New Pinnacle Price!!!

[mamaofami]

Unless I am mistaken, you cannot upgrade to an "S" Suite. They still offer two category upgrades but "S" are not eligible.

 

 

Sorry I said that in a confusing manner. I have a VA aft stern cabin and paid for one two categories down.

[Sunshine91]

Is it possible to make a Pinnacle reservation now (for a cruise booked in the future), but leave the date/time open? And then, if I change my mind, get a refund as OBC? :confused:

 

I have several cruises booked for '09, but haven't even thought about the Pinnacle yet.

 

Hi Ruth - That's exactly what happened to us on the...... Noordam Reunion? cruise. We had pre-purchased a Pinnacle dinner prior to the price increase AND our TA at the time gifted us with a surprise dinner. We didn't eat there twice, so turned in 1 of the cards for OBC.

 

We don't cruise again until Sept, and then it's only for 7 days. I think we'll pass on buying Pinnacle dinners now - even tho it's a new menu, who knows if we'll have time to eat there? :(

[Activated95b]

I had heard this while on the Oosterdam in October just had not confirmed when and how much. It has to do with the new menu being implemented fleet wide. I would think. If you pre purchase NOW Pinnacle on line thru HAL's web site that you would pay the lower price.

 

I just went all over the HAL web site and could not find where to make the reservations. Can anybody provide a link?

[kelmac]

You can make a reservation before Dec 15 for your Maasdam cruise now at the old price.

 

Krazy Kruizers,

 

I just made reservations online for the Pinnacle Grill at the present rate of $20 PP. No problem!:rolleyes::)

 

Thanks for the suggestion!

Kel

[kelmac]

I just went all over the HAL web site and could not find where to make the reservations. Can anybody provide a link?

 

Activated95b,

 

Head to HAL's main site:

 

http://www.hollandamerica.com/main/Main.action

 

Click on: "For Booked Guests"

then click on: "On board gifts"

then click on: "On board gifts" (again)

Log in (create a log in if you don't already have one)

click on: "Make Pinnacle Grill Reservations" (give the gift to yourself)

check out

 

Hope this helps!:rolleyes::)

Kel

[Activated95b]

Activated95b,

 

Head to HAL's main site:

 

http://www.hollandamerica.com/main/Main.action

 

Click on: "For Booked Guests"

then click on: "On board gifts"

then click on: "On board gifts" (again)

Log in (create a log in if you don't already have one)

click on: "Make Pinnacle Grill Reservations" (give the gift to yourself)

check out

 

Hope this helps!:rolleyes::)

Kel

 

 

Thanks. I now have dinner for myself and DW reserved.

[CalGal777]

HAL is just experimenting to see what the traffic will bear. They saw that the passengers wouldn't pay $30 per person, so they dropped the price right back down rather than be faced with an empty Pinnacle every night. Now they're gonna try for $25. If people pay it, that's where it will stay for a while. If they don't, then again the price will drop.

 

I know $25 sounds "reasonable" for a delicious dinner, but you have to realize ... on a cruise $25 is quite steep. Even $20 is steep considering you're foregoing a dinner in the dining room that's already paid for when you dine at the Pinnacle. But because the food is so good, it would seem that people are willing to part with $20 ($40 for a couple), but it will be interesting to see if they are willing to part with $50.

 

Time will tell.

 

Also, I'd be interested to know if the majority of people who "splurge" and dine at the Pinnacle while on a cruise are only doing so because they have gift certificates for the dinner, perhaps given to them by their travel agents. I'd wonder how many people who dine there actually pay for the experience.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

I paid and would do it again and again. Great service and very good food, well worth $20 or $25.

[Heidi H.]

Excuse me if this has already been asked, but is the new Pinnacle grill menu in effect fleetwide now? Specifically the Noordam? We are thinking of sailing upon her in March and the new menu looks great:)

[LovetheFall]

Also, I'd be interested to know if the majority of people who "splurge" and dine at the Pinnacle while on a cruise are only doing so because they have gift certificates for the dinner, perhaps given to them by their travel agents. I'd wonder how many people who dine there actually pay for the experience.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

We're just off the Westerdam. We did one night on the TA and we paid for another night on our own - too yummy for just one night! Elvira, the Pinnacle manager said the Pinnacle was pretty well booked for the cruise and that there were lots of people coming in for more than one evening.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

We're just off the Westerdam. We did one night on the TA and we paid for another night on our own - too yummy for just one night! Elvira, the Pinnacle manager said the Pinnacle was pretty well booked for the cruise and that there were lots of people coming in for more than one evening.

