Speciality restaurants we pay additional for, is this a new 'trend'?

[dpump]

Are lots of people paying extra to eat at the specialty restaurants on board now? What's wrong with all the options on the ship? Yes, we do it, have reservations in the Pinnacle Grill and was going to make them for Canelotto when another popped up, Rudi's or whatever. Then it dawned on me, geez, pay all this money for our cruise and now additional money for these restaurants, why? My husband and I talked about it and we'd much rather stay in a suite rather than on food. Is the food that bad on board? I guess each to their own.

[avian777]

Are lots of people paying extra to eat at the specialty restaurants on board now? YES. What's wrong with all the options on the ship? NOTHING THAT I'M AWARE OF - APPARENTLY PEOPLE JUST WANT TO TRY DIFFERENT TYPES OF FOOD/RESTAURANTS, AND HAL (& THE OTHER CRUISE LINES) WANT TO GIVE PASSENGERS THOSE OPTIONS. Yes, we do it, have reservations in the Pinnacle Grill and was going to make them for Canelotto when another popped up, Rudi's or whatever. Then it dawned on me, geez, pay all this money for our cruise and now additional money for these restaurants, why? SEE MY IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING COMMENT. My husband and I talked about it and we'd much rather stay in a suite rather than on food. Is the food that bad on board? NOT AT ALL - SEE MY ABOVE COMMENTS. I guess each to their own.

 

Yes, to each her/his own.

Smooth sailing (y) (y) (y)

[KroozNut]

Nothing 'wrong' with the food venues included in your cruise fare (MDR, Lido, etc.); however many folks enjoy experiencing specialty restaurant options and don't mind paying a little extra for them.

 

We currently have PG and Canaletto reservations for our upcoming cruise on Oosterdam in three weeks, and we are also looking forward to the awesome food offered in the Vista dining room, Lido Market, Dive-in Grill and other venues. :)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Everyone knows what they can or will spend on a cruise.

For us -- we love the Pinnacle and the Tamarind on the ships it is on.

We also enjoy Chef Rudi's dinner as well as the cellar master's dinner. We also enjoyed Le Cirque, etc.

[Brad1185]

The included food is extremely bad and of very poor quality that's the simple answer to your question

[frankc98376]

Food is fine in all of the venues. We choose to pay to eat in PG every night because neither of us likes crowds or noisy dining rooms especially hate feeling like we need to hurry and finish. I know that they don't try to rush people, just so hectic it feels rushed to us.

Most times we grab something quick in the Lido or Dive In at lunch time and eat out by the Sea View pool. We book NS so breakfast is also in PG.

[xlxo]

Some also choose specialty dining to get a preferred dining time.

[sandbag7]

We will be on Noordam in February; does anyone know the current prices for each of its specialty restaurants?

[Tatka]

It is completely normal not to use additional restaurants. In fact we never use them. Not because we cannot afford them, just never felt we needed to.

Personal choice. People pay for them so they exist. It is just like everything not included in cruise fare.

 

As for preferred time, we always were able to negotiate this with maitre D. If we couldn't get set time and a table for two we switched to my time dining.

[dee2673]

We will be on Noordam in February; does anyone know the current prices for each of its specialty restaurants?

 

 

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=362&pgtype=dining

 

 

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[dag144]

HAL has a tradition (misplaced I think) of huge dining halls which dated back to the nineteenth century. I like Princess' arrangements better. Princess has smaller more intimate dining rooms which to my mind are more like restaurants. i wish that HAL would veer from the large spaces which remind me of wedding palaces.

[blizzardboy]

The included food is extremely bad and of very poor quality that's the simple answer to your question

That's a bunch of horse cookies!

The specialty restaurants are quieter and more intimate, and they do offer superb food and service for a small upcharge, but the MDR is in no way "extremely bad", nor is it of "very poor quality".

[KroozNut]

The included food is extremely bad and of very poor quality that's the simple answer to your question

Of course this is simply one person's highly subjective opinion and should not be interpreted as authoritative in any way, nor representative of most people's opinions.

[blizzardboy]

Of course this is simply one person's highly subjective opinion and should not be interpreted as authoritative in any way, nor representative of most people's opinions.

You reminded me of Dennis Miller and it made me laugh. On his shows, he always went off on hilarious "rants" about all kinds of topics, from politics to religion, but they always ended with "that's just my opinion, and I might be wrong!"

