Coffee Aboard

[piscesgal223]

Oh lord..I WISH we had Dunkin' Donuts where I live..tried it for the first time at the Ft. Lauderdale airport on our way home.."amazing" doesn't even begin to describe it.

 

 

McDonald's coffee is pretty darn good too-as I discovered on a road trip a few years ago when it was the only option-as is-don't laugh- 7-11's.

[Caribbean Chris]

I was interested to read the comment re Noordam syrup. We sailed on the Noordam a few years ago and I was surprised that the coffee was so poor. It has been better on Rotterdam (2010) and Ryndam (2011.)

 

Sometimes we have noticed a difference in the Lido in the morning. The dispenser machine coffee (not so good) versus the coffee the steward brought on his rolling cart (better). We theorized that the steward was refilling his pots behind the scenes from a different machine rather than from the dispenser.

 

Or maybe it was just our imagination because it was so nice to be visited at our Lido breakfast table by the cheerful steward.

[PalmBeachMom]

One of the few sub par things on HAL IMO is the terrible coffee they serve for meals and breakfast and room service. I believe it is intentional so that we have buy the better coffee in the Exploration Cafe for close to 5 bucks a cup.:mad:

 

I have to disagree. The coffee and cappucino available in the restaurants is just fine.

[PalmBeachMom]

They have huge WMF (a high end German brand) coffee brewers in the Lido and had had for at least ten years. Take a close look next time.

[aliaschief]

Coffee has been acceptable for us. Little strong at times. Coffee machine in Neptune is wonderful. Then the famous after dinner Flaming Spanish Coffee is outstanding. Of course you pay for it but it's so good.

[northernphoenix]

Choices......... all about choices.

 

Not to mention the wonderful coffee machine in Neptune Lounge. Almost everyone agrees coffee there is excellent. We think it is.

 

DH had no idea what cappuccino or latte was, until the Neptune Lounge , onboard the Rotterdam...he is now an expert in all things coffee. I won't describe us as experts on coffee, but I would love to have a cup of either right now,

Marilyn

[reefisher]

I'm somewhat of a coffee freak. I buy a variety of beans and roast them to my tastes. Coffee tastes are very subjective. I always inquire about how the MDR coffee is prepared. Every cruise I've taken on HAL, Oosterdam, Zaandam, Statendam, Amsterdam the coffee has been brewed. It is passable and medium roast. I think the cappuccino in the MDR is quite good. Princess uses syrup and it is almost universally disliked by passengers. Yes Starbucks seems to offer only dark roasts. all second crack. Many coffee snobs call them Charbucks.

[fann1sh]

Can you order Cappuccino from Room Service?

 

Yes. IIRC - "write in" item on the breakfast door hanger menu.

 

(I drink tea, my travel companion(s) are the coffee drinkers - so I may be wrong about write in. All I know is, it arrived.)

[RuthC]

Are you sure it was HAL? I saw them make coffee in the Lido and it was ground coffee.

That's exactly what I've seen, too.

[lizzies_mom]

I actually like Starbucks, although I think it can vary from store to store.

 

Re Explorations Cafe coffee, I thought that they had Torrefazione Italia (sp?). Sort of remember that because that was also brewed at a coffee bar near my former office.

[RetiredMustang]

I've not noticed which brand was in the Lido machines, although I seem to recall a few years ago it was a liquid thing. Now, it is brewed ground coffee. A tad weak for me, but acceptable. We buy Seattle's Best for home 'Murikan-style drip coffee in the morning

 

I also don't remember what brand was in the Neptune Lounge with the machine-dispensed ersatz cappucino. But, for American facsimile, it wasn't too bad. (True cappucino is made from Kimbo brand from Naples, Italy, or other real Italian brand, and fresh-brewed, served in a _small_ cup, with fresh, steamed milk, not those horking great 20-ounce sort-of -coffee-flavored hot milk thingies).

 

Starbucks, and every other chain cappucino I have had except Baresso in of all places Denmark, is nowhere close to real, but is OK when I want a foo-foo coffee sometimes. The Explorations Cafe serves American-style (not real Italian) coffees which we sometimes purchase, for about $2.50 or so each. The beans they use in the Explorations Cafe is Torrefazione brand ... which is also now a subsidiary of Starbucks.

 

Dave

[LVSue]

I just got off the Zuiderdam (9/28) and happened to see them emptying the huge brewing baskets in the Lido--no syrup. However, like terrydtx, I detest their coffee--it tastes like dishwater to me. I bring European instant to mix with it, but that doesn't really do the trick, so I'm tempted to buy a coffee card just so at least once a day I can have a decent cup of coffee. Anyone have any info on that?

 

As for room service, though in the past once I got a pot of coffee and a double espresso, on my most recent trip I was informed that they did not deliver espresso for room service (after I ordered it twice--the first time I got a single cup of ordinary coffee, no pot).

 

Also agree with everyone re Starbucks!