We love Elvira, we first met her when she was a server in the Pinnacle on the Zuiderdam in April 2003. Her and her husband Stephan are great. I think the world of both of them.

[cp556]

Lisa, you took the words out of my mouth. DH & I love Elvira. Met her aboard Zuiderdam and missed her by 10 days in October on Westerdam ... :(

 

She and Stephan are such great people. We hope to find them again one of these cruises....

 

Carol in SC

[sing]

Thanks. I now have dinner for myself and DW reserved.

 

I've been following the posts - I worked out how to book thanks to your advice, but haven't worked out how to request an "open" booking. How do you choose a date that does not coincide with one of the formal nights? We're going on a 14-day cruise Sydney to Auckland in Jan 09.

 

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Sue

[WeRockChalkKU]

Thanks for the heads up on this. We already had our reservations for our upcoming cruise - now I'll go post this on our roll call.

 

Terri

[MadManOfBethesda]

I remember back when we first started cruising HAL and the AmEx Plat benefit provided for two category upgrade all the way into an "S" cabin. We used to pay for a category "B" and get our "S" at the time of booking. That didn't last too long, unfortunately. :( That is when they started with the OBC of $150 pp for that category cabin.

 

Ah yes....I, too, fondly remember those days. What an incredible deal that was. But at least we were able to take advantage of it while it lasted.

 

Similarly, we were able to take advantage of AmEx's free domestic airline program a couple of times this year before they did away with that bennie as well.

 

If they keep cutting back on the benefits - especially the cruise obc's, I may not renew next year even though I've had an AmEx card for almost 30 years and the Platinum card since its inception.

[SAYHEYRENEE]

I'm not sure how to do an open, when I called i had to choose a seating. They told me once on board, I could find out the schedule and change my reservation at that time.

[Kolleen]

Yesterday I called HAL to prepay two nights at the Pinnacle. We didn't want to book particular nights as we will decide when we get on board. The first woman I talked to was very unusual for HAL. She was slightly rude and could not understand what I wanted. After explaining three times what I was looking for I thanked her for her time and hung up. I called back and worked with a wonderful woman. She happily set up a prepay with no reservation.

[rpjkw11]

I agree, $25 is a bargain. At our favorite steak joint I can't escape with less than $125, plus tip for 2 people. And that's with 2 teas and 2 coffees only with 1 dessert. I've heard good things about the PG so I'm looking forward to trying them out a couple of times starting next week.

 

Bob

[kryos]

I agree, $25 is a bargain. At our favorite steak joint I can't escape with less than $125, plus tip for 2 people. And that's with 2 teas and 2 coffees only with 1 dessert. I've heard good things about the PG so I'm looking forward to trying them out a couple of times starting next week.

But remember ... that $25 per person at the Pinnacle is on TOP of the percentage of your cruise fare that is allocated toward the food you will consume during the cruise. At the steak joint at home, you didn't pay anything up front for food.

 

So actually, at the Pinnacle, you are paying more than $25 per person for food since you aren't eating what you already paid for in the dining room that evening.

 

Not saying $25 per person is an exhorbitant amount ... but just saying that we need to keep the price in perspective here.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

Having gift cards does not necessarily indicate that the PG meal is comped by a TA. We have purchased our own PG dinners on-line in advance of our cruise & had the same gift cards waiting for us in our cabin. But the gift was from us to us! :p:p

You make a good point there.

 

I think that what actually happens with a lot of these TA gifts is that as a matter of fact the TA's are not paying for the free Pinnacle vouchers. HAL sometimes runs promotions for their TA community in order to encourage them to book their clients on HAL. As an incentive they will include a "gift package" on all bookings made in a certain period. The TA gets to have her name on the gifts, so the client thinks they actually came from the TA, but in actuality HAL paid for them ... maybe a Pinnacle Experience voucher, a bottle of house wine or champagne in the stateroom, perhaps some flowers, etc. Relatively cheap for HAL to provide these things, and they foster goodwill for the TA on the part of her clients.

