Pinnacle: Cost

[RuthC]

Does the $29 price for the Pinnacle Grill include the tip, or do we tip too?

A portion of the $11.50/$12 per day Hotel Service Charge is allocated to the Pinnacle staff.

Feel free to add to that, or not, as you choose.

[hrhdhd]

Huh? :confused: :confused: :confused:

 

One might assume autocorrect struck again; poster probably meant "colonoscopy."

[ithaca gal]

We have been dining the Pinnace Grill since we started sailing with HAL in 2007. We have enjoyed many lovely dinners there and at least three come to mind that were nothing special due to the service.

 

We renewed our vows on a family cruise to Alaska and celebrated with the family in the pinnacle grill. The food was good but the service was less attentive then we had received in the MDR. What a disappointment that was.

 

Out of our last four visits, two were great and two were abysmal due to the service. Will keep trying but we were greatly disappointed on our latest experience on the Eurodam in March.

Edited May 31, 2015 by ithaca gal
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[sail7seas]

We have been dining in Pinnacle Grills on HAL ships since first was introduced on Zuiderdam. In many ways I think it has improved through the years. Out of a great many dinners in Pinnacles throughout the fleet, we had maybe a few dinners that were less than we would have hoped. That can happen anywhere including Michelin Star Restaurants.

[Ky Colonel]

... we had maybe a few dinners that were less than we would have hoped. That can happen anywhere including Michelin Star Restaurants.

 

I agree completely ... and that is why I referenced the Michelin Star rating because, as we all know, Michelin Stars are awarded for the totality of the reviewer's experience and not just the quality of food, service, ambiance, menu, etc.

[sapper1]

Huh? :confused: :confused: :confused:

 

I must admit it gave me my morning chuckle. Well, belly laugh is more accurate. :D

[JVilleGal]

Loved Pinnacle last Fall on Westerdam. In fact we loved it so much we ate there most nites! Our table and our waiter was always waiting for us, the staff really spoiled us :)

[RuthC]

I must admit it gave me my morning chuckle. Well, belly laugh is more accurate. :D

Glad I wasn't the only one; caffeine hadn't kicked in yet.

KK managed to help me figure out what the poster was trying to say.

[ithaca gal]

We have been dining in Pinnacle Grills on HAL ships since first was introduced on Zuiderdam. In many ways I think it has improved through the years. Out of a great many dinners in Pinnacles throughout the fleet, we had maybe a few dinners that were less than we would have hoped. That can happen anywhere including Michelin Star Restaurants.

 

I completely agree that it can happen even in the best of restaurants but it is just that, percentage wise, our experiences have been fifty-fifty lately. The excellent service is an integral part of the total experience and our last visit was definitely less than special. I was sailing with a girlfriend for the first time and it was her first time on HAL. I told her how nice the PG was and how my husband and I enjoyed it once or twice on each cruise.

 

Without listing several places where they missed the "great service" target, I will just say that our entrees were brought by a server other than our waiter (no problem -- better than having the entrees sit and wait for "the waiter"). However, we completely finished our entrée (steaks) without ever having our waiter return to our table to see if everything was okay! No other server stopped by our table either. We did see our waiter chatting at other tables with other couples, so it wasn't that he was too busy to take care of each table.

 

The service in the MDR was far superior to our experience in the PG and left my friend wondering what the fuss was about.

[ScriptOhio]

"Dead cow" is my favorite food, I just got off the Oosterdam (36 nights) and literally had steak every night. I ate in the Pinnacle Grill twice. I don't know if it is worth ANY CHARGE; however, you would be hard pressed to find a better "piece of meat" than the 10 oz fillet mignon served in the Pinnacle. It's was definitely high-end specially steakhouse quality.

 

Wow....eating lots of red meat every day for over 30 days sounds great, but one should get a colostomy once in a while with such a diet :)

 

Don't you mean Colonoscopy??

