ewildcat7 Posted June 28, 2022 #1 Share Posted June 28, 2022 We are going to be on the cruise over my birthday and my wife wants to do one of the specialty restaurants for dinner and asked me to pick which one I want. Normally I would have chosen the Pinnacle Grill, but it is the one night that it turns into the other thing. So, my second choice is the Italian restaurant. But right now the only reservation they have is at 9:30! Do any of you know if some reservations are held for onboard bookings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john2003 Posted June 28, 2022 #2 Share Posted June 28, 2022 3 minutes ago, ewildcat7 said: We are going to be on the cruise over my birthday and my wife wants to do one of the specialty restaurants for dinner and asked me to pick which one I want. Normally I would have chosen the Pinnacle Grill, but it is the one night that it turns into the other thing. So, my second choice is the Italian restaurant. But right now the only reservation they have is at 9:30! Do any of you know if some reservations are held for onboard bookings? No idea but we managed to get an earlier time on our recent cruise, when we were onboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobomonkeyrage Posted June 28, 2022 #3 Share Posted June 28, 2022 21 minutes ago, ewildcat7 said: We are going to be on the cruise over my birthday and my wife wants to do one of the specialty restaurants for dinner and asked me to pick which one I want. Normally I would have chosen the Pinnacle Grill, but it is the one night that it turns into the other thing. So, my second choice is the Italian restaurant. But right now the only reservation they have is at 9:30! Do any of you know if some reservations are held for onboard bookings? This is my VERY limited, one time experience but I did not enjoy Canaletto. Highly recommend Tamarind if your ship has it. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewildcat7 Posted June 28, 2022 Author #4 Share Posted June 28, 2022 3 minutes ago, bobomonkeyrage said: This is my VERY limited, one time experience but I did not enjoy Canaletto. Highly recommend Tamarind if your ship has it. Thank you. Although I didn't explicitly state it, I definitely appreciate reviews/recommendations of the specialty restaurants! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Crew News Posted June 28, 2022 #5 Share Posted June 28, 2022 My favorite HAL Specialty Restaurant is the Tamarind. Their presentation is amazing and their desserts are impressive. http://rogerjett-photography.com/wp-content/gallery/Nieuw-Amsterdam-Dining---Tamrind/IMG_0567-Large.jpg 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakridger Posted June 28, 2022 #6 Share Posted June 28, 2022 (edited) Although I have enjoyed Canaletto, for your birthday I would also choose Tamarind. Try Canaletto another day if you wish. Check @Crew News link below for the menus. His site is great for all kinds of HAL information! Happy Birthday @ewildcat7!! Which ship will you be on? They don't all have Tamarind. Tamarind Menu - tamarind-dining-experience.pdf (rogerjett-photography.com) ~Nancy Edited June 28, 2022 by oakridger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groundloop Posted June 28, 2022 #7 Share Posted June 28, 2022 We got off Eurodam last week, my first time with HAL but a dozen cruises with other cruise lines. We had "have it all" plus some on board credit to spend so we did all three restaurants. The choice amongst the three of us was unanimous - Tamarind was the best for both food and service. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodndonna Posted June 28, 2022 #8 Share Posted June 28, 2022 another vote for Tamarind. Canaletto is 'good value' and a nice change from MDR, but Tamarind stands out. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Nickelpenny Posted June 28, 2022 #9 Share Posted June 28, 2022 I love Tamarind! First time was on my first cruise on Rotterdam in January and again on Eurodam last week! Unfortunately not on the Westerdam 🙁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Mary229 Posted June 28, 2022 #10 Share Posted June 28, 2022 Love Tamarind. If it is not available on the website you can try calling guest services. When boarding the ship do ask. They can waitlist you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewildcat7 Posted June 28, 2022 Author #11 Share Posted June 28, 2022 8 hours ago, oakridger said: Which ship will you be on? They don't all have Tamarind. We will be on Nieuw Amsterdam and Tamarind is an available option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveOKC Posted June 28, 2022 #12 Share Posted June 28, 2022 13 minutes ago, ewildcat7 said: We will be on Nieuw Amsterdam and Tamarind is an available option. Tamarind is the best option IMO. We also like to do it when we are in a port late, as often the views of the port area are very pretty, since you are up so high in the ship. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john2003 Posted June 29, 2022 #13 Share Posted June 29, 2022 Apart from the yummy food, the other advantage of Tamarind is location. They do a good job with Canaletto of separating it from the Lido but it isn't its own space. Go early to Tamarind for a beverage in the bar area. Makes a lovely evening. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakridger Posted June 29, 2022 #14 Share Posted June 29, 2022 17 hours ago, DaveOKC said: Tamarind is the best option IMO. We also like to do it when we are in a port late, as often the views of the port area are very pretty, since you are up so high in the ship. Yes, being up high gives the great views from Tamarind and the Silk Den bar. This is why I intentionally do NOT book Tamarind on days the ship has a good chance of choppy seas, such as the California coast. Those days I want to eat in lower areas of the ship if it does get bouncy!! On Alaska cruises from Vancouver, it shouldn't be much of an issue unless there is an actual storm. ~Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare albingirl Posted June 29, 2022 #15 Share Posted June 29, 2022 I like Tamarind, not only for the fine food, but generally it can be quiet. Even if there are a good number of people in there, it seems more quiet than other venues. Maybe it's just me, but sometimes the main dining room can be obnoxiously loud and overbearing. Not always, but some. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chas Posted August 28, 2023 #16 Share Posted August 28, 2023 I see that this veered off a bit, however, regarding the original question of how many tables are held for onboard reservations: Going on Zuiderdam Sept 9 and see that, for the most part, if you want to reserve at Pinnacle most days you have to wait until 8 pm. Have you had luck, once onboard, of getting a specialty dinning reservation for a time not offered in advance on the website or app? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doone Posted August 28, 2023 #17 Share Posted August 28, 2023 (edited) On 6/28/2022 at 10:37 AM, ewildcat7 said: We will be on Nieuw Amsterdam and Tamarind is an available option. I would choose Tamarind over Canaletto any day........ Edited August 28, 2023 by doone 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Real NHDOC Posted August 28, 2023 #18 Share Posted August 28, 2023 If Tamarind is sold out you can make a reservation for Nami Sushi and they will serve you off the Tamarind Menu too - it's the same restaurant. It's also a nice way to get a reservation without having to pre-pay too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystalspin Posted August 28, 2023 #19 Share Posted August 28, 2023 2 hours ago, chas said: regarding the original question of how many tables are held for onboard reservations: Going on Zuiderdam Sept 9 and see that, for the most part, if you want to reserve at Pinnacle most days you have to wait until 8 pm. Have you had luck, once onboard, of getting a specialty dinning reservation for a time not offered in advance on the website or app? You might ask in a new thread. The "veering" of this thread just has more people singing the praises of the Tamarind! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now