Pinnacle Grill question

[dosperegrinos]

Hello Everyone:

We will be cruising on the New Noordam in September. This will be our sixth cruise, but only two of those with HAL. This time we are planning on having dinner at the Pinnacle Grill for the first time. Everything is falling into place, knock on wood. I may be getting a little ahead of myself, but would like to know what the proceedure is for making reservations at the PG. Can these be made prior to embarking? If so how does one do that? If not, when would be the time to do this? I understand that the Grill is very popular. DH and I would appreciate any advice. Thanks

[watchdiva]

You can contact Ships Services (sorry but I don't have their phone # handy) and they can make the reservations for you in advance. Of course, your credit card will be charged for the reservations at the time that you make them - but you're assured of getting the date/time that you want by advance booking and (TA DA) - you'll prepay for it and that makes your onboard account lower!

We try to make reservations (PG, shore excursions, etc) as much in advance as possible (and prepay them) - it works for us:D .

[Krazy Kruizers]

We always pre-book the Pinnacle Grill before we get onto the ship. You can make reservations at 1 - 800 - 541 - 1576.

But if you aren't certain what nights you may want to go there, you can e-mail HAL directly and ask for the dress code for each night. And explain to them that you want to know "not the number of formal and informal and casual nights - but exactly when formal and informal nights will be".

[dosperegrinos]

Thank you both for your answers. We are a little over three months out from departure and I had booked our excursions with HAL a few days ago. Like you, I am one of those people who like to have things booked ahead of time. Things run a little smoother that way. We'll call Ship's Service and make our res. We do have a specific night in mind and are looking forward to being on board again.:)

[lovn2liv]

Also, if you book a reservation for the day of embarkation, you are charged only $10 per person. At least that is what it was like for us last year on Zuiderdam. Wonderful food, service, and surroundings.

[sail7seas]

I'm not sure they still have the half price offer for embarkation day. I think that no longer applies.

[Krazy Kruizers]

No more half price ($10 per person) deals for the Pinnacle on the first night. HAL gave that up some time time ago. And it was obvious that on our Amsterdam cruise - there were only about 10 of us there the first night.

[sail7seas]

We never want to go on the first night. We like to be in the dining room.
Meet our stewards and all that.

[FoxyTerrier]

I want to pick which night we go the PG based what they are serving in the dinning room. I am planning on asking in the Neptune lounge if they have the dinner menus for the entire cruise. I would hate to miss something fabulous on the regular dinner menu.

[Krazy Kruizers]

The maitre'd in the dining room does have the menus for the entire cruise. A couple of times we have asked what was going to be served the next eveing (we don't get the menus in the suite until morning - sometimes afternoon) and we wanted to know just in case we wanted to eat in the Pinnacle.

[crusingici]

I had heard HAL had stopped the $10 pp "deal" for first night reservations -but somehow when I reserved and prepaid before our cruise on the Volendam we were charged only one $20 fee and nothing on board the ship...this was the May 10 sailing of this year.

[Alexborngal]

I want to pick which night we go the PG based what they are serving in the dinning room. I am planning on asking in the Neptune lounge if they have the dinner menus for the entire cruise. I would hate to miss something fabulous on the regular dinner menu.

When we were on the Amsterdam last December we made a reservation at the Pinnacle for the next to the last night. We read the menu for the dining room and I was horrified to see all my favorites - escargots, caviar, lobster and weren't able to change our Pinnacle reservation as everything else was booked. You're smart to check the menu. I'm going to try to do it for our October Zaandam cruise. Hope you have a great cruise and a wonderful Pinnacle dinner.

[lovn2liv]

When we were sailing last year, I read many posts that they didn't honor the 1/2 price on the first night any longer. I can live to tell that they did honor 1/2 price rates on first night. I believe on this post someone posted the services # you can call to confirm the charges.

As for wanting to meet all servers, tablemates, etc., in the main dining room the first night, I understand. However, me met them the second night and they treated us beautifully and were gracious as ever. Meeting the servers in the Pinnacle was just as gratifying. In fact we ended up tipping our servers in Pinnacle because they made it so memorable.

I loved the immediate gratification I got while we were eating in the Pinnacle Grill the first night, watching the ocean outside our window, and only a few hours before we were on a plane flying to our destination. Also knowing that there was some special preparation going on behind you. Not mass production of food, (not to dig the efforts of those in those kitchens, believe me, I appreciate most meals that I don't have to prepare or clean up) but they were cooking my lamb chops to order as fresh as can be. It was a fabulous experience, the lamb chops were to die for, etc. Eating in the Pinnacle is a very different experience than eating in the dining room. We ate at the Pinnacle twice that week. We had breakfast in there as well, for Suite guests it is a perk . I'm not sure if it is open for Lunch to everyone. We never ate there for lunch.

Either way, we went to our concierge to book the Pinnacle for the first night. We then waited a couple of days and tried to get back into the Pinnacle. They were booked for the rest of the week. What was confusing was there were tons of seats open all week, yet we couldn't get an "anytime" booking. I think it is more on the servings that they are prepared to serve vs. the table availability. We finally got in at a 5:30 or 6:00 seating at the last minute. We took it, but unfortunately we really weren't that hungry due to a late lunch. So honestly, we both just couldn't enjoy it as much because we weren't hungry. It still was a wonderful meal, and for $10 & $20, completely worth it.

Regards,

[kaleighsgram]

When we were on the Noordam in April, a gentleman at our table explained that he wasn't at the first night's dinner because they had gone to the Pinnacle because it was only $10 pp. I'm not sure about getting to see all of the menus at one time, although it does sound like it's something that can be done. The dinner menu was available at breakfast. Imer (not sure I spelled that right) is the head waiter at the Pinnacle on Noordam and is a wonderful gentleman. I told him about Cruise Critic and he asked me to write down the web address as he had plans to look in on us.http://boards.cruisecritic.com/images/icons/icon7.gif