How About a "Premium Dining" Option?

[SnorkelBear]

What do you think of offering a "Premium Dining" option? You could pay $30-$40 a day for the length of the cruise and receive access to the Premium Dining area with it's premium breakfast, lunch and dinner menus.

 

The menu would reflect a higher level of preparation and ingredients. You could also still have access to the "regular" menu in case there something on there you must have.

 

To me, the better the food, the better the cruise. With this method someone staying in the lowest category cabin would be able to upgrade their dining experience.

 

This would not be the same as an alternative dining like the Pinnacle. The "Premium Dining" menu would be different each night of the cruise just like the main dining menu.

 

I think the "Premium Dining" area should be part of the main dining room. That way the cruise atmosphere will still be there. If the food was significantly better, I would love such an option.

[NapTown Jim]

Correct me if I'm wrong....but isn't that already called "The Pinnacle Grill"?

[kakalina]

When I cruise I expect the best food, service and prep in the main dining room. I expect this to be part and parcel of my cruise fare.

 

If one must pay to have the best food elsewhere what is the point of paying high dollar for ones cruise? I agree with Jim that the PG takes care of a "specialty" dining option.

 

JMHO but I think it is a terrible idea to add another venue.

[sail7seas]

If I'm understanding you correctly, you want a pricier menu offered in the main dining room for those who wish to have what are considered more costly dishes than are always offered on the regular dining room menu?

 

If that is the case, I think that would be a very difficult thing to do.

Would you seat guests at tables that were all 'the higher priced menu' people?

Would you put a limit as to how many could participate in this dining option per cruise?

How much strain would this put on an already very busy galley?

I think what you might think about doing is looking into a luxury cruise line that might offer caviar and such each evening. Maybe their least costly cabin might not be that much more money than the cabin you currently book on HAL?

 

I can't imagine a way HAL could have a second, pricier menu work as a separate part of the main dining room.

 

I don't know the last time you cruised HAL but maybe you aren't aware (or perhaps you don't agree), but HAL offers a wonderful dining room IMO I think they do a very good job and it is very rare when we do not enjoy a particular menu. There are enough offerings IMO for everyone to find something they will enjoy. I think the dining stewards (for the most part) are excellent and provide a lovely dining experience.

 

 

 

[SnorkelBear]

Hi NapTown,

 

As I stated. Different than the Pinnacle where the menu is the same day after day. Premium dining would offer a different menu each night.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Wouldn't work if you are talking about this happening in the main dining room.

[cactuslady]

I would prefer that the Pinnacle Grill offer a varied menu along with the same old, same old.

 

What does an upgraded breakfast consist of, anyway? We already get fresh-squeezed orange juice, eggs benedict, all the fresh fruit you can eat, nice cheeses, lovely figs, good bread, those truly yummy sweet rolls, and a view of the sea. Is there anything in particular you would like to add?

[SnorkelBear]

Sorry. I humblely retract such an evil notion.

[noblepa]

Doesn't Cunard do something like this on the QM2? I know that it has two seperate dining rooms, one of which is used by the suite passengers. In their case, though, I don't believe that you have a choice of rooms. It comes with your cabin category.

 

Cunard still has alternative dining venues, as well.

 

Paul Noble

[happy cruzer]

Snorkel bear, what you suggest is being done sorta of on Cunard, I think.

 

Plus this morning for some weird reason, I was thinking about the changes HAL is going through now and what more will happen when the bigger ships come out in two years. And I was thinking that maybe they will keep some things the same and add the stuff that they think "main stream" cruisers want. Then I thought yep they will charge the traditionalists more and price the "main stream" to compete with RCI and NCL. yuck, but it may be coming.

[sail7seas]

Hi NapTown,

 

As I stated. Different than the Pinnacle where the menu is the same day after day. Premium dining would offer a different menu each night.

 

Very soon, Pinnacle will be offering a Special each evening in addition to menu changes that are coming.

[jagsfan]

Qm2 does offer premium dining.....it's called the Queens Grill.....just below

that is the Princess Grill.....for everyone else there's the Brittania Restaurant.

That makes her a 3 class ship. Having done the Queens Grill, it was

marvelous, but I have had my one top of the top cruise. I'd would rather do

two cruises a year or more if I could afford it, than spend everything I have

to spend a week like a Rothschild.

[Giorgi-one]

Sorry. I humblely retract such an evil notion.

 

No criticism of HAL allowed!

[Giorgi-one]

Sorry. I humblely retract such an evil notion.

 

I definitely agree that food is a big part of the cruise for us. I am not talking quantity but rather quality. We were on RCL Freedom in August and entrees in Dining Room were awful. We would have gone to their two specialty restaurants every night (they were great) for $20 per person, but we were traveling with three other couples who probably would not have felt the same way. Dinners on our first HAL Zuiderdam cruise were not very good, but were better the second time. We are booked on Westerdam next July. I like your idea. We usually don't eat a big breakfast but that's on us. I would definitely like to have some good food later in the afternoon when we return from excursions - around 4 PM. Nothing heavy, maybe some good Hors D'orves (spelling?) and specialty coffees. Definitely would like higher quality dinners EVERY NIGHT - rack of lamb, really good thick rare prime steaks, real thick rare prime rib, Italian veal dishes, seafood Fra Diavolo, Chateaubriand, jumbo shrimp cocktail, real Ceasar salad, escargot, etc. I would definitely pay extra and do now in the Specialty restaurants.

[ponte]

 

What does an upgraded breakfast consist of, anyway? We already get fresh-squeezed orange juice, eggs benedict, all the fresh fruit you can eat, nice cheeses, lovely figs, good bread, those truly yummy sweet rolls, and a view of the sea. Is there anything in particular you would like to add?

