Prinnacle Grill- Which day to make reservation for

[meidda]

We will be going on a 10 day cruise to the Caribbean in Feb. What day would you recommend to make a dinner reservation in the Pinnacle Grill. I think I read somewhere here that the Baked Alaska night was not enjoyed. Any suggestions of what dining events not to miss or what I should forgo?

Thanks

[jtl513]

Baked Alaska night is not nearly as bad, IMO, as the Master Chef Dinner night! :eek:

[RuthC]

I agree with John.

Baked Alaska night is a formal night, and usually the dining room is decorated beautifully. There's usually very good food choices that night, too. Personally, I love the parade of the baked Alaska; you don't have to eat the dessert. ;)

Don't miss the last night as that's the night the stewards sing a little farewell song and say goodbye.

The night of the Master Chef's Dinner is a production show with fewer choices on the menu and plenty of interruptions of flowing conversation. That's the night to miss.

[btobey]

Baked Alaska night is not nearly as bad, IMO, as the Master Chef Dinner night! :eek:

John, are you going to be dining in the Pinnacle during our Panama Canal sailing? DH and I have to decide if we want to do this...

 

Btw, what's wrong with Master Chef Dinner night???

[chrismch]

What is the Master chef's dinner?

With other cruiselines we are now making it a habit to try the specialty restaurant on the first night. It gives a celebratory start to the cruise for us.

[RuthC]

What is the Master chef's dinner?

It's a dinner with a limited menu, and a production show to interrupt the courses. :rolleyes:

When you enter you don't have a napkin. You're seated, and have a special menu to peruse and a chef's hat to put on. Then the stewards, cruise staff, and stage performers enter with much fanfare. Napkins are placed on your lap. Then the performers toss vegetables about to music; salad is then served. (No, the vegetables they were playing with aren't in the bowls.)

And so it goes for the rest of the meal.

Get me outta here! :eek:

[prescottbob]

Ahoy!

 

I tend to concur with observations stated regarding the Master Chef din-din but if you've never been exposed to it before it's kind of a gas. After that you'll have "been there, done that" & will probably opt for the Lido or PG.

 

In the past (and not on each cruise for sure) we've enjoyed the PG on embarkation night (say, 2030 hrs reservation). It's usually half empty at best, food & service is wonderful (versus the main DR sometimes) and it's a great way to spend your first night (with some bubbly naturally) on a well earned cruise IMO.

 

Bon Appetit!

 

Bon Voyage and Good Health!

Bob:)

[btobey]

Ruth, thanks for the warning; I don't think DH would like that very much! How do we know which night it will be?

[RuthC]

How do we know which night it will be?

If you ask the Maitre d' at the Pinnacle, he should know. Another choice, if you don't mind holding off making other plans, is to ask your table steward or the dining room Maitre d' that first night.

It may, repeat "may", be listed in your first Daily Program if there's an overview of the cruise listed there. That's not likely, though.

[prescottbob]

Ahoy!

 

I may doubtlessly be corrected but I don't recall a Master Chef din-din offered on all HAL cruises from prior sails. So it may not be an issue.

Kind of like Dutch Nights, i.e., you may or may not get the paper hats, etc.

 

I would, however, recommend the wine / food 'pairing' din-din at the PG if it's offered on your cruise (I know they call it something else: ask your wine steward what night it might be). The PG chef seems to 'take it up a notch' food-wise and the wines are wonderfully matched. Plus the whole ordeal (I love it) seems to last 2-3 hours.Be sure to wear some Spandex around the girth.

 

Bon Appetit!

 

Bon Voyage and Good Health!

Bob:)

[jtl513]

John, are you going to be dining in the Pinnacle during our Panama Canal sailing? DH and I have to decide if we want to do this...

We don't plan on doing dinner in the P.G. because we've decided it isn't worth the money to us. Besides the $30 pp, most people tip $15 to $30. Add to that the value of the meal that you're not eating in the dining room, and your final cost is somewhere north of $100 ... without wine. On top of that, both the food and the service can be poor on occasion. (See post #6 of this thread.) In the Westerdam P.G. we got very bad service and poorly prepared food.

 

OTOH, once we were given a gift meal in the P.G. (Statendam) and it was excellent. My 22 oz Porterhouse was wonderful, and DW's Filet Mignon was so tender she hardly needed a knife. My suggestion is to try it once, and hope for the best!

 

We think lunch ($15 pp) is a better deal, and will be doing that at least once.

 

Btw, what's wrong with Master Chef Dinner night???

Besides all the folderol that RuthC described, the other thing that we dislike about the MCD is that it just drags out dinner too much. On that night instead of the usual four seatings (Early Upper, EL, MU, ML) there are just two - Early and Main - because the whole circus takes about 2 hours! :eek: To get the two "shows" in, both of the sittings start 15 minutes before the normal Early times.