Rhubarbed Posted February 5, 2016 #1 Share Posted February 5, 2016 I know, it's boring, but it's quite important to a tea drinking Brit! Especially one who has a teasmaid set up next to the bed at home. So, are there tea and coffee making facilities in staterooms and if not, would I be allowed to bring a small travel kettle on board? We're staying in a Cloud 9 spa room if that makes a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winddawn Posted February 5, 2016 #2 Share Posted February 5, 2016 I know, it's boring, but it's quite important to a tea drinking Brit! Especially one who has a teasmaid set up next to the bed at home. So, are there tea and coffee making facilities in staterooms and if not, would I be allowed to bring a small travel kettle on board? We're staying in a Cloud 9 spa room if that makes a difference. Electrical household appliances are not allowed. Carnival's restricted items list can be found here: https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2261/~/restricted-items-list Carnival does offer hot water and a choice of teas at their 24 hour beverage area at Lido. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purvis1231 Posted February 5, 2016 #3 Share Posted February 5, 2016 There is also room service. Do not forget teatime on the sea days. It is great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCTribeFan Posted February 5, 2016 #4 Share Posted February 5, 2016 Room service is not an option for tea. You're lucky if the water is lukewarm when it arrives. Not a Brit, but have been a tea drinker all my life and spent several years living with a Brit. It's difficult enough to get a decent cup of tea in the states unless I make it at home or work. But I've found that the hot water in the dispensers in the buffet is very, very hot. Not boiling, but I manage surprisingly well. I don't bring my own PGTips bags, either. I use their English Breakfast tea. They also have milk available as well as raw sugar. And I wouldn't bother going to afternoon tea, either. You may get your little pot of water first, but then sit and wait for them to come along with the tea bags. And if you ask for milk for your tea, your already-not-hot tea will be cold by the time it arrives. They usually come around with the sweets tray and, if lucky, they may show up with the savory items later. But they may not. Last time was the last for me. I'm not going to waste my precious time on sea days (only had 2 on an 11-night sailing), sitting in the MDR waiting. They didn't even have scones!!! Just the chocolate things. Anyway, no, you cannot bring your kettle. But, hopefully, you won't go into total caffeine withdrawal while onboard. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gravedigger Posted February 5, 2016 #5 Share Posted February 5, 2016 On the Victory last month no Herbal or Flavored tea Just black or decaf tea. In main dinning room $2.00 extra for flavored tea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coevan Posted February 6, 2016 #6 Share Posted February 6, 2016 We use room service as our wake up call, coffee, OJ, and danish before breakfast. The first day the coffee was not hot. We called room service and they brought out a new hot pot of coffee. Day 2, 5 minutes after room service delivered, we got a call from guest services following up on the hot coffee. We were impressed that they were concerned, called a couple of times throughout the cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almendrada Posted February 6, 2016 #7 Share Posted February 6, 2016 I don't bring my own PGTips bags, either. I use their English Breakfast tea. They also have milk available as well as raw sugar. I'm a tea drinker, too, so I was disappointed to hear that they will be charging $1.95 for all tea bags that are not Lipton black or Bigelow green. (blech) I also understand that they will only have the aforementioned dreck on the Lido deck from now on. No more English Breakfast. No more Earl Grey, no more orange spice. Fortunately, tea bags don't take up much space in the suitcase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallivanting Souls Posted February 6, 2016 #8 Share Posted February 6, 2016 Room service is not an option for tea. You're lucky if the water is lukewarm when it arrives. Not a Brit, but have been a tea drinker all my life and spent several years living with a Brit. It's difficult enough to get a decent cup of tea in the states unless I make it at home or work. But I've found that the hot water in the dispensers in the buffet is very, very hot. Not boiling, but I manage surprisingly well. I don't bring my own PGTips bags, either. I use their English Breakfast tea. They also have milk available as well as raw sugar. And I wouldn't bother going to afternoon tea, either. You may get your little pot of water first, but then sit and wait for them to come along with the tea bags. And if you ask for milk for your tea, your already-not-hot tea will be cold by the time it arrives. They usually come around