Pinnacle $30 Ahhhhhh!!!!

[PRINSENDAM]

This news is really going to make me appreciate our upcoming Crystal cruise where the alternative restaurant is still free.

 

 

I have not sailed Crystal since 2000. The alternative restaurant certainly wasn't free then...... it was $6 per person!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:eek:

 

But you are right. The charge was strictly for the tip.

 

Stephen

[sail7seas]

Sea King,

 

You need to think outside the box a bit more and re-work your numbers.

I work 40 weeks a year for a cruise line company that offers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7 day cruises.

 

MR. Muzz....... If credibility matters, let's be frank here.

 

In your contracts with your current employer (the above quote uses present tense), are you really telling us you work more than a scant, tiny number of 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 day cruises? And 40 Weeks a year????

 

Many of us on this board know that isn't exactly accurate.

[Sea King]

Sea King,

 

You need to think outside the box a bit more and re-work your numbers.

I work 40 weeks a year for a cruise line company that offers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7 day cruises.

 

ok Bruce: you opened the door:)

 

which company is it?

 

does its ships have blue hulls?:D

 

suspect if you know how many people fit into an elevator, you aren't part of the "tender crew";)

 

want to tell us all?:cool:

 

your comments are too factual to be from anyone other than "crew" or maybe even the Big Office:eek:

[HeatherInFlorida]

Did I dream it? ... Is this "Dallas"???

 

Back on topic. Life, like cruising, can all be so very interesting. But no matter what I'm still not paying $30 pp for dinner in the Pinnacle even if they knock it down to only 4 tables so the kitchen can accommodate us.

[amusea]

I know this must have been the hottest topic of the year. In retrospect, just think about what you are getting for paying the $30. When was the last time to go to a decent restaurant anywhere in the US where you can walk out of the restaurant after a 7 course meal having only to pay $30 (let's say even $40 if you want to include the tip).

 

It's still consider cheap especially you are on vacation. Hey after spending $3000+ on the cruise, what's another $30?

 

I think it's the principle that is in question. While everyone is expected to pay $20 and all of a sudden the price went up 50% everyone starts to scream. Imagine if I hadn't come across this OP (thanks again fb0075), and I found out about this increase after I got on the ship, will I still pay it? I've never cruised with HAL before so I am almost 99% sure I would pay the $30. However, since I found out about this ahead of time, I took the opportunity to pre-book so I save some dough (fb0075 - can you imagine if everyone that pre-book will give you 5% of what they save, you'd be rich). There are 7 of us going so it's $70 I could have used elsewhere.

 

After all, it's a vacation. It'd be so funny if HAL did this on purpose to see how well informed their guests are. With the technologies (www chat room,etc) News travel fast. The Ship Services agents must be thinking what'd happen today as reservation keeps coming in since 9 this morning.:D

 

When you compare the cost of fine dining off the ship with the Pinnacle please remember that the total cost of the PG at the new price is not $30.00 plus tip. In the every day cost of the cruise a good portion of the money you are paying is for food. Therefore, if you are going to do comparisons on and off ship you should add the money you are paying to HAL for food every day. In that context the Pinnacle Grill is not as big a bargain.

My first experience in the optional restaurant was on the Zaandam about six or seven years ago. I am not sure but I think the cost was either minimal or it was free. Can someone help me here??

In any case, that meal was by far the best I have had on an HAL ship. The more recent meals in the Pinnacle and and service do not compare. So the increase in cost leaves one wondering if the food and service will be elevated to former levels with the increase in cost.

[Brad1185]

The Celebrity 5 course meal is $59 pp but does include wine

[zaandam_2]

i didn't read all 9 pages of this so forgive me if its been stated previously.

 

carnival charges $30 pp for their specialty restaurants also.

[Copper10-8]

Hey guys; just a hot tip and in his defense: Mr. Muzz does work in the cruise line industry for a cruise line and prior to his present employer, worked for two other lines. Please give him the credit he is due as far as his expertese!

