Caribbean Princess coffee

[knotheadken]

What type of coffee is served in the dinning rooms of the Caribbean Princess specifically.

Syrup or brewed?

Is it any good.

 

Without the coffee card where can I get good coffee for free? I drink more than one cup in the morning.

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, knotheadken said:

What type of coffee is served in the dinning rooms of the Caribbean Princess specifically.

Syrup or brewed?

Is it any good.

 

Without the coffee card where can I get good coffee for free? I drink more than one cup in the morning.

Is it good?  No.  How do they make it....I have no clue.  Without the coffee card you cannot get good coffee for free...anywhere on the ship.  On our recent CB cruise (last month) I was a little disappointed in the coffee at the IC which I thought was a little on the weak side, but this is one of those personal taste issues.  It was properly brewed.

 

Hank

[Colo Cruiser]

Always found the coffee to be fine brewed or otherwise.  😉

[Thrak]

The MDR coffee on CB is syrup based. I've had it be anywhere from "meh" to "pretty good". Only once (not on CB) did I get truly horrible coffee in a dining room. I had coffee at lunch and it wasn't bad at all. Then I got a refill and it was really, really bad. I like strong coffee but this was ridiculous. It was like they only used half the water they should have used to mix with the syrup. I took one taste and left the rest. I just wanted to get the taste out of my mouth. For the most part I drink coffee in MDR a fair number of evenings and it's "okay". When we had coffee cards and when we had the beverage package I'd get coffee at IC.

[jasbo49]

1 hour ago, Colo Cruiser said:

Always found the coffee to be fine brewed or otherwise.  😉

Which, let's face it, means you're not picky about your coffee.

 

Sometimes I wish I wasn't. I often find that one of the best things about the end of a cruise, besides getting our dog back, is having truly good coffee again.

 

Jim

[knotheadken]

We love our good coffee, we grind our fresh roasted beans at home. Maybe I'll get the coffee card and share with my wife. Issue is we now have learned to drink it black after many years of cream and sugar, I'm gonna miss my good coffee.

 

We can get $36.58 per person (15 beverages shareable) and of coarse the unlimited fresh brew (non-shared)

 

I'm thinking if I alone drink 2 cups a day @$2 each then I will about break even. 15 day cruise. One of us will probably have a specialty coffee now and then.

 

I assume they don't give free refills on the $2 coffee?

Am I missing something?

[neverbeenhere]

The law says no refill, reality may differ. 

 

 

[Colo Cruiser]

1 hour ago, jasbo49 said:

Which, let's face it, means you're not picky about your coffee.

 

Sometimes I wish I wasn't. I often find that one of the best things about the end of a cruise, besides getting our dog back, is having truly good coffee again.

 

Jim

Ha!  I said it was fine. I didn't say it was that good.  😬

[knotheadken]

Do you drink it black or with cream and sugar.

 

Since we switch from cream and sugar to black we prefer different coffee.

[AF-1]

I don't add anything to my coffee;  Sailed Caribbean Princess in Feb; the coffee in buffet was ok.  If I remember correctly there is one machine in worldfresh marketplace that grinds the beans then you can pour a cup.  Just don't remember where; there are four coffee serving areas in the buffet area.

[Thrak]

I normally drink my coffee black. If I have the beverage package I may well get it as a Vanilla Latte with a shot of Jameson. 😎

[knotheadken]

I would assume we can purchase a coffee package on the ship if we decide we need one?

[MissP22]

23 hours ago, AF-1 said:

I don't add anything to my coffee;  Sailed Caribbean Princess in Feb; the coffee in buffet was ok.  If I remember correctly there is one machine in worldfresh marketplace that grinds the beans then you can pour a cup.  Just don't remember where; there are four coffee serving areas in the buffet area.

I must have missed that entirely. It would have been a better option for sure.

[skynight]

On 9/20/2019 at 6:15 PM, knotheadken said:

What type of coffee is served in the dinning rooms of the Caribbean Princess specifically.

Syrup or brewed?

Is it any good.

 

Without the coffee card where can I get good coffee for free? I drink more than one cup in the morning.

Free coffee is available in the buffet, room service and DR's. It is prepared from a liquid concentrate. Brewed (drip) coffee is only available at the International Cafe, open 24/7, on deck 5. Add 18% gratuity to the menu price seen in post 5 for the true cost. Specialty coffee drinks are available at the International Cafe and at Coffee & Cones, not open early in the morning, on deck 15.

[tere247]

13 hours ago, Thrak said:

I normally drink my coffee black. If I have the beverage package I may well get it as a Vanilla Latte with a shot of Jameson. 😎

Vanilla!  Sounds good.   Never thought to add a flavor. What other flavors do they have?

[Thrak]

[MotownVoice]

Coffee for coffee snobs like me:

 

1.  Step one understand a good bean.

     a.  Top imported roasts include Extra Fancy Kona (if doesn’t have the word “fancy” it’s a blend, not real Kona), and Jamaica Blue Mountain.  You can order both online if you look carefully.  Trader Joes offers a “100% Pure Kona” canister.  Sounds official.  But it’s not the full Extra Fancy bean, although I can attest the flavor is close.  Expect to pay about $35 per pound for a decent import that you swear by no matter how you brew once you’ve tasted it.

     b. Most expensive bean is the Kopi Lewak which is a delightful sounding name for a bean that was eaten and then pooped out by Southeast Asian Palm Civet, rinsed and sold to you.  They claim the digestive system of the Civet strips unwanted acids making the bean more mellow.  Me, I’ll deal with the acids with my own digestive system thank you.  I’ve sipped a Kopi Lewak.  I don’t get it.  It can run between $100 and $600 per pound depending on how much of a sucker you are.

     c.  Your best bet for a consistently good, flavorful coffee bean that you will brag about no matter your coffee snob level, and you will only pay slightly more for than the cans of 2 year old incinerator can sweepings you buy in a grocery store is from a Local Roaster.  Find a place near you that roasts it’s own beans.  You’ll know when you walk up because it will smell like someone burned an entire pot off coffee outside.  There is one near you.  Trust me.  You just never knew to look for it. Then zero in on the bean that suits you.

