Are specialty restaurants on holland america worth it?

[latebuyer]

Just looking at booking a 1 day cruise to seattle on eurodam and can get 25US credit. Just wondering if the specialty restaurants are worth visiting and how much they are.

[Gigi1977]

I would go to Tamarind.  

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

17 minutes ago, Gigi1977 said:

I would go to Tamarind.  

It's our favorite.

[crystalspin]

1 hour ago, latebuyer said:

Just wondering if the specialty restaurants are worth visiting and how much they are.

Look here for details on specialty restaurants. The prices noted INCLUDE the 18% service charge (hence the non-round numbers). Eurodam is a Signature class ship so it has Canaletto, Tamarind/Nami Sushi, and Pinnacle Grill.

 

ETA the link!

https://rogerjett-photography.com/specialty-2/hal-regular-and-specialty-restaurants/hal-specialty-restaurant-menus/

 

Edited March 13 by crystalspin

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

52 minutes ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

It's our favorite.

Even the deserts are good.

[Mary229]

I don’t think so.   The Pinnacle is generally pretty good but I have been disappointed in both the Tamarind and Canaletto this cruise on the Koningsdam.  I think the best value and quality is the Pinnacle Grill lunch 

[ellieanne]

2 hours ago, Mary229 said:

I don’t think so.   The Pinnacle is generally pretty good but I have been disappointed in both the Tamarind and Canaletto this cruise on the Koningsdam.  I think the best value and quality is the Pinnacle Grill lunch 

I agree with this. I have not been impressed with the specialty restaurants on the HAL ships. Also, we found on my last cruise, if you do not reserve well ahead of time online, there are not more reservations when you get on board. Sometimes I do not want to plan that far ahead. I find the MDR and Lido to be much better.

[POA1]

They hold roughly half the tables back for onboard reservations. The issue for you is that the 1 day coastal cruise is part of a few other itineraries.

 

$17 of your $25 will be consumed by crew appreciation.

[CruiserBruce]

13 minutes ago, POA1 said:

 The issue for you is that the 1 day coastal cruise is part of a few other itineraries.

 

Sure about that? That one day sailing is usually to meet PVSA requirements....that is, the ship can do a sailing from San Diego to Vancouver, but not a San Diego to Seattle.

[kazu]

22 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Sure about that? That one day sailing is usually to meet PVSA requirements....that is, the ship can do a sailing from San Diego to Vancouver, but not a San Diego to Seattle.

 

Yes, those sailings are to meet PVSA requirements but they are usually a segment of a longer cruise.  For example - Panama Canal from FLL - on ours passengers on that cruise could choose to disembark in San Diego or Vancouver.  The segment from FLL to Vancouver was a separate one but part of the longer cruise.

[POA1]

58 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Sure about that? That one day sailing is usually to meet PVSA requirements....that is, the ship can do a sailing from San Diego to Vancouver, but not a San Diego to Seattle.

I think the turnaround ports are SEA and YVR. That 1 day is part of the "Coastal" itineraries. It's been on the schedule for many years.

[terrydtx]

8 hours ago, Gigi1977 said:

I would go to Tamarind.  

Our favorite and IMO the best specialty restaurant of any cruise line.

[jay888]

Tamarind Is worth every penny or every cent depending where you come from, IMHO

[latebuyer]

Thanks everyone and Crystal for posting prices. I forgot how expensive the dinner prices are for these specialty restaurants. I think i'm better off skipping the cruise and going to a nice dinner in Seattle but i'll think about whether i just want to go on the cruise and go to the mdr. As a canadian the dinners are even more expensive.

[Riverlake]

Just returned from a 21 day Eastern and Western Eurodam tour. Tamarind is the best - limited menu but done very well. Fast service and wonderful ambiance. Not so good on days ship is rolling (11th deck). Pinnacle is better value at lunch! MDR is hit or miss with food selections and quality - alas sign of the times. Butter slices are counted out per px and so thin you can see through them.  However, you will never go hungry on a cruise - finish up at the LIDO, if you can find a seat!

[CruiserBruce]

44 minutes ago, Riverlake said:

Just returned from a 21 day Eastern and Western Eurodam tour. Tamarind is the best - limited menu but done very well. Fast service and wonderful ambiance. Not so good on days ship is rolling (11th deck). Pinnacle is better value at lunch! MDR is hit or miss with food selections and quality - alas sign of the times. Butter slices are counted out per px and so thin you can see through them.  However, you will never go hungry on a cruise - finish up at the LIDO, if you can find a seat!

Butter is not transparent. Hyperbole doesn't grant credibility.

[SDARCH]

46 minutes ago, Riverlake said:

Butter slices are counted out per px and so thin you can see through them.

We take butter with us as well as salt and pepper and old bay.

[ChinaShrek]

If you book the HIA (Have it All) package. it will include 1-2 specialty dinners depending on the length of your cruise. The package makes the dinners worth doing, good value. Otherwise, no.

[YourWorldWithBill]

As you have already noticed, there will be as many opinions as there are people who answer; we agree with the majority here, however, that Tamarind is worth it. It's our favorite. We were disappointed in both Pinnacle Grill and Canaletto, but that's just us! Many love them.

 

And I agree that it's when the meals are part of a package that they're worth it. But since you have $25 credit, why not?

[sciencewonk]

I don't think anyone can answer that question because food quality is so subjective.  I love the Pinnacle Grill, so I would answer yes to your question.  My wife merely tolerates it for my sake and would answer no.  With Canaletto, our answers would be reversed.

 

Ask yourself what you are looking for.  If it's a laid-back, restaurant style dining experience you want, the specialty restaurants are a cut above the main dining room and are way beyond the somewhat frenetic Lido.  If you want access to lots of food choices and ambience doesn't matter, then go for the Lido.

[REOVA]

Wow 1 day cruise. I doubt you will get any feel of the cruise or any restaurant in 1 day. Cruising is about experiencing and we've had days that were good in some restaurants and not so good on other days. Would hate for you to try a restaurant on its off day and then forever think it was bad. But you won't know unless you try and experience it. We used to like Pinnacle and hated Canaletto, then loved Tamarind, Canaletto and not Pinnacle. Last year we weren't impressed with any of them on Eurodam. Did our tastes change? No. But we just ate during a "rough" time for HALs service and kitchen. If this is the first night of a longer cruise, it may be hectic for HAL. 

[crystalspin]

6 hours ago, latebuyer said:

I think i'm better off skipping the cruise and going to a nice dinner in Seattle but i'll think about whether i just want to go on the cruise and go to the mdr.

If it is indeed the first night of a longer cruise, I would steer clear of the MDR! and go to the Tamarind. Canaletto will not be open on a first (or only) night because of the new program to have steak in the Lido (to take the pressure off the MDR!) -- the Canaletto staff with be assisting in the Lido and probably the Canaletto seating will be open for buffet seating as well.

 

The Tamarind has atmosphere (at least on the Koningsdam it did). As far as the Pinnacle Grill, there are definitely nicer steak-and-seafood restaurants in Seattle! So Plan B is not a bad choice. 

[YourWorldWithBill]

4 hours ago, crystalspin said:

If it is indeed the first night of a longer cruise, I would steer clear of the MDR! and go to the Tamarind. 

 

The Tamarind has atmosphere (at least on the Koningsdam it did). As far as the Pinnacle Grill, there are definitely nicer steak-and-seafood restaurants in Seattle! So Plan B is not a bad choice. 

Excellent point about Tamarind! That's exactly what we did on the first night of our last cruise, which was on the Rotterdam: had a really nice meal in Tamarind. And we're doing the same thing our first night on the Nieuw Statendam soon.