Question regarding specialty restaurants

[CJcruzer]

We are 4* mariners, and will be cruising with son, DIL and 3 grandgirls.   I would like for us all to dine in  the Tamarind one night.

 

I will make the reservation for 7, online, once the specialty dining opens up on my booking), which includes my son, DIL and grandgirls.  

 

Do I get 50% for the entire party, as I am booking and paying for it  online with a HAL gift card, or only for my husband and myself.  The others are only 2* at this point.  I do realize any discount would be applied once onboard.

 

I have heard mixed reports that sometimes the discount has been honored for all, and sometimes not.   

 

Thanks for any advice/past experiences on this matter.

 

Carol

[highscar]

When I have made the reservation for our group (5) it goes on my account with the discount for full amount. 

[CJcruzer]

Just now, highscar said:

When I have made the reservation for our group (5) it goes on my account with the discount for full amount. 

😀😀 hopefully that has not changed..

[Crew News]

20 minutes ago, CJcruzer said:

We are 4* mariners, and will be cruising with son, DIL and 3 grandgirls.   I would like for us all to dine in  the Tamarind one night.

 

I will make the reservation for 7, online, once the specialty dining opens up on my booking), which includes my son, DIL and grandgirls.  

 

Do I get 50% for the entire party, as I am booking and paying for it  online with a HAL gift card, or only for my husband and myself.  The others are only 2* at this point.  I do realize any discount would be applied once onboard.

 

I have heard mixed reports that sometimes the discount has been honored for all, and sometimes not.   

 

Thanks for any advice/past experiences on this matter.

 

Carol

My understanding is that only those traveling with 4* Mariner in the same stateroom get the discount and cannot be shared.

Edited July 3, 2021 by Crew News

[Crew News]

5 minutes ago, Crew News said:

My understanding is that only those traveling with 5* Mariner in the same stateroom get the discount and cannot be shared.

A workaround would be to have a 4* Mariner booked in each stateroom that will give all in that stateroom the discount.  I have seen nothing requiring you to sleep in the same stateroom where you are booked.

Edited July 3, 2021 by Crew News

[kazu]

3 minutes ago, Crew News said:

My understanding is that only those traveling with 5* Mariner in the same stateroom get the discount and cannot be shared.

 

I think you mean 4* Mariners (assuming you are referring to the 50% discount).

[CJcruzer]

10 minutes ago, Crew News said:

My understanding is that only those traveling with 4* Mariner in the same stateroom get the discount and cannot be shared.

thank you, in the past when we have cruised with them, we have booked with one 4* mariner in each room - but the Rotterdam has family rooms that will accommodate 5 in a room - so this time no need to split ourselves up with one parent in each room.

 

Carol 

[richwmn]

In the past I have booked Pinnacle for groups of up to 12 paid in advance and received the discount for all regardless of the mariner status of each participant.

 

[CJcruzer]

Just now, richwmn said:

In the past I have booked Pinnacle for groups of up to 12 paid in advance and received the discount for all regardless of the mariner status of each participant.

 

nice to  know, hopefully they will still operate in the same fashion.

 

Carol

[zelker]

Sadly - and unbeknownst to us when we tried on Eurodam in February 2020 - HAL changed the policy at the beginning of 2020 and they no longer allow you to book and get the discount (even if you want to put it on your account) for anyone other than who's booked in your stateroom.  

 

From HAL's site:

Can I extend my benefits (such as the 25% or 50% discount at select food and beverage outlets) to shipmates?

 

Answer

No. Benefits are intended for the personal use of the applicable guest and those sharing a stateroom with the guest on the same booking number. Not applicable to groups. Holland America Line reserves the right to limit benefits if necessary.

 

Edited July 3, 2021 by zelker

[KirkNC]

I think that changed in the last few years as I remember a hubbub on here.  It will be entirely dependent on the PG Manager but I believe the policy is that only those with the 4* status get the discount.  It may apply to others in the same stateroom, not sure.

