Coffee Cards

We will be going on the Crown Princess in April. I have been reading about the prepaid coffee cards, which apparently is new since the last time we were on Princess, which was 2005. We always thought the coffee was really bad on Princess and after reading that it is syrup and not brewed I now know why. My question is, do you know if the coupon for the free coffee cup/travel cup that you get with the coupon book in your cabin when you purchase the coffee card after you board on every ship? I read some of the posts that said that the cards are ship specific. Thanks for you help.

That Offer Is No Longer Included In The Coupon

Book

They come with 15 punches for speciality coffees. Expresso, latte, capachino and alike. As long as there is one punch left your card is good for unlimited fresh brewed coffee at the IC. To the best of my knowledge the cards are good fleet wide and not ship specific.

The cards are cruise specific. However, any unused punches can be used on a future cruise. The unlimited brewed coffee is only for the cruise you purchase the card on.

The Coffee Card:

Brewed coffee is $1.00/cup, most specialty coffees are $3.00, espresso $2.50.

$33.35 buys you a coffee card with fifteen punch outs for specialty coffees, and unlimited brewed coffee at the Cafe and other lounges that have brewed coffee.

You can also use it in the dining rooms for specialty coffees. The server is directed to take two punch outs for double shot orders, some do, some don't.

Since the coffee card is for a discrete quantity it's not time limited. If there are punch outs remaining at the end of the cruise the card punch outs carry over to the next cruise.

Syrup coffee is not faux coffee (like chicory).

The syrup is processed from honest to goodness real coffee beans.

The problem is in the processing and, same as with brewed, the quality of the bean.

Bill, a co-owner of my favorite coffee store

http://www.javacoffee.com/

told me that there are in fact different grades of syrup, some of which are actually drinkable.

Unfortunately, Princess's syrup based coffee must be the cheapest available product because the resulting drink is absolutely vile stuff

We will be going on the Crown Princess in April. I have been reading about the prepaid coffee cards, which apparently is new since the last time we were on Princess, which was 2005. We always thought the coffee was really bad on Princess and after reading that it is syrup and not brewed I now know why. My question is, do you know if the coupon for the free coffee cup/travel cup that you get with the coupon book in your cabin when you purchase the coffee card after you board on every ship? I read some of the posts that said that the cards are ship specific. Thanks for you help.

From the princess web site:

Café Selects Coffee Card: Enjoy 15 espresso-based hot or cold specialty coffee drinks along with complimentary brewed coffee and premium tea for the duration of your cruise.

The card, and unused punches, lives on across the fleet until the last punch is used. Here is where things get fuzzy.

The card, as a side benefit, entitles you to free fresh brewed coffee and premium tea for the length of the cruise you are/were on at the time of the initial purchase. When you purchase the card, the crew member is supposed write the ship's name and cruise number on the back of the card. This is intended to create a expiration date for the free fresh brewed coffee benefit.

It has been reported that cards are occasionally given to the purchaser without the ship/cruise number written on the back. Your experience may be the same or ...

Enjoy!

For our recent Ocean Princess cruise, I pre-purchased the coffee card for $31. When we arrived in our room there was a card indicating the purchase. I brought the card to the coffee bar near the buffet, along with my old stainless Princess coffee container. On the Ocean, it was easy to obtain "real" coffee at breakfast due to the proximity of the coffee bar to the buffet. On larger Princess ships, I use my large mug to first pick up the coffee, then head to breakfast.

I only drink black coffee, so the card gets re-used by DH for fancy coffees on the next cruise, while I use a new coffee card.

Interesting note - on this recent cruise, once I picked up the card and slipped it into the clear outside pocket of my mini wallet, nobody ever asked to see what was written on the reverse side of the card. On other Princess ships, the card was "inspected" every time I went to the IC for freshly brewed.

Darcy

Call Princess ahead of time and purchase

One for $31 Instead of $33.35 on board

For our recent Ocean Princess cruise, I pre-purchased the coffee card for $31. When we arrived in our room there was a card indicating the purchase. I brought the card to the coffee bar near the buffet, along with my old stainless Princess coffee container. On the Ocean, it was easy to obtain "real" coffee at breakfast due to the proximity of the coffee bar to the buffet. On larger Princess ships, I use my large mug to first pick up the coffee, then head to breakfast.

 

I only drink black coffee, so the card gets re-used by DH for fancy coffees on the next cruise, while I use a new coffee card.

 

Interesting note - on this recent cruise, once I picked up the card and slipped it into the clear outside pocket of my mini wallet, nobody ever asked to see what was written on the reverse side of the card. On other Princess ships, the card was "inspected" every time I went to the IC for freshly brewed.

 

Darcy

My card stays in a Princess luggage tag and nobody has ever asked me to remove it. Which ship made you take it out?

Pia - On both the Diamond, Sapphire and the Caribbean Princess, I had to remove the card from the clear plastic case for the coffee card inspectors. There was one guy on the CP, who was getting to be a real PITA - going so far as to ask to see the card a second time when I asked for a refill. I got a little nasty and he got the message - ignoring me completely whenever he saw me at the IC. My recent cruise on the Ocean was so pleasant - once I purchased the card, nobody ever asked to see it.

