Increased Pinnacle Price..... What Does it Mean?

[sail7seas]

Three and Four Star Mariners get a discount at Pinnacle and Tamarind. That's a nice benefit IMO

 

But, HAL increased the price so discount considered, the price went up.

 

Why did the price go up? Because the restaurant couldn't handle as many reservation requests as they were getting? Raise the price, fewer people will want to come.

 

Or to cover some of the discount given to Three and Four Star Mariners...... or both? :confused:

[IRL_Joanie]

Three and Four Star Mariners get a discount at Pinnacle and Tamarind. That's a nice benefit IMO

 

But, HAL increased the price so discount considered, the price went up.

 

Why did the price go up? Because the restaurant couldn't handle as many reservation requests as they were getting? Raise the price, fewer people will want to come.

 

Or to cover some of the discount given to Three and Four Star Mariners...... or both? :confused:

 

I'd say it was because the cost of food went up is the basic reason.

 

Joanie

[KirkNC]

This has been phasing in for some time. On the Rotterdam this summer we paid $20/pp but other ships had already started with $25/pp.

[Krazy Kruizers]

It's a combination of both.

Look at the price of food in your grocery store -- prices here have gone WAY up. A pound of Filet Mignon has gone up from $18.95 a pound to $21.95 a pound.

And the number of 3 and 4 star Marriners getting discounts for the Pinnacle has also increased. We had a few hundred 3 and 4 star Mariners on our last cruise.

And 4 star Mariners now get free laundry where before many of them at least got the unlimited laundry or did the laundry by the bag which helped to pay for the soap and water used in the laundry room.

And we also noticed that many 4 star mariners bought wine packages getting them 1/2 price and the slight increase of the wine packages that appeared on our second segment doesn't cover the 50% discount these people get.

[sail7seas]

Yes, our grocery bills certainly have risen steadily. Most of us notice we buy same (similar) things every week and each week, the same articles cost more. Same for the stores for the ships........

 

We select what wine we want each evening (or when we have finished the last bottle) from the list. We don't like the Navigator Package. The one time we bought it, we cancelled it immediately. Not to our taste.

 

So, you're saying that what they are giving with one hand, they will take back with the other. Give laundry, charge higher for something else?

 

 

 

 

 

[SwissMyst]

From my only two Pinnacle experiences between these two pricing differences, I would be happy to report Pinnacle quality improved 900% when I compared the one we had on the Zuiderdam a while back at the lower price, and the really excellent one we had on the Maasdam just now.

 

(Which for us was a free perk, since HAL bent over backwards to make up for a flooded carpet inconvenience we had the first fews days due to the balcony door not being shut before they power washed the outside of the ship between the prior cruise and ours apparently leaving a soaked carpet by the balcony door upon our arrival.)

[SwissMyst]

......

 

We select what wine we want each evening (or when we have finished the last bottle) from the list. We don't like the Navigator Package. The one time we bought it, we cancelled it immediately. Not to our taste.

 

 

We got a lot of confused communications about the wine by glass selections on our recent Maasdam cruise. In the past (and with the wine cards) I would always order a "house white sparkling" (aka a glass of "champagne") and get whatever they were pouring that night - fine with me and the price was right.

 

This time there was great confusion about this, plus who would take the order - the waiter sometimes, then the wine steward and then it appeared one did house wines and the other did the brand wine choices but we are not too sure about this. Plus asking for the "house wine" drew total blank stares and I think we ended up getting a more premium brand selection instead of just the "house white sparkling".

 

We finally got everyone together to settle this all out to see how we could duplicate what we had always done in the past and it seems the new term now they used was to ask for the "well brand" (the type the house stocks in the "well" for general use).

 

Have not checked our bills yet to see if any of this confused communications ever settled out with a lower price per glass for the "well brand" white sparkling of if we were still getting charged for one of the named brands by the glass. Oh well.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Yes, our grocery bills certainly have risen steadily. Most of us notice we buy same (similar) things every week and each week, the same articles cost more. Same for the stores for the ships........

 

We select what wine we want each evening (or when we have finished the last bottle) from the list. We don't like the Navigator Package. The one time we bought it, we cancelled it immediately. Not to our taste.

 

So, you're saying that what they are giving with one hand, they will take back with the other. Give laundry, charge higher for something else? Absolutely -- they have to make up those lost monies some where.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you ever checked out the Admirals Wine Packages?

