New Specialty Restaurant Pricing

[scooter6139]

32 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Affirmative, I both worked for and cruised with P&O/Princess for many years, until 2015. Visited the Steak House many times and don't recall an additional service charge.

The Surf and Turf in the Crown Grill costs an additional $10 or so on top of the cover charge, but that was last year.  I don't know if it has changed since then.

[shipshape sam]

7 hours ago, cruzingnut said:

I'm hoping that they are gong to resume better quality food with these price increases.  We've noted that the quality of the steaks and pork chop have declined quite a bit since Covid.  

 

Linda R.

I would not hold my breath on that thought.  

[mcrcruiser]

8 hours ago, kazu said:

 

I don’t completely agree with you on everything being included.  Let’s not forget even if you order the surcharge item, you are still getting the appetizers, dessert, etc.  I live in Atlantic Canada where the lobster is fresh.  It has increased in price substantially over the last couple of years  Last year after DH’s funeral,I had my family back at the house and decided I would serve lobster since it’s easy (for me) to prepare for them and it can be a social occasion.  It cost nearly $300 for 12 of them and I bought them direct from a local fisherman at a very discounted price.  Still more than HAL’s price.  I don’t find HAL’s price for lobster outrageous - especially considering some may order a filet and lobster (surf and turf).  

 

And, the caviar is indeed real.  At $50 it was a really good deal.  I’m not sure on the $80 but considering some of the price increases in the markets, it probably still is.  I’ll check. 😉 

Jacqui prices have kept going up on food in general ;which has made it  even harder for many families same for the  cruise lines even as they buy in such large bulk .Maine Lobster & caviar are so expensive  & not good for those with high Cholesterol  problems .We stay away from them  

[mcrcruiser]

5 hours ago, albingirl said:

I just got in from an insanely expensive lunch. Prices are going up up up on everything everywhere. I don't consider those new prices unreasonable. However, I'm probably less likely to bother with specialty dining anymore. People are starting to hit the wall on all price increases in general. The Wall Street Journal has been full of stories about these changes that cause people to make choices. I can easily stick with MDR or club orange. 

We feel the same .It is not that we can't splurge on a cruise to go to one or 2 of the special restaurants but ,more so than ever before we  now consider that we not only give up the standard meal choices which we already paid for &  then go & pay a   much higher price for a special restaurant meal .just doesn't make much sense 

Since all the cruise prices have increased ,we can hope that the MDR & Club Orange food  selections & quality is creative & good tasting

Edited July 28, 2023 by mcrcruiser

[kazu]

14 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

Jacqui prices have kept going up on food in general ;which has made it  even harder for many families same for the  cruise lines even as they buy in such large bulk .Maine Lobster & caviar are so expensive  & not good for those with high Cholesterol  problems .We stay away from them  

 

Not quite correct - there are different types of cholesterol,  Cliff.  Caviar is high in cholesterol but is the fish fatty acid ones which are good for you.  It’s actually beneficial.  there are 2 types of cholesterol - one good and one bad -  but I’m sure you know that - it’s one of the good ones.

 

Lobster has less than an egg and if it is prepared properly it has less than many other meal options.

They are both good meal options - expensive, yes - but heck, you only live once 😉 

[sandiego1]

6 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

@kazu thank you for your helpful information. I think I would probably be happy to pay the extra for a lunch in Pinnacle. Unfortunately with my non existent and probably never much "status" we would have to pay full price 🥺. How does this burger compare to the "included in your fare" Dive in burger.

On our next cruise we won't be ordering lobster on the ship. It's a New England/East Coast Canada itinerary, we'll get our lobster ashore.

Dive in burgers are horrible in comparison to the Pinnacle burger. No comparison!

 

[POA1]

Wow!  A guy goes away for a few hours to mow some lawns to cover the cost of the caviar increase and he sure misses a lot.

 

I was only joking about the caviar. It hasn't gone up since 2012 or so. The new $80 price is still less than the retail price at Browne Trading in Portland, Maine. And I'm referring to the price when you pick it up at the store.

 

Bear in mind that the $80 includes all the accoutrements. (Please make sure you pronounce it a-cou-tre-mohn in your haughtiest French accent.)  It's still a deal and we're definitely getting an ounce each. I picked up a little extra scratch weeding Mrs. Finsterbacher's azaleas.

 

Food inflation and shrinkflation have been ridiculous the past few years. I'm the proud grocery shopper here at Casa del POA and I see how little your food dollar buys today. I view the specialty dining as a splurge or a treat. We're booked for both the PG & Rudi's this December and we're definitely doing a PG lunch.

 

Putting the positive spin on it: We used to save $7.50 on a Pinnacle lunch as 4* Mariners,  Now we save $9.50, That's an increase in our savings of almost 27%!

 

And to step to Kazu's aid on the lobster. I've only ever seen cold water (a.k.a. Maine Lobster, which mostly comes from the Maritimes anyway) on HAL cruises. We have that nasty spiny lobster in Florida. In fact, the spiny lobster mini season ends tonight at midnight.  It looks and tastes nothing like cold water lobster. I say this as a former Mainer.

