International Cafe

[bluetardis]

I know that without a drink package I can get free coffee on the lido deck. Can I get free coffee at the International Cafe( not fufu coffee, just regular roasted coffee)? Thanks

[hpeabody]

No, you pay a minimal charge or buy a coffee package.   Sorry 😞

[bluetardis]

@hpeabodythank you for the response.

[gottagocit]

I assume you know about the coffee ‘card’?  Not to be confused with the drink package you mentioned. With it you can have unlimited brewed coffee and hot chocolate at the international cafe and I believe 15 specialty coffees. It about about $37-38 the last time we sailed. 

[Reina del Mar]

Royal Caribbean offer included ‘instant’ / ‘syrup’ coffee at their equivalent of the International Cafe. Not sure why Princess cannot offer the same… well I am pretty sure…money !

 

Maybe fill a thermos flask in buffet and take it to IC. If you don’t want to buy a package or coffee card.

[donswife]

At the IC plain brewed coffee was only about $1.50-$2 depending on size, if I remember correctly. 

[JimmyVWine]

17 hours ago, bluetardis said:

not fufu coffee

Fufu is a sticky dough ball made from cassava root.  What does it have to do with coffee?  (Not a coffee drinker, so maybe I am missing something, but I have never seen fufu juxtaposed with coffee before.)

[Mike45LC]

37 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

Fufu is a sticky dough ball made from cassava root.  What does it have to do with coffee?  (Not a coffee drinker, so maybe I am missing something, but I have never seen fufu juxtaposed with coffee before.)

I've only seen it spelled "foo foo," but I got the idea.  No fancy coffee (and no foo foo food) for me!

[JimmyVWine]

2 minutes ago, Mike45LC said:

I've only seen it spelled "foo foo," but I got the idea.  No fancy coffee (and no foo foo food) for me!

In culinary texts and cookbooks, I have seen it spelled as foo foo; foo-foo; fufu; and fou-fou.  All seem to be accepted. 

[justafem]

On 12/1/2022 at 8:13 PM, bluetardis said:

I know that without a drink package I can get free coffee on the lido deck. Can I get free coffee at the International Cafe( not fufu coffee, just regular roasted coffee)? Thanks

Taste the coffee in the buffet.  If you can stand it for the entire cruise, that's it, do nothing.

 

If you can't stand it, buy a cup of regular brewed from the international and see if it's better,  Cost will be about $2.  If it's better, then you have a choice, buy à la carte or buy the coffee card for $36, which includes unlimited brewed coffee, tea and hot chocolate and 15 specialty coffees.

 

If we don't have the drink package, we always buy the coffee cards.  

[Rick&Jeannie]

On 12/2/2022 at 5:51 PM, JimmyVWine said:

In culinary texts and cookbooks, I have seen it spelled as foo foo; foo-foo; fufu; and fou-fou.  All seem to be accepted. 

I always thought it was "fru-fru"!

[1965]

On 12/2/2022 at 4:44 PM, Mike45LC said:

I've only seen it spelled "foo foo," but I got the idea.  No fancy coffee (and no foo foo food) for me!

We call it fru fru, but both mean fancy coffee. 

[cr8tiv1]

15 hours ago, justafem said:

Taste the coffee in the buffet.  If you can stand it for the entire cruise, that's it, do nothing.

 

If you can't stand it, buy a cup of regular brewed from the international and see if it's better,  Cost will be about $2.  If it's better, then you have a choice, buy à la carte or buy the coffee card for $36, which includes unlimited brewed coffee, tea and hot chocolate and 15 specialty coffees.

 

If we don't have the drink package, we always buy the coffee cards.  

 

Great scientific way of deciding.  I stopped drinking MDR coffee years ago, along with their iced tea.  

[MissP22]

I can't say for sure but a few years ago the IC was giving regular coffee at no charge during the early morning hours. (before 5 or 6 AM).

What they're doing today, who knows?

[wrongwaywatson]

I always call it foo foo coffee.  I knew what you meant! LOL   I don't drink them, either.

[jennybenny]

50 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

I can't say for sure but a few years ago the IC was giving regular coffee at no charge during the early morning hours. (before 5 or 6 AM).

What they're doing today, who knows?

It's been a while since they haven't given free regular coffee unless you have the coffee card or drink package, at least previously, before the cruising shutdown. Since the cruising restart I feel like they want every penny they can get, so I'm guessing no free drip coffee. 

Edited December 5, 2022 by jennybenny

[pompeii]

We just got off the Regal and I have to comment that the brewed coffee at the IC is much weaker than it used to be.  We always have coffee packages and the brewed coffee used to be good and strong, but it's pretty weak now.  The baristas acknowledged that they are using a different brand and it's not as good.  We had to order a double espresso to split between our regular coffees just to make them strong enough.  We could have ordered an americano each or red-eyes, but this way we used only one "punch" instead of two.  

[jennybenny]

1 minute ago, pompeii said:

We just got off the Regal and I have to comment that the brewed coffee at the IC is much weaker than it used to be.  We always have coffee packages and the brewed coffee used to be good and strong, but it's pretty weak now.  The baristas acknowledged that they are using a different brand and it's not as good.  We had to order a double espresso to split between our regular coffees just to make them strong enough.  We could have ordered an americano each or red-eyes, but this way we used only one "punch" instead of two.  

Thank you for sharing. That really is a shame! Guess I will have to switch to espresso too!

[Cruise Raider]

The regular coffee on the Ruby has improved immensely.. I think they may have changed it to brewed.  Everyone at the Cruise Critic meeting seemed to be commenting on it during our cruise over Thanksgiving.  
 

The Royal class ships used to only serve brewed coffee.  Hopefully, that hasn’t changed and the other ships have also caught on that nobody likes that concentrate syrup coffee.  
 

[MissP22]

1 hour ago, jennybenny said:

It's been a while since they haven't given free regular coffee unless you have the coffee card or drink package, at least previously, before the cruising shutdown. Since the cruising restart I feel like they want every penny they can get, so I'm guessing no free drip coffee. 

I think you may be right. They don't want to give their cruisers anything free any longer. i.e.- pens, writing paper, candies, prizes, soap, extra patters in room and now we can add free early morning dripped coffee at the IC . 😉