 

Good grief, I am a "newbie" and this is a far cry from the hurried bowl of Kellogs Corn Flakes that I had this morning.

 

I think perhaps I should try shedding a couple of pounds before I even look at the food, let alone eating it.

 

Cheers

 

Ponte

[sail7seas]

No criticism of HAL allowed!

 

:confused: Perhaps I missed something but I didn't see any criticism. Snorkelbear asked what we thought of a suggestion he proposed.

Is that being critical?

 

I don't happen to like the idea but that is only my personal opinion. Perhaps many people may think it a terrific idea.

[peaches from georgia]

.... Definitely would like higher quality dinners EVERY NIGHT - rack of lamb, really good thick rare prime steaks, real thick rare prime rib, Italian veal dishes, seafood Fra Diavolo, Chateaubriand, jumbo shrimp cocktail, real Ceasar salad, escargot, etc. I would definitely pay extra and do now in the Specialty restaurants.

I don't think 2-tier plan with a separate Premium Pay-Extra Menu would work in the dining room, but I would like to see HAL raise the cost of their cruises just enough to improve the food in the dining room to the type of selections on the regular menu that you are talking about, Giorgi-one. Prime steaks, jumbo shrimp, escargot, prime rib and other deluxe choices are usually only offered once, or occasionally twice, a cruise. Yes, there's steak, but on other than a formal night it is a very cheap cut. Shrimp- once or maybe twice it is 'real' shrimp, but most often tiny bay shrimp. Caesar made at the table whould be wonderful. IMO the Italian choices could be much more interesting also. I'm hoping the new Pinnacle menu might take care of some of this. :)

[dougnewmanatsea]

To me it just sounds like an excuse to lower the quality of the food.

 

I think the usual dining room food on HAL is really very good. It's not gourmet, but it's very good given that it is, basically, mass-produced banquet food.

 

If you want truly top-flight food, a luxury line would be your best bet. There's no way it could be provided for $40 extra per day, anyway. I doubt that would even cover the cost of the ingredients.

[KAKcruiser]

It really worries me to start talking about paying extra for food. The specialty restaurants are bad enough. I don't want to pay extra in the dining room.

[Giorgi-one]

:confused: Perhaps I missed something but I didn't see any criticism. Snorkelbear asked what we thought of a suggestion he proposed.

Is that being critical?

 

I don't happen to like the idea but that is only my personal opinion. Perhaps many people may think it a terrific idea.

 

If you didn't pick up on the attitude, then I do think you missed something. Obviously, snorkel bear picked up on it!

[ponte]

To me it just sounds like an excuse to lower the quality of the food.

 

I think the usual dining room food on HAL is really very good. It's not gourmet, but it's very good given that it is, basically, mass-produced banquet food.

 

If you want truly top-flight food, a luxury line would be your best bet. There's no way it could be provided for $40 extra per day, anyway. I doubt that would even cover the cost of the ingredients.

 

As I wrote, the breakfast menu sounds better than my hurried bowl of cornflakes that I ate at home this morning. In fact, unless the cooks are hung over I can't see with such a varied choice that it needs improving upon. I personally am getting quite hungry just thinking about it.

 

Ponte

[lougee1043]

Good grief, I am a "newbie" and this is a far cry from the hurried bowl of Kellogs Corn Flakes that I had this morning.Ponte

 

we left kellogs corn flakes off the breakfast options list ---sorry

[ponte]

we left kellogs corn flakes off the breakfast options list ---sorry

 

And for this small blessing I fervently thank God and Holland American.

 

Ponte

[SnorkelBear]

Please. Please. Let this thread die. I just posted something that may be of interest to me. I intended no ill will. I did not say anything bad about HAL.

 

It was just idea. I now know there is no room to improve on HAL food, and they could not pull this off even if it was a good idea.

[kryos]

I think the "Premium Dining" area should be part of the main dining room. That way the cruise atmosphere will still be there. If the food was significantly better, I would love such an option.

Sort of like Cunard, I guess. Different dining venues for different levels of accommodations? But in this case, you could be in any level of accommodations, but would just pay a bit more each day?

 

Sounds like a good idea, and also sounds like a great option for those who prefer the more "traditional" style of cruising. Let's just say, for the sake of argument, that I am right (as opposed to RevNeal) and HAL does eventually go to an optional formal nights format ... maybe this Premium Dining area would still follow the traditional cruise ship dress codes. The people seated in that area can be assured that while the rest of the ship may be dining resort casual, only dressing up if they wanted to on formal nights, the folks in the Premium Dining group would enjoy all of the traditional trappings of cruise life being followed. The dress codes would be STRICTLY enforced there, along with the traditional dining room seatings. This would keep the more traditional cruisers happy in the event this "Leisure Dining" concept takes hold and eventually goes fleetwide.

 

I actually would be in favor of something like this Premium Dining. I guess you'd get a better quality of food ... maybe something along the levels of what you can get at the Pinnacle ... and would have more variety and more options there than in the main dining room.

 

The only thing I worry about, though, with having a Premium Dining option is that the main dining room quality would deteriorate to the point where no one would want that option. The only way for HAL to make this work would be to ensure the main dining room service and food quality remains on a par with what it is now, and the Premium option is simply something above and beyond, for those who care about such things.

 

The only thing I would like to caution you about, however, is that I doubt the price for something like Premium Dining would be as low as that which you quote. Probably be more along the lines of $60 to $70 per day. HAL can even jack it up higher if they want to include wine pours with dinner service.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita