Do you think the $30 charge per person is worth it?

[Randyk47]

I voted no. We've thought about trying the PG on our last 3 cruises but have had such good food, service, and tablemates that we've opted not to go to the Pinnacle. Maybe the next cruise, maybe not. Certainly raising the fee isn't an incentive.

[NapTown Jim]

Just got back from the Amsterdam.

Had a great meal in the Pinnacle. Our TA pick-up the tab. I belive the Pinnacle is making a profit by selling the wine. How could you not enjoy A great meal in the Pinnacle with out a bottel of good wine. We had two bottels and paid $125.00 for the two. If they did not make a profit then something is wrong. We all know that wine is always over price at any resturant you go to.

 

Maybe thats part of my problem. I don't like wine. Anyway, I get that they make money on other things at the Pinnacle, but to sell you your $64 bottle of wine they have to get you in the door first. Would you have spent that much on wine if you had dined in the regular dining room? If so, I consider that a wash.

[Hoyaheel]

I agree that the "value" of Pinnacle is really what this poll is about. We ate there on our recent cruise and had a lovely meal. Our TA paid for it:p We were celebrating our anniversary and brought our own wine, so we just paid the corkage fee. We would NOT have eaten there without the gift certificate from our TA--we would have ordered room service and enjoyed a private dinner in our room, or tried to get a private table in the main dining room (which we did by accident one night, when the couple whose table it was were dining in the Pinnacle Grill) I did not find the food, service, or atmosphere to be worth $30 on top of the cruise fare ($30 at a restaurant in my home town--heck yes! But on the Maasdam--not so much)

[catl331]

Unless you are completely strapped for cash, what is another $80 (with tip) for a special dinner? Give me a break.

 

Our PG experiences on the Westerdam and Noordam were certainly not "special". DH cannot drink wine, and I only ordered a glass of house white. We felt we were being looked down on. The service was not as good as we got from our dining room stewards, and was "stuffy" to boot. The food was good, but not great.

 

From now on we'll add that money to our usual d.r. wait staff tips.

[jhannah]

I also voted no. We've dined in the Pinnacle several times, but did not on our most recent cruise. And while it was nice, it wasn't anything spectacular. Yes, the steaks are wonderful. But I've enjoyed the steaks in the dining room, too. I also think we'll only go again if it's a "gift" to us. The experience simply isn't worth the extra dollars to me.

[kryos]

I wonder how 'free' those vouchers are? After all, the TA must pay HAL for the passenger they give the voucher to. I don't think it is the full amount ie $30 less a discount. But at the end of the day it is still the passenger who is paying.... might not be upfront but they are still paying.

 

$30 is 5% of a $600 fare. That is a fairly large chunk out of a TA's commission.

I honestly don't think it comes out of the TA's commission. HAL has apparently put together a "bennie" package that TA's can offer to their customers in exchange for a booking. Maybe its purpose is to encourage TA's to steer their clients toward HAL as opposed to another cruise line?

 

At least in my case (and the case of the other two couples at my dining room table ... all of us booked through different TA's) ... the bennie package included a "Pinnacle Grill Experience" for each person in the stateroom, two bottles of cheap wine per adult in the stateroom (max of two adults), one DVD credit per stateroom, and one 8 x 10 photo credit per stateroom.

 

Why the TA didn't let us select a brand of wine ... up to the value of the total of four bottles, I'll never know. As it was, we just left them there. The photo and DVD credit we split ... my taking the photo credit and my cabin mate using the DVD one.

 

I think HAL uses this "bennie package" to stimulate bookings through their TA's ... and I think HAL absorbs the cost ... not the TA's.

 

Of course, that begs the question ... just what exactly is the actual COST of this package ... maybe $30/$35 bucks total? I know the wine is $10 per bottle ... but that's retail. What is its cost? And what does a Pinnacle Grill dinner really cost the cruise line ... as well as one 8 x 10 photo and a cruise DVD?

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

Our PG experiences on the Westerdam and Noordam were certainly not "special". DH cannot drink wine, and I only ordered a glass of house white. We felt we were being looked down on. The service was not as good as we got from our dining room stewards, and was "stuffy" to boot. The food was good, but not great.

It's funny you should say that. I have to admit that it is only when in the Pinnacle that I get the feeling they look down at you if you don't order a drink from the bar. On my last cruise, I wanted iced tea ... and it seemed I waited forever for it. This cruise, it just happened that I felt like having a pina colada, and I did not get that "second class" feeling at all.

 

Maybe when you dine in the Pinnacle, they expect you to order from the bar ... and are put out if you don't?

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

Just got back from the Amsterdam.

Had a great meal in the Pinnacle. Our TA pick-up the tab. I belive the Pinnacle is making a profit by selling the wine.