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I think every one is looking at this wrong. The reason for the increase is two fold. One every single other cruise line out there is charging anywhere from $25.00 to $35.00 per person for their Specialty Restaurants. HAL was actually at the bottom of the pricing looking quite cheap. The cost while it may supplement the over head of provisions provided in the Pinnacle and Tamarind is actually more for limiting Crowd control. I would not be surprised to see them start to implement a small charge for Canaletto.

 

Now yes the fee for Le Cirque is more than crowd control but a portion of that goes to Le Cirque and the cost of using their china and the name.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We got a lot of confused communications about the wine by glass selections on our recent Maasdam cruise. In the past (and with the wine cards) I would always order a "house white sparkling" (aka a glass of "champagne") and get whatever they were pouring that night - fine with me and the price was right.

 

This time there was great confusion about this, plus who would take the order - the waiter sometimes, then the wine steward and then it appeared one did house wines and the other did the brand wine choices but we are not too sure about this. Plus asking for the "house wine" drew total blank stares and I think we ended up getting a more premium brand selection instead of just the "house white sparkling".

 

We finally got everyone together to settle this all out to see how we could duplicate what we had always done in the past and it seems the new term now they used was to ask for the "well brand" (the type the house stocks in the "well" for general use).

 

Have not checked our bills yet to see if any of this confused communications ever settled out with a lower price per glass for the "well brand" white sparkling of if we were still getting charged for one of the named brands by the glass. Oh well.

 

 

I would have been checking my bills each evening -- not after the cruise was over.

[cmdchiefthom]

I and my family haven't been in the inside the MDR for dinner in something like six years, nor will typically eat dinner in the Lido, or its equivalent on other lines. I will look at the MDR menu, and if we all agree there is something on it we would like to have, I certainly have no objections of eating there, however, compared to what we know to be available elsewhere aboard ship, often times, for dinner, we choose the for pay venues. We love the Pinnacle, or Cagneys aboard NCL, and find the price very reasonable for the product and service. I never even considered the discount for being a three-star Mariner, just the meal and what it is worth to me. I'm on a cruise, and I certainly don't want to worry about how much extra it is costing me to eat a special meal at a special venue. I guess if we believe that HAL is nickle and diming us to death, I'm not going to react by nickle and diming myself as well. A cruise is my way of relaxing, no worries, cares about anything, just enjoying:)

[Himself]

I'd say it was because the cost of food went up is the basic reason.

 

Joanie

 

I think this is the real reason.

[sail7seas]

Have you ever checked out the Admirals Wine Packages?

 

 

Yes, We have looked at the Admirals Wine Packages. Again, it doesn't have many of the wines we like. It is fine but just not for us.

 

 

 

I think every one is looking at this wrong. The reason for the increase is two fold. One every single other cruise line out there is charging anywhere from $25.00 to $35.00 per person for their Specialty Restaurants. HAL was actually at the bottom of the pricing looking quite cheap. The cost while it may supplement the over head of provisions provided in the Pinnacle and Tamarind is actually more for limiting Crowd control. I would not be surprised to see them start to implement a small charge for Canaletto.

 

Now yes the fee for Le Cirque is more than crowd control but a portion of that goes to Le Cirque and the cost of using their china and the name.

 

 

I disagree about crowd control, Lisa. Yes, some nights we see Pinnacle is busy but much more often than not, there are empty tables... not just one or two but considerable number. These are recent observations on about 4 or 5 ships. Same situation. IMO

 

And Tamarind on Nieuw Amsterdam was not even 25% filled one of the nights we were there. What a shame so many people missed the chance to enjoy that fine restaurant. They did a wonderful job. No crowd control needed there.

 

 

 

 

I and my family haven't been in the inside the MDR for dinner in something like six years, nor will typically eat dinner in the Lido, or its equivalent on other lines. I will look at the MDR menu, and if we all agree there is something on it we would like to have, I certainly have no objections of eating there, however, compared to what we know to be available elsewhere aboard ship, often times, for dinner, we choose the for pay venues. We love the Pinnacle, or Cagneys aboard NCL, and find the price very reasonable for the product and service. I never even considered the discount for being a three-star Mariner, just the meal and what it is worth to me. I'm on a cruise, and I certainly don't want to worry about how much extra it is costing me to eat a special meal at a special venue. I guess if we believe that HAL is nickle and diming us to death, I'm not going to react by nickle and diming myself as well. A cruise is my way of relaxing, no worries, cares about anything, just enjoying:)

 

 

I very much agree about Pinnacle. We have dined in Pinnacles dozens of times on most all but two HAL ships and only a very few times have not had a very delicious dinner. On our recent Nieuw Amsterdam cruise, we had seven dinners outside the MDR and all of the were very, very good. We enjoyed all.

