Kids Eat Free In Pinnacle ??

[CGYCruisingFamily]

Thank you DeeBee - That is what I have been trying to say. I couldnt agree with you more (as our kids will be 5 and 9 on our next cruise) and we will be also eating in the Pinnacle.

[curtdesilets]

Perhaps, but I doubt it.

 

 

I think they would have raised them anyways. NCL and RCI raised specialty prices; NCL already did a similar pricing plan to HAL, RCI already charges full fare no matter what age. So prices are going up; that is mostly due to the cost of "Raw materials" (food) going up.

 

I suggest OP write a letter to HAL stating that they expect a certain decorum in upcharge dining and that HAL should charge full fare to all guests out of fairness. Charging everyone the same price is hardly discriminatory. If HAL finds their overall sales down when Mom and Dad are not dining I am sure other diners will be willing to pay even higher fees still to offset increasing food costs.

 

Thanks for the feedback. And yes I agree it is not discriminatory to charge the same rates. As this thread did expose, however, was that kids under 12 usually get the kids menu from the other restaurants.

 

Another point: Actually, $29 pp is pretty reasonable. The Murano on Celebrity was $49 pp !!

 

But also, Murano had no kids on the 2 nights that we dined (and we dined early) as I do not think they offered such a "kids eat free" deal/promotion.

 

I doubt that me writing a letter to Hal Headquarters addressing decorum and pricing in the Pinnacle Grill, will do anything. We'll see how it goes, and if it does not go well, during or after dinner I will address it with the Maitre d' . That was suggested by another post on this thread.

Edited April 14, 2014 by curtdesilets
spelling, clarification

[ruderhaus]

For what it's worth, I just wanted to make specialty restaurant reservations for our upcoming "Eurodam" cruise and was told by HAL Ship Services that only children below the age of 3 eat free in the specialty restaurants.

 

Can anybody confirm this policy change?

[cruz chic]

I will probably suffer some back lash for this but I find the 'children should be seen and not heard' or 'ban kids' attitude to be a prehistoric attitude.

 

I have a 3yr old and a 10mths old who will be cruising with us at xmas (so almost 4 and 18mths). We WILL be dining in the Pinnacle.

 

We dine out with our kids 3-4 times a month and insist they behave. We go as soon as the restaurant opens and are gone no later than 7pm as this is bed time. We often go with friends and they expect the same behaviour from their kids.

 

Why should all kids be labelled and/or excluded because some parents let their kids run wild. I strongly believe parents should teach their kids the right way to behave in all different situations and banning kids is not the answer

 

We are paying almost $20,000 to go on our cruise and we will take advantage of all it has to offer and will not miss out because we have kids. There are plenty of adults out there that behave much worse than my kids and are much more annoying. Elderly walk slow, block queues, take too long to make decisions, talk loud and act entitled, maybe we should ban them as well.....

 

I would suggest anyone who does not like kids don't go on a cruise that welcomes children. Such a shame in this modern day people have such narrow minds

 

OK fire away

I applaud you for doing this. I find parents are more interested in their cell phones than their kids in Calgary. There are certain restaurants that I won't go to anymore because parents let their kids run around and scream. I am not kidding you. This is the reason some people get upset. When I see kids behaving I always make a point of telling the parents how impressed I am. That said, it doesn't happen too often.

[Mytime2014]

I applaud you for doing this. I find parents are more interested in their cell phones than their kids in Calgary. There are certain restaurants that I won't go to anymore because parents let their kids run around and scream. I am not kidding you. This is the reason some people get upset. When I see kids behaving I always make a point of telling the parents how impressed I am. That said, it doesn't happen too often.

 

 

cruzchic - I have complimented parents before and they look so shocked and happy.

My kid was not allowed to act like a heathen in public. We went out to eat often and when he rarely acted up - it was usually because he was very tired/very hungry and we got our food to go. I hate seeing kids that have been pushed beyond their endurance and are obviously exhausted, need to go home and rest but parents too busy/self-involved to take care of kids needs.