[sandbag7]

https://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=362&pgtype=dining

 

 

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Perfect; thanks.

[rkacruiser]

Alternative dining venues provide just that, alternatives to the MDR or Lido every day for dining. An old cliche to be sure, but "variety is the spice of life".

 

For some, on land dining at the same restaurant, time and again, becomes monotonous. I believe the same may be true when dining aboard ship.

 

I like having the choice.

 

I don't think it reflects negatively, necessarily, on the MDR/Lido dining experience.

[navybankerteacher]

The included food is extremely bad and of very poor quality that's the simple answer to your question

 

This is a HAL thread, not NCL. Have you traveled on HAL recently? And where do you dine out when at home?

 

Unless you regularly frequent Michelin three star and comparable establishments, your post is laughable.

[Mr. Boston]

That's a bunch of horse cookies!

The specialty restaurants are quieter and more intimate, and they do offer superb food and service for a small upcharge, but the MDR is in no way "extremely bad", nor is it of "very poor quality".

 

 

 

I had the same thought. We enjoyed our MDR meals on the Eurodam this past February.

 

 

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[KroozNut]

That's a bunch of horse cookies!

 

Just curious... what are 'horse cookies'? :o:confused:

[RocketMan275]

Just curious... what are 'horse cookies'? :o:confused:

 

Stuff you find lying in the street after the horse walks by. AKA: Horse Apples.

[RocketMan275]

Are lots of people paying extra to eat at the specialty restaurants on board now? What's wrong with all the options on the ship? Yes, we do it, have reservations in the Pinnacle Grill and was going to make them for Canelotto when another popped up, Rudi's or whatever. Then it dawned on me, geez, pay all this money for our cruise and now additional money for these restaurants, why? My husband and I talked about it and we'd much rather stay in a suite rather than on food. Is the food that bad on board? I guess each to their own.

 

We are willing to pay the extra for the specialty restaurants. We still stay in a suite. We plan on dining in a specialty restaurant on all our Holland cruises. Nothing wrong with the MDR or the food. We simply prefer a dining venue that is quiet enough to have a conversation and where we don't have to listen to the table next to us. The cost of specialty dinning is less than the cost of most shore expeditions and very minor compared to the cost of the cruise.

[geoherb]

We had very good food and service on the Zuiderdam in February. The food in the main dining room is going to be comparable to what you'd get at a good hotel event--food prepare for the masses. Sometimes it rises above that in both ambition and execution. On that cruise, the only time we went to a specialty restaurant was one day when the Pinnacle Grill was open for lunch. The dining room was fine for all of our dinners.

[drowelf]

The included food is extremely bad and of very poor quality that's the simple answer to your question

 

I don't agree with this at all. We find that the MDR and Lido food is generally very good. Sure can they get something wrong in the MDR, yes, mistakes happen. But they are always ready to try and make things good.

 

Nothing at all like a recent experience on a Disney Cruise. Wifes baked potato arrived cold. We told the steward, but her replacement potato (again cold) did not arrive until desert! At our last day for breakfast, the menu had Belgian Waffles, what they delivered me was a COLD EGGO Waffle.

 

We first experienced the Canalleto on the Eurodam, when it was free. Since then we've had it a couple of times, but only when we get it free as a perk, via cruise package or TA.

 

We'll eat at the PG once or twice a cruise. Personally I don't feel that its worth the value to eat there a lot. At $30pp it's pretty steep, when I'm already shelling out $$ each day for food as part of my fare. And since lobster ravioli has not been available on our last 2 cruises (2015/2016), the wife is even less thrilled with the PG.

 

The Tamerind I feel is well worth the cost, as its something unique in dinning experiences.

 

Of course everyone has different ideas and expectations.

[yvrcruzer]

Hopefully navybankerteacher isn't comparing HAL MDR or specialty restaurants to a 3*** Michelin restaurant (or even a 1* Michelin restaurant). They are a long way from that, but food in MDR is generally okay but MDR food is mass produced food for the masses. Specialty restaurants are better but IMHO still a long way from a top end restaurant.

[Jade13]

The included food is extremely bad and of very poor quality that's the simple answer to your question

 

 

 

We didn't find that on the Koningsdam. My DH refuses to pay extra for a specialty restaurant. We did go to Pinnacle as it was part of Explore4, and did purchase gelato.

 

 

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