Norwegian Coffee FAQ's Answered!

I started a thread for coffee snobs and tons of great, useful information is in it. This thread is to consolidate some of that great information, since the subject comes up frequently. If you have a tip to add, feel free. If you see an error, please point it out so we can have accurate info.

Norwegian Coffee FAQ’s answered

How is the public coffee?

-The coffee varies wildly around the ship. Some is good, some is mediocre. Keep reading to learn where you can find each type.

How is the private coffee?

-The suites and Haven mostly have Lavazza pod machines. Most pax like this coffee, so we’ll call it good coffee. The machines can make espresso and cappuccino. They can also give you hot water to make your own in the cabin. While in the Haven, you can ask the butler to bring you French pressed coffee.

-Balconies typically have drip style coffee makers.

-Some cabins don’t have coffee makers. If you want one and don’t have one… ask your cabin steward and they will try to accommodate you (depends on availability).

**your coffee supplies will be replenished daily

Where do I find good French pressed coffee on my cruise?

-You can find it in Le Bistro, Cagney’s, the coffee bar, and the Haven restaurant. If you take a travel mug, you can carry the remaining coffee from your carafe with you.

-If you want to make your own, try something like the Bodum Insulated Plastic Travel French Press (or similar product) and take your favorite ground beans. Use your coffee machine to make the hot water, get it at the buffet, or ask for it through room service.

Where can I find a quick cup of basic coffee on my cruise?

-You can find it in the MDR’s and buffet.

I don’t like the French press, where can I find a quick cup of good free coffee on my cruise?

-There are still a few good public drip coffee machines on the ships. You can identify them by their bean hopper on top. They are far superior to the other free coffee.

Coffee Options – Self Carry

-Take your own coffee, beans, grinder……or better yet, pick up some local ground coffee while in one of the ports. What a great way to enhance your trip and try something new!

-Bring flavored instant coffee (like General Foods International Vanilla), use the ship coffee as the water when you make it. You’ll be surprised at how good it tastes.

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This should be a sticky!

Thank you for this! I had started a thread a while back, asking what brand of coffee is served in the MDR but no one answered. Any idea?

Thanks! Great info!

I will definitely try bringing the instant coffee mixes next time. They taste good and very convenient.

Not sure if it was just me, but just got off the Gem & in the buffet there were 2 coffee machines & I swear one was nicer than the other!!!

Both were inside the buffet (not outside, in the garden café area). The one on the aft side, inside was smooth & great. The one around the corner, that more people used, in mid ship, was more coarse/rough I thought?!

I swear the good one was more like a latte taste than regular coffee. It was a slightly different looking coffee machine too.

Thank you for this! I had started a thread a while back, asking what brand of coffee is served in the MDR but no one answered. Any idea?

The basic stuff is made from a coffee syrup that is added to hot water. I don't know the brand.

This kind of this is great if you don't like ship coffee

Not sure if it was just me, but just got off the Gem & in the buffet there were 2 coffee machines & I swear one was nicer than the other!!!

 

Both were inside the buffet (not outside, in the garden café area). The one on the aft side, inside was smooth & great. The one around the corner, that more people used, in mid ship, was more coarse/rough I thought?!

 

I swear the good one was more like a latte taste than regular coffee. It was a slightly different looking coffee machine too.

Interesting...are they gradually phasing in new coffee machines at the buffets and possibly this is the reason for the difference?

NCL is not the only cruise line the have poor coffee - I assume it's the nature of waste - it's much easier to get rid of the holders for the concentrate they usually use than ground beans.

Even on DCL, I ordered hot water from room service and made Bodum french pressed coffee. Dh won't bother to pack when he travels without me, he just skips coffee all together. For lattes, I pack Starbucks latte packs, but still make Bodum french press. Not sure if our next cruise will be impacted by room service fees - if so, I might have to get hot water on my own from the buffet.

NCL is not the only cruise line the have poor coffee - I assume it's the nature of waste - it's much easier to get rid of the holders for the concentrate they usually use than ground beans.

 

Even on DCL, I ordered hot water from room service and made Bodum french pressed coffee. Dh won't bother to pack when he travels without me, he just skips coffee all together. For lattes, I pack Starbucks latte packs, but still make Bodum french press. Not sure if our next cruise will be impacted by room service fees - if so, I might have to get hot water on my own from the buffet.

I'm sure all mass market lines have poor coffee...all of them have coffee bars with specialty coffee drinks available and let's face it, cruise lines are a business and they want you to buy the specialty coffee drinks. In order get more people to do that who normally wouldn't, the quality of the free coffee isn't great.

I never had superb coffee on a cruise ship that wasn't from the coffee bar. Decent and drinkable, yes, but not high quality in the MDR or buffets. Disney World is the same...for many years they used Nescafé which was terrible and now they use Joffrey which is a slight step above Nescafé but they also have Starbucks all over Disney World property now...they're aiming to get people so buy the Starbucks so the cheaper coffee (and the coffee included at buffets and character meals) is of lower quality. Even though personally for me, while I like Starbucks lattes and specialty drinks, I don't care for their regular coffee and I never drink it.

Coffee is also available at O’Sheehan’s (Blue Lagoon) 24 hours a day. Being on deck 8, if we ran out of coffee in the carafes delivered by room service, I take them directly down the hall to the restaurant and refill them myself. The staff in the restaurant did not voice any objections to me doing this. Maybe, they just got used to seeing me during our 13-day Panama Canal cruise. DW lives on coffee and I don't dare run out.

Wife without coffee in the morning...