Darcy

Pia - On both the Diamond, Sapphire and the Caribbean Princess, I had to remove the card from the clear plastic case for the coffee card inspectors. There was one guy on the CP, who was getting to be a real PITA - going so far as to ask to see the card a second time when I asked for a refill. I got a little nasty and he got the message - ignoring me completely whenever he saw me at the IC. My recent cruise on the Ocean was so pleasant - once I purchased the card, nobody ever asked to see it.

 

Darcy

Now I have a "heads up." Haven't been on the Sapphire for a few years and the Diamond too. Had no problem with the CB in '12; will be interesting as to how they handle it this summer when we sail on her again. Have had no problems with any ships and our next biggie is 30 days on the Ocean.

they hardly punched it last week on the CB. You also get unlimited hot chocolate.

Now I have a "heads up." Haven't been on the Sapphire for a few years and the Diamond too. Had no problem with the CB in '12; will be interesting as to how they handle it this summer when we sail on her again. Have had no problems with any ships and our next biggie is 30 days on the Ocean.

Considering how much you cruise with Princess they ought to just give you a card that never expires and never needs punching.

Considering how much you cruise with Princess they ought to just give you a card that never expires and never needs punching.

I don't need it for fresh brewed, since I don't like theirs anyway. I either use a card for Americano; double shot of course, or I use my Via. I have a plethora of cards right now; changed several mini bars into cards.

I don't need it for fresh brewed, since I don't like theirs anyway. I either use a card for Americano; double shot of course, or I use my Via. I have a plethora of cards right now; changed several mini bars into cards.

Hi Pia, Hope Mike is much better.When you exchange the mini bars into coffee cards, are the cards just for the coffee or do they include the service charge too ? I thought I read some cards have the gratuity included.

Sali

Hi Pia, Hope Mike is much better.When you exchange the mini bars into coffee cards, are the cards just for the coffee or do they include the service charge too ? I thought I read some cards have the gratuity included.

Sali

They just come and take away the bar and give you two cards. No charges are involved; just an even exchange. And, BTW, those cards have never been marked with ship name/date. I've exchanged three times on three different ships.

they hardly punched it last week on the CB. You also get unlimited hot chocolate.

While the TV commercial aboard the ship still states hot chocolate is included, there has been a change. Recently off the Pacific Princess. First few days hot chocolate free, then they wanted a punch. I argued the point, and that hot chocolate was punch free, but none after that. There is a new coffee card that looks identical to the old. But, on the front where unlimited brewed coffee, tea, and hot chocolate used to be are now the words unlimited brewed coffee and tea. I have a couple of each of the cards, so easy to see the difference.

hmmm. we got unlimited hot chocolate last week... we can't find the card so I can't check it (it got lost in the hotel after the cruise).

The front of Cafe Selects card purchased on 02/10/14 reads:

This coffee card is good for purchases of: Espressos; Cappuccinos; Iced Coffees; Macchiatos; Lattes; Coffee Blends

The back of Cafe Selects card reads:

Present this card when receiving your specialty coffee and your server will punch a hole into the card.

Unused specialty coffees redeemable on next voyage. Complimentary coffee and tea only applicable to voyage of purchase.

This card entitles the card holder to 15 specialty coffees.

There is no mention of Hot Chocolate

It will ultimately depend on the server. Some punch for hot chocolate and others don't. Some punch twice for double espresso and some don't. Sometimes they don't even punch for a specialty coffee.

They are all supposed to follow the same rules but... It's kind of like the wine policy. Some folks are walking onboard with multiple bottles of wine and not being checked or charged corkage. Others are checked carefully.

It will ultimately depend on the server. Some punch for hot chocolate and others don't. Some punch twice for double espresso and some don't. Sometimes they don't even punch for a specialty coffee.

 

They are all supposed to follow the same rules but... It's kind of like the wine policy. Some folks are walking onboard with multiple bottles of wine and not being checked or charged corkage. Others are checked carefully.

I have to laugh at the two punches for double espresso. I get Americano; double shot. Now what am I getting? Yep. Double espresso. Never ever a double punch and if you ask, they will tell you.

I'm going on a three day cruise on the Sapphire next month. Are coffee cards available on "getaway" cruises? If so, how much do they cost?

I'm going on a three day cruise on the Sapphire next month. Are coffee cards available on "getaway" cruises? If so, how much do they cost?

Coffee cards always cost the same; doesn't have anything to do with length of cruise. $33.35.

I just checked the Princess gifts and services order page, and they have updated it since I last looked at it. Now unlimited hot chocolate is part of the unlimited soda and more package. At any rate, we did get all the hot chocolate we could drink in a hot climate last week on our Caribbean cruise using the cafe selects card (and we weren't showing the soda card as that was with one person in our party and the cafe selects card with another). So, the IC must not have gotten the memo, or it is per server/ship, etc. PS: the choco banana mocktail was soooo good.

Unlimited Soda & More Package:

Indulge yourself with this premium Unlimited Soda & more Package,†

entitling you to the above Unlimited Soda Package plus any

mocktails, juices, shakes, floats and complimentary hot chocolate

throughout your cruise. Price includes service charge.

Item #2312 – $8.05 per person/per day*

Café Selects Coffee Card:

Enjoy 15 espresso-based hot or cold specialty coffee drinks along

with complimentary brewed coffee and premium tea for the duration

of your cruise. Item #524 – $31