Pinnacle $30 Ahhhhhh!!!!

[fb0075]

Just recieved email from persons on our tour--they had called to arrange Pinnacle reservations and were told that the price would be going to $30 in apx 3 weeks--(ROTTERDAM)

 

OH ME----IM NOT GOING TO START!!!!!!

FRANK

[jhannah]

Yikes! The Pinnacle Grill is an outstanding dining experience; but if this is true then I'm out! $20 extra per person is pushing the envelope, IMO. Adding another ten is just more than the experience is worth to me.

[sail7seas]

With all respect, I'm going to wait to have this confirmed before I comment too much. But $30 per person plus the tips we leave does make it so that we will think about it a little more closely before we make multiple bookings on a given cruise. I'm sure we'll still go once but maybe not a number of times. We'll see.

 

In the meantime, I'm waiting to have it confirmed.

 

[SummerfieldCruiser]

Just talked to Ships Services, $30.00 effective 10/1/06

[AZjohn]

Hummmm, let’s see if my brain is working correctly this morning….

$30 for wife + $30 for myself + $20 tip = $80 for dinner at Pinnacle, or…… Dinner at Main Dinning room with new friends at no additional cost….

OK, think I got it figured out..

[cruisin240]

That stinks.....I wonder if you prepay now if you can get it for 20.00 p/p

[sail7seas]

People who sail other cruise lines and dine in their alternative restaurants......... What are the charges for them? Any of them $30 per person.

 

[BruceMuzz]

Todd English Restaurant on QM2:

$30 per person for lunch abd $40 per person for dinner

 

Sabatini Italian Restaurant on RCCL:

$40 per person for dinner

[ASue]

Does anyone know if this is for all HAL ships????

[sail7seas]

Todd English Restaurant on QM2:

$30 per person for lunch abd $40 per person for dinner

 

Sabatini Italian Restaurant on RCCL:

$40 per person for dinner

 

Thank you, Bruce.

There's the answer!

[sail7seas]

Does anyone know if this is for all HAL ships????

 

I would think so. It would be very odd for the charge to not be uniform on all the ships. If that is what HAL thinks dinner at Pinnacle is worth, that is what they would charge on all the ships, presumably.

[caviargal]

Todd English Restaurant on QM2:

$30 per person for lunch abd $40 per person for dinner

 

Sabatini Italian Restaurant on RCCL:

$40 per person for dinner

 

Sabatini is on Princess, not RCI and is 20-25, not 40.

 

RCI has Portofino and Chops at 20pp, both quite good IME.

 

Murano on Celebrity is 30 pp.

 

I enjoyed PG on ZUI, 6 of 7 nights actually. This next trip I was planning to do the same but now will have to reconsider.

[mountainmare]

We're sailing Celebrity for the first time in 24 days--they also charge $30--and you are limited to a three course meal--appetizer or soup or salad, entree, dessert. There was a discussion over at Celeb about ordering two appetizers and the answer seemed to be no. The five course meal with wine pairings is much more expensive.

At $20 pp it was a push--now the $10 first night bargain was great whle it lasted!!!

[fb0075]

SAIL,

That might be the answer but the WRONG ONE as far as I am concerned!!

You know that I am "TIGHT" but this is just ridiculous--again IMHO---

I have never been that impressed but it was a nice nite--and the food last month on the NOORDAM was very good--but not $60---

Remember--and I dont want to rehash all this as we have many many times---The service charge when these restaurants first came out was to "TIP" the staff as they wouldnt participate in the dining room tips--it has now involved into a charge that I am sure that all lines keep.

And as many times as the line says that "no tip" required --us Americans feel obligated to do so--and the circle continues until they find a ressistance level--Which they just have for me!!

Hope all is well FRANK

[SanDiego Single]

It might just be that the people who tipped the extra will not do that anymore so it will hurt the employees more than HAL

[fcorey]

wow, I haveto say that is a bit high, not on its own but when you include a tip as AZJohn pointed out. I'll still go on our upcoming trip, but maybe only one night, our aniversary. I hope that this increased price also doesnt hurt the servers there. The increased cost may make people a little less generous with a tip which would be unfortunate.

[sail7seas]

Hmmmm..... I just had a thought.

 

HAL and AmEx Platinum have not yet renewed their contract. Among the benefits AmEx Plat. Members receive if they use that card to charge their cruises, is a free dinner in Pinnacle.

 

Seeing as until last year, the contract was usually renewed by August 30.

I'm wondering if one of the things they are trying to work out is about continuing free Pinnacle dinner seeing as HAL knew they were going to raise the price?

 

Perhaps that is one of the hangup about getting that contract signed??? Don't know; just speculating.

 

[doone]

WOW, I enjoy the Pinnacle Grill and don't mind the $20 per person charge, plus the gratuity, but I am not going to pay $30 per person plus a tip. I am sure if people don't book the Pinnacle, it will go back to the $20 per person, but if everyone keeps going, it probably will stay at the $30 for a while and then you will see it to be $40!!!!!! When will it end. Remember in the beginning it was free!!!!!!!!

[localady]

I guess that 3 days into our 9/28 cruise the price will change.:o I too think we will be avoiding the Pinnacle also. We find that the quality varies so by ship, that it's a gamble at best to eat there.

Think we will stay with the main dining room and try restaurants on land for lunch if we want a change!

[elmorejj]

Well as I see it, if they are upping the price, they really need to up or change the menu. Paying $30 for dinner, over and above what you have already paid for dinner in the main DR, is in my opinion, a little much. Add to that the tip we always leave, drinks and/or wine, and it makes for an expensive evening. Now if the menu was really good, with new items, then I would probably try it again. Not with the current menu..........jean:cool:

[cruzin girl]

Count me out.

[RedmondCruiser]

Sail -- I think we were just talking about erroding the product and here we go again. HAL will find that newbes will pay the higher price but the ancient Mariners will balk. (only my opinion)

 

On a Zaandam 20 day Panama Canal Cruise the Pinnacle was empty - and I mean empty. Then they announced that the price had been reduced to $15. Suddenly the place filled up and was frequented the rest of the cruise.

 

HAL would have been wise to have kept the increase to $25. At $25 PP I think they would receive a more favorable reception. I hope the bean counters stop before they decide to have a cafeteria style check out line in the Lido.

[DesertDogs]

On Tuesday, we pre-paid for two nights for an October sailing and were charged the $20 pp. No mention of the price increase by ship services. Hope we don't have to pay more when we get on the ship :(

[mafig]

I was going to try it on our upcoming Volendam cruise, even though the reviews were mixed. Undecided now.

 

Just to reiterate what a previous poster said, Sabatini's is on Princess and is not $40. Celebrity's specialty restaurants are $30 and they almost always get rave reviews.

[ASue]

I'll be going on the Zaandam next month and was looking forward to dinner one night in the PG. Hmmmmm but $30.00 ????? Don't think so. The food is great but not worth that IMO