As far this this very hot topic; it all still comes down to personal choice. We all have the choice to visit the PG or not. S7S is right on again (and this is really getting old;) ). When HAL changed from the Marco Polo (really liked that Italian menu there) to the Pinnacle, a lot of us (yours truly included) said we would never dine at the place, not for $20pp. But guess what, we did and, speaking for ourselves, we liked it. If you think $30pp is over the top, you still have that choice; don't patronize the PG. All I can say is that if HAL is adding to the menu in the PG and is giving us more choices, we will more than likely pay them a visit to try them out. If it turns out to be a disappointing visit, then it could very well be our last one! Peace out!:)

[Schplinky]

The Celebrity 5 course meal is $59 pp but does include wine

 

The five course is the same as the three ($30) but wine is an add-on. One person in our party who does not drink was served the five course for $30. Tis was true on Constellation in January, at least. Those of us who had 5 courses and wine paid $59. Our friend had five courses with no wine and paid $30.

[Bramcruiser]

Well said Copper 10-8. I can't believe this topic got so heated as whether someone pays anything for specialty dining is really a personal choice. Some don't want to pay the extra and some always will. I've done the Pinnacle at $20pp and loved the experience but I do know it has had a spotty record from many of the reviews I read. Still, I believe the upgrade to $30 is in line with what the other lines are doing with their specialty restaurants so the move is purely an economical one. We all have the main dining room so if one doesn't want to pay extra they have the choice to continue to eat all the fine food offered in the main room. The food in HAL's dining room is still well worth not going to the specialty restaurant. And yes, I likely, would pay $30pp! Again my choice.

 

David

[Margarita Jane]

Sorry - but I am confused. Does the $30 include the tip or not?

 

Per Frank, fb0075, "Remember,per HAL, "There is no tip required or expected" in the Pinnacle--also, the wait staff shares in the tip pool just like the DR staff---so your tip is also pooled ---"

 

This sounds to me like the tip is included in the fee?

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Thank you John:)

[jhannah]

Sorry - but I am confused. Does the $30 include the tip or not?

To my knowledge the ONLY time a tip is included is when you order a drink from a bar. A 15% gratuity is added.

[fb0075]

Hi Jim,

If you will check with HAL--it is like I stated--no tip required or expected!!

FRANK

[newmexicoNita]

Sorry - but I am confused. Does the $30 include the tip or not?

 

Per Frank, fb0075, "Remember,per HAL, "There is no tip required or expected" in the Pinnacle--also, the wait staff shares in the tip pool just like the DR staff---so your tip is also pooled ---"

 

This sounds to me like the tip is included in the fee?

My feelings on this: just like most other lines, the basic $10 per day is pooled, if you put an extra $5, $10 or so in cash in the little folder when you give it back to your wait person in a specialty restaurant it is not pooled. Is it supposed to be? Maybe, but I am sure the wait people keep it and they should. The $30 does not include the tip and do you or are you expected to add to the check in form of a tip? I don't know the answer for certain, but we always do. Is it expected? Probably, is it required? Of course not. NMnita

[lawyerrose]

I never liked the idea of having restaurants on a cruise where you had to pay extra in the first place, although I've visited them on my Carnival and Costa cruises. I remember when the fine food included in the price of your cruise ticket was one of the major things one looked forward to when cruising, and a big part of which cruise line one chose. The fact that a cruise was fairly "all inclusive" was a major selling point "back in the days." Now it's extra charges for this, extra for that. Used to be the only "extras" were gambling and shore excursions (and tipping). Even the drinks used to be cheap. Well, guess that was a long time ago. I hate the way the cruise lines are nickeling and diming people so that your choices are (if you have the bucks) to go with one of the truly luxury cruises or don't bother at all (or keep reaching into your pocket).

Is it really necessary for the cruise lines to start charging for things they used to include in the price of the cruise? Is it just greed? Is their profit margin so small that they have to do this? Is there an end to how far they'll go?

So, no, I won't be visiting the extra charge "specialty" restaurants anymore. Hopefully, the dining room will offer the quality meals one expects of a better-than-average cruise line. They certainly should. Maybe if their specialty restaurants sit empty, the cruise lines will get the message.