 

Free medical advise (even though I'm not a doctor nor did I stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night). However, trust me on this, I've had both.

 

1) If you ever get a severe pain in the left side of your groin and it won't go away. Get to the doctor ASAP. It could be what I had, i.e. diverticulitis. Apparently I had diverticulitis and didn't know it. With my first attack it ended up busting my large intestines and requiring emergency surgery; which resulted in having a colostomy for 4 months. Fortunately I was able to have another surgery to have it removed. Over the 2 surgeries I had about 18" of large intestine removed (which is where the diverticulum was). A pain in the right side could be your appendix.

 

2) Once you reach 50 a colonoscopy is a good idea too. During my last one I did have 2 very small polyps removed. I'm currently on the 5 year plan and due for another one next year. Needless to say it is an "invasive procedure"; however, with the techniques and drugs that they use today it really isn't all the bad, i.e. you really don't remember anything and there isn't any real pain at all. Best of all it could save your life, i.e. the polyps can eventually turn into colon cancer.

 

Edited May 31, 2015 by ScriptOhio

[Krazy Kruizers]

Does the $29 price for the Pinnacle Grill include the tip, or do we tip too?

 

 

 

On HAL the fee charged for eating in the Pinnacle does not include a tip (gratuity). Nor is there any place for you to write in a tip.

We are among those that do tip at the end of the meal. Others don't as they feel that the staff get enough tip from the Hotel Service Charge that is charged to your account every day per person.

What you decide to do is your choice.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Free medical advise (even though I'm not a doctor nor did I stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night). However, trust me on this, I've had both.

 

1) If you ever get a severe pain in the left side of your groin and it won't go away. Get to the doctor ASAP. It could be what I had, i.e. diverticulitis. Apparently I had diverticulitis and didn't know it. With my first attack it ended up busting my large intestines and requiring emergency surgery; which resulted in having a colostomy for 4 months. Fortunately I was able to have another surgery to have it removed. Over the 2 surgeries I had about 18" of large intestine removed (which is where the diverticulum was). A pain in the right side could be your appendix.

 

2) Once you reach 50 a colonoscopy is a good idea too. During my last one I did have 2 very small polyps removed. I'm currently on the 5 year plan and due for another one next year. Needless to say it is an "invasive procedure"; however, with the techniques and drugs that they use today it really isn't all the bad, i.e. you really don't remember anything and there isn't any real pain at all. Best of all it could save your life, i.e. the polyps can eventually turn into colon cancer.

 

 

 

I just had my 3rd endoscopy and colonoscopy on Friday and the prep for this time was way different since I had it done in 2010. First time I did have several polyps removed.

Thank heaven for propofol. The first one I was not completely sedated and I was ready to tear out all their plugs, etc., the pain was so awful.

[sail7seas]

How did we get from filet mignons to intestinal medical procedures? :eek: :D

 

TMI......... :D

[ardie]

On HAL the fee charged for eating in the Pinnacle does not include a tip (gratuity). Nor is there any place for you to write in a tip.

We are among those that do tip at the end of the meal. Others don't as they feel that the staff get enough tip from the Hotel Service Charge that is charged to your account every day per person.

What you decide to do is your choice.

 

Thank you for your answer. We have eaten some meals on Celebrity in their speciality restaurants. At that time I think that all of our reservation fee was given to the wait staff as their tip. It has been 8+ years since our last cruise, so I'm sure thing have changed over time.

[sail7seas]

The surcharge for dining in HAL specialty restaurants does NOT go to crew as tip. Some small piece of the daily charged, automatic Hotel Service charge goes to Pinnacle stewards/staff.

[Euby]

If you purchase a dining package through the HAL website or via calling Ships Services, the price for the PG is a little less.

 

Dining Packages

Evenings in the Pinnacle Package — includes two evenings in the Pinnacle Grill. $52.00 per person

Booking the package reflects a $6 per person savings. Package is available on every

Holland America Line ship. Reservation times confirmed once on board.

