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Dining in the Pinnacle Grill specialty restaurant onboard Holland America's "EURODAM" - October 2010
With the growing popularity of cruise vacations and the recent explosion of mega-ships, new builds and discounts - many potential cruisers find themselves very confused when it comes to booking their first - or fifth cruise vacation. There are so many choices, so many ships...and yes...so many dining options.
Many people (myself included) consider the onboard dining experience as one of the highlights of the cruise and when it comes to dining options onboard cruise ships, there are no shortage of offerings.
In addition to the traditional main dining room with the regularly scheduled dining hours, specialty restaurants have emerged as the "must -do's" on most of the lines.
The different cruise lines have varying policies on charging additional amounts to the guests for the specialty restaurants. These restaurants have their own hours (you'll need reservations), their own wait staff and it seems the most popular cuisine offered is Italian, steaks & chops, Asian (Sushi & Teppanyaki) , French and Continental.
Here is a sampling of various restaurants from three separate categories that I recently experienced (and loved!):
**LUXURY: REGENT SEVEN SEAS - "Voyager" - Regent is an all-inclusive, luxury cruise line with no additional charge for any of their specialty restaurants (including liquor or wine). PRIME 7 is a classic American steakhouse with USDA Prime, dry-aged steaks & chops a specialty, including a 36oz USDA Prime Porterhouse - carved tableside. SIGNATURES offers authentic and quality French cuisine and is the only restaurant at sea operated under the guidance of the legendary Le Cordon Bleu of Paris. www.rssc.com
**PREMIUM: HOLLAND AMERICA LINE - "Eurodam" - The Eurodam was the first Holland America Signature-Class ship to offer Pan-Asian fare in the TAMARIND RESTAURANT with exotic dinner menus featuring Sushi, sashimi and Penang red curry coconut chicken. There is a $15.00 per person charge for dinner. The sophisticated PINNACLE GRILL features aged Sterling Silver Beef and a selection of fresh seafood. There is a $20.00 surcharge per person and reservations are a must. For a more casual setting and no additional charge, CANALETTO serves classic Italian food with a starter antipasto for two that is a must. www.hollandamerica.com
**CONTEMPORARY: NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE - "Epic" - Now we've got the "mother-load" of dining options. From the cruise line that literally invented "freestyle dining", you'll have 17 options to choose from. TEPPANYAKI puts on a show while chopping and grilling your favorite Japanese dishes on 24 oversized Hibachi grills. ($25.00 per person) And just in case you want even more entertainment while eating - SPIEGEL TENT-CIRQUE DREAMS & DINNER puts on a one-of-a-kind theatrical dining experience at sea with world class talent and acrobats flying throughout the dining room. ($15.00p/p for general seating/$20.00p/p for preferred). www.ncl.com
FENTON TRAVEL TIP - Most everyone on the ship will want to eat at least one dinner in a specialty restaurant...and from my personal experience, it has been worth every penny. Be sure to ask your travel agent what the cost will be, what is the attire (casual or dressy) and if you can make reservations before embarkation (especially if you are celebrating a special occasion). Because these restaurants are so popular, I make our reservations for the first and last night. They are less crowded and it's a fabulous way to kick-off and end our cruise vacation.