 

Rose

[kryos]

Sorry, I disagree... HAL By uping the charge has now made it A tip IMHO... Those who say it is not the wait staff fault, Tuff luck for them sorry... they are getting part of it now from me if I choose to go that is.....

I think many, many people are gonna have the same take on it as you. Whether it is fair or not, the wait staff in the Pinnacle will be getting far less in tips now. That's why I have no doubt ... the Pinnacle wait staff was always getting some of that $20 per person ... and will get even more now with the increase. If not that, then I guarantee that they get a regular share of the auto-tips that the dining room waitstaff get. Otherwise, think about it ... who in their right mind would be willing to work in the Pinnacle? A lot of people don't tip in there ... they naturally assume the $20 per person charge includes the tip. So, if Pinnacle staff weren't guaranteed anything, then you'd wind up with only the new and inexperienced people working there because all the senior, more experienced staff would demand to be assigned to the dining room, where their tips are reasonably assured.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[serendipity1499]

Hey guys; just a hot tip and in his defense: Mr. Muzz does work in the cruise line industry for a cruise line and prior to his present employer, worked for two other lines. Please give him the credit he is due as far as his expertese!

 

As far this this very hot topic; it all still comes down to personal choice. We all have the choice to visit the PG or not. S7S is right on again (and this is really getting old;) ). When HAL changed from the Marco Polo (really liked that Italian menu there) to the Pinnacle, a lot of us (yours truly included) said we would never dine at the place, not for $20pp. But guess what, we did and, speaking for ourselves, we liked it. If you think $30pp is over the top, you still have that choice; don't patronize the PG. All I can say is that if HAL is adding to the menu in the PG and is giving us more choices, we will more than likely pay them a visit to try them out. If it turns out to be a disappointing visit, then it could very well be our last

one! Peace out!:)

 

Wow you all are Fast..While I was looking up & composing you all slipped in there with your posts..

 

True but because we've had both Good & Poor service & food in the Pinnacle, our personal choice is not to try it more than once on a cruise, if at all..

 

But I would go back to the Marco Polo any Number of times! And pay whatever they want! My Dutch/German Mother never could make spaghetti like my first Mother-in-law could..I was hooked then & am still hooked on Pasta..The Pasta bar on the Westerdam, just about did me in! Going on my diet now as heading for lunch in the Lido in 9 weeks..:) Betty

[kryos]

Mr Muzz or Mr Gallup (whoever you are) you are absolutely correct..Many of us will not pay $60 plus tip, unless it's a special occasion, as opposed to $40 plus for the Pinnacle, when we can get just as wonderful a Dinner in the Main DR...We're not "Cheap Charlies" or "Tire Kickers"..We watch our $$$, so we can still cruise at 90 & not be a financial burden on our children!

We also like to control what we spend our dollars on. If I can get a pretty decent meal in the dining room at no extra cost, why should I pay a $30 plus tip surcharge in the Pinnacle (per person) especially when I am really not a "foodie?" I'm not saying the Pinnacle isn't a fine meal, but maybe a fine meal is just not worth that price to me. I'd rather take that extra $40 and put it toward something else ... maybe an extra shore excursion I've had my eye on, or maybe something I wanted to buy in the onboard shops.

 

I don't feel that choosing not to eat in the Pinnacle makes me a "cheap Charlie" or a "tire kicker." The increased service charge just forces me to evaluate how important a meal in the Pinnacle is to me ... as opposed to some other way I could put that money to use.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

AHHHHH---- but you can take doggy bags from the Pinnacle.

I reported this when we got back from one of our cruises - don't remember which one.

We actually watched a woman take a bag (foil wrapped) of food from the Pinnacle. In the main dining room her table was not too far from ours. The next night she came into the dining room and asked her waiter to reheat her leftovers!!!!!