with the sweets tray and, if lucky, they may show up with the savory items later. But they may not. Last time was the last for me. I'm not going to waste my precious time on sea days (only had 2 on an 11-night sailing), sitting in the MDR waiting. They didn't even have scones!!! Just the chocolate things. Anyway, no, you cannot bring your kettle. But, hopefully, you won't go into total caffeine withdrawal while onboard. ;) That's disappointing about tea time on Carnival. Princess had a very nice tea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a91741 Posted February 6, 2016 #9 Share Posted February 6, 2016 I know, it's boring, but it's quite important to a tea drinking Brit! Especially one who has a teasmaid set up next to the bed at home. So, are there tea and coffee making facilities in staterooms and if not, would I be allowed to bring a small travel kettle on board? We're staying in a Cloud 9 spa room if that makes a difference. I remember that contraption............lol Many, many moons ago we purchased one from Woolworth's in Oxford Street, London. We loved it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCTribeFan Posted February 6, 2016 #10 Share Posted February 6, 2016 That's disappointing about tea time on Carnival. Princess had a very nice tea. So does HAL. My only cruise with them was 14 nights RT San Diego to Hawaii and back. They do afternoon tea every day and they do a much better job. Carnival used to do a decent job, but for the past year+, not so much. And can't blame cut-backs. They still have the same offerings, but the execution is lacking. Next cruise is Vista inaugural. Wonder if being in Europe, we'll have the full tea selection. With packing space at a premium on international flights due to luggage restrictions, I'd rather not have to pack my own tea bags. And certainly don't want to waste any time in Europe shopping for them. The regular Lipton tastes like dust. :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyGold Posted February 6, 2016 #11 Share Posted February 6, 2016 I know, it's boring, but it's quite important to a tea drinking Brit! Especially one who has a teasmaid set up next to the bed at home. So, are there tea and coffee making facilities in staterooms and if not, would I be allowed to bring a small travel kettle on board? We're staying in a Cloud 9 spa room if that makes a difference. Bring tea from home. The only free tea bags are those awful lipton ones. Utter tosh. You can't bring a kettle, but lido has hot water all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summersigh Posted February 6, 2016 #12 Share Posted February 6, 2016 You can't bring a kettle, but lido has hot water all the time. We bring a couple of large insulated mugs with us. We use the hot water from the Lido to make our tea then carry it back to the cabin or out on deck with the mug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gtownmom Posted February 6, 2016 #13 Share Posted February 6, 2016 I was recently on the Carnival Magic. We went to tea time every sea day. They came around with hot water in a thermal container to constantly refill our pots. And, yes we had scones each day, and they started with the savory items, then the sweets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandij Posted February 6, 2016 #14 Share Posted February 6, 2016 Bring your own tea, not only are they charging for anything other than plain tea bags, but I've never heard of the brand they are selling and have no idea what it taste like. Hot water available at drink stations is plenty hot, but bring your own tea and maybe a large cup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jana60 Posted February 6, 2016 #15 Share Posted February 6, 2016 I know, it's boring, but it's quite important to a tea drinking Brit! Especially one who has a teasmaid set up next to the bed at home. So, are there tea and coffee making facilities in staterooms and if not, would I be allowed to bring a small travel kettle on board? We're staying in a Cloud 9 spa room if that makes a difference. No there are no cooking facilities of any kind in the cabins and no you would not be permitted to bring any! You can call room service and have delivered tea or snacks at any time of day 24 hours a day! They bring the hot water in a carafe that keeps the water hot for a long time so you could steep your tea and have it there to drink for quite a while! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karnyval Posted February 6, 2016 #16 Share Posted February 6, 2016 I believe Carnival is getting the gourmet tea from this company: http://www.artoftea.