Coffee Card???

[HappyCruiser383]

This is our first cruise on Princess . . .

 

We love the specialty coffees (Mocha's) and heard there is a coffee card that we can purchase on Princess. Can somebody give me details? How much is the card? How many coffees can we get on the card? How much are the coffees without the card? Is there a Starbucks type coffee stand on board or is it a machine in a bar somewhere?

 

:D Thanks so much for your time!

[jbrambach]

This is our first cruise on Princess . . .

 

We love the specialty coffees (Mocha's) and heard there is a coffee card that we can purchase on Princess. Can somebody give me details? How much is the card? How many coffees can we get on the card? How much are the coffees without the card? Is there a Starbucks type coffee stand on board or is it a machine in a bar somewhere?

 

:D Thanks so much for your time!

Hi,

I bought the coffee card on the Crown in Oct...it was around $24 and it included unlimited blue mountain brewed coffee. It also allows you to get 12 specialty coffees (they punch out a ole on the card for these).

[dsfitz]

Be aware, however, that even with the coffee card, the specialty coffees are not all that great - and if you are used to Starbucks, you may be disappointed. As you said, it's just a machine at a bar (unless Crown had something Caribbean Princess didn't).

 

You can also use it in the dining room for after dinner specialty coffees, if you want to.

[tvaud]

Be aware, however, that even with the coffee card, the specialty coffees are not all that great - and if you are used to Starbucks, you may be disappointed. As you said, it's just a machine at a bar (unless Crown had something Caribbean Princess didn't

 

 

The Crown does have something different, called the International Cafe. Brewed coffee and specialty coffees are offered here. DH, who is a coffeeholic, says that it's good...not as good as Starbucks, but it's good. His coffee card looked like it had gone through the ringer by the time the cruise ended. Also, with the coffee card, you might get a few freebies from the staff.;)

[ladysail2]

....and a little tidbit I learned from Tony's 'Live From' threads...you can use your coffee card on another Princess ship if you don't use it all up the on the initial cruise.

Here I was downing specialty coffees like a fiend not knowing that I could have saved the card till my next Princess cruise.

 

Some folks say that you can get free brewed coffee by showing the coffee card, yet they punched mine once, and not another time. In fact, the fellow at the coffee bar said that brewed coffee was free, yet the next time...the gal asked for my card...so go figure!!

 

I haven't been on the Crown...but those sound like good choices.

 

Also didn't know that the card could be used for after dinner coffees.....and no freebies for me either!

[2B@C]

Has there been a change in policy? When we were on the Grand an after dinner espresso or cappucino was available for no charge, all you had to do was ask.

[Umbarger]

Has there been a change in policy? When we were on the Grand an after dinner espresso or cappuccino was available for no charge, all you had to do was ask.

 

 

Cappuccino and Espresso are not free but are available at an additional cost. Even Hot chocolate isn't free anymore in the dining room. I was charged $2.50 for it and it wasn't that good. Very watery and hardly lukewarm.

[vttea]

Let me get this straight, you have to pay for coffee? at breakfast even??

 

Talk about getting nickled and dimed.

[Rustyone]

Coffee was one of two small complaints we had with Princess. We last cruised in early 2005 on the Dawn. I thought the coffee tasted like it was made from the bilge water. Had a running joke about it with our table mates.

 

Oh yea...the bed was too hard to. Can't wait to get back to that bad coffee and hard bed!

[Tizzy]

This is our first cruise on Princess . . .

 

We love the specialty coffees (Mocha's) and heard there is a coffee card that we can purchase on Princess. Can somebody give me details? How much is the card? How many coffees can we get on the card? How much are the coffees without the card? Is there a Starbucks type coffee stand on board or is it a machine in a bar somewhere?

 

:D Thanks so much for your time!

It was the best thing we bought on the Cruise.

My husband bought it so will check how much we payed.

We got 15 speciality coffees and the Latte was our favourite.

We used to take it in turns to have a speciality coffee as we could also have an ordinary filter coffee at the same time. We thought we would need a card each but this worked really well for us and one card easily lasted for two weeks. Try the cookies. They are so good.

[TorontoTL]

Ok let's make sure we have our information correct. Coffee is free in the buffet and dining rooms. Unfortunately it is the stuff made from syrup and not freshly brewed. It can vary from bad to fine depending on how fresh it is and your taste in coffee. There is freshly brewed coffee, ie not from syrup, that is available at the Patisserie/Lobby Bar or International cafe depending on what ship you are on. It is about $1 per cup or FREE if you have a coffee card. The coffee card allows you unlimited free brewed coffee when your present it at one of those bars/cafes as listed above. They are not supposed to punch a hole in it if you are getting brewed coffee, unless you order Jamaican brewed coffee which is considered a specialty coffee like a late or cappuccino.

[luvthis]

Wow! We haven't cruised on Princess since 1997. I can't believe that you must pay for cappacino & expresso with meals in the dining room! Is the coffee served at meals fresh brewed? Why would they make you pay for fresh brewed coffee ever! And having to pay for hot chocolate?!? What's that all about! I can see charging for specialty coffees in the specialty areas, but having to pay for a fresh brewed cup of coffee if you want to sit in a lounge chair and look out at the ocean seems ridiculous.

 

Bob & I have sailed on Celebrity the last 2 cruises and the waiters were more the happy to bring cappacino or expresso or hot chocolate in the dining room...no charge. We are excited to cruise with Princess again, but hearing that they are charging for capaccino or expresso with dinner just blows my mind.

