Boiler Cruiser Posted October 14, 2015 #1 Share Posted October 14, 2015 My DW and I drink a lot of coffee...anywhere from 2-4 cups a day, sometimes more. As a result, we have become familiar with what good coffee is like and what lesser coffees taste like. I was wondering about the availability of brewed coffee on board HAL ships? Do you need a prepaid coffee card to avoid getting coffee made from syrup concentrate? Where on board can I get coffee in the morning? I usually get up EARLY! Can I go somewhere and fill my insulated coffee mug with brewed coffee? What kind of coffee to they serve in the dining rooms or the Lido? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kruizers Posted October 14, 2015 #2 Share Posted October 14, 2015 The Lido has coffee 24/7. There are no coffee cards. DH says the coffee is not really the best. There is the Explorations Café -- but you have to pay for these special coffees. There are pastries you get free when you buy a cup of coffee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevingastreich Posted October 14, 2015 #3 Share Posted October 14, 2015 The coffee in the Lido is pretty good in my opinion. Coffee in the MDR is really good too. Maybe it's the same stuff but the atmosphere just makes it seem better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fouremco Posted October 14, 2015 #4 Share Posted October 14, 2015 Specialty coffees at Explorations Cafe aren't too bad, but that's the only coffee I'll drink onboard. Some passengers bring a press and their own coffee because the coffee's so mediocre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catl331 Posted October 14, 2015 #5 Share Posted October 14, 2015 also room service can bring you coffee. I get up early also and head up to the Lido and enjoy coffee with the other early birds. Coffee is available there before they start breakfast service. It may be there all nite but I am not sure. I find coffee is a personal thing. I don't believe anyone who adds a half cup of cream and 2 T of sugar to coffee can tell what coffee tastes like!! I think the coffee in the main dining room is different than the Lido. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mame42 Posted October 14, 2015 #6 Share Posted October 14, 2015 Since I am from New Orleans, I like my coffee STRONG; I am also an early riser. I ask my early AM room service waiter to bring me a pot of coffee from the crew's mess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocF Posted October 14, 2015 #7 Share Posted October 14, 2015 I have noticed that the state of the coffee machine on the Lido deck is more important than any other factor. Some ships do an excellent job of keeping these machines very clean. This makes for much better coffee. Now I learned to make coffee in the Navy as well as to drink it there. We made 65 gallons at a time and we made it in coppers. I drink my coffee black and I do not like specialty coffees at all. Most cruise ship coffee ranges from tolerable to very good. If one wants to find really bad coffee, hit the pot in almost any rail yard office. :eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakrewser Posted October 14, 2015 #8 Share Posted October 14, 2015 All coffee on HAL ships is brewed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathyfromstl Posted October 14, 2015 #9 Share Posted October 14, 2015 Does anyone know how early Explorations Cafe opens for specialty coffee? Sent from my LGLS991 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blizzardboy Posted October 14, 2015 #10 Share Posted October 14, 2015 Neptune Lounge arguably the best coffee on the ship. If you have Explore 4 you can use Beverage Package at Explorations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Jersey Pat Posted October 14, 2015 #11 Share Posted October 14, 2015 I do not enjoy the coffee on any cruise line that we have sailed. Always bring Starbucks French or Italian Via to have at breakfast and dinner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaveDiving Posted October 14, 2015 #12 Share Posted October 14, 2015 IMHO, the coffee in the Lido varies from barely tolerable to simply awful. I find the coffee in the Explorations Café to be far superior. Scott & Karen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sail7seas Posted October 14, 2015 #13 Share Posted October 14, 2015 Neptune Lounge arguably the best coffee on the ship. If you have Explore 4 you can use Beverage Package at Explorations. I agree Neptune Lounge has the best coffee on the ships. That coffee maker is wonderful. If you happen to be in Neptune or Pinnacle Suite, you will likely enjoy Neptune Lounge coffee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Hlitner Posted October 14, 2015 #14 Share Posted October 14, 2015 (edited) Unfortunately, the coffee served in the Lido and MDR are the too typical awful cruise ship coffee! This drives me nutz as there is no reason why HAL (and the other mass market lines) cannot have decent coffee in all venues. At one time HAL would boast that they only used "Seattle's Best" which is pretty good stuff. But now, like other lines they have sold out to the low bidder. Good coffee does exist, but it is only at venues where you pay. As to the Neptune Lounge, one can pay a few hundred dollars a day for a suite to get access, and then you do get some good coffee at no extra charge :). When on HAL one can often find me waiting for my brew at Explorations. Hank Edited October 14, 2015 by Hlitner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeLoveCruising Posted October 14, 2015 #15 Share Posted October 14, 2015 (edited) Good coffee is very important to us, too. I typically travel with the little Starbucks via packets. It's much different than instant coffee, so if you haven't tried it, I would pick some up. No, the Via packets are not as good as good coffee freshly brewed, but the Via is consistently better than what's available on the ship. My DH and I also enjoy iced coffee, in which case we either make it with the Via, or bring a few bottles of concentrated Stumptown cold brew with us. Our last few trips were all land resorts, not cruises, and we did this there. Edited October 14, 2015 by WeLoveCruising Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iancal Posted October 14, 2015 #16 Share Posted October 14, 2015 'not really the best' is a huge understatement. HAL's Lido coffee is awful. It's terrible. It is watered down something, but not coffee. Don't get me wrong. This is not a knock on HAL. Celebrity and Princess are no better. Buy a coffee card, bring your own Via or even a French Press to use in the Lido. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tatabea Posted October 14, 2015 #17 Share Posted October 14, 2015 Just as an aside, you do not have to buy coffee, or anything else, to get the pastries, sandwiches, etc in the Explorations Cafe. They are completely free for the asking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barrheadlass Posted October 14, 2015 #18 Share Posted October 14, 2015 The coffee is usually awful, in my opinion. I too get mine at the explorations cafe. Last year I sailed on hurtigruten and the coffee there was horrible too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IllinoisGirl1978 Posted October 14, 2015 #19 Share Posted October 14, 2015 I work at a local Starbucks, and we hyped the Via for travel :) I wasn't crazy for the coffee, but it did the trick for me. I'm not a fan of really, really dark roasted coffees. I suggest finding the local coffee shop. I came across two, (Eurodam's ports of call) this past September/October. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruisemom42 Posted October 15, 2015 #20 Share Posted October 15, 2015 I'm curious -- what kind of coffee maker is in the Neptune Lounge? Is it some sort of professional machine? And/or is it the quality of the coffee that's used that makes it good (or better)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mar56 Posted October 15, 2015 #21 Share Posted October 15, 2015 For whatever reason we have found the room service coffee to be much better than in the MDR or Lido so we always start our day with a large pot in our room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iancal Posted October 15, 2015 #22 Share Posted October 15, 2015 I believe that the cruise companies purposely serve up slop coffee in order to encourage the purchase of coffee cards. It works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie68 Posted October 15, 2015 #23 Share Posted October 15, 2015 I'm curious -- what kind of coffee maker is in the Neptune Lounge? Is it some sort of professional machine? And/or is it the quality of the coffee that's used that makes it good (or better)? It is a wonderful machine, and makes espresso and the coffee is always good. However, the majority of passengers do not have access to the Neptune Lounge, so have to make do with the coffee in the Lido or MDR until Explorations Cafe opens. Not sure what time that is, but not early enough! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boiler Cruiser Posted October 15, 2015 Author #24 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Unfortunately, the coffee served in the Lido and MDR are the too typical awful cruise ship coffee! This drives me nutz as there is no reason why HAL (and the other mass market lines) cannot have decent coffee in all venues. At one time HAL would boast that they only used "Seattle's Best" which is pretty good stuff. But now, like other lines they have sold out to the low bidder. Good coffee does exist, but it is only at venues where you pay. As to the Neptune Lounge, one can pay a few hundred dollars a day for a suite to get access, and then you do get some good coffee at no extra charge :). When on HAL one can often find me waiting for my brew at Explorations. Hank How much does the coffee (regular black coffee) in the Explorations cost? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruisemom42 Posted October 15, 2015 #25 Share Posted October 15, 2015 It is a wonderful machine, and makes espresso and the coffee is always good. However, the majority of passengers do not have access to the Neptune Lounge, so have to make do with the coffee in the Lido or MDR until Explorations Cafe opens. Not sure what time that is, but not early enough! Thanks. I found a photo on a blog: https://hollandamericanewbie.wordpress.com/tag/neptune-lounge/ I've used very similar machines on other cruises (Swan Hellenic has one in the buffet area, available to all) and in some hotels in Europe. I was hoping maybe it was a real espresso machine.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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