Coffee Card now $31?

[love2bonboard]

[quote name='SUZCRUZ']]Who's coffee would one compare their brewed coffee to? Starbucks, McDonalds, Dunkin? In terms of taste and strength?[/quote]

I don't think it is even close to Starbucks or Dunkin. I'm not sure about McDonalds. It isn't that the brewed coffee is so good, it is that the alternative flavored syrup served for free on the ship is so bad.

[love2bonboard]

[quote name='UpcountryTravelers']So you folk are saying there is one place on the ship where you can get fresh ground (I'm assuming that's what you mean by "brewed") coffee, rather than the typical restaurant coffee you get everywhere else? Haven't seen that. All ships? I'm particular at home, always fresh ground at the time of brewing only, but all I've seen on the ships is the regular restaurant stuff and specialty coffees. I don't do specialty coffees and never, ever, put foreign substances in a good cup of coffee.[/quote]

Yes, the coffee bar, I believe on most ships (may be at one more bar, but not sure), is the only place you can get a cup of brewed coffee. You can pay $1 per cup, or get the coffee card for 15 specialty coffees and unlimited brewed coffee which is good on future cruises if you don't have all the 15 specialty holes punched out. It is a very good deal if you like specialty coffees even at the new $31 price. If you are like me, don't drink the specialty coffees, then you may just want to pay $1.00 as you go or just drink the free stuff (:eek:). I don't mind "paying as you go", but early in the morning I like to just flash my coffee card and get my cup to go vs. paying as you go...kind of takes some time for them to get your cruise card and write up the charge slip (I don't think they really like it either). Also, one note...the coffee card includes the tip for the specialty drinks, but not the free brewed coffee...I suggest (JMO) that you give a small tip to the barrista after a few "freebies". The barrista on the last cruise new my face and every morning she would see me and get me my brewed. I gave her a $20 at the end.

[love2bonboard]

[quote name='Nymue']They DO! It's called your Sea Pass. Get your brewed coffee and hand them your Sea Pass.
Please don't get me wrong, I think Brewed coffee should be free, that other stuff is awful. But it is what it is.[/quote]

You are right...it is just a convenience thing...flashing a coffee card vs. having to have them write up a ticket for each cup. When you have 20 people in the morning waiting for their first cup of coffee, it is just so much more faster to have a card to flash or punch vs. all that time it takes to write up the ticket. Plus, with the coffee card you get the coffee mug so you can reuse it each morning w/o wasting all of those plastic cups (yes, I know I can bring one from home, but I really prefer to travel w/ a backpack only...yep, a backpack even for a two week cruise).

[Stumpie]

We are frequent Princess cruisers and have learned that good brewed coffee is always served:
In the main dining room at all meals
Room service ( including the light breakfast that you order on the evening door hang tag)
And the International Cafe/coffee bar

The coffee card is a great value. Hopefully, it's abuse by a few will not cause Princess to change the program greatly.

[PescadoAmarillo]

[quote name='Putterdude'][SIZE=4]It would appear that if there has been a price adjustment for the Coffee Card but not all the fleet has implemented it yet. But even at $31 for 15 specialty coffees, that works out to $2.06666 per beverage now when were you last able to purchase a double shot specialty coffee in shore-side café for that price .... and still be given free brewed coffee.... strikes me still very much like a deal.[/SIZE][/QUOTE]
I completely agree. It's still a very good deal, even without free unlimited brewed coffee. Personally, as a stockholder, I thought the previous price (especially with BOGO coupons) was too good a deal.

Just two more comments: price has NOTHING to do with cost. As least it shouldn't. Reading Economics for Dummies would clear up that misconception. And, just as with unlimited internet, Princess is not the school principal, punishing non-abusers because a few people choose to bend (or stretch or whatever) the rules. Princess is a business. They raise prices (or limit Internet) because it's a good business decision, not to punish people.

[RD64]

Yes...the prices went up the week of March 13th....I think the final price all in was $33.35. This includes the take away metal coffee mug...be warned the Princess logo washes away easily, an the black rubberized things at the bottom of the cup fall off easily. All in all a good value for great coffee

[Pia1913]

[quote name='Stumpie']We are frequent Princess cruisers and have learned that good brewed coffee is always served:
In the main dining room at all meals
Room service ( including the light breakfast that you order on the evening door hang tag)
And the International Cafe/coffee bar

The coffee card is a great value. Hopefully, it's abuse by a few will not cause Princess to change the program greatly.[/quote]

You are totally mistaken by:

1. Same coffee in the diningroom; syrup - not brewed

2. Same coffee from room service; syrup - not brewed

Perhaps you want that first cup from room service so badly that you don't notice the difference. You also may think the diningroom is different because they may clean their pots more often. However, all these coffees are the same as what you get in Horizon Ct.

IC..........that's different, but you pay for it.

[denims]

[quote name='L38']we shared the cost last time between 3 of us. 2 of us like speciality coffee but only one per day the 3rd person only drinks ordinary coffee. We split the cost 3 ways and all got coffee for the week at a fraction of the cost of 3 coffee cards :D[/quote]

Wow!!!:eek:

And we wonder why Princess is raising their prices!