 

--Jean

[mortysmama]

I'm very surprised to see you say that on Celebrity special coffees were free in the dining room. I've done 4 Celebrity cruises and always had to pay for special coffee. That was something I loved about Princess...(until recently)... free special coffee in the dining room.

[luvthis]

Ya know...the cruise last year on Celebrity, we didn't ask for capaccino or espresso at dinner. However, on our Infinity Cruise in 2001, I'm sure we had capaccino after dinner instead of dessert. I get a bit confused because last year we had a mini-suite with a butler and he brought hot chocolate and cappacino to our room whenever we asked him to. We had another couple in our cabin when we were viewing the glacier and our butler, Richard, brought in hot chocolate, coffee, and cappacino, as well as warm sweetrolls, fresh fruit, and muffins. Ahh...that was luxury!

 

Anyway, my apologies...maybe Celebrity is charging for after dinner coffee. Bob & I will probably just drink normal coffee, but I hope it's fresh brewed and not instant. We're not that fussy. We won't want to pay for capaccino or espresso, ya know?

 

This cruise we booked an inside cabin because of our need to count our pennies. No butler, no balcony, no window, but we trust Princess as we have cruised with them 7 times prior to this and once we get outside our cabin, we will be able to enjoy all that Princess has to offer. We have not sailed with Princess since Carnival took over, so we are a bit wary of the change. Time to find out for ourselves, right?

[Red Rox]

Anticipating our cruise this summer on the Coral in Alaska, I intend to invest in the coffee card since BW and I both enjoy the specialty coffees. And we're planning to bring our own packets of gourmet hot chocolate powders (from Costco) since I believe you can still get hot water for free.:rolleyes:

[Lynda90]

I thought the specialty coffees were delicious. The card is $27 which includes the 15% grat. There are 15 punches on the card that may be used on another cruise if you don't use them all.

[hbeard]

If you like a good iced coffee...then the syrup/fresh brewed doesn't matter all that much (this coming from a coffee snob who roasts his own beans)...just fill one of the water cups completely with ice, add coffee from the "spigot" leaving room for cream and a couple sweetners of choice (Splenda for me).

 

hbeard

[Nymue]

In the dining rooms and buffet you can get REGULAR coffee for free, but you pay extra for Latte', capps, hot choc...etc....

 

Let me get this straight, you have to pay for coffee? at breakfast even??

 

Talk about getting nickled and dimed.

[whale-watcher]

On the coral, we were able to use the card in horizon court as well as in the dining room and at the patisserie. We thought the cappuccino was good. One nice thing about the coffee card, unlike the coke sticker, is that multiple pax can share a single card.

[dforeigner]

Has there been a change in policy? When we were on the Grand an after dinner espresso or cappucino was available for no charge, all you had to do was ask.

 

 

See what happens when you don't cruise with Princess for over three years?:eek: Times change, all that progress...

[Princess Chatterer]

I'm on the Golden Princess right now. The coffee card is something like $28.50 on this ship and includes regular brewed coffee. I sampled freshly brewed coffee from the pot at the little bar in the Atrium on deck five on two different mornings. That coffee was BITTER and BURNT tasting. The syrup coffee in Horizon court was strong and actually tasted a lot better. I was very surprised at this turn of events on the Golden Princess as I am a coffee lover.

[Vanilla]

I didn't see anyone confirm or deny Benny's (TorontoTL) post - so I will ask again - I believe he was seeking clarification in his post the same as I am...Where on the Caribbean Princess can you get a brewed cup of regular coffee? Do I need a coffee card? The coffee in the dining room/buffets/room service are syrup coffee, correct? The coffee at the bar in the Atrium is brewed? Please clarify - trying to see if I need to pack my Mr. Coffee machine in my luggage. - Thanks.

[from the desert]

Times do change! I remember the days when you bought this disgusting Folgers ground coffee in 3 lb. metal containers, scooped it into a percolator, and cooked the heck out of it on a stove. Then you drank the stuff, black of course, and tried to miss the heavy layer of grounds at the bottom of the cup. You loved every cup and couldn't wait to get more. The only specialty (froo-froo) coffee you had was when you went to a bar and had someone add a good dose of irish whiskey to the glass. And that was in the 70's.

 

Now we have all become coffee conisseurs (sp) and insist on having those fresh ground beans (espresso) run through a coffee press, stirred into virgin spring water, with five pumps of sugary syrup, mixed together with whole milk steam, and topped with whip cream. And if we don't get it exactly like we want we complain.

 

As long as its liquid, contains caffeine, is reasonably brown and is free I'm a happy camper.

[HappyCruiser383]

Times do change! I remember the days when you bought this disgusting Folgers ground coffee in 3 lb. metal containers, scooped it into a percolator, and cooked the heck out of it on a stove. Then you drank the stuff, black of course, and tried to miss the heavy layer of grounds at the bottom of the cup. You loved every cup and couldn't wait to get more. The only specialty (froo-froo) coffee you had was when you went to a bar and had someone add a good dose of irish whiskey to the glass.

 

Thanks! Now I really feel old! :D I agree though.

 

My favorite thing to do is to add a pack of hot coa-coa mix to a regular cup of coffee. *Presto chango!* fancy coffee. That's our camping trick and we've grown to really enjoy it.

 

I think we'll be taking lots of coa-coa packs on our next cruise!

[mortysmama]

I never thought about bringing cocoa to add to the coffee. I know my dd's love that kind of coffee and they will be with us on this cruise.(I'm allergic to chocolate so that leaves me out) I'll be sure to put a couple of envelopes in my carryon and surprise them. Thanks for the tip. Any suggestions for me....without chocolate? Happy cruising!

 

3 weeks from tomorrow and we'll be on the CB. I can't wait.