Pinnacle Grill last night oboard - Pros? Cons?

[Zezzie]

I'm trying to decide what night to make reservations. We will be on Veendam and I was hoping to be at sea while dining at Pinnacle. Plus I've also heard so-so reviews about the Chef's Table dinner the last night so it sounds like we wouldn't be missing much (no offense to those who like it.) I know the last night is usually when you say your goodbyes to waitstaff but I thought that could easily be done the night before - which is a formal night.

 

Is there something tip wise you actually hand them the last night? Would that not be ready until the last night? I wasn't sure how HAL handled that. I do understand there's a daily tip of $11 per person added to your account and we would certainly give more to specific waitstaff and others for outstanding service.

 

Trying to weigh the pros and cons of doing it this way. Your thoughts are appreciated! Thanks

[RuthC]

When I was on the Veendam to Bermuda last October there was no Master Chef's Dinner. Not in any way, shape, or form was there any semblance of that dreaded meal. Hurrah!

So, if that's your itinerary, check to see if that meal will be held on your cruise. If not, it may open up possibilities to dine in the Pinnacle on another night.

All that said, it's become a sort of tradition for me to go to the Pinnacle on the last night. It's a lovely way to close out the cruise with a special meal, in a lovely setting.

I say my "good-bye" to tablemates and stewards the night before, when I let them know I won't be there on the last night.

If you're going to give an extra tip to your table stewards, it's easily done the night before that last night (when everyone else is giving their envelopes).

[SwissMyst]

1. We hate the Master Chef dinner

2. We love sharing the last evening with our dining crew

3. We tried to avoid the MSC once and hated the awful PG dinner even more (6/18/10 -Zuiderdam)

4. We went back to the MCD after the bad PG experience and still hate the MCD

5. We love sharing our last night with our dining staff

 

So there you have it.

 

The good news is the possible phasing out of the MCD or providing a lower key final night celebration.

[Krazy Kruizers]

we also do not care for the master chef dinner

so we give out our extra tips to the waitstaff and wine steward the evening before -- also say our goodbyes

we go to the pinnacle -- if we are on a signature class ship -- then we go to the tamarind

[RonJoan]

We have never found the MCD objectionable. It's a silly but light-hearted way to say good bye to your table mates and to the dining room staff. Get in the spirit of it and you will have a good time. And if you intend to make an extra tip it is the ideal time to do it.

 

RonJoan

[Zyzygy]

One possible advantage to choosing the PG on the last night (especially if you make your reservation online before departure) is that you can choose the exact time you want to eat.

 

We have learned that if one waits a little too long to go to As You Wish dining in the MDR that there may be a wait. If your itinerary has a Master Chef's Dinner, then you may be allowed to be seated only at the early and late seating times, so as not to interrupt the festivities.

 

Because we like to eat early on the last night, but not so early as 5:15, we have chosen to pre-book the PG to get the exact time we want.

[kazu]

our last two MCD's were really toned down and very nice.

 

Notwithstanding that, if you have NEVER been on the final night, then I would recommend that you go the MDR & do the Pinnacle on another night.

 

Why? Because you haven't experienced it. You can't go by everything you read here. Then you can make up your own mind. JMO :D

[Randyk47]

our last two MCD's were really toned down and very nice.

 

Notwithstanding that, if you have NEVER been on the final night, then I would recommend that you go the MDR & do the Pinnacle on another night.

 

Why? Because you haven't experienced it. You can't go by everything you read here. Then you can make up your own mind. JMO :D

 

Our last MCD was also very, very toned down and maybe that made the service and the food better but it really wasn't all that bad. I guess it would be situational for us. In the case of our last cruise we really, really enjoyed our table mates and wait staff and wanted to spend that last night with them. (NOTE: Got along with our table mates so well we'll be cruising with one of the couples next year on the Silversea Wind. :)) On the previous cruise we could have easily missed the last night but couldn't get Pinnacle Grill reservations. :(

[kakalina]

We tend to go to the PG on the last night. We just find it more relaxing to go there. Also we spend more evenings at the PG then the MDR so we are saying good bye to our main waiters there. In fact last cruise I only dined in the MDR twice.