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanmarcosman Posted February 6, 2016 #17 Share Posted February 6, 2016 No there are no cooking facilities of any kind in the cabins and no you would not be permitted to bring any! You can call room service and have delivered tea or snacks at any time of day 24 hours a day! They bring the hot water in a carafe that keeps the water hot for a long time so you could steep your tea and have it there to drink for quite a while! I agree with what others have said to the OP: the water delivered in the carafe is not hot enough to steep tea at the correct temperature much less "have it there to drink for quite a while." Plus the same carafes used to deliver hot water for tea are also used to deliver coffee and discerning taste buds can taste this in the water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jana60 Posted February 6, 2016 #18 Share Posted February 6, 2016 Then really your only option is to go up to the Lido deck and get a cup of boiling water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elliair Posted February 6, 2016 #19 Share Posted February 6, 2016 Rhubarbed Cool Cruiser Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Kent, UK Posts: 18 Kettles in cabins I know, it's boring, but it's quite important to a tea drinking Brit! Especially one who has a teasmaid set up next to the bed at home. So, are there tea and coffee making facilities in staterooms and if not, would I be allowed to bring a small travel kettle on board? We're staying in a Cloud 9 spa room if that makes a difference. We were called down to the naughty room to open up a pierce of locked luggage. There were huge carts on wheels loaded with confiscated bottles of booze. In another cart there were appliances that were confiscated. I saw a waffle iron, electrical tea pots, coffee makers, a toaster, and an electrical frying pan! I asked security about the electrical appliances and he said that they end up with two carts full of confiscated appliances per cruise. So, unless you want your tea pot confiscated don't bring it on board. If you get by security, your room steward will confiscate it. There's plenty of tea options up on Lido or order from room service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanmarcosman Posted February 6, 2016 #20 Share Posted February 6, 2016 Then really your only option is to go up to the Lido deck and get a cup of boiling water. Correct and the best advice for the OP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firemanbobswife Posted February 6, 2016 #21 Share Posted February 6, 2016 Room service is not an option for tea. You're lucky if the water is lukewarm when it arrives. Not a Brit, but have been a tea drinker all my life and spent several years living with a Brit. It's difficult enough to get a decent cup of tea in the states unless I make it at home or work. But I've found that the hot water in the dispensers in the buffet is very, very hot. Not boiling, but I manage surprisingly well. I don't bring my own PGTips bags, either. I use their English Breakfast tea. They also have milk available as well as raw sugar. And I wouldn't bother going to afternoon tea, either. You may get your little pot of water first, but then sit and wait for them to come along with the tea bags. And if you ask for milk for your tea, your already-not-hot tea will be cold by the time it arrives. They usually come around with the sweets tray and, if lucky, they may show up with the savory items later. But they may not. Last time was the last for me. I'm not going to waste my precious time on sea days (only had 2 on an 11-night sailing), sitting in the MDR waiting. They didn't even have scones!!! Just the chocolate things. Anyway, no, you cannot bring your kettle. But, hopefully, you won't go into total caffeine withdrawal while onboard. ;) Wow. I NEVER had issues like you experienced. At least not on the Glory. Perhaps it was the ship you were on. Been to tea all 12 times on my 6 Glory cruises and am typically in and out in about 30 min unless I choose to stay longer and chat with other cruisers. As soon as I sit down, one waiter is placing my water container and the one with the tea bags is right behind him. Then here come the goodies! Love the scones and cream! Had them each time. Shortly after, the sandwiches arrive. Have always been offered more water but have only accepted once or twice. I definitely would not call it a waste of time at all. Service has been excellent and I enjoy meeting and talking to others. Again, it could vary by ship as to the attentiveness of the staff, but I love it. I WILL be bringing my own tea next time though. I will NOT pay $1.95 for flavored tea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saint_em Posted February 6, 2016 #22 Share Posted February 6, 2016 Fellow Brit here, fresh from the Liberty two weeks ago. I don't drink coffee, need my tea. On Carnival...yuck. Bring your own tea bags and even then prepare to be disappointed! The water from room service that we got was never hot enough to make a decent cup of tea. The lido deck hot water is better but not boiling, but the tea bags are really weedy. Also watch out for people switching the jugs of milk and the cream/half and half. I ruined more than one cup of tea by mistakenly adding cream. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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