That's interesting. When I asked about that in the Pinnacle on my January cruise, I was told you couldn't have the dining room staff reheat leftovers from the Pinnacle. The Lido wouldn't do it either. I specifically asked this question because one of the nights we ate in the Pinnacle was while we were in the Hawaiian Islands. The following night, I was going to be dining alone because my companions were staying on shore for a luau I did not care to go to. I figured it would be neat if I could order the big Porterhouse in the Pinnacle and then have them send the leftover portion over to the dining room for me, to be enjoyed the following night. They said "no go." I then asked about having it wrapped to take to the Lido the following night, figuring maybe they could pop it in the microwave for me there. Again, I was told no. Their reasoning, I believe, was that it wouldn't be "sanitary" to have a piece of meat sitting in my cabin without refrigeration overnight, and the ship's staff didn't want to take the responsibility of sending it to the dining room for me either.

 

So, I just ordered my normal petite filet and let the thought of a doggy bag go.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[esther e]

I'm ready for everybody to attack me, but what the heck....here goes: How about if there is an extra $100 p/p built into the cruise ticket (nobody would ever know) and everything is all inclusive...tips, water, Cokes, etc.

 

And this is going back a few years, but I definitely remember the staff in Pinacles was the same that worked for Neptune. Never anyone from the dining room. Has that changed? Sounds like it might have. I just assumed that the staff from Neptune would make more than a dining room waiter.

 

Esther

[wwinfl91]

I hope that HAL is looking at this thread and will decide that an increased charge is NOT going to work and will result in fewer people booking dinner in the Pinnacle dining room.

 

Have a great next cruise but don't do the alternative dining on HAL until the price goes back to $20.

[crystal808]

As fond as I am of the Pinnacle, I'd like to offer this summation:

 

1st: If you wish to dine in the Pinnacle Grill, it is your choice. The Dining Room offers a wonderful menu, and variety of foods from which to choose, with no additional charge to the cruiser.

 

2nd: If you think that the Pinnacle Staff will be awarded a higher percentage of the $30 (new) fee than they did the older surcharge ($20), then don't tip any additional. In fact, no one suggests that you "must" tip additionally at all. It is pretty widely accepted that the Pinnacle Staff is not given a portion of the $20 surcharge (only a small percentage of the $10/day gratuity), and I've seen nothing to think they will be awarded a portion of the $30 surcharge.

 

3rd: HAL suggests that no tips are "required" (taking into consideration the $10/day/pp gratuity added to your shipboard account); that certainly doesn't mean to me that an additional gratuity isn't warranted by exemplary service. Can I remove my auto-tip? Certainly. Do I ever expect the service on HAL to warrant doing so? I certainly hope not. At that point, I will seek other cruiselines to fulfill my cruising desires!

 

I look forward to my upcoming Westerdam cruise, and I also look forward to trying the Pinnacle Grill on my 3rd HAL ship. If the menu and service are less than satisfactory, then I won't repeat my visit. From prior experience, I expect it to be a wonderful evening.

 

Please come join me in the Pinnacle, or see me in the Dining Room! I'll always be smiling, and enjoying myself, regardless of the venue! :) And, yes, assuming my HAL service will be as exemplary as always, I will continue to give a small appreciation to those who serve me, on top of the auto tip HAL adds to my shipboard account.

 

Smooth sailing, and calm seas to all....

Paul

[RuthC]

Sorry - but I am confused. Does the $30 include the tip or not?

As far as anyone knows, none of the $30 surcharge will include a tip, as the $20 present surcharge does not.

A portion of the $10/day service charge that is added to your bill does go to the staff of the Pinnacle as a tip.

That's why I have no doubt ... the Pinnacle wait staff was always getting some of that $20 per person ... and will get even more now with the increase.

On what evidence you you base this? I have never seen any evidence presented on this board. Nor have I heard of any such thing on any of my cruises.

Your opinion appears to be based on speculation.

[happy cruzer]

Hi, Something just kicked in my little brain. If you ask if the tip is included in the corkage fee, anyone at HAL will tell you yes and most will tell you that it is $5.00 of the fee.

 

But folks don't seem to get that responce at the PG, therefore I think they may truely only get part of the tip pool plus their tips from people who leave the auto tip in place.