CLICK to view -Here are ideas for some of you without the Haven/Suite life -

always bring our own double insulated thermos (stay above 160 deg. F for 6 hours) & BPA-free water bottles, instant coffee 3-in-1 paks, short power strip and (sometimes) the mini-cooler for beach days. French press & Vietnamese drip coffee maker optional (usually only for car trips on extended vacations)

Camera & mini-tripod strictly add-ons.

The ways things are going with NCL with various 'enhancements', I should consider putting a few of these together & put them on eBay as the new "NCL cruising survival kit" for those not flying into the port - LOL (most mass cruise lines for that matter ...)

Coffee is also available at O’Sheehan’s (Blue Lagoon) 24 hours a day. Being on deck 8, if we ran out of coffee in the carafes delivered by room service, I take them directly down the hall to the restaurant and refill them myself. The staff in the restaurant did not voice any objections to me doing this. Maybe, they just got used to seeing me during our 13-day Panama Canal cruise. DW lives on coffee and I don't dare run out.

 

Wife without coffee in the morning...

 

LMAO!!! I always say coffee is my anti-b*tch juice! ;)

Not sure if it was just me, but just got off the Gem & in the buffet there were 2 coffee machines & I swear one was nicer than the other!!!

The jewel had 2 machines in the buffet areas also. One used whole beans and ground as ordered. The other was made from already ground. The one with beans said "creme" on the screen, came out a little foamy but I didn't taste any.

We're not coffee connoisseurs at all but didn't like the coffee on the Breakaway. It was new then so hoping it's been changed and the Getaway has something else. Luckily we had a coffee pot in our room so started the day okay. I'll probably bring the Starbucks single servings just in case.

Thank you for this information! I have a question about the

Lavazza machine coffee in the Haven suites on the Getaway. Are they K cups or flat pods? I watched a YouTube video on the Lavazza in the Haven suites and I couldn't tell what kind of coffee holder was used.

I also read the only coffee options for the Lavazza machines were espresso and decalf. Anyone know if this is true?

I appreciate any information you can give me :)

Thank you for this information! I have a question about the

Lavazza machine coffee in the Haven suites on the Getaway. Are they K cups or flat pods? I watched a YouTube video on the Lavazza in the Haven suites and I couldn't tell what kind of coffee holder was used.

I also read the only coffee options for the Lavazza machines were espresso and decalf. Anyone know if this is true?

I appreciate any information you can give me :)

They look like this:

http://www.coffeeforless.com/lavazza-blue-di-piu-chamomile-tea-capsules-100ct.html

Yes, the coffee is only the "regular" and Decaf. Very strong but you can program the machine to brew an actual mug from them.

Also tea was provided and this chamomile was to die for.

Thanks for the info! One additional question though - what about creamer? Is there flavored creamer? I'm one of those people who NEEDS coffee in the morning, but I need it to not taste like coffee :p Thanks!

If you're like me you read ahead:

Lavazza Instruction Manual

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1D91Dn15-1HaFZpZWgyUlJrcVE/edit?pli=1

Thanks for the info! One additional question though - what about creamer? Is there flavored creamer? I'm one of those people who NEEDS coffee in the morning, but I need it to not taste like coffee :p Thanks!

No flavored creamer that I remember.

Just a variety of sweeteners and half & half. I did ask for milk in the "fridge" but it would not stay cool enough and would spoil. Easily fixed with a fresh carton every day.

The basic stuff is made from a coffee syrup that is added to hot water. I don't know the brand.

Where did you see syrup ???

Every machine I have seen on the Dawn use's ground's .

Not sure if it was just me, but just got off the Gem & in the buffet there were 2 coffee machines & I swear one was nicer than the other!!!

 

Both were inside the buffet (not outside, in the garden café area). The one on the aft side, inside was smooth & great. The one around the corner, that more people used, in mid ship, was more coarse/rough I thought?!

 

I swear the good one was more like a latte taste than regular coffee. It was a slightly different looking coffee machine too.

Wow only 2 machines !!

NCL Dawn has like 6 machines in the buffet .

5 have been replaced with new one's .

The one ' old type ' machine is port side all the way aft. and makes the strongest brew . :D

Thanks for the info! One additional question though - what about creamer? Is there flavored creamer? I'm one of those people who NEEDS coffee in the morning, but I need it to not taste like coffee :p Thanks!

Since there's no flavored creamer, you could buy some of the Coffeemate non-perishable individual creamer packs and bring them with you. They won't spoil, and you could have your flavored coffee without buying specialty coffees from the coffee bar. Another option, though heavier, is to buy a bottle of Torani flavoring syrup in your favorite flavor and bring it along. They're already sweetened and they make it in regular and sugar-free.

Since there's no flavored creamer, you could buy some of the Coffeemate non-perishable individual creamer packs and bring them with you. They won't spoil, and you could have your flavored coffee without buying specialty coffees from the coffee bar. Another option, though heavier, is to buy a bottle of Torani flavoring syrup in your favorite flavor and bring it along. They're already sweetened and they make it in regular and sugar-free.

That's what I typically do. We always have some of those individual creamers at home too. We've stayed in some pretty cheap hotels that had them supplied so I wondered if NCL had them. I was hoping to save on suitcase space since this will be a long trip. :)

That's what I typically do. We always have some of those individual creamers at home too. We've stayed in some pretty cheap hotels that had them supplied so I wondered if NCL had them. I was hoping to save on suitcase space since this will be a long trip. :)

Yes, they are the same ones as the hotels provide when there's free coffee in the lobby! I love that when we drive down to Florida...as soon as we check into each hotel along the way, DH and I grab a cup of coffee!