[Himself]

This might seem a silly question, but my husband who is a huge coffee fan, rather standard, room service or dining room, or specialty, he just can't stand Starbucks, and am hoping this is not what they serve. On our last Celebrity cruise they featured Seattles Best, but am fearful HAL serves Starbucks.

 

Any input would be appreciated.

 

Overinvester

 

The coffee on HAL does not taste like Starbucks to me. Of course, in the last few years I have had to go to decaffinated coffee--Doctors orders!

[aliaschief]

What it really comes down to is that we all have developed our individual coffee favorites and it is just not like our favorite morning home brew.

 

Taste is subjective but I remember some of those terrible coffees I had sitting in a fox hole tasted pretty good at the time.

[Richie2pies]

I drink Maxwell House at home. Therefore, I find HAL's coffee OK.

[innlady1]

As I can recall, HAL does not use syrup...Princess does. Our TA gives a beverage card to each of us...and we use them in the Explorations Cafe which is very good. I bring along the instant Starbucks packets, and order a pot of hot water for room service...and enjoy with my Starbucks packets.

[nothriver]

Thanks for all your coffee commentary! I've been researching HAL for months an hadn't seen a single coffee comment, so have been afraid to ask but also hoping their coffee was good. My only prior cruise was Celebrity and while I did not find the coffee appealing, but it was at least palatable. In my experience, the "for purchase" espresso on Celebrity was the very worst espresso I've ever had. We visit Disney World each year where they serve a syrup based coffee it is so awful I can't drink it. I'm looking forward to a better coffee experience with HAL!

 

I'm curious about the previous comment about Starbucks buying beans "only a few times a year" and their beans therefore not being fresh. Perhaps I'm mistaken, but isn't coffee an annual crop? If they are harvested only once a year, purchasing the beans more frequently doesn't make them any fresher.

[piscesgal223]

What it really comes down to is that we all have developed our individual coffee favorites and it is just not like our favorite morning home brew.

 

Taste is subjective but I remember some of those terrible coffees I had sitting in a fox hole tasted pretty good at the time.

 

 

Exactly-and several people have mentioned Starbucks' instant coffee-it's not a bad substitute when you can't get out to your neighbourhood place,or can't go by Starbucks before work or whatever.

[overinvester]

Thank you for all your comments. Much appreciated.

[surfsidemary]

I have found HAL's coffee in the Lido and MDR to be well within the acceptable range (and I'm fussy). Sometimes at 0530 it's pretty tired stuff but once they get it going for the crowds, it's fine.

 

I had one of the best cups of coffee in my life in the Pinnacle Grill (dinner) on the Amsterdam.

[Joy R]

We are going on our first HAL cruise in December, having previously been on Princess, and last year on Oceania. After reading about the coffee on Princess I always took a small jar or Nescafe Gold Blend (I don't know if you Americans know that), which is what I often drink at home and is the best of the instant coffees, to my way ofnthinking. I then just ask for a pot of hot water at breakfast. What is worse is the tea, which is my husband's choice of breakfast drink. Why can't non-Brits make a decent pot of tea? It is always weak and never seems to be made with boiling water, and he has very often had to ask the waiter for two tea bags and sent the water back. I think that this time we may take our own tea bags as well as the coffee!

[peug]

Up until my last HA cruise I hated the Lido coffee and took my own Starbucks instant. Last Feb on Nieu Amsterdam I had the instant and never used it. It was real brewed coffee and not the syrup as in other years. I did buy the coffee card for the specialty coffees and thought it was very reasonable. I hope the Ryndam this Feb is as good.

[reefisher]

[quote name=nothriver;30983333

 

I'm curious about the previous comment about Starbucks buying beans "only a few times a year" and their beans therefore not being fresh. Perhaps I'm mistaken' date=' but isn't coffee an annual crop? If they are harvested only once a year, purchasing the beans more frequently doesn't make them any fresher.[/quote]

 

This is probably too much info. but I can't resist. Coffee is grown in both hemispheres, different altitudes, different climates and using different cultivars. Harvest for most regions is 5-6 months long. It is an annual crop but because of the above factors, one can get "fresh" beans year round. Add to this the fact that green coffee beans store for at least a year and some is aged purposely for 3+ years. The best thing about home roasting, other than the ability to get it the way you like it, is you get it very fresh. After coffee is roasted it is only at its peak for about 15 days.

[ASIWISH]

[quote name=nothriver;30983333

 

 

 

This is probably too much info. but I can't resist. Coffee is grown in both hemispheres' date=' different altitudes, different climates and using different cultivars. Harvest for most regions is 5-6 months long. It is an annual crop but because of the above factors, one can get "fresh" beans year round. Add to this the fact that green coffee beans store for at least a year and some is aged purposely for 3+ years. The best thing about home roasting, other than the ability to get it the way you like it, is you get it very fresh. After coffee is roasted it is only at its peak for about 15 days.[/quote]

 

Home Roasting....? I'm impressed!!!!

[piscesgal223]

You've gotta be pretty dedicated if you're roasting your own coffee beans!