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Iced Tea and Booking Question


slightlysilly
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HAL Rookie here!

 

I'm looking at a Canada/New England cruise for our anniversary in July of 2018. Does any one know when the cruises for that time period come out?

 

Also, and I know I'm insane, but we are iced tea fanatics (or snobs, however you want to put it). What can I expect as far as iced tea on the ships? Is it brewed? or is it a syrup that comes out of a machine? On Disney, it's brewed in the dining rooms but at the buffet it's the syrup. On Carnival, NCL and RCI it's the syrup all around. (from what I've been told).

 

Thanks in advance for your help!

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The available ice tea is probably syrup. However they offer a very good array of bagged tea, including PG Tips so if you want to go to the trouble you can make your own from the hot water, steeped bags of your choice and available ice.

 

Not a good ship to be self-confessed" ice-tea snobs" on but there are ways around if you want to put out the effort. Or bring your own thermos container up front. The good news is the afternoon tea "used to/still has" brewed tea and not just bags. And the HAL logo darjeeling bagged tea is quite lovely.

 

Don't know what tea is available at the Explorations Cafe that offers specialty coffees. Lots of prior tea discussions here so do a search and see what others have found. You are not alone looking for really good tea, hot or cold.

 

BTW: on one cruise I put the most fascinating book on my iPod: "All the tea in China" - the tumultuous history of tea and how these little leaves drove world commerce and industrial sabotage. Gets you ready also for your upcoming Boston visit to the site of the early American patriot's Boston Tea Party.

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....... Don't know what tea is available at the Explorations Cafe that offers specialty coffees. Lots of prior tea discussions here so do a search and see what others have found. You are not alone looking for really good tea, hot or cold.

 

 

Tazo Chi and Tazo Premium teas are available at the Explorations Cafe.

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[begin quote=slightlysilly;52379294]HAL Rookie here!

I'm looking at a Canada/New England cruise for our anniversary in July of 2018. Does any one know when the cruises for that time period come out?

Also, and I know I'm insane, but we are iced tea fanatics (or snobs, however you want to put it). What can I expect as far as iced tea on the ships? Is it brewed? or is it a syrup that comes out of a machine? On Disney, it's brewed in the dining rooms but at the buffet it's the syrup. On Carnival, NCL and RCI it's the syrup all around. (from what I've been told).

Thanks in advance for your help![/endquote]

====

 

1. Make some tea.

2. Pour over ice.

Nice and fresh. I do it all the time.

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That's good to know. Us Southerners drink massive amounts of iced tea with our meals--every meal.

 

Once had a meal in Manhattan. My Ice tea bill was more than the meal. I had no idea they charged by the glass. In The South, ice tea refills are complimentary.

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That's good to know. Us Southerners drink massive amounts of iced tea with our meals--every meal.

 

Once had a meal in Manhattan. My Ice tea bill was more than the meal. I had no idea they charged by the glass. In The South, ice tea refills are complimentary.

 

 

I grew up in New Orleans and then moved to Melbourne Australia, where the only way to get iced tea is pre-brewed in bottles. It's really hard on this southern girl who loves iced tea. My friends think I'm crazy for always having a pitcher in the fridge, even in the winter. But then I think it's crazy to "cool down" with a cup of hot tea on 40+ days in the summer!

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We drink GALLONS of unsweetened brewed iced tea year round. We can drink other drinks if course, and if there is brewed iced tea, great! If not, we can either bring tea bags and brew our own or drink something else, but it's nice to know our favorite drink is somewhere on the ship.

 

And by the way, unsweetened iced tea absolutely does come in a syrup out of a machine. We encounter it all the time.

 

Thanks for all your help!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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I am fairly picky about iced tea (I drink it year round) and have not found any on a ship (not just HAL) that passes my taste test. I have been known to make my own on board but it takes forever to make the amount I normally drink.

 

The hot tea I have had at HAL's afternoon tea has all been a tea bag and a cup of hot water.

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I very frequently drink unsweetened iced tea in the LIDO on HAL ships and I've seen the syrup containers from which it comes and asked the server staff where it comes from. I wouldn't count on it being a brewed version. After dinner and in the mornings we use hot teas created from the provided tea bags.

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Can't tell you about the tea on HAL since I will be sailing with them for the first time in September. However, just an FYI, when in Canada, you probably won't be able to get iced at any of the restaurants in port because although Canadians drink a lot of tea, they don't drink iced tea. I found this out when I did a Trans Canada train trip from Vancouver to Toronto. Every time I asked for iced tea, I got a funny look or instant tea. So, from one tea snob to another, be prepared to make your own if ordered at a restaurant in Canada.

 

BTW, you will love that cruise. I did that itinerary on NCL's Gem (not impressed with that ship, I must say) a couple years ago. It is my second favorite itinerary outside of Alaska.

 

Have a wonderful time! :)

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Can't tell you about the tea on HAL since I will be sailing with them for the first time in September. However, just an FYI, when in Canada, you probably won't be able to get iced at any of the restaurants in port because although Canadians drink a lot of tea, they don't drink iced tea. I found this out when I did a Trans Canada train trip from Vancouver to Toronto. Every time I asked for iced tea, I got a funny look or instant tea. So, from one tea snob to another, be prepared to make your own if ordered at a restaurant in Canada.

 

BTW, you will love that cruise. I did that itinerary on NCL's Gem (not impressed with that ship, I must say) a couple years ago. It is my second favorite itinerary outside of Alaska.

 

Have a wonderful time! :)

 

 

I have never had a problem getting unsweetened brewed iced tea in most of the Canadian Ports on this itinerary. Gaspe, Sept Iles, and Baie-Comeau were the notable exceptions. I certainly had no issues getting iced tea in Halifax, Sydney, Charlottetown, Quebec or Montreal. I haven't tried in Saguenay or Saint John.

 

Maybe it's because I go to popular tourist places, but it's really not hard to get iced tea in the parts of Canada I have visited. I didn't even have trouble in Vancouver. Iced tea is definitely getting more popular. My own personal opinion is that it's a good alternative to high sugar soft drinks and juices so more people are considering it as a refreshing cold drink option.

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Isn't it funny how two people can travel to the same locations yet experience different things? That's what keeps life interesting. :)

 

Glad to know there are some places in Canada that will do iced tea. I must have managed to hit every place that didn't. The only place I could get actual brewed iced tea was on the train.

 

Oh well, c'est la vie! If the worst thing that happens to me on a vacation is not being able to get iced tea, then it's a great vacation. ;)

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On the Zuiderdam earlier this month, I made my own iced tea in the Lido. I have to have decaf. The unfortunate thing was that the one working hot water dispenser was not at the same beverage station as the only working ice machine. I drank water in the main dining room and would have a cup of hot tea with dessert.

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