[iriemon]

We go to the Pinnacle Grill the first night and the last night. We do as you wish dinning and the first night seems to be very confusing and long waits. The last night is the dreaded MCD which we will avoid at all costs by going to the Pinnacle or Lido or Canneloto. My advice is put your reservation in early for the Pinnacle or you may not get the time you want. If you are not able to get the time you want online, go to the reservations desk in the Lido as soon as you get on and you probably will have luck getting what you want.

[RonJoan]

Quote: The last night is the dreaded MCD which we will avoid at all costs by going to the Pinnacle or Lido or Canneloto. Quote:

 

 

Comments like the quote are so "over the top" as to be almost laughable if they weren't so sad! The MDR staff works hard throughout the cruise to serve the Passengers and then on the final night they put on a silly but seemingly sincere farewell show involving juggling, dancing and strutting around while at the same time a special meal is prepared by the kitchen staff. And the reaction of some pax is to struggle to bail out to some other venue and boycott their efforts. I guess I'm just not sophisticated enough to know better.

 

RonJoan

[SwissMyst]

Quote: The last night is the dreaded MCD which we will avoid at all costs by going to the Pinnacle or Lido or Canneloto. Quote:

 

 

Comments like the quote are so "over the top" as to be almost laughable if they weren't so sad! The MDR staff works hard throughout the cruise to serve the Passengers and then on the final night they put on a silly but seemingly sincere farewell show involving juggling, dancing and strutting around while at the same time a special meal is prepared by the kitchen staff. And the reaction of some pax is to struggle to bail out to some other venue and boycott their efforts. I guess I'm just not sophisticated enough to know better.

 

RonJoan

 

The one thing that makes the MCD tolerable is looking around and seeing a lot of other people enjoying it immensely. So I appreciate your (ahem) "lack of sophistication" as you put it, because your happiness makes it a lot happier for us too. It was fun the first night, but later it became very uncomfortable to deal with for us because we are just not demonstrative "joiners".

 

But we are happy there are so many that cheer lustily and wave their napkins and get into the full spirit of it. That is infectious. So keep hooting and hollering while we eek out our shy smiles, but don't want to miss our last night with our staff either.

[RetiredMustang]

Quote: The last night is the dreaded MCD which we will avoid at all costs by going to the Pinnacle or Lido or Canneloto. Quote:

 

 

Comments like the quote are so "over the top" as to be almost laughable if they weren't so sad! The MDR staff works hard throughout the cruise to serve the Passengers and then on the final night they put on a silly but seemingly sincere farewell show involving juggling, dancing and strutting around while at the same time a special meal is prepared by the kitchen staff. And the reaction of some pax is to struggle to bail out to some other venue and boycott their efforts. I guess I'm just not sophisticated enough to know better.

 

RonJoan

 

If you enjoy it, fine; good for you. I have experienced it too often and quite frankly "dread" the prospect. So, I will find another place to dine that night -- it is not "over the top" but simply a statement of preference.

 

Dave

[esther e]

We do as you wish also and booked online the first formal night (because I think it's confusing and the wait is long for the MDR) and the last night in the PG.

[Infi]

We, like many posters on this thread, skipped the MCD on our last cruise and went to the Tamarind instead. It was pretty crowded, as was the Pinnacle when we walked by it later in the evening. Service didn't suffer and food was excellent, but it wasn't as quiet of an atmosphere as you might get on another night. That's probably about the only con I can think of - word has gotten out and plenty of people are escaping to the specialty restaurants on the MCD night!

[iriemon]

Quote: The last night is the dreaded MCD which we will avoid at all costs by going to the Pinnacle or Lido or Canneloto. Quote:

 

 

Comments like the quote are so "over the top" as to be almost laughable if they weren't so sad! The MDR staff works hard throughout the cruise to serve the Passengers and then on the final night they put on a silly but seemingly sincere farewell show involving juggling, dancing and strutting around while at the same time a special meal is prepared by the kitchen staff. And the reaction of some pax is to struggle to bail out to some other venue and boycott their efforts. I guess I'm just not sophisticated enough to know better.

