OK, what is really wrong with the coffee?

[swom]

OK, I asked this question on one thread and haven't gotten an answer. I know it's been asked sooooooooo many times before, but I just want to know what it is that makes this coffee so terrible that some are talking about on Princess cruise lines?

Is it freshly brewed? It is instant? What is it that makes it so bad? Hubby likes to get a small pot in the AM at the station that is open and bring it back to our room and drink it on our balcony while he waits for me to get up.

I just want to know what's wrong with it? What's it made of? Is it real coffee beans or something else you use on your toliet to clean it.......... or what?

I've never been on a cruise where I've heard so much talk about how bad the coffee is.

Please help me out some of you veteran Princess cruisers!!

Thank you in advance!!!!!!!

[ahracer]

I actually like the coffee on Princess.

 

Scott

[dchester]

My understanding is that the coffee served at the buffet (which is what most people complain about), is made from syrup (it's more or less instant). I believe the coffee everywhere else on the ship is fresh brewed.

[airgirl]

Someone mentioned that the room service coffee on the Crown was better than the stuff on deck. Could someone who tried both venture an opinion? Thank you

[Genessa]

I like Princess coffee - thought nothing about it until I came on here after my first Princess cruise and found so many people complaining about it.

 

It isn't wonderful, to die for, coffee, but it's drinkable.

Also, I don't see a difference between the coffee from the buffet, the coffee from room service and the coffee in the dining room, although many state they think it's different coffee.

 

I live on coffee - couple of cups at home before I leave the house (Maxwell House regular in a cheap coffee maker with a little milk or half and half) - followed by "corner store" coffee (who knows what brand, commercial pot) - occasionally followed by Dunkin Donuts. I can't drink Starbucks Coffee - literally. I've tried it in several locales in different states and once was reduced to drinking tea for my caffeine fix.

 

It seems, very generalized observance, that those who like gourmet coffee, capuccino, lattes, will only drink specific brands, etc., hate Princess coffee.

[Pam in CA]

The "free" coffee is made from a coffee syrup rather than brewed from fresh beans. I love coffee and find it absolutely acceptable.

[pamwinn]

On the Sapphire in June, the coffee had improved. I have been on a lot of Princess cruises including the Sapphire more than once and the coffee was always the same....distinctly bad.

 

This past June, the coffee had changed. It is still the syrup stuff but either they are buying the syrup from a different supplier or the mixing formula changed. I am not saying it was fantastic or anything but it was nothing to complain about either. I am so glad I don't have to concern myself with that anymore.

 

I think this is why more people are saying they like the coffee. This wasn't the case in the past.

[kingtns]

Just off the Crown last Sunday & thought the coffee was very good, not real strong (International was...amazing cappuccino) but a very pleasant taste & went down very silky...if that makes sense to you! Also, every afternoon (a few times) I made Ice Coffee from the buffet...that waa 10 in my book!!!

[RetireeWannabee]

oh thank you thank you THANK YOU!!!!

 

Mom is an addict, I'm reformed but must have morning cup :rolleyes: We don't need gourmet, just a tasty fix. We drink it black, so taste is important. Starbucks is too strong for us.

 

I have to say, this is the one thing I was concerned about, so already planned to bring along those Singles, like tea bags. They're tiny so I'll bring em anyway. Should always be able to get hot water. If the water is bad, we're sunk (so to speak) :D

[Toto2Kansas]

We have sailed on Princess for years and have tried the coffee each cruise. Last cruise, in March/April I kept reading how the coffee had improved. So, I tried it again. YUCK! Still smells bad, tastes bad and even the color isn't like regular coffee. I couldn't even get half a cup down and let them take it away.

 

Sorry, I guess I am one that is a bit picky about coffee. I drink quite a bit of it and I will not drink it on a Princess ship.

[tcdtcd]

I'm a bit of a coffee snob, but the Princess coffee (in my taste buds opinion) is ok (far exceeded my expectations given what I'd read here). Horizon Court is the syrup and acceptable, room service is better (not sure what it is), dining room is fine, and the Patisserie and other bars have the best.

 

The fact that they recently started charging for plain brewed coffee in the Patisserie is my gripe (see past threads) :mad:

[chasetf]

I drink it but am glad I am not paying "Starbucks" prices for it..

[lovn2liv]

Think of your favorite meal. Really think.....put it in your mind, taste it with your taste buds. Warm and savory. Yummy right?

 

Now think of our soldiers or astronauts that eat their processed meals from a tube or the K-rations meals. The package says Lamb dinner with garlic and herb roasted potatos, mint jelly, and a decadent gravy. But is it really? What did they do to it to process it? Was the flavor compromised. How appetizing when looked at your favorite meal this way...

 

Well that is what they do to the coffee. It once was a delicate richly roasted coffee bean, and then something happened to it in the process. The only thing that stayed the same during the process was the name...coffee.

 

LOL:D

 

Even after I've experienced the lousy coffee, I read the thread on how decent the coffee was on the Crown, and now I'm on the fence again. I just wrote a post about how settled I am about just bringing my own coffeepot...but now Kingtns has got me on the fence again. Ugh.

[coiran]

I actually like the coffee on Princess.

Ron

[packed&ready!]

After the atrocious coffee on my Rhapsody cruise I checked the boards about the GP coffee. I brought my own coffeemaker and used bottled water. I only drink it in the a.m. so it was no problem. HAL and Celebrity have good coffee. They don't use the liquid junk. I use Cafe Britt, fresh off the plantation. I hate Starbucks!

