is not being used very effectively. Might that space not be converted into another surcharge-based restaraunt?

[Joanandjoe]

The poll is closed, but we would have been a very strong vote for going back to the Italian theme, or alternating between themes (as was done on the Regent Seven Seas Navigator). Our meal in the Rotterdam's Odyssey Room was the best meal we ever had on a mass market cruise ship: great Italian food paired with excellent wines. As for PG, the suite breakfasts there were marvelous; but it was very hard for us to get excited about steak. We ate there once on our 11 day Noordam cruise, but would have been just as happy without a PG dinner. We definitely are not beef eaters, but love Northern Italian food.

 

Actually, when we returned from our cruise, we started a post about how we wished HAL would convert PG into the Odyssey Room.