[taxmantoo]

We are paying almost $20,000 to go on our cruise and we will take advantage of all it has to offer and will not miss out because we have kids. There are plenty of adults out there that behave much worse than my kids and are much more annoying. Elderly walk slow, block queues, take too long to make decisions, talk loud and act entitled, maybe we should ban them as well.....

 

The amount of money you are paying for a cruise does not give you the right to disrespect old people. All old people DO NOT walk slow and talk loud. Maybe one day you will live long enough to walk slow also. Hopefully, young people then will still respect you :rolleyes:

[Mytime2014]

The amount of money you are paying for a cruise does not give you the right to disrespect old people. All old people DO NOT walk slow and talk loud. Maybe one day you will live long enough to walk slow also. Hopefully, young people then will still respect you :rolleyes:

 

 

Thank you!

My work allows me to talk to seniors every day. It is so cool to talk to 70 and 80 year olds who are cruising, traveling, working, walking/exercising more than I do. Heck, I talked to a 94 year old yesterday who could probably go circles around me!!!

Yes, there are some slow crabby people, but those people are in every age group and social strata. Some of the rudest, most aggravating people are those who think that their money entitles them to be rude and, well, entitled!

The Golden Rule people. Be nice and treat people they way you would want to be treated

Edited May 8, 2014 by Mytime2014

[sail7seas]

I will probably suffer some back lash for this but I find the 'children should be seen and not heard' or 'ban kids' attitude to be a prehistoric attitude.

 

I have a 3yr old and a 10mths old who will be cruising with us at xmas (so almost 4 and 18mths). We WILL be dining in the Pinnacle.

 

We dine out with our kids 3-4 times a month and insist they behave. We go as soon as the restaurant opens and are gone no later than 7pm as this is bed time. We often go with friends and they expect the same behaviour from their kids.

 

Why should all kids be labelled and/or excluded because some parents let their kids run wild. I strongly believe parents should teach their kids the right way to behave in all different situations and banning kids is not the answer

 

We are paying almost $20,000 to go on our cruise and we will take advantage of all it has to offer and will not miss out because we have kids. There are plenty of adults out there that behave much worse than my kids and are much more annoying. Elderly walk slow, block queues, take too long to make decisions, talk loud and act entitled, maybe we should ban them as well.....

 

I would suggest anyone who does not like kids don't go on a cruise that welcomes children. Such a shame in this modern day people have such narrow minds

 

OK fire away

 

 

Oh My word !!!

Keep in mind, if You are Really lucky, you, too, will someday be old.

Hopefully you won't walk slow, block queues, take too long to make decisions and all the rest that apparently is annoying to young 'uns. :eek: Then again, not all of us are blessed to live long enough to grow old.

 

Stay well and grow old gracefully. ;) :)

 

[AlohaPride]

Maybe we should all remember we were once children and our parents took us places not only for fun but to also TEACH us the proper behavior in different circumstances. Please don't lump all children in the same group there are a LOT of parents who care to teach and expose their children to different experiences. ;)

[CowPrincess]

Maybe we should all remember we were once children and our parents took us places not only for fun but to also TEACH us the proper behavior in different circumstances. Please don't lump all children in the same group there are a LOT of parents who care to teach and expose their children to different experiences. ;)

 

I don't think all children are getting "lumped" :) I think that parents who abdicate responsibility for the behavior of their children might be getting lumped, though :D

 

I have no problems with kids on cruise ships, as long as the parents are parenting. Sadly, I've witnessed more than a few instances of the parents being completely adjourned. Or thinking that their child's behavior is "adorable" when in fact it is disruptive or even dangerous.

 

That does not mean I think kids should not cruise. Of course they should, but I also think parents should parent. :)

[mamaofami]

I've never seen young children eating in the Pinnacle, but I'm sure they are there.

 

IMHO, many of today's working parents have nannys who take care of their children and the parents haven't a clue about how to handle them. I witnessed this in a very upscale restaurant where two young children decided to make friends with a couple who were trying to have a nice dinner. The parents did nothing to get the kids back to their table. Just one example.