 

I only know this because on one cruise I took on the Amsterdam back in 2006 everyone at our dinner table (two unrelated couples and myself and a traveling companion) all had these vouchers which were given to us by our TA's ... different TA's. No way all of those TA's would just happen to be so gracious as to throw in dinner at the Pinnacle for their clients. HAL obviously paid for it. We also all had the exact cabin gifts as well.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[cubzter]

But remember ... that $25 per person at the Pinnacle is on TOP of the percentage of your cruise fare that is allocated toward the food you will consume during the cruise. At the steak joint at home, you didn't pay anything up front for food.

 

So actually, at the Pinnacle, you are paying more than $25 per person for food since you aren't eating what you already paid for in the dining room that evening.

 

Not saying $25 per person is an exhorbitant amount ... but just saying that we need to keep the price in perspective here.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

Well said, Rita.

 

I hate that the price went up (though understand why it did). I was hoping to treat our friends (we have 25 in our group sailing the Eurodam in February) to dinner to celebrate my birthday. But, even a $5 swing represents quite a bit when you're talking about dinner for 25. So I think maybe we'll head to Tamarind instead which now seems like a relative bargain ($375 versus $625)! :)

[kryos]

Well said, Rita.

 

I hate that the price went up (though understand why it did). I was hoping to treat our friends (we have 25 in our group sailing the Eurodam in February) to dinner to celebrate my birthday. But, even a $5 swing represents quite a bit when you're talking about dinner for 25. So I think maybe we'll head to Tamarind instead which now seems like a relative bargain ($375 versus $625)! :)

You know ... you might be able to negotiate with HAL for a free dinner at the Pinnacle as part of your group "bennies." HAL (and all cruise lines for that matter) will usually negotiate a bit when you have a large group booking. You should ask your TA to look into this. $0 would be even better than $375, don't you think?

 

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[cubzter]

Shame you couldn't negotiate with HAL when you booked for a free dinner at the Pinnacle as part of your group "bennies." HAL (and all cruise lines for that matter) will usually negotiate a bit when you have a large group booking. You should ask your TA about this.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

Actually we're on a charter so I'm not sure they'd consider us a "group" inside of the group. Our TA is, believe it or not, traveling with us so I may just ask him to call ship services and see if he can finagle us a special deal. Thanks for the idea!

[MightyQuinn]

I think that what actually happens with a lot of these TA gifts is that as a matter of fact the TA's are not paying for the free Pinnacle vouchers. HAL sometimes runs promotions for their TA community in order to encourage them to book their clients on HAL. As an incentive they will include a "gift package" on all bookings made in a certain period. The TA gets to have her name on the gifts, so the client thinks they actually came from the TA, but in actuality HAL paid for them ... maybe a Pinnacle Experience voucher, a bottle of house wine or champagne in the stateroom, perhaps some flowers, etc. Relatively cheap for HAL to provide these things, and they foster goodwill for the TA on the part of her clients.

HAL operates a Group Advantage Program (GAP) which they describe as the most comprehensive group amenities program in the cruise industry. I do not know the specifics, but I believe it's an incentive program to encourage TAs to book clients into groups. Clients are then rewarded with a variety of on-board experiences, such as PG dinners, photos, wine & champagne. HAL had a recent news release on its website announcing enhancements to the GAP program & introducing new amenities. Most of our bookings thru our TA have GAP amenities attached. ;);)

[SAYHEYRENEE]

You know ... you might be able to negotiate with HAL for a free dinner at the Pinnacle as part of your group "bennies." HAL (and all cruise lines for that matter) will usually negotiate a bit when you have a large group booking. You should ask your TA to look into this. $0 would be even better than $375, don't you think?

 

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

Actually this is correct, my friend is my TA. She will tell me sailings she has groups on just so I get a reduced rate deposit ($50.00/pp for gty rooms) and incentives like OBC etc. The agency she works for has offices all over. They have people signed up and they don't even know they are groups but get these gifts and it is noted from the TA themselves. According to the amount of people booked etc, you get a certain amount of points to use. That is how they have group coctail parties, OBC or specility rest reservations.

[Pokeynose]

:confused: We are cruising next Sept. on Ms. Westerdam. I was wondering what site you go to make reservations at the Pinnacle? We already have one dinner at the PG on Hal since they messed up some things on our last cruise. It was for our 50th anniv. and they completely ignored it plus my DH's birthday so we got the Romantic Voyage pkg. our next cruise. This is only our second cruise so I'm not sure where to go for the reservations. Any help would be appreciated.:)