Edited July 28, 2023 by POA1

[POA1]

3 hours ago, PHXscuba said:

Thank you! I was making myself crazy looking for something that didn't exist! I think we will enjoy a lovely Pinnacle Grill lunch on our last sea day to ease the pain of vacation ending. 😉

 

PHXscuba

Book it the first day of your cruise. It sells out quickly.

[kazu]

7 minutes ago, POA1 said:

 

I was only joking about the caviar. It hasn't gone up since 2012 or so. The new $80 price is still less than the retail price at Browne Trading in Portland, Maine. And I'm referring to the price when you pick it up at the store.

 

Thanks for saving me from shopping to check the price 😉. Hopefully I can find some table partners wanting to share with me.  I can’t eat all that and not have anyone else enjoy.  I will buy or DD DH will - hopefully someone at my table is willing to try.  🤞 
 

 

[richwmn]

5 hours ago, sue1898 said:

I’d be interested in where on FB the original poster @richwmn saw this. I couldn’t find it on the HAL FB page so perhaps it was not a communication meant for passengers but rather some kind of internal notice.

I'm not sure which of the several HAL FB pages I saw it on, but it was one of them. I just looked again to try and find it and located it in the group Holland America Line Fans Official, but the person who posted it there commented that he reposted it from another HAL group.

[Haljo1935]

So the $7 charge is gone for the extra appetizer - YAY - Clothesline Candied Bacon 🥓 all around!! But since the base dinner price has increased by $7, we will both now have to order bacon to break even. Previously, we ordered 1 and shared it.

Excuse me while I go tell DH to begin power eating training so as to be able to easily consume the extra serving of bacon 🥓 in time for our Oct cruise.

[Blackduck59]

From reading these posts it would seem we should book a Pinnacle lunch as soon as we board. Am I correct in assuming (there's that word again) that pinnacle is only open for lunch on sea days? We have 4 to choose from. Our cruise is the last on Zaandam before the price hike so this lowly polliwog with no status will be paying the current price. The caviar thing is irrelevant for us, we don't enjoy it. I would rather leave the sturgeons alone.

[cruisemom42]

Forgive me if I am wrong -- I've sailed a lot of different cruise lines in my time....

 

But wasn't it HAL who, when specialty dining was first introduced, rolled out the concept of the "charge" as actually being for the SERVICE not for the food?  (In those days, specialty restaurants were mainly charging in the $10 range; I'm talking waaaay back.)

 

It amuses me all the justifications about the extra service charges for specialty dining (and now specialty dining items). Up until recently, when the 18% surcharge started being added, there was never any clear language about tipping for specialty dining at all. If I hadn't read these boards, I would continue to think that the extra charge I was paying covered the "extra" food, service and venue. 

 

The tipping culture really HAS run amuck, IMO.....

 

 

[Guest ldtr]

7 hours ago, kazu said:

 

I guess you don’t tip your waiters in restaurants?  That’s all it is. 

Not if the restaurant charges a service fee.

[Blackduck59]

2 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

The tipping culture really HAS run amuck, IMO.....

 

I agree whole heartedly, in years gone by you gave tips (to insure proper service) as a bribe as it were before service began with the expectation of getting special treatment. On the other hand a gratuity was given because you were given exemplary service without having to bribe anyone. Now it's expected even if the service is lame. There is even a tip prompt at many take out joints where service is non existent, and other places where "service" isn't part of the transaction at all.

[POA1]

1 hour ago, Blackduck59 said:

From reading these posts it would seem we should book a Pinnacle lunch as soon as we board. Am I correct in assuming (there's that word again) that pinnacle is only open for lunch on sea days? We have 4 to choose from. Our cruise is the last on Zaandam before the price hike so this lowly polliwog with no status will be paying the current price. The caviar thing is irrelevant for us, we don't enjoy it. I would rather leave the sturgeons alone.

CORRECT-A-MUNDO! One of our first stops after boarding is to make our PG lunch reservations. It comes before our first bar stop. (If you knew us, you would understand how seriously we take our Pinnacle lunch.)

[Crew News]

5 hours ago, PHXscuba said:

Lots of knowledgable people on this thread ... we first-time HAL cruisers and I cannot figure out how to pre-book Pinnacle Grill for lunch, it seems the only options I can see are for dinner. (I managed to book Cannaletto for dinner)

 

Can anyone direct me to the right place, or confirm if we can only do that onboard or as a walk-up?

 

(If it matters, Nieuw Amsterdam to Alaska in September)

 

PHXscuba

On the Nieuw Amsterdam, go to the Deck 9 Spa entrance at the end of the indoor pool and there will be a podium nearby for making Specialty Restaurant reservations.  The podium is there only on Embarkation Day until 2:00 PM. 

 

I have found this podium to be present on Embarkation Day on my last six cruise ships and never a waiting line.

