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specialty restaurant discount on first night?

hmorrow

By hmorrow,
in Holland America Line

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igraf

igraf

Posted
Posted

HAL used to discount dinner in the Pinnacle Grill for the first night of a cruise, but not any more. At least not on the cruises we have been on lately. We paid full price for dinner in the Pinnacle Grill on the first night of a HAL cruise earlier this year.

 

igraf

 

 

 

Does HAL give a discount for booking a specialty restaurant on the first night of the cruise?

Celebrity does- and I'm just wondering if they do on HAL, also.

Thanks,

Helaine

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hmorrow "Live from...." Rare

hmorrow

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ok-Thanks for the info

Haven't been on HAL since 2010, when we had the cruise from you know what on the Veendam in South America.

But we just booked on the spur of the moment and was just wondering......

Guess we'll pay full price in Pinnacle and any others.

Thanks again.

Helaine

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RuthC

RuthC

Posted
Posted
Also, 5 Star Mariners get one complimentary meal in the Pinnacle Grill.

Er, make that two. Five * Mariners get two Pinnacle dinners with no charge per cruise. The length of the cruise doesn't matter (I don't know how it works on the shorter coastal cruises).

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ScriptOhio

ScriptOhio

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Er, make that two. Five * Mariners get two Pinnacle dinners with no charge per cruise. The length of the cruise doesn't matter (I don't know how it works on the shorter coastal cruises).

 

You are correct. I probably didn't pay that close of attention to the actual benefit as I don't anticipate getting to the 5 Star level anytime soon. :p

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/myAccount/MarinerBenefits.action

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Snowesha

Snowesha

Posted
Posted
HAL stopped this quite a few years ago.

I asked why and was told that so many people were booking at the 1/2 price rate for the first night, those people that entitled to the free dinner from American Express could not get a reservation for the first night as was the original intent.

 

What is the deal with American Express? How do we get a free dinner?

Thanks!

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sail7seas

sail7seas

Posted
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AmEx Platinum provides the free Pinnacle dinner to those who have the Platinum card that is not associated with any other entity. It can't be the one that goes with Costco or any other company. This card bears an annual membership in the range of $400 something. I haven't asked DH lately what the fee is now.

 

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cruz chic

cruz chic

Posted
Posted
AmEx Platinum provides the free Pinnacle dinner to those who have the Platinum card that is not associated with any other entity. It can't be the one that goes with Costco or any other company. This card bears an annual membership in the range of $400 something. I haven't asked DH lately what the fee is now.

 

 

$699 in Canada

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cruisun

cruisun

Posted
Posted
AmEx Platinum provides the free Pinnacle dinner to those who have the Platinum card that is not associated with any other entity. It can't be the one that goes with Costco or any other company. This card bears an annual membership in the range of $400 something. I haven't asked DH lately what the fee is now.

 

 

Still $400 a year for platinum Amex in USA

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sunviking90

sunviking90

Posted
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Thanks. :) I thought it was about that but I certainly could have lost track.

 

Wonder why it is so much higher in Canada?

 

We always seem to get less for more here;). I "think" it uses to be $399, and went up to $699 a year or two ago.

 

We just got off the Zuiderdam and they had a sign at the entrance to the Pinnacle offering a free carafe of wine with dinner for the first night. We kept our reservation for later in the week as we don't drink anyway.

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Krazy Kruizers

Krazy Kruizers

Posted
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What is the deal with American Express? How do we get a free dinner?

Thanks!

 

It is the American Express Platinum card you get through American Express and pay for your cruise using that card. It can not be a card bought from Costco, etc.

We also get $300 shipboard credit and a free bottle of cheap sparkling wine in the cabin. We always take sparkling wine to the concierges and have them exchange it for a wine that we like and we pay the difference.

The card costs $475 per year.

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poinsettiaplate

poinsettiaplate

Posted
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Prior to sailing, I always book the Pinnacle for the first night. I have fixed seating and find that most people are too tired from travelling and don't show up for their assigned seating in the main dining room. I also always book the Pinnacle for the night of the singing and dancing waiters in the MDR. And if the food is not particularly good in the MDR, I book the Pinnacle every night!

 

What I don't like: Those of us with the Mariner status to get a discount rate for the Pinnacle must pay full price if booking on the website before sailing. Then allegedly, we get the discounted amount as a credit onboard; I always have to check my billing early in the cruise and/or remind the Pinnacle maître d' to have it done. You would think by now their computers could handle this. Instead I am loaning HAL money for a while.

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Krazy Kruizers

Krazy Kruizers

Posted
Posted
Prior to sailing, I always book the Pinnacle for the first night. I have fixed seating and find that most people are too tired from travelling and don't show up for their assigned seating in the main dining room. I also always book the Pinnacle for the night of the singing and dancing waiters in the MDR. And if the food is not particularly good in the MDR, I book the Pinnacle every night!

 

What I don't like: Those of us with the Mariner status to get a discount rate for the Pinnacle must pay full price if booking on the website before sailing. Then allegedly, we get the discounted amount as a credit onboard; I always have to check my billing early in the cruise and/or remind the Pinnacle maître d' to have it done. You would think by now their computers could handle this. Instead I am loaning HAL money for a while.

 

 

I agree -- HAL should have a program where we Mariners get out discount at the time when we book the specialty restaurants online.

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hrhdhd

hrhdhd

Posted
Posted

It's really not the point that most people have received the correct credit for their Pinnacle dinners booked before the cruise. The point is that it's a pain in the behind to have to remember to check it (and get it fixed if it's not credited properly) rather than for HAL to just program the online booking system to apply the discount at the time of booking.

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sail7seas

sail7seas

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It's really not the point that most people have received the correct credit for their Pinnacle dinners booked before the cruise. The point is that it's a pain in the behind to have to remember to check it (and get it fixed if it's not credited properly) rather than for HAL to just program the online booking system to apply the discount at the time of booking.

 

 

Yes, we get the point.

However, it doesn't seem HAL is going to make an adjustment to their booking program so discounts are reflected at the time we book on line.

We all get it..... well, we don't get the discount until on the ship. :eek:

 

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