Westerdam disapointing

[bobontheblue]

More to the point Pinnacle was the biggest letdown of the cruise. Holland America needs to pull up its socks, if they are going to sell this venue as a perk of any sort. Really enjoyed a great cruise on board the Westerdam , all but the Pinnacle which was at our access for breakfast as well as dinner. In my humble opinion the main dining room has them beat for service hands down. Has any one else felt this way. Having second thought about sailing with HAL again.:confused:

[CowPrincess]

We enjoy a Pinnacle lunch, once or twice on most cruises. We've found a lot of things to dislike about dinner in the Pinnacle (poor service, inconsistent quality). We had a suite the last couple of cruise, and still preferred room service breakfast to Pinnacle breakfast.

 

We just don't use the Pinnacle for dinner -- easy peasy ;) so we continue to sail HAL. I can't see a problem with one venue keeping you off their ships, y'know?

[sevenseasnomad]

Really enjoyed a great cruise on board the Westerdam , all but the Pinnacle In my humble opinion the main dining room has them beat for service hands down. Has any one else felt this way. Having second thought about sailing with HAL again.:confused:

 

Curious as to why one disappointing venue would turn you against HAL when you enjoyed the rest of the cruise.

Sailed Westerdam April 2012 with mother & friend. We ate in Pinnacle last night of the cruise. The experience was the perfect topping to a wonderful cruise.

From various threads I've read over the years, passengers either sing the Pinnacle's praises or condemn it for a rip-off, which tells me that service & food can be hit-or-miss items. Fortunately for us, we've always experienced excellent service/food on our previous five cruises. Looking forward to #6 on Eurodam in April. :D

[Esri]

Curious as to why one disappointing venue would turn you against HAL when you enjoyed the rest of the cruise.

 

I agree. Was The Pinnacle so horrible that it outweighed the rest of the "great druise"?

[sail7seas]

Wows,,,,

 

I wonder if the Chef and/or Manager has changed since end of November/December when we were aboard for two weeks.

 

We had at least 11 breakfasts in Pinnacle and minimum four dinners or more and we totally enjoyed it. We've been in all the Pinnacles and Westerdam measured up fine against them. The MDR was not one of our favorites. Service was excellent but I thought the menu lacking.

 

Seeing as OP and I are exact opposites in what we liked or didn't, it is likely our tastes are different. :shrug:

 

[sail7seas]

More to the point Pinnacle was the biggest letdown of the cruise. Holland America needs to pull up its socks, if they are going to sell this venue as a perk of any sort. Really enjoyed a great cruise on board the Westerdam , all but the Pinnacle which was at our access for breakfast as well as dinner. In my humble opinion the main dining room has them beat for service hands down. Has any one else felt this way. Having second thought about sailing with HAL again.:confused:

 

 

What are your specific complaints about Westerdam's Pinnacle?

 

Is this the first Pinnacle in which you have ever dined?

 

[PathfinderEss]

I'm with Sails, wow, we were on the Westerdam last year and the food and staff were wonderful. The Chef's like other personal on the ship serve for a period of time then go on vacation. They also like others go from one ship to another.

I have never had a bad meal in the Pinnacle, some are better then others, but that depends more on the Pinnacle Chefs, my opinion.

[tangerinebunny]

Each cruise is different; sorry you didn't enjoy yours.

 

We were on the Westerdam in early December and enjoyed the Pinnacle breakfasts. But then, we don't cruise for the food.

[NanaBnana]

Did you have a specific issue with the food or suggestion for future cruisers?

[respondeat.cruiser]

I think you may be a poster after my own heart.

 

I love the Westerdam, after sailing her over Christmas.

 

I do not understand the appeal of the PG. I think the MDR does everything I want...breakfast, and dinner. I'm all for the Lido at lunch.

 

But by all means, don't judge HAL by one thing you don't like. Next time, just eat in the MDR! Then make your decision...

[JamesEM]

When DW and I were on the Amsterdam we had a not so great dining experience in the Pinnacle. When we on the Noordam we receive a free meal in the Pinnacle from our travel agent, so we decided to eat lunch twice instead of dinner. Those were two of the best lunches we have ever experienced.