 

 Caramelly, citrusy, floral.  I gravitate to the nutty-chocolaty.  There’s no name for it unless the roaster gives it one because they’re not in the business of marketing and branding bad coffees.  They make their living roasting and selling the freshest coffee bean you can buy without an airplane.  My favorite is the “Brazil Santos” from my roaster.  So named because it comes from the Brazil coast of South America and grown on a coffee farm by someone named Santos.  Nothing fancy.  You don’t buy it because the name and label cause you to trip over yourself, or because it’s “what my mom always drank”.  You buy it because you tried it at the bar inside your local roaster and fell head over heels in love with it.  

 

Buy the beans whole.  You would no sooner buy a banana that’s been peeled, or an egg that’s been cracked then you should buy a coffee bean that’s been ground sooner that 30 seconds before you brew it.   The exception would be that you were in a place where those little 10 dollar coffee grinders aren’t available.

 

2.  Step two understand they methods of brewing.

     a.  The best method for brewing for someone who does everything based on whatever’s the cheapest regardless of quality or consistency is to let someone else do it.  Pay your fee, drink your mud water and shut up.

     b.  Automatic Drip brewers are best if you have to do something else while the coffee is brewing.  Because to properly brew the absolute finest cup of coffee takes, oh god, upwards of three minutes and who has that kind of time?  

     c.  Your fancier cafes are doing a thing now called a pour over.  This is the method by which you pour hot water over a basket filled with grounds and let it slowly drip in to a cup.  (see automatic drip, except add 4 minutes because you have to stand there and wait for every little pour to drain like you’re trying to water a root bound Wandering Jew.

   d.  An espresso maker is a variably expensive machine which makes a very good cup of espresso.  From there you can add water and make an Americano.

   e.  The method for brewing coffee that is the least expensive, draws the most flavor from the bean, is the most portable for travel of all methods of brewing, and accommodates that local roast grind mentioned above like a hand in a glove ... is the cafetierre, also known as a french press.  You grind the beans as coarsely as the grinder will allow.  You add about two tablespoons of grounds for every full 8 ounce coffee.  What they call an 8 cup french press actually only holds about four good sized mugs.  So 7 or 8 tablespoons of coffee is about right.  Pour in hot water, good hot tea temperature water (the British sometimes call it ‘just off the boil’, it’s literally about 190 to 200 degrees.  Effervescent and steamy, but not rolling).  Let the grounds and water steep for a minute, then plunge the press so the grounds are pushed to the bottom.  Try it before your vacation arrives.  I guarantee you will at least consider packing a cafetierre and a couple pounds of recently, locally roasted beans on your next cruise.

 

A couple people have complained about grounds in the drain of a ship’s commode.  If you buy in to that argument, bring some paper sandwich bags to allow you to toss the used grinds into it, roll it up and throw it in the waste can.

 

Edited September 22, 2019 by MotownVoice

[MissP22]

Does anyone know if they still provide a straw (plastic or paper) with the cold blends lately?

[Colo Cruiser]

Just now, MissP22 said:

Does anyone know if they still provide a straw (plastic or paper) with the cold blends lately?

What difference does it make?

[knotheadken]

Where do you get the 190-200 degree water from on the ship? I have done this at home and yes it makes great coffee but too much hassle on a ship. Do you bring a water boiler on ship? I don't think they are allowed. I've come to the conclusion (for now! LOL) that we will try the free stuff and can always buy the package on board.

[Colo Cruiser]

2 minutes ago, knotheadken said:

Where do you get the 190-200 degree water from on the ship? I have done this at home and yes it makes great coffee but too much hassle on a ship. Do you bring a water boiler on ship? I don't think they are allowed. I've come to the conclusion (for now! LOL) that we will try the free stuff and can always buy the package on board.

You don't. Its tepid hot tub water temps.  

 

[MissP22]

Just now, Colo Cruiser said:

What difference does it make?

It's just easier to drink with a straw and if they don't provide them I'll bring my own. Just asking. 

[skynight]

MowtownVoice from Detroit

"   a.  Top imported roasts include Extra Fancy Kona"

Not imported. It's the U.S.'s only domestic coffee.

[rdsqrl]

4 hours ago, MissP22 said:

Does anyone know if they still provide a straw (plastic or paper) with the cold blends lately?

They do have straws available, but on the CB, I had to ask for one every time.  It was handed over cheerfully.  It was paper, so it disintegrated long before the drink was finished. 

 

I empathize for the marine animals who are choking on plastic straws, but there's got to be a way around having to use crappy paper straws.  Perhaps if we all committed to cutting up our used straws into bite-sized pieces?  Or how about if an animal is just so dumb they think a plastic straw is edible, then they're doing their species a favor by removing their genes from the gene pool.   (Actually, I obviously don't really empathize all that much for the marine animals . . .   Sorry, Charlie.)

[MissP22]

12 hours ago, rdsqrl said:

They do have straws available, but on the CB, I had to ask for one every time.  It was handed over cheerfully.  It was paper, so it disintegrated long before the drink was finished. 

 

 

Thanks. It looks like I'll be bringing my own plastic straws after all.