 

A little tip for folks with sensitive stomachs. I have switched to only bottled water on ships and no more problems.

 

I used the Cuisineart 2 to go coffee maker. Very easy to carry with you and has 2 insulated mugs with lids. I had to purchase on online recently bcs daughter borrowed it and she wouldn't give it back! She loves it.

[airgirl]

The only coffee I like is a robust coffee - not one all watery like tea. I am not picky about the taste, I do enjoy instant as much as brewed. My solution to the coffee debate, I am going to bring small single serve packets with me and add it to the coffee to get to taste un tea-like. Hopefully they have half and half for flavor. By the way, I do like starbucks because it is nice and strong.

[Pam in CA]

oh thank you thank you THANK YOU!!!!

 

Mom is an addict, I'm reformed but must have morning cup :rolleyes: We don't need gourmet, just a tasty fix. We drink it black, so taste is important. Starbucks is too strong for us.

 

I have to say, this is the one thing I was concerned about, so already planned to bring along those Singles, like tea bags. They're tiny so I'll bring em anyway. Should always be able to get hot water. If the water is bad, we're sunk (so to speak) :D

If you find Starbucks too strong, you'll be fine with the Princess coffee. I also find Starbucks way too strong -- even the supposed bland blend -- and undrinkable. And yes, you can always get hot water.

[iancal]

As of fourteen months ago, we found the coffee awful. At that time it was syrup, and it was very POOR quality at that (or so I was told by a restraurant supply person). We will be on the Star in Dec. I am happy that the coffee appears to be improved. We will bring along a french press /coffee so that we can have a decent cup of coffee in the morning. I know this is a personal preference issue, but take a look at the unscientific poll that was done....think it will give you an indication even if you discount a percentage of the findings.

[sealegs9]

We sailed the CB 4/05. The taste and quality of the reconstituted "coffee" varied by location and day. It all depends on the person reconstituting it in a specific location that day. The coffee in the Dining rooms was passable. That in the Horizon Court was not drinkable (IMHO) -and I really think it was due to the person "mixing it" -the Barista! Room service coffee was good once and bad the next time.

We learned this from our DR Asst. Waitress. She said the person responsible for the DR coffee on that sailing mixed it just right. That's why it was ok in the DR.

We never made it to the Patisserie, so never tried the fresh brewed stuff.

I'll just buy the coffee card on the Crown to ensure a good cup, when needed.(Especially if the Barista on that day in DR or Horizon is not good).

[swom]

Well thanks for the replies. I'm just not going to say anything about the coffee and see what he thinks. That way I will have an unbiased opinion from a person that drinks a few cups to wake up every AM.

I'll let you know...........in April. LOLOL

[iliv2cruz]

What is really wrong with the coffee?

From one "bean" to another! :-)

I've been on several cruises, ALL of them 5 star for sure.(in my opinion..key word) On all the cruises my dh and I have been on, I previously read up on all of them. I learned that one had to sift through all those sometimes miserable reviews, and wonderful reviews and couldn't believe that some people were SO unhappy on the same cruise others wrote they had the time of their lives on...so....when I read about how bad Princess coffee was, I thought those comments were written by the people who could never be pleased.

Well, I am not a coffee addict, however, I like a GOOD cup of coffee when I drink it. I'm fussy about the taste. It can't be too strong, or too weak. My first impression on the Grand Princess was "they were soooooooo right"..this coffee is AWFUL!!! I went back to get another cup from another station, it was still AWFUL!!! I went on the Star Princess the following year, and brought my own Melitta coffee filter gadget/with my own coffee beans and was in heaven. (I did try the Star Princess coffee first, and my taste buds were reminded immediately of the Grand Princess coffee ....AWFUL!!!

So, if you enjoy the taste of a good cup of coffee and don't want to chance the miserable taste of Princess coffee, bring one of those little gadgets, or your own pot! I brought a big travel mug up to the tea station, and used the hot water from that tap! Simple and GOOD!

My only problem was the dining room at night...had to drink the dining room coffee, not as bad as buffet area coffee, but still not too good. And that was the only negative thing my dh and I could complain about...everything else was PERFECT!

 

...

[Basfreeman]

On my two most recent cruises-HAL's Ryndam & RCL's Rhapsody-I did notice that they both had installed new and different coffee machines in the self-service areas. Both produced a surprisingly good cup of coffee. In the past, I had noticed that the coffee "syrups" were being used, but these new machines were being loaded with ground coffee. Maybe the change in equipment made the difference.

 

By the way, I am both a coffee snob and addict-so the quality of the coffee is something I notice.

[iancal]

I was on NCL Sun in Feb-first NCL cruise. Their coffee was excellent. Brewed from coffee beans, not that ertasz stuff. They had coffee machines in the cabins but the coffee was not nearly as good as topside. We also got caps, expressos etc at every meal on request at no charge. There is no secret to making a good cup of coffee even for large crowds. All you really need is good water, good coffee, in the right proportions at the proper temperature. I think that Princess have the water part right...they need to work on the rest.

[bjkeen]

I noticed that the coffee in the buffet area seemed to taste stronger than the coffee in the dining room. So I asked Melania Parnisari, First Purser Food & Beverage. She said, "The coffee is made the same in the dining room and the buffet areas." She did not know why it tastes differently. Perhaps she will follow up and see what the differences are.

[cowprintrabbit]

So if we're from Seattle we should buy the Cappucino card, right?