And you will be more apt to order a bottle of wine when you are getting the dinner for free. :)

 

Like I said ... there's a method to HAL's madness. Just read these posts of all the people who enjoyed their dinner in the Pinnacle compliments of their TA. Especially at $30 per person, I doubt very many people are gonna pay to dine there anymore. But if everyone is getting free TA vouchers, then pretty much everyone will dine there one night of their cruise ... and since the cost for that admittedly special dinner is zilch, people will be inclined to spend a bit more on liquor or wine than perhaps they would in the Vista dining room. And that, my friends, makes the Pinnacle a very, very nice profit center for HAL.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[tjcox9]

After our dismal Pinnacle experience on the Westerdam during the cruise of 10/15, when we checked with the front desk about what would happen if we didn't use the TA provided Pinnacle dinners on the 10/22 cruise, we were told we would be credited $18 each. Perhaps that is the going rate for the TA provided Pinnacle experience..........

[PRINSENDAM]

I honestly don't think it comes out of the TA's commission. HAL has apparently put together a "bennie" package that TA's can offer to their customers in exchange for a booking. Maybe its purpose is to encourage TA's to steer their clients toward HAL as opposed to another cruise line?

 

At least in my case (and the case of the other two couples at my dining room table ... all of us booked through different TA's) ... the bennie package included a "Pinnacle Grill Experience" for each person in the stateroom, two bottles of cheap wine per adult in the stateroom (max of two adults), one DVD credit per stateroom, and one 8 x 10 photo credit per stateroom.

 

Why the TA didn't let us select a brand of wine ... up to the value of the total of four bottles, I'll never know. As it was, we just left them there. The photo and DVD credit we split ... my taking the photo credit and my cabin mate using the DVD one.

 

I think HAL uses this "bennie package" to stimulate bookings through their TA's ... and I think HAL absorbs the cost ... not the TA's.

 

Of course, that begs the question ... just what exactly is the actual COST of this package ... maybe $30/$35 bucks total? I know the wine is $10 per bottle ... but that's retail. What is its cost? And what does a Pinnacle Grill dinner really cost the cruise line ... as well as one 8 x 10 photo and a cruise DVD?

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

 

 

Rita,

 

I'm not sure if this is right. Far and away the majority of people eating in Pinnacle are on a freebie from their TA and the remainder... a small minority, are paying $30. To me it doesn't make sense to give away all those free dinners and then make a deal to charge the remaining few, a cover charge of$30.

 

As far as I am aware, the TA pays a discounted price for the dinner. It isn't 'free'.

 

If it is considered 'free' for TAs as an incentive then the cost has to come from somewhere..... probably built into the cost of your cruise fare. One way or another the passenger pay for it.

 

Stephen

 

 

 

Stephen

[inai]

DH and I would never pay $30 pp for a meal at the Pinn.. We have enjoyed the excellent food in the Main D.R. So, why would we pay $60 and a tip?! I vote no.

[FRANKIEDNYC]

:) We also vote no I feel the Pinnacle charges $30.00 for what we used to get in the dining room several years ago.

[mim100]

I honestly don't think it comes out of the TA's commission. HAL has apparently put together a "bennie" package that TA's can offer to their customers in exchange for a booking. Maybe its purpose is to encourage TA's to steer their clients toward HAL as opposed to another cruise line?Blue skies ...--rita

 

Hi Rita...I'm curious about this....if HAL gives these packages to the TA's, does that mean ALL cruise passengers should expect a gift from their TA's? and if they don't receive that gift, does that mean a more favoured customer of the TA is getting them?

[bobpatj]

I also voted no. Our last Pinnacle experience was with the "Voyage of the Spammed" group, and was a gift from our TA. We have dined there, on other ships, back in the "no extra charge" days and at $20 pp. It would have to be a very special occasion to get us there, now, at $30 pp.

[Pilot70D]

The current pricing strategy is absurd in my opinion. Like a lot of people we travel as a couple consequently our tab to eat in the Pinnacle grill would be $60. Let us not forget that we have already subsidized that price to some degree in the basic fee for passage that we all paid. Factored in to the cost of that ticket is the cost of meals. I personally don't know excactly what the cost per meal per passenger is estimated to be but I'll bet that it's in the range of $5 to $10 per meal per passenger at the minimum. It's probably more for dinner and less for breakfast.

 

However if we take the $10 figure as being accurate then our actual cost for two to dine in the pinnacle grill would be $80 plus extra gratuity plus wine. Frankly I think that an $80 surcharge per couple is an insult. Possibly HAL has confused themselves with Bern's Steakhouse in Tampa where the meal is truly worth $80 per couple.

[mick70]

No way!! First tried it in 02 on the "A" OUTSTANDING, Last year twice on the "O" first night OK, second time it was as though they forgot us. Bad service, cold food. Now they at HAL wants to charge $30.00, hope they have something for the people to do since in MHO it will not be waiting on people in the PIN.

[SueOverend]

I voted No. We ate in the Pinnacle on the Westerdam in December, but did not use the TA gift of another night as we didn't want to return. Got a stateroom credit instead and ate in the dining room. The food was nice, but overrated, but the service was awful. We will only go this year if we receive another TA gift, otherwise we will stay in the main dining room. If however our waitlisted late seating dinner doesn't come up, we'll be in there every night!!