 

RonJoan

 

I agree the waiters work very hard all week long and why mgmt feels they have to add the extra work on to them is beyond my comprehension. We also don't like the limited menu and not being able to order off of the "available any time menu" I don't think it has anything to do with "sophistication", when I am home I don't go to places I don't enjoy so why do it on vacation. We do as you wish dining however usually find a waiter in the beginning of the cruise who we like and make reservations for his section. We always tell him that we will not be there on the last night and extend our extra tip the night before. I am glad you enjoy it, and as they say "different strokes for different folks"

[LOGHL]

1. We hate the Master Chef dinner

2. We love sharing the last evening with our dining crew

3. We tried to avoid the MSC once and hated the awful PG dinner even more (6/18/10 -Zuiderdam)

4. We went back to the MCD after the bad PG experience and still hate the MCD

5. We love sharing our last night with our dining staff

 

So there you have it.

 

The good news is the possible phasing out of the MCD or providing a lower key final night celebration.

 

 

WHat exactly is the master chef's dinner, and how can I determine what nite it will be served>> Thanks

[RonJoan]

To LOGHL:

 

The Master Chef Dinner is HA's attempt at a final night "special" festive dinner in the MDR. It can be accepted as being fun or being silly and goofy depending on the mood and temperament of the passenger. Kind of like a trip to Disneyland. You can suspend reality and have a good time or you can have a perfectly awful time with your lower lip stuck out as witnessed by many of the posts. The waiters parade around twirling towels and juggling utensils and dancing strange steps between serving the courses. There is a parade of Flaming Baked Alaska Dessert. And the Chef's prepare a special though somewhat smaller menu than regular nights. It often takes a bit longer due to all the antics. In prior years H-A used to pass out Dutch hats to the Diners but I haven't seen that in recent years.

 

It is always held on the last night of the cruise in my experience. As you can see from this thread, one can love it or hate it. The latter seem to be the most vocal. But there are many of the former.

 

It's worth a try if one is new to H-A.

 

RonJoan

[RuthC]

You can suspend reality and have a good time or you can have a perfectly awful time with your lower lip stuck out as witnessed by many of the posts.

Or you can have a perfectly wonderful time by dining elsewhere.

[Krazy Kruizers]

we old timers prefer to have a lovely evening dinner on the last night of the cruise where we had a last chance to talk to our wait staff -- hall has made certain that is not possible any more

we were intruduced to these "antics" back in 2006 -- went 4 times which was 3 times too many

JMO -- this dinner is nothing more than a 'carnival' - and many of the wait staff we have talked to hate it

[RonJoan]

we old timers prefer to have a lovely evening dinner on the last night of the cruise where we had a last chance to talk to our wait staff -- hall has made certain that is not possible any more

 

we were intruduced to these "antics" back in 2006 -- went 4 times which was 3 times too many

 

JMO -- this dinner is nothing more than a 'carnival' - and many of the wait staff we have talked to hate it

 

You are certainly entitled to your opinion. And perhaps when I have accumulated 46,393 Posts on these Boards I will be able to self-identify as an "old timer" and be entitled to mine! I am merely a neophyte with 146 posts and 10 years of cruising experience but I have attended twice as many Master Chef Dinners as you admit to.

 

If you re-read my earlier post my objection was to expressions such as "dreadful MCD" that "should be avoided at all costs". You may not like the MCD but surely you cannot believe that the MCD that is enjoyed by the vast majority of attendees waving their napkins warrants such epithets and ridicule!

 

RonJoan

[esther e]

You are certainly entitled to your opinion. And perhaps when I have accumulated 46,393 Posts on these Boards I will be able to self-identify as an "old timer" and be entitled to mine! I am merely a neophyte with 146 posts and 10 years of cruising experience but I have attended twice as many Master Chef Dinners as you admit to.

 

If you re-read my earlier post my objection was to expressions such as "dreadful MCD" that "should be avoided at all costs". You may not like the MCD but surely you cannot believe that the MCD that is enjoyed by the vast majority of attendees waving their napkins warrants such epithets and ridicule!

 

RonJoan

 

I'm wondering if it's attended by THOSE who do like it and the rest of us dine elsewhere. If it were reversed and we dined there and those who do like it went elsewhere, there would be no napkin waving, etc.;)