[Crew News]

....In my humble opinion the main dining room has them beat for service hands down. Has any one else felt this way. Having second thought about sailing with HAL again.:confused:

 

I measure the value of the PG by it's food and not it's normally excellent service. I'm not sure that I have ever eaten a perfectly cooked, 20-ounce, ribeye steak in the MDR since I have not been on all of the HAL ships. So, how an aged-beef, medium rare, delicacy gets to my table is rather immaterial because I pay extra for the food and not the service. If my steak was not cooked perfectly, I would send it back until it met my standards.

 

Excluding a dirty fork, the waiter's fingerprint smeared in any sauce on my plate, missing a salt shaker on the table, hot food that was allowed to cool before brought to my table, a dirty napkin, clearing my empty plate from the wrong side, or cold water for my Earl Gray after-dinner tea, HAL waiter service comes down to evaluating the waiter's demeanor and speed.

 

I can tolerate a scowling waiter if my steak is perfect. If my waiter questioned my choice of menu items, smiled too much, or did not smile at all, and the steak was perfectly cooked, I would savor my steak and just let it pass.

 

As to speed, if my PG dinner exceeds 1.5 hours, I would be mildly upset. If more than two hours and I missed a show, I would be speaking to the PG Manager.

 

Note that after I learned that the breakfast in the PG was the same food as served in the Lido, I dismissed the PG from my morning itinerary and became my own waiter. I can get a bit of something from each of the Lido buffet lines and not be concerned about my demeanor or speed.

 

If I could neverget a perfectly-cooked, 20-ounce, ribeye steak from the PG on a HAL cruise ship, I would switch to one of those perfect PG lobster tails and continue enjoying my HAL experience.

[KirkNC]

We have always found Pinnacle to be hit or miss.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sorry that you were disappointed in the Pinnacle.

Would have been nice if you had gone into more detail about what happened.

[kazu]

I wish OP would tell us what it was that was not to his liking in PG.

 

I'm always interested to read comments of that sort.

 

Me too - our Pinnacle experience was quite good when we were on in November so something has changed!

[sail7seas]

I wish OP would tell us what it was that was not to his liking in PG.

 

I'm always interested to read comments of that sort.

[bobontheblue]

Interesting responses to my poorly put question. My thought are, I was sold by my agent as well as Holland America that PG was a big perk and above and beyond all other dining that HAL has to offer. Only the best servers, finest food etc. My thoughts are all fine and dandy, but in my humble opinion the steak house on Carnival got it better, God forbid!!!!!! The service was rude, we should be so happy to be even allowed in there space. The china dirty, lipstick on the cups, "oh must be good lipstick". Spoiled creme, cold food. When informed about some of these concerns, was met with " Well you are entitled to your opinion." NICE. These were not just a one time event over the week. On the fifth day of the cruise when we arrived for breakfast, a staff member, who had been in the PG all week, said to me "Can I see your room card, are you even supposed to be here" I will admit I threw attitude back just as quick and replied PH 7045 , window seat as usual please.

Holland America was my very first cruise, this was my seventeenth not all with HAL. All I am saying is there are too many others who are getting it right, they need to stop relying on the past and get with the program. My feet and dollars can go elsewhere , much to my dismay.:confused:

[solocanadian]

On the fifth day of the cruise when we arrived for breakfast, a staff member, who had been in the PG all week, said to me "Can I see your room card, are you even supposed to be here" I will admit I threw attitude back just as quick and replied PH 7045 , window seat as usual please.

I too would have been choked at that comment and hesitant to return during remainder of cruise.:) This peron should have been reported to the PG manager. I have found some of the Pinnacle servers arrogant and do not appreciate that.

[George C]

Found service better on some ships than others but never had any real problems, had 7 breakfast. 3 dinners and 2 lunchs there on last 7 day cruise on Veendam and dinner was perfect each night, had several meals there on Westerdam and Zuiderdam also. Will book at least 3 dinners there on next cruise on Maasdam in April. I think Pinnacle service is better than MDR even on a bad day. But I would report and rude service in Pinnacle or MDR.

