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Beverages on Coral (NOT on plan)


HBK18412
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We'll be on the Coral to Alaska this summer and I'm just trying to get the beverage thing straight. Our last cruise was almost 20 years ago on Princess and clearly lots of things have changed - and I keep reading different things different places!

 

We generally drink water, juice or milk with meals at home. Soda is an occasional thing, mostly when out to eat. I drink coffee once or twice a day but only if it's highly adulterated. :) Only one of the three of us drinks alcohol. So we didn't get any of the beverage plans. I did get a coffee card and some bottled water. My questions are:

 

1. If we don't have a beverage plan, that means we can still have water and lemonade most times and places, and milk and various juices at breakfast, free of charge? And this would apply to anyplace we might get a beverage onboard? Am I understanding correctly?

 

2. The coffee card is good for 15 specialty coffee type beverages. Does that include hot chocolates or other non-coffee beverages? The kiddo will often get a steamer or hot chocolate when I get my latte or chai tea. I can see the two of us using the whole card, if she can get a little something with me. I did see someone posted a menu from "New Grounds" earlier this week, but wasn't clear if the non-coffee beverages being sold there counted on the card.

 

Thanks!

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We'll be on the Coral to Alaska this summer and I'm just trying to get the beverage thing straight. Our last cruise was almost 20 years ago on Princess and clearly lots of things have changed - and I keep reading different things different places!

 

We generally drink water, juice or milk with meals at home. Soda is an occasional thing, mostly when out to eat. I drink coffee once or twice a day but only if it's highly adulterated. :) Only one of the three of us drinks alcohol. So we didn't get any of the beverage plans. I did get a coffee card and some bottled water. My questions are:

 

1. If we don't have a beverage plan, that means we can still have water and lemonade most times and places, and milk and various juices at breakfast, free of charge? And this would apply to anyplace we might get a beverage onboard? Am I understanding correctly?

 

2. The coffee card is good for 15 specialty coffee type beverages. Does that include hot chocolates or other non-coffee beverages? The kiddo will often get a steamer or hot chocolate when I get my latte or chai tea. I can see the two of us using the whole card, if she can get a little something with me. I did see someone posted a menu from "New Grounds" earlier this week, but wasn't clear if the non-coffee beverages being sold there counted on the card.

 

Thanks!

 

Coffee, tea, milk, etc. are always free at MDR and HC. Coffee, tea, etc. are not free at IC. The coffee card will be valid for hot chocolate at IC.

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Lemonade is only available at the Horizon Court and pool decks during lunch time. Though on one ship from Port Everglades I did see the pitchers of lemonade left out at the HC beverage stations during dinner. NO lemonade at any time in the MDRs.

 

Coffee, hot tea and iced tea are available continuously from the HC and during all meals in the MDRs. Milk and various juices during breakfast hours, and some reports of success in getting a glass of milk at other times even without a child in tow. If you go to a specialty restaurant do not expect any complimentary beverage except tap water and coffee or tea at the end of the meal--and some (specifically Alfredo's on Royal and Regal) will not even offer the latter, only premium coffees for a charge (or punch).

 

If you think your kiddo will drink more than a couple hot chocolate per day you might want to get them a Soda and More card which includes unlimited hot chocolate. (Unless you still beleive the total between you and them will be under fifteen) While the description of the Coffee Card does say the punches are for "espresso-based" drinks I have never heard them refusing a punch for most anything on the menu.

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Coffee/decaf, tea (iced and hot), lemonade, water, milk available 24/7 in buffet and from room service. Available at meal time in dining rooms, specialty restaurants. Juices like Apple, orange, cranberry at breakfast only, no charge.

Water at any bar available 24/7.

Specialty coffees and teas, ie espresso based or flavored, chai or such, hot chocolate, etc are at a charge and available at IC, and in buffet.. Yes, you can share the coffee card.

Soda, juices at other times, mocktails, specialty coffees and teas, any alcohol, shakes, etc are all extra charge.

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I've never ever had trouble getting milk anywhere on the ship at any time. I've gotten it at the IC on many occasions and not been charged.

Coffee and tea are also provided in the dining room and buffet or through room service for no additional charge. If you have a coffee card, you will get free unlimited brewed coffee and tea provided it is for the same sailing for which your card is issued and shouldn't require a punch.

Because only one of you drinks alcohol, it would probably would not behoove you to get the premium beverage package. Every day, usually from 3-4 PM and again from 10-11 PM, they hold a happy hour where you can buy one drink and pay $1 for another of the same. They will even allow you to take them out of the bar .. sometimes encouraging it because it gets busy in there ... at the afternoon one, anyway.

Also, Princess is pretty generous with their wine/champagne policy. You can bring two bottles onboard, to be consumed in your cabin, free of charge. Any bottle beyond that limit will incur a $15 corkage fee and you are allowed to consume that anywhere on the ship. They will collect the corkage and place a sticker on the bottle and you can even take it to the dining room. If not finished, they will store it for you and it will be brought back out the next time you are at dinner and request it. If you don't want to take your own wine, they do have packages that you can purchase for most sailings that are over 7 days (or is it 7 days or over? ... symantics!).

I've seen lemonade out at lunch up at the buffet ... not at dinner but that doesn't mean they don't have it. I just haven't seen it because I really haven't looked for it. They have assorted juices available for breakfast and even had someone in the staff get it for me at lunch time. You can order it for free using room service as well ... same with coffee / tea ... but it won't be the better coffee you will find at the IC.

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On Coral last summer we could get tea/lemonade at dinner in the buffet during any meals... other than sometimes it took a while for them to bring it to you.

 

They also had large insulated drink dispensers of hot chocolate in the buffet area and at one of the pool bars. The coffee cards can be purchased on board, it may be worth waiting til you can explore before buying the card to see what's offered (ditto for the drink packages).

 

Yes, punches can normally be used for basically any drinks at the international cafe. We used punches to get DW's chai latte without a problem. Note though the chai latte is steamed milk plus Torani chai tea spice syrup - it has some tea extract in it but may be less caffeinated than you're used to (if that's an issue/desire for you).

 

Here's the menu w/prices from Crown (1/2018); I think it is the same menu as the pic I have off Coral (6/2017) though Crown prices were a hair higher, I presume that's been implemented on Coral too though.

FullSizeRender1_zpsshelcmbr.jpg

 

FullSizeRender1_zpsshelcmbr.jpg

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Fantastic! This is exactly what I needed. Thanks!!

 

Happy to help!

 

Coffee cards come with free brewed coffee on the cruise you buy the card (one cup per card at a time so you're supposed to have 2 cards if you want to be able to grab two cups at a time, though it can vary by server). I found the coffee on Coral in the MDR to be fine, the biggest benefit of the coffee card was that they'd give you a styrofoam to go cup (though the brewed was better than the coffee concentrate). The coffee on Crown was pretty bad, reasonably strong but tasted noticeably like instant coffee. If you drink yours with milk & sugar it'll be fine, but if you take your coffee black it's hit or miss from ship to ship. Crown ('08) was bad, Ruby ('12) was fine, Coral ('17) was fine, Crown ('18) was bad.

 

Our last cruise I didn't buy a card and used up the old punches on my two previous coffee cards. I may have paid for a few brewed coffees, but the fresh coffee is actually cheaper than the punches. The real value is using the punches for the speciality drinks like chai.

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