Edited July 28, 2023 by Crew News

[bajae]

42 minutes ago, POA1 said:

CORRECT-A-MUNDO! One of our first stops after boarding is to make our PG lunch reservations. It comes before our first bar stop. (If you knew us, you would understand how seriously we take our Pinnacle lunch.)

Do you make the reservations at PG or can you use the navigator app once your are on the ship? Oops, just saw that Crew News answered my question before I asked it. I assume the spa area would be the place on all ships? Zaandam for me. Thanks.

Edited July 28, 2023 by bajae

[Crew News]

20 minutes ago, bajae said:

Do you make the reservations at PG or can you use the navigator app once your are on the ship? Oops, just saw that Crew News answered my question before I asked it. I assume the spa area would be the place on all ships? Zaandam for me. Thanks.

Same on all ships but Zaandam is different numbered deck (8).

Edited July 28, 2023 by Crew News

[lyndarra]

10 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

@kazu thank you for your helpful information. I think I would probably be happy to pay the extra for a lunch in Pinnacle. Unfortunately with my non existent and probably never much "status" we would have to pay full price 🥺. How does this burger compare to the "included in your fare" Dive in burger.

On our next cruise we won't be ordering lobster on the ship. It's a New England/East Coast Canada itinerary, we'll get our lobster ashore.

This talk of lobster got me curious so I Googled what was available at my local supermarket.

Tails available @ AUD9.00. And, surprisingly, "Product of Canada".

https://www.coles.com.au/product/coles-deli-thawed-msc-raw-lobster-tails-1-each-3763596

[POA1]

2 hours ago, lyndarra said:

This talk of lobster got me curious so I Googled what was available at my local supermarket.

Tails available @ AUD9.00. And, surprisingly, "Product of Canada".

https://www.coles.com.au/product/coles-deli-thawed-msc-raw-lobster-tails-1-each-3763596

Yes. The Canadian Maritimes - New Brunswick, Nova Scotia & Prince Edward Island, produce more Maine Lobster than Maine does. In all the years we lived in Maine, you would find mostly Canadian lobster in the supermarket during certain times of the year. It tastes exactly the same and indeed it is the sane species. It's not until you ask it the weather forecast that you'll notice the difference. Ours will tell you the high & low temperatures in Fahrenheit. Theirs will quote you in degrees Celsius.

[RedneckBob]

17 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 

The FAQ says they will honor current pricing for bookings made prior to September 1st. So, as long as you make your reservation by the end of August, you won’t pay the increased cost.

 

 

The tomahawk steak is for two people:

 

Tomahawk for two? 
 

In June 2022 while on the Eurodam in Alaska, me and the Misses sat down for a nice dinner in the PG. Another couple sat behind me and I overheard the man’s order.

Shrimp cocktail, lobster bisque, tomahawk steak medium, lobster tail supplement, baked potato and baked Alaska. When we finished our meal, I got up, walked passed him, looked at his plate. He was half way through with the steak. I said to him, “I heard this noise behind me when the server bought out your main course and the Misses said it was a folk lift carry your plate”. 😀 Later that nite I saw the man in the casino and asked him if he finished the steak for which he said, “Yes, but it had a large bone, so it was only 24-26 oz of meat”. 😳

Edited July 28, 2023 by RedneckBob

[shipshape sam]

6 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

So the $7 charge is gone for the extra appetizer - YAY - Clothesline Candied Bacon 🥓 all around!! But since the base dinner price has increased by $7, we will both now have to order bacon to break even. Previously, we ordered 1 and shared it.

Excuse me while I go tell DH to begin power eating training so as to be able to easily consume the extra serving of bacon 🥓 in time for our Oct cruise.

LOL  

 

 

[kazu]

6 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

Forgive me if I am wrong -- I've sailed a lot of different cruise lines in my time....

 

But wasn't it HAL who, when specialty dining was first introduced, rolled out the concept of the "charge" as actually being for the SERVICE not for the food?  (In those days, specialty restaurants were mainly charging in the $10 range; I'm talking waaaay back.)

 

I can’t confirm that for sure.  I was sailing NCL when the specialties came out but I can confirm that on that line the “charge” was indeed for the service, not the food.  the price you mentioned is what was charged on that line.  That was indeed a very long time ago 😉 

 

[friendswithdave]

15 hours ago, kazu said:

 

I guess you don’t tip your waiters in restaurants?  That’s all it is. 

 

No, I see her precise point, and I think it is lost on most. We (like everyone else) pay gratuities daily. These gratuities (presumably) cover all service staff including those who serve us in restaurants. If we choose to eat in restaurant B instead of MDR A, why would we pay two gratuities? We have already paid once in our daily payment. By paying a second time, we are essentially paying a gratuity for a meal we didn't attend in the MDR and one we did attend in restaurant B.

 

Keep in mind they didn't used to charge gratuities for the specialty restaurants. They understood my point above. Do we think the specialty restaurant service staff didn't receive gratuities before? Of course they did. This is just the cruise lines charging new fees they didn't used to charge. I would wager these additional funds aren't going to service staff.