 

The price if very worth it, with or without Mariners Discount but that was not the reason for my question.

 

I never said I don't think the price worth it but made note of the fact it had been increased.

 

If you have not yet had the chance to try Tamarind, you have something to look forward to. It is only on Nieuw Amsterdam and Eurodam but is truly outstanding...... VERY good.

[Typhoon1]

$25.00 is still a bargain for the Pinnacle. IMO. Where can two people dine in a fine restaurant for $50.00?

[cruz chic]

And we also noticed that many 4 star mariners bought wine packages getting them 1/2 price and the slight increase of the wine packages that appeared on our second segment doesn't cover the 50% discount these people get.

HAL charges a pretty penny for their wine and I'm sure the markup on it is really high from the selections they have. Even at a 50% discount I think they are still ahead of the game.

[ASIWISH]

Being in the food business, I can tell you that food inflation is a big issue this past year... as I'm sure everyone has seen.

 

It will be interesting to see as prices likely decline this year, if HAL will lower the price. Doubt it.

 

I think it's still a tremendous bargain.

 

If it is true they they have done it on other ships earlier this year, then they have "tested" it, and have obviously seen that their consumers/passengers are accepting of it.

 

Happy for them... sad for Sail!

[ASIWISH]

Where can two people dine in a fine restaurant for $50.00?

 

... at a Specialty Restaurant on a cruise ship. :D

[edmusic]

HAL charges a pretty penny for their wine and I'm sure the markup on it is really high from the selections they have. Even at a 50% discount I think they are still ahead of the game.

My family always buys the most or near most expensive wine while on a cruise. Why? Value. A $30 bottle of wine on a cruise is $8 on land. A $50 bottle on the seas is about $18 on land. But, an $80 to $100 bottle of wine on the ship is the same price on land. We don't want to overpay so we get the wines that are comparably priced to the ones on land.

[sail7seas]

Being in the food business, I can tell you that food inflation is a big issue this past year... as I'm sure everyone has seen.

 

It will be interesting to see as prices likely decline this year, if HAL will lower the price. Doubt it.

 

I think it's still a tremendous bargain.

 

If it is true they they have done it on other ships earlier this year, then they have "tested" it, and have obviously seen that their consumers/passengers are accepting of it.

 

Happy for them... sad for Sail!

 

 

Sad for Sail?

 

Why would you be sad for Sail? I don't get it. What wrong impression did I give this time. :D :confused:

 

We pay such a small amount for Pinnacle it isn't an issue to me personally. This thread was (I thought) about generalization...... not me specifically. :o

 

 

[ASIWISH]

Sad for Sail?

 

Why would you be sad for Sail? I don't get it. What wrong impression did I give this time. :D :confused:

 

We pay such a small amount for Pinnacle it isn't an issue to me personally. This thread was (I thought) about generalization...... not me specifically. :o

 

 

 

I thought this guy (:confused:) meant sad...!!! Sorry, Sail!!!

 

(Now I'm sorry for me!):(

[smslms]

My family always buys the most or near most expensive wine while on a cruise. Why? Value. A $30 bottle of wine on a cruise is $8 on land. A $50 bottle on the seas is about $18 on land. But, an $80 to $100 bottle of wine on the ship is the same price on land. We don't want to overpay so we get the wines that are comparably priced to the ones on land.

 

Not sure that I can agree with your rationale. Your $30 bottle of wine on a ship will likely cost you pretty much the same in a bar or restaurant on land. You can't compare it to the price you might pay for example in a liquor store or Costco. Typically a wine that you would buy from a store for $100 is going to be marked up to $250-300 in a restaurant, bar or ship.

[djhsolara]

Maybe I'm way off here, but wasn't the price for Pinnacle Grill higher a few years ago but then went down...and is now again going back up?

 

I was thinking it was either $25 or $30 a few years ago when we first cruised HAL but then went down.

 

It is still a bargain at $25. You can't even get a good steak in most restaurants for $25, let alone the whole meal.

 

We just ate in the Olympic Restaurant on Celebrity Millennium for $40, but in our opinion it was well worth it and was the BEST meal we've had on a ship...that experience ran circles around Pinnacle Grill.

 

:) :)

[sail7seas]

Yes, Douglas, you are correct. Pinnacle was $30 pp for a while.

 

[mamaofami]

I'm confused. Is the price now $20 or $25? Still a bargain for a wonderful dining experience. I used to love the chocolate volcano for dessert, but now I've been dreaming of the Creme Brulee since June.

[sail7seas]

It is $25 but as three star Mariner you get 25% discount, Carol.