 

Signature Dining Package — includes one evening in the Pinnacle Grill and one in $35.00 per person

Canaletto. Booking the package reflects a $4 per person savings. Package is available on every

Holland America Line ship. Reservation times confirmed once on board.

 

Distinctive Dining Package — includes one evening in the the Pinnacle Grill, one in $50.00 per person

Canaletto, and one in Tamarind. Booking the package reflects a $9 per person savings. Exclusively

on the ms Nieuw Amsterdam and ms Eurodam. Reservation times confirmed once on board.

[Krazy Kruizers]

That is good for people who are only 1 and 2 star Mariners.

3 star Mariners get 25% discount.

4 and 5 Mariners get 50% discount.

[ellieanne]

Pinnacle is worth any charge.

 

I don't think so. I have never really been impressed with the Pinnacle Grill. I can take it or leave it, and prefer to leave it.

[sammiedawg]

We had one outstanding Pinnacle meal years ago. Since then I was not that impressed but the food is certainly better than in the dining room.

[Typhoon1]

Does the $29 price for the Pinnacle Grill include the tip, or do we tip too?

 

Most include an additional gratuity for the excellent service received in the PG.

[emmtee]

 

1) If you ever get a severe pain in the left side of your groin and it won't go away. Get to the doctor ASAP. It could be what I had, i.e. diverticulitis. Apparently I had diverticulitis and didn't know it. With my first attack it ended up busting my large intestines and requiring emergency surgery; which resulted in having a colostomy for 4 months. Fortunately I was able to have another surgery to have it removed. Over the 2 surgeries I had about 18" of large intestine removed (which is where the diverticulum was). A pain in the right side could be your appendix.

 

Small world. I had almost the same experience except it was 6 months instead of 4 and 8 inches instead of 18.

 

And yeah, people shouldn't be afraid of a colonoscopy. It's a piece of cake. The prep is the worst part by far.

 

Maybe this is a little off-topic and TMI, but I'm mentioning it because it could save a life. I was sick 11 days before I went to the ER and it almost killed me. If I'd waited even a few hours longer, I likely wouldn't be here today.

 

Fortunately, I'm perfectly healthy now and looking forward to that 10 oz. filet! :-)

Edited June 13, 2015 by emmtee

[TheEmerson]

I just received a "free" meal for two at the Pinnacle and the Admiral wine package with my booking of the 12 Day Double Denali with a Neptune cabin. This cruise is not selected for the Anniversary Sale nor the One week Sale. So I would have to assume this came from the HAL PCC but it was a surprise to me.

[techteach]

I would appreciate knowing latest cost for dinner (not including drinks) at the Pinnacle on the MS Amsterdam. Wife and I are debating whether to pay for HA promotional packet (celebration of HA anniversary) which includes dinner at the Pinnacle. Since we are booked in a Neptune suite, I am assuming that we will receive at least 1 complimentary dinner at the Pinnacle. The promotional packet is $550 per person (also includes $55 towards internet, $50 liquor card, $800 towards land tours, etc. When I did the math, it appears that the initial cost vs existing suite benefits makes this promotion somewhat of a "wash".

Thanks.

 

We have sailed in Neptune Suites twice and always had a Pinnacle dinner included. We will sail again in July and a Pinnacle dinner is included with the suite.

[CruiseWhere]

We have sailed in Neptune Suites twice and always had a Pinnacle dinner included. We will sail again in July and a Pinnacle dinner is included with the suite.

 

We always sail in a NS or an a PS and have never had a Pinnacle Dinner included.

[kazu]

We have sailed in Neptune Suites twice and always had a Pinnacle dinner included. We will sail again in July and a Pinnacle dinner is included with the suite.

 

could this be a gift from your TA or PCC?

 

We have never had a PG dinner included with an NS booking by HAL nor PS booking. What our TA gives us is a horse of a different colour;)