[KirkNC]

33 minutes ago, Crew News said:

A workaround would be to have a 4* Mariner booked in each stateroom that will give all in that stateroom the discount.  I have seen nothing requiring you to sleep in the same stateroom where you are booked.

Seems like a lot of effort to avoid $100 in fees.

[DaveOKC]

I have gotten the 50% discount applied to all 4 diners at the Pinnacle and Tamarind in the past (only 2 were 4 Star), but I think that this may vary by ship as I have heard that others have not been so lucky.   I was able to just talk to the managers when booking it onboard and did not have a problem.

 

Edited July 3, 2021 by DaveOKC

[CJcruzer]

2 minutes ago, KirkNC said:

Seems like a lot of effort to avoid $100 in fees.

 

$72.50 difference, actually and not worth it to change up, mess around with exchanging key cards to get back into the room, etc.  We got excellent deals on our bookings - and the family room my son booked has 2 bathrooms - 

 

My husband has a saying... in the end we will not run out of money, we will run out of time - 

 

No use sweating the small stuff - I was just curious as to past recent experiences with this.

 

Carol

[CJcruzer]

11 minutes ago, DaveOKC said:

I have gotten the 50% discount applied to all 4 diners at the Pinnacle and Tamarind in the past (only 2 were 4 Star), but I think that this may vary by ship as I have heard that others have not been so lucky.   I was able to just talk to the managers when booking it onboard and did not have a problem.

 

I was thinking to have a chat with the Tamarind manager ahead of time...

[highscar]

The last time I made reservations for 5 in pinnacle and tamarind was feb 2020.  They didn’t ask for others names. Got the discount  

[highscar]

——-and this was on the Eurodam.  Circle Hawaii. Feb - March 20020 

[KirkNC]

6 minutes ago, highscar said:

The last time I made reservations for 5 in pinnacle and tamarind was feb 2020.  They didn’t ask for others names. Got the discount  

Hence my comment that it is entirely dependent on the PG Manager.  Some abide by the new rules, some the old rules.

[CJcruzer]

9 minutes ago, highscar said:

The last time I made reservations for 5 in pinnacle and tamarind was feb 2020.  They didn’t ask for others names. Got the discount  

 

did you book once onboard or online?  I am leery to leave it once onboard, as we are 7 people.  

 

Carol

[zelker]

22 minutes ago, highscar said:

——-and this was on the Eurodam.  Circle Hawaii. Feb - March 20020 

We were on the same cruise and the Tamarind manager was the one who adamantly refused to let us do it, quoting the new policy.

[highscar]

I booked while on board. 

[highscar]

In the tamarind. The gal came to the table and asked how would be charged. I gave her my card and that was the end of it. 

[zelker]

21 minutes ago, highscar said:

I booked while on board. 

 

19 minutes ago, highscar said:

In the tamarind. The gal came to the table and asked how would be charged. I gave her my card and that was the end of it. 

 

We booked on board too - ate there 3 times over the course of 30 days but it wasn't until we went with 2 other couples that she came to the table while we were eating and embarrassed us in front of our friends, saying that we could certainly pay for their dinners but they would not get the discount.  I went to the F&B director after that fiasco and he took care of everything.  Really pissed me off - could have been handled completely differently. 

 

Edited to say that we were in a Neptune suite and are 4* Mariners ... the Tamarind manager could have cared less. 👎

 

Edited July 3, 2021 by zelker

[CJcruzer]

I had bad experience on the Maasdam with the Pinnacle Grill manager, totally useless.  Wrote an email, while onboard, to ask about the pop-up Sel de Mer discount for 4* mariner, to both Mariner Society and the office of the President.... was resolved the next day by tge Hotel Manager. - who asked for me to meet with him.

 

Carol

[Charleston Lady]

We often bring our family, children and grandchildren, with us. We usually eat one night in each of the 3 specialty restaurants. I always make the reservations before sailing as there are 9 of us and pay for all then. We are 5* and the discount has always been credited to our shipboard account  once we board.

But....this is a new day so we will see how it goes. We are all sailing on Rotterdam for Christmas/New Year's  so guess all will be revealed then. Either way.....delighted to be sailing again!