[hrhdhd]

I am wondering how a parent asks a 10-month-old to behave? :confused:

[Mytime2014]

I wish this working parent had had a nanny....instead, I was mom/dad/nanny and the rest of the family. Still he knew how to sit down, use the inside voice, and could sit through a church service or dinner without making a scene.

 

Which is more than some of my adult friends .... talk during church and get so loud at a restaurant that the group has been uninvited....:o

[1of4]

Sticky topic, but as a mum of two children who cruise with us I do have some experience.

 

But first, I would like to point out that similar generalizations are being made about children as have been made about older people. The senior population don't like to be labeled just like all children should not be labeled. Labelling is now socially unacceptable in schools, perhaps we should all learn from this.

 

Not all seniors are slow and not all children are messy and loud. The few that are give both the age groups a bad reputation.

 

The fact remains that some families like to celebrate special occasions together. Yes, children 12 and under are free. I don't see why a child should be charged the same as an adult when they are served from the child menu. If they do order from the Pinnacle menu they don't get adult portions. 4 star mariners receive a discount too and I would venture to guess they don't receive smaller portions.

 

Speaking of my family's experience when we celebrated our vow renewal over New Years our children were dressed in full formal wear (including dress shoes), minded their manners, spoke softly and tollerated the bad service we received in the PG. I can not say the same for some of the adults dining there that night.

 

I have held my tongue many times when adults behave badly. Children learn manners from somewhere...or not.

 

So this thread can go from the OP's original question, to being a bit ridiculous IMHO.

Edited May 8, 2014 by 1of4

[igraf]

Actually, when I was a kid our family did NOT go on cruises or even have very many dinners in fine restaurants. We drove with our tent (no RV) to a campground. Somehow, "exposing" children to dinner in the Pinnacle Grill on a cruise just doesn't stir my sympathies....

 

We are not lumping all children as bad (mostly it is bad parents). The position taken here is that the PG should not go out of their way to encourage more children by offering them discounted meals.

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

Maybe we should all remember we were once children and our parents took us places not only for fun but to also TEACH us the proper behavior in different circumstances. Please don't lump all children in the same group there are a LOT of parents who care to teach and expose their children to different experiences. ;)

[cruz chic]

Maybe we should all remember we were once children and our parents took us places not only for fun but to also TEACH us the proper behavior in different circumstances. Please don't lump all children in the same group there are a LOT of parents who care to teach and expose their children to different experiences. ;)

 

Yes, but we got told that if we acted up that would be the last time we would go out. We were so dirt poor it was a treat to go out so we behaved like angels.

[cruz chic]

I don't think all children are getting "lumped" :) I think that parents who abdicate responsibility for the behavior of their children might be getting lumped, though :D

 

I have no problems with kids on cruise ships, as long as the parents are parenting. Sadly, I've witnessed more than a few instances of the parents being completely adjourned. Or thinking that their child's behavior is "adorable" when in fact it is disruptive or even dangerous.

 

That does not mean I think kids should not cruise. Of course they should, but I also think parents should parent. :)

 

Exactly.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Over the years we have seen several children eating in the Pinnacle. A few of them did get "fussy" and one of the parents did leave with them -- and did not return.

I have no idea what the prices are for children.

But remember -- the price is now $29 per person and with a more limited menu. 3 Star Mariners get 25% off the price and 4 and 5 Star Mariners get 50% off the price.

[cp556]

Oh My word !!!

Keep in mind, if You are Really lucky, you, too, will someday be old.

Hopefully you won't walk slow, block queues, take too long to make decisions and all the rest that apparently is annoying to young 'uns. :eek: Then again, not all of us are blessed to live long enough to grow old.

 

Stay well and grow old gracefully. ;) :)

 

 

 

***Applauding***

[sail7seas]

Over the years we have seen several children eating in the Pinnacle. A few of them did get "fussy" and one of the parents did leave with them -- and did not return.

 

I have no idea what the prices are for children.

 

But remember -- the price is now $29 per person and with a more limited menu. 3 Star Mariners get 25% off the price and 4 and 5 Star Mariners get 50% off the price.