[BruceMuzz]

Am I reading this correctly??

 

The poster had the choice of breakfast and dinner at 2 different restaurants.

One restaurant he liked; the other he did not like.

So he continued to go to the one he didn't like???

And now he is complaining about it??

[kazu]

Am I reading this correctly??

 

The poster had the choice of breakfast and dinner at 2 different restaurants.

One restaurant he liked; the other he did not like.

So he continued to go to the one he didn't like???

And now he is complaining about it??

 

What you are missing Bruce is that the poster had breakfast at the Pinnacle as a PERK for being in the Penthouse - their other choice would have been the MDR. Yes, they had a choice - the Pinnacle Grill (a perk) or the MDR for breakfast.

 

Why in the heck if you have the Pinnacle for breakfast would you go to the MDR - this is a perk you have paid for - It's supposed to be a perk and nicer - however, if I had issues - I would have addressed them toute de suite. amazing how quickly an experience can change - they MUST have new staff from when we were on.

[sail7seas]

What you are missing Bruce is that the poster had breakfast at the Pinnacle as a PERK for being in the Penthouse - their other choice would have been the MDR. Yes, they had a choice - the Pinnacle Grill (a perk) or the MDR for breakfast.

 

Why in the heck if you have the Pinnacle for breakfast would you go to the MDR - this is a perk you have paid for - It's supposed to be a perk and nicer - however, if I had issues - I would have addressed them toute de suite. amazing how quickly an experience can change - they MUST have new staff from when we were on.

 

 

But he PREFERRED the MDR over Pinnacle.

If MDR is what pleased him that is where he should go.

I understand what Bruce Muzz is asking......... who cares if he 'paid for the perk' if the 'perk' wasn't pleasing him but what did please him was available? He went to his second favorite place and now complains. His right, of course, but not the most logical choice.

 

[NoobCruise]

We only ate in the Pinnacle once. We thought the service was fantastic - much better than the MDR - but the food was just ok. Although I was a little sea sick and very queasy and hot, so did not enjoy the experience as I might have if I'd felt well. DH thought the food was ok there, but nothing to rave about. Other than food, we had a fabulous time on the Westerdam and the service was great. I would sail on it again in a heart beat, despite average food.

 

Forgot to mention, we never did eat breakfast or lunch in the Pinnacle. We went once for breakfast, but we went too late and they wouldn't let us in. We arrived 20 minutes before the time listed in the Explorer, but they said "sorry". I thought they stopped serving breakfast a little too early considering it was a sea day and we were on vacation, although I understand they had to set up for lunch. They stopped serving breakfast much earlier than a land restaurant and they served breakfast much later in the Lido.

[tangerinebunny]

It's always pleasant to be remembered by staff members, but it's not required. It's not all that difficult to smile and show your room card.

 

What goes around comes around. Is it possible that you weren't the most polite of passengers?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Interesting responses to my poorly put question. My thought are, I was sold by my agent as well as Holland America that PG was a big perk and above and beyond all other dining that HAL has to offer. Only the best servers, finest food etc. My thoughts are all fine and dandy, but in my humble opinion the steak house on Carnival got it better, God forbid!!!!!! The service was rude, we should be so happy to be even allowed in there space. The china dirty, lipstick on the cups, "oh must be good lipstick". Spoiled creme, cold food. When informed about some of these concerns, was met with " Well you are entitled to your opinion." NICE. These were not just a one time event over the week. On the fifth day of the cruise when we arrived for breakfast, a staff member, who had been in the PG all week, said to me "Can I see your room card, are you even supposed to be here" I will admit I threw attitude back just as quick and replied PH 7045 , window seat as usual please.

Holland America was my very first cruise, this was my seventeenth not all with HAL. All I am saying is there are too many others who are getting it right, they need to stop relying on the past and get with the program. My feet and dollars can go elsewhere , much to my dismay.:confused:

 

Thank you for coming back and explaining everything better.