Specialty restaurants

[HMSDingy]

I've noticed that the gala nights on our Greek Island cruise this June are on the 2 sea days.  I'm trying to book specialty restaurants for these two days but have almost reached a dead end.  There seems to be no availabilities on the second sea day for the Pinnacle Grill at any time.  Would I stand a chance booking while on the ship?

[catl331]

18 minutes ago, HMSDingy said:

Would I stand a chance booking while on the ship?

Possibly, but on the K'dam I would book the Tamarind.  

[HMSDingy]

6 minutes ago, catl331 said:

Possibly, but on the K'dam I would book the Tamarind.  

Correction, I booked the Pinnacle for the first sea day but I wanted to book Canaletto for the second.  Tamarind is available for the second sea day but we would have preferred Canaletto.  Is the Tamarind that good?

[knittinggirl]

Lunch at the Pinnacle is also available on sea days, but I think you have to wait until after you board.  It's also cheaper at $20 pp.  Some cruises, that all we do is at lunch.

[catl331]

6 minutes ago, HMSDingy said:

Is the Tamarind that good?

Yes. MUCH better than the Canaletto IMO. Check out this menu: http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Tamarind.pdf  I highly recommend the Wasabi&Soy tenderloin, and if you really don't like wasabi you can ask for it on the side or omitted entirely.

Edited March 24, 2019 by catl331

[HMSDingy]

1 minute ago, catl331 said:

Yes. Much better than the Canaletto IMO. Check out this menu: http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Tamarind.pdf  I highly recommend the Wasabi&Soy tenderloin, and if you really don't like wasabi you can ask for it on the side or omitted entirely.

If I book Tamarind online post cruise, can I cancel it if I change my mind while on the cruise?

[catl331]

3 minutes ago, HMSDingy said:

If I book Tamarind online post cruise, can I cancel it if I change my mind while on the cruise?

I presume you mean pre-cruise. Yes, you can cancel on-board.  

[HMSDingy]

1 minute ago, catl331 said:

I presume you mean pre-cruise. Yes, you can cancel on-board.  

Yes pre cruise, typed too fast!

[terrydtx]

13 minutes ago, HMSDingy said:

Correction, I booked the Pinnacle for the first sea day but I wanted to book Canaletto for the second.  Tamarind is available for the second sea day but we would have preferred Canaletto.  Is the Tamarind that good?

IMHO the Tamarind is the best specialty restaurant of any cruise line and better Asian cuisine than most land restaurants. . Don't waste your money on the Canaletto, it is no better than Olive Garden. 

[HMSDingy]

Just now, terrydtx said:

IMHO the Tamarind is the best specialty restaurant of any cruise line and better Asian cuisine than most land restaurants. . Don't waste your money on the Canaletto, it is no better than Olive Garden. 

Definitely going to book Tamarind.  Although I must admit, the sample menu on the HAL website for the Canaletto looks appetizing. Wife and I are both Italian and we know our cuisine.  If you say it's no better than Olive Garden, then Tamarind it is.  Thanks for the feedback.

[simplyrubies]

Slightly off-topic question, but will you be travelling on the June 1 cruise by any chance? I know there are a couple of Greek island itineraries and I am wondering when ours will be!

 

In terms of your question, would you be able to get a reservation if a table cancelled? I assume such would be common and you might have a chance of getting a table then, but of course you never know how many people will do it and what time their reservation is. This would be quite risky, in my opinion. 

[HMSDingy]

Just now, simplyrubies said:

Slightly off-topic question, but will you be travelling on the June 1 cruise by any chance? I know there are a couple of Greek island itineraries and I am wondering when ours will be!

 

In terms of your question, would you be able to get a reservation if a table cancelled? I assume such would be common and you might have a chance of getting a table then, but of course you never know how many people will do it and what time their reservation is. This would be quite risky, in my opinion. 

Yes we are on the June 1 cruise. I've booked the Tamarind & Pinnacle for  our sea days.  As for the itineraries, are you booked on the ship's excursions or privately?  

[Krazy Kruizers]

You will not be disappointed in the Tamarind!!

[HMSDingy]

2 minutes ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

You will not be disappointed in the Tamarind!!

Thanks I appreciate your response and all of your help here on Cruise Critics.  This will be our first cruise with HAL and like all of our cruises, I'm as excited as a kid in a toy store.  I do like the choices of specialty restaurants with HAL.

[terrydtx]

50 minutes ago, HMSDingy said:

Definitely going to book Tamarind.  Although I must admit, the sample menu on the HAL website for the Canaletto looks appetizing. Wife and I are both Italian and we know our cuisine.  If you say it's no better than Olive Garden, then Tamarind it is.  Thanks for the feedback.

Canaletto is just a partitioned off area on the Lido market and is nothing special. My wife and I sent 3 weeks last year in Rome and Southern Italy and every place we dinned was far superior Canaletto. You will love the Tamarind and it is a separate restaurant with a great sushi bar too.

[horseymike]

1 hour ago, knittinggirl said:

Lunch at the Pinnacle is also available on sea days, but I think you have to wait until after you board.  It's also cheaper at $20 pp.  Some cruises, that all we do is at lunch.

they must have raised the price , it used to be $10.

[VennDiagram]

1 hour ago, HMSDingy said:

Is the Tamarind that good?

 

Yes 🙂

[VennDiagram]

1 hour ago, knittinggirl said:

Lunch at the Pinnacle is also available on sea days, but I think you have to wait until after you board.  It's also cheaper at $20 pp.  Some cruises, that all we do is at lunch.

 

When were you onboard that the price was $20 pp?

[canadarocks]

26 minutes ago, horseymike said:

they must have raised the price , it used to be $10.

I believe it is still $10. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

[VennDiagram]

6 minutes ago, canadarocks said:

I believe it is still $10. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

It was still $10 pp in December (that's why I asked the pp when they were onboard), but there is (almost) nothing that HAL might do that would surprise me 😉

[knittinggirl]

22 minutes ago, VennDiagram said:

 

It was still $10 pp in December (that's why I asked the pp when they were onboard), but there is (almost) nothing that HAL might do that would surprise me 😉

I think you're correct.   I think they charged us $15 for both of us on the Noordam.  $20 less the 25% 3-star discount.   Love that mocha brownie w/ caramel popcorn!

[HMSDingy]

23 hours ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

You will not be disappointed in the Tamarind!!

I've booked the Tamarind for the second sea night. My sister has sailed with HAL and she tells me to do a gala night in the MDR because of the special menus.  Is it really owrth it?  I can always go the the Tamarind on another night.

[terrydtx]

18 minutes ago, HMSDingy said:

I've booked the Tamarind for the second sea night. My sister has sailed with HAL and she tells me to do a gala night in the MDR because of the special menus.  Is it really owrth it?  I can always go the the Tamarind on another night.

The MDR Gala night menu will not be as good as the Tamarind unless you like a tough steak and 3 oz frozen lobster tail.

[57redbird]

I'm the only dissenter, I think, but neither my hubby or I liked the Tamarind -- there were a few things that were ok but we won't be going back if we're ever on another ship that has it.

[RuthC]

2 minutes ago, 57redbird said:

I'm the only dissenter, I think, but neither my hubby or I liked the Tamarind -- there were a few things that were ok but we won't be going back if we're ever on another ship that has it.

You're not the only one. I will dine there if I am with friends who want to go, but it's never my first choice of specialty restaurant. Service there has always been lovely, but for some reason I always come out feeling less than satisfied with the meal.