Calling all fellow coffee snobs

honesty how is He coffee on carnival? I’m not a Starbucks fan at all. I buy fresh roasted coffee from a local toaster. It goes from being roasted to my coffee pot within a day sometimes. I grind my own before each use. How bad is coffee on board and also would small coffee pot be banned from my cabin ? I will have cheers so the coffee shop will be a frequent stop I guess if I don’t bring my own. I only drink coffee morning to early afternoon lol I’m not addicted or anything well ok maybe :eek:

Here’s a thread that may be helpful (Post#7 and beyond):

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2639093&highlight=Coffee

I'm a fellow coffee snob. At home I prepare my coffee about like you do. Always a fresh grind and freshly roasted beans. IMHO the coffee in the MDR and buffet aren't worth drinking. Same with room service. The only decent coffee is at the coffee stand, which is included with your beverage program. A small coffee pot will NOT be allowed in your cabin. The only possible solution would be to bring either a French press or a filter cone for your room, but the problem then is getting water hot enough to make a good cup of coffee. I have given up on that and now just buy my coffee from the stand on board. Hope this helps.

The Lido coffee to me is horrible. They brew it way too strong (and use burnt beans) so it gives me horrific indigestion.

The coffee in the dining room and room service is not much better, if at all. It's not quite as strong but still very bad. I like a slightly lighter, more flavorful coffee, like Eight O' Clock Columbian, not a french roast which is what their coffee tastes like.

There is no drip coffee in the coffee shop - the closest you can get is an Americano. When I get Cheers, I become friends with the coffee shop workers and get Americanos often!

You could probably bring on a bag of ground beans and a pour over coffee brewer, and use the hot water dispensers on Lido to make your own coffee. I'm not quite that dedicated, the Americanos at the coffee bar are good enough.

If you have Cheers, then Java Blue will be your go-to place every morning... Much, much better than the Lido coffee...

My coffee snob best friend brought a weeks worth of ground coffee from home and a pour over brewer. You can order hot water thru room service (for tea) and have it delivered at your requested time or go to the hot water dispenser on the lido.

I order my coffee from New Orleans and like my coffee rich and dark. I can make do with the coffee in the MDR, room service or lido. If I'm getting coffee from the lido, I take my insulated coffee cup and start off with a little soft serve vanilla before topping off with the coffee. Sometimes I do a mix of hot chocolate and coffee in the insulated cup. But I also stop by Java Blue from time to time and find their coffee is excellent. The prices on their spiked coffee is actually a bargain. I don't drink enough adult beverages to justify Cheers, so I just pay as I go.

Years ago when we first started cruising, we cruised with NCL. Hopefully they have improved their coffee, because that was the worst coffee I had ever had. Carnival's coffee is a much better. Just not great, by any means.

Here’s a thread that may be helpful (Post#7 and beyond):

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2639093&highlight=Coffee

Thanks I read it also. Was afraid of that lol.

I'm a fellow coffee snob. At home I prepare my coffee about like you do. Always a fresh grind and freshly roasted beans. IMHO the coffee in the MDR and buffet aren't worth drinking. Same with room service. The only decent coffee is at the coffee stand, which is included with your beverage program. A small coffee pot will NOT be allowed in your cabin. The only possible solution would be to bring either a French press or a filter cone for your room, but the problem then is getting water hot enough to make a good cup of coffee. I have given up on that and now just buy my coffee from the stand on board. Hope this helps.

I guess this is what I will probably be doing then. Guess I live a orettt charmed life it my concern is how will I live without quality coffee on a vacation lol

The Lido coffee to me is horrible. They brew it way too strong (and use burnt beans) so it gives me horrific indigestion.

 

The coffee in the dining room and room service is not much better, if at all. It's not quite as strong but still very bad. I like a slightly lighter, more flavorful coffee, like Eight O' Clock Columbian, not a french roast which is what their coffee tastes like.

 

There is no drip coffee in the coffee shop - the closest you can get is an Americano. When I get Cheers, I become friends with the coffee shop workers and get Americanos often!

 

You could probably bring on a bag of ground beans and a pour over coffee brewer, and use the hot water dispensers on Lido to make your own coffee. I'm not quite that dedicated, the Americanos at the coffee bar are good enough.

Good tip!! Become friends with the barista !! I will be tipping them then. Lol what ever it takes to get decent coffee I guess lol

"(and use burnt beans)"

And you know this because? This is what I like about message boards. So the Kitchen Manager calls the purveyor and says, "can you please send us your burnt beans"

Thanks I read it also. Was afraid of that lol.

No problem :). I feel strongly about my tea like many do about their coffee. At home, I pour hot water over my Indian tea or specialty chai teas, but from reading others’ posts, it looks like the water may not be hot enough to brew properly. So I’m out of luck for a week, LOL!