 

 

Five Star Mariners get two free Pinnacle dinners.

 

If you dine there more than that, you then get 50% all other dinners.

 

[sail7seas]

***Applauding***

 

 

 

:o Thank you.

 

[AlohaPride]

... if this is the high end restaurant on the ship where a couple celebrates a special occasion like a Wedding Anniversary or just a nice quiet romantic evening, wouldn't that couple want to have a very high level of decorum?

 

I just picture unruly children getting bored silly over the 2 hour plus dinner presentation, and how do I say? acting up.

 

I applaud you for doing this. I find parents are more interested in their cell phones than their kids in Calgary. There are certain restaurants that I won't go to anymore because parents let their kids run around and scream. I am not kidding you. This is the reason some people get upset. When I see kids behaving I always make a point of telling the parents how impressed I am. That said, it doesn't happen too often.

 

The amount of money you are paying for a cruise does not give you the right to disrespect families with children. All families with children DO NOT allow their kids to be loud and unruly. . .

 

See my point? One poster mentions that SOME old people are hard to deal with and gets flamed (even though I think that part of the post was tongue in cheek). Every other post on this thread talks about unruly kids and their AWFUL parents. Can't you see how this might make those of us who are actually GOOD parents feel?

 

My husband and I are celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary on our next cruise. We love our girls. We also want to celebrate our love for each other WITH our girls. If we choose to dine in the Pinnacle Grill, shouldn't that be an option for us? If our girls are only given the MDR menu, should we have to pay $29 per girl for food we already paid for in our hefty booking fee? Every. single. restaurant. we've been to has a children's menu and it is always much cheaper than main courses for adults. 1*-5* restaurants, it doesn't matter.

 

My husband and I made the decision to save and spend our money on travel. If some parents chose to spend their money on camping I do NOT judge them for it. However, if we book our travel with a line that's trying to attract families I would hope we would be welcome in any public space on that ship instead of being discouraged from utilizing it.

 

I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. If I see kids, I don't expect them to be unruly and I hope that their parents are attentive. If I see older people, I don't expect them to be crabby and/or slow. And if they are slow, so what? I'm on a cruise! I've got time. I've made many many wonderful friends in ALL walks of life this way. This thread has made me a bit nervous about our reception in August.

 

Edit to add: I know I'm probably going to be flamed, but I can't help but feel like a pariah now on this board. Which is really sad, because I've loved this board for 8 years now.

Edited May 9, 2014 by AlohaPride

[AlohaPride]

Yes, but we got told that if we acted up that would be the last time we would go out. We were so dirt poor it was a treat to go out so we behaved like angels.

 

Why would you think it's different for most parents now? Because a few don't do their jobs well?

 

My husband and I do the same with our girls. We live very frugally so we can travel. We don't eat out much, and expect good behavior from our girls when we do. Every one of my friends is the same way. Please don't assume that most parents are absent from their duties as parent.

[DeeBee76]

taxmantoo & Mytime2014 & sail7seas - i think you need to re read my comment! I was not disrespeting elderly but making a comparison to the branding of all children as annoying and loud. In mis reading my comment and not placing that one sentence in the context of the over all comment you have truly proved my point. yes not all old people are annoying just as not all children are naughty!

 

1of4 & AlohaPride - well said :)

 

hrhdhd - absolutely it is possible to set boundaries and behavour expectations with a 10mth old. Children learn the best in their first 5 yrs, by no means are my kids angels all the time but we often get comments on their good behaviour and my 3yr old is often praised for her manners and we have been told she is the most polite and caring child at her pre school and I am proud to say we have given her a good start to life.

 

My hope is that by setting boundaries, limits and teaching my kids how to behave and respect others they will not be one of the many that now seem to ignore the law, steal, hurt others and just completely disrespect society.

[ruderhaus]

Yes, children 12 and under are free. I don't see why a child should be charged the same as an adult when they are served from the child menu.

 

My travel agent has confirmed ship services' point of view that this is no longer true. It appears that following a recent policy change, only children below the age of three are free.

 

I wonder if anybody else has been told that children above the age of two have to pay now.