[Vic The Parrot]

Tried it courtesy of my TA as well. The meal was ok, but it didn't impress me.

The only nice thing about the evening was the company.

 

 

But as far as the food in there goes, I could do better with a head of lettuce and a can of tomato soup. :rolleyes:

[kryos]

I'm not sure if this is right. Far and away the majority of people eating in Pinnacle are on a freebie from their TA and the remainder... a small minority, are paying $30. To me it doesn't make sense to give away all those free dinners and then make a deal to charge the remaining few, a cover charge of$30.

Sure it does ... if HAL wants to discourage people from making reservations there on their own. If just about every TA has a coupon to give to their clients, there's gonna be an awful lot of people on each sailing who have a Pinnacle reservation coming to them. Naturally, HAL has to honor those coupons, so those passengers will get accommodated first. If ... and only if ... there is sufficient capacity remaining (highly doubtful) will HAL accept reservations from paying customers. By upping the price to $30, they effectively minimize the number of extra diners wanting reservations on their own nickle ... such as those who ate in the Pinnacle free one night, and now want to dine there again on their cruise.

 

There is actually a very logical method to HAL's madness in upping the price. Simply put, they don't want your paid reservation. With all these TA's having Pinnacle vouchers to give their clients, HAL can barely handle the reservations load they now have.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[watchdiva]

Voted yes - we have had great meals in the Pinnacle with outstanding service and it was well worth the $$ in our opinion. On our Westerdam cruise the service in the main DR was really poor (waiters and wine steward). We only ate there (I believe) 3 of the 7 nights and walked out on formal night before dessert because we were tired of waiting 20 minutes for coffee. Before anyone asks if we complained to the Maitre 'D, we did. We also commented to the concierge in the Neptune and on our comment card.

 

We'd rather pay the extra $ and have a great food/service experience than sit in the main DR and wish we were somewhere else.

[whogo]

I do not know if I would eat in the Pinnacle if it were free. The most frequent comment I hear about the food at the Pinnacle is that the steaks are better. I try not to eat beef on a cruise. It can't compare to what I get at home.

 

If I did eat at the Pinnacle I would not tip extra. HAL's "gratuity of $10 per guest per day for dining and stateroom services" would cover the Pinnacle for me.

[Jim Gallup]

We must remember that all the mass market cruise lines use this "cover charge" as a crowd control measure. When the restaurant gets too busy, the cover charge is raised to discourage a greater percentage of diners from dining there.

 

This poll seems to indicate that the majority of CC Members have been successfully discouraged by the system. That's actually a good thing. It tells us that the system works to some degree.

On the other hand, since the cover charge increase went into effect on HAL, most of the HAL ships have not seen a decrease in patronage at their Pinnacle Grills.

This suggests - but doesn't prove - a couple of things:

- The majority of passengers dining on HAL ships don't necessarily agree with the views and opinions of HAL CC Board Members.

- The crowd control measures taken so far haven't been too successful. It could be the case that they will be forced to increase the cover charge even higher to reduce the crowds and complaints. Definitely not a good thing.

[jtl513]

This suggests - but doesn't prove - a couple of things:

- The majority of passengers dining on HAL ships don't necessarily agree with the views and opinions of HAL CC Board Members.

 

Or maybe the majority don't even know of the existence of Cruise Critic yet. What is a typical turnout at a CC Meet & Greet, 30 to 50 people? That's just around 2.5% of a shipload.

 

I'm willing to bet that the majority of the people trying the PG for the first time and paying for it themselves never return.

[PRINSENDAM]

Sure it does ... if HAL wants to discourage people from making reservations there on their own. If just about every TA has a coupon to give to their clients, there's gonna be an awful lot of people on each sailing who have a Pinnacle reservation coming to them. Naturally, HAL has to honor those coupons, so those passengers will get accommodated first. If ... and only if ... there is sufficient capacity remaining (highly doubtful) will HAL accept reservations from paying customers. By upping the price to $30, they effectively minimize the number of extra diners wanting reservations on their own nickle ... such as those who ate in the Pinnacle free one night, and now want to dine there again on their cruise.

 

There is actually a very logical method to HAL's madness in upping the price. Simply put, they don't want your paid reservation. With all these TA's having Pinnacle vouchers to give their clients, HAL can barely handle the reservations load they now have.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

 

Rita,

 

I do know that part of the reason for putting the price up is 'crowd control'.

 

Can you answer this? What is the point of having a restaurant on board that is basically there as a 'revenue earner' then trurn around and give away free dinners, through TA handouts, and then try to limit the number of passengers willing to pay? Someone is paying for all of those TA vouchers.

 

Stephen

[mariner]

Perhaps a TA could chime in here.

 

Does HAL give the TA the coupons or is the TA giving up a cut of commission to provide them to clients?

 

Face it, it costs HAL way less than $30 to serve dinner there. Even if the place is loaded with ``freebies,'' it would appear HAL is still making a buck, especially with wine sales.