Good tip!! Become friends with the barista !! I will be tipping them then. Lol what ever it takes to get decent coffee I guess lol

You don't have to be friends with them to get good coffee, but as the saying goes you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. I went nearly every day a few times a day, so after a little bit she knew what I was about to order and had it ready by the time I was next in line.

"(and use burnt beans)"

 

And you know this because? This is what I like about message boards. So the Kitchen Manager calls the purveyor and says, "can you please send us your burnt beans"

They are very dark like french roast beans. All the flavor is roasted out, all you taste is the overpowering flavor of the coffee being overroasted. Just like when you overcook anything else. This allows Carnival to use cheaper beans - there is no unique flavor, all coffee tastes pretty much the same once it's roasted to french roast level.

Try a more blonde roast (even McDonald's coffee is better than Carnival's Lido coffee I think) sometimes versus a french roast. You'll tell a difference easily!

I like the coffee.

To us, the included coffee is undrinkable, tried it on the Lido and in the MDR, couldn't drink more than a few sips. So, being the types who drink morning and afternoon coffee, we frequent the coffee bar, and it's great that it's included in Cheers! :D

It may vary by ship, but on the Miracle, they had regular brewed coffee available as well.

To us, the included coffee is undrinkable, tried it on the Lido and in the MDR, couldn't drink more than a few sips. So, being the types who drink morning and afternoon coffee, we frequent the coffee bar, and it's great that it's included in Cheers! :D

 

It may vary by ship, but on the Miracle, they had regular brewed coffee available as well.

The Sunshine didn't have drip, but they had Keurig K-cups (which were exhausted by the second day of the 5-day cruise...grrrrrr) and of course Espresso.

The Ecstasy does not have drip coffee in the coffee shop, except the drip coffee in Lido/MDR/room service which we have already commented on.

No problem :). I feel strongly about my tea like many do about their coffee. At home, I pour hot water over my Indian tea or specialty chai teas, but from reading others’ posts, it looks like the water may not be hot enough to brew properly. So I’m out of luck for a week, LOL!

Lol my hubby feels this way about southern sweet tea and we don’t drink soda anymore. Looks like we are all just out of luck. Oh well we will just drink alcohol I guess lol

I agree with the people who say it's bad. However you asking a subjective. You may find that you love it.

Lol my hubby feels this way about southern sweet tea

let me tell you about something else you'll miss on your cruise in case you didn't know...no sweet tea anywhere on the ship.

Long Island Iced Tea, by comparison, is plentiful.

honesty how is He coffee on carnival? I’m not a Starbucks fan at all. I buy fresh roasted coffee from a local toaster. It goes from being roasted to my coffee pot within a day sometimes. I grind my own before each use. How bad is coffee on board and also would small coffee pot be banned from my cabin ? I will have cheers so the coffee shop will be a frequent stop I guess if I don’t bring my own. I only drink coffee morning to early afternoon lol I’m not addicted or anything well ok maybe :eek:

First off, let me say I am a beer snob not a coffee snob. However, the coffee on the lido and MDR.....:confused:well they sux. For me its the specialty coffee shop on board, even if I did not get Cheers.

Lol my hubby feels this way about southern sweet tea and we don’t drink soda anymore. Looks like we are all just out of luck. Oh well we will just drink alcohol I guess lol

Hehehe! I’m definitely going to make a dent in my Carnival drink bucket list!

To me there is nothing worse than sweet tea. Way too sweet.

Lol my hubby feels this way about southern sweet tea and we don’t drink soda anymore. Looks like we are all just out of luck. Oh well we will just drink alcohol I guess lol

Surely, being from the south, you have made "sun tea".

Carnival has hot water on the lido or you can order it room service.

What you make on the ship may not be as good as you make at home, but it can get you by for a few days.

For coffee, I just bring my favorite creamer from home. It's not exactly the same, but close enough for a week.

You don't have to be friends with them to get good coffee, but as the saying goes you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. I went nearly every day a few times a day, so after a little bit she knew what I was about to order and had it ready by the time I was next in line.

 

 

 

They are very dark like french roast beans. All the flavor is roasted out, all you taste is the overpowering flavor of the coffee being overroasted. Just like when you overcook anything else. This allows Carnival to use cheaper beans - there is no unique flavor, all coffee tastes pretty much the same once it's roasted to french roast level.

 

Try a more blonde roast (even McDonald's coffee is better than Carnival's Lido coffee I think) sometimes versus a french roast. You'll tell a difference easily!

I like dark roast but I have a friend who took coffee class and she said the dark roast are always less quality.

I like dark roast but I have a friend who took coffee class and she said the dark roast are always less quality.

Exactly, and it makes sense. Why eat a filet mignon well done? It's going to taste the same as any other cheap cut of beef once it's overcooked like that.