[kruzinon]

[quote name='FLACRUISER99'][B]Absolutely not.[/B] It cost them close to $0 to serve the brewed coffee if you take in the fact that it a cup they don't serve in the dinning room or lido. If fact I think you have a lot of nerve comparing me with Bonnie and Clyde. Sorry I did not make the rule brewed coffee is free if you buy a coffee card.[/quote]

Sorry Bonnie but if the shoe fits you have to wear it, boasting here of your obvious taking advantage of a system IS scamming that system wheather you are aware of it or not or choice to ignore it but thanks to me you now are aware of it! :) BTW nerve is something I have never been short of! LMAO!!!!! Oh and you see by the emoticon thing at the heading of my post I have "enlightened you"! You may thank me later.

[sailor'swife]

[COLOR=blue]With the price of oil being over $100/barrel, and Princess not-as of present-reinstating the $9 pp per day fee for oil over $70 per barrel, IMHO, paying $31 for coffee cards is not a burden. It seems better to have folks using various cards,etc., pay a bit more vs everyone seeing the fuel surcharge return, so if that is part of Princess reasoning, bravo. I think the card is still a bargain.[/COLOR]

[bludevil]

I'm confused. Is there no free coffee on board?

[kruzinon]

[quote=sailor'swife;28518488][COLOR=blue]With the price of oil being over $100/barrel, and Princess not-as of present-reinstating the $9 pp per day fee for oil over $70 per barrel, IMHO, paying $31 for coffee cards is not a burden. It seems better to have folks using various cards,etc., pay a bit more vs everyone seeing the fuel surcharge return, so if that is part of Princess reasoning, bravo. I think the card is still a bargain.[/COLOR][/quote]

Somehow I'm thinking that a $4 price increase for coffee is not being used as a subsitute for a fuel suppliment due to increasing fuel costs on a vessel that uses thousands of gallons of fuel every day though I agree the card is a good deal.

[kruzinon]

[quote name='bludevil']I'm confused. Is there no free coffee on board?[/quote]

There is PLENTY of free stuff called coffee onboard but it is a syrup based dark liquid that only faintly resembles coffee.

[Nymue]

Just to realize how grateful I am that Princess HAS the Coffee Card ...... 2 Months ago we sailed on RCL's Explorer of the Seas, no coffee card, NO brewed coffee and for Latte's and the like, they have 'Seattle's Best' :( Remind me not to go to Seatle.

I thank the Coffee Gods that Princess [I][U]HAS[/U][/I] the Coffee Card!

[sailor'swife]

[quote name='kruzinon']Somehow I'm thinking that a $4 price increase for coffee is not being used as a subsitute for a fuel suppliment due to increasing fuel costs on a vessel that uses thousands of gallons of fuel every day though I agree the card is a good deal.[/quote]

Too true--nor do I. However, I said, that "if" that "is" part of Princess reasoning... As I keep telling my kids, when it comes to living w/i budget, "every little bit helps....":) So keep buying those cards, cruisers, and let's keep those "fuel wolves" away from the door!! ;) (I wish...)

[Pia1913]

[quote name='kruzinon']Somehow I'm thinking that a $4 price increase for coffee is not being used as a subsitute for a fuel suppliment due to increasing fuel costs on a vessel that uses thousands of gallons of fuel every day though I agree the card is a good deal.[/quote]

The increase is $7.00, not $4.00. It went from $24 to $31.

[Cruise Junky]

[quote name='Pia1913']The increase is $7.00, not $4.00. It went from $24 to $31.[/QUOTE]

It went from $26 to $31. The online price includes the tip

[Pia1913]

[quote name='Cruise Junky']It went from $26 to $31. The online price includes the tip[/quote]

I've never bought one on line.

[kruzinon]

[quote name='Pia1913']I've never bought one on line.[/quote]

Stop the madness!

[robgvic]

I cn't believe 60 replies on a $4 increase in coffee card. Oh well, this is Cruise Critic

[cruzisme]

Love the coffee card & hope that Princess will keep it going for
brewed coffee. Hopefully most people are honest & do not misuse
the original intent of the card. Wish other cruise lines had this card too
(HAL, are you listening?)

[Sauvignon]

[quote name='robgvic']I cn't believe 60 replies on a $4 increase in coffee card. Oh well, this is Cruise Critic[/QUOTE]

You are so right, it is what CC is good at.

To be honest more and more I am finding CC less and less useful.

[SUZCRUZ]

[quote name='Pia1913']The increase is $7.00, not $4.00. It went from $24 to $31.[/quote]

What type of mug do you get with the purchase of the coffee card? Insulated?

[knittinggirl]

I don't think it's a scam if you're getting the card to have a good cup of coffee. Personally, I think that the good coffee should be served everywhere, and I hate having to pay extra for the quality. But I did purchase the coffee card. On Royal Caribbean, they have terrible coffee, in fact the last two nights in the MDR I elected for tea.

How do you order the coffee card on Princess.com? Do you have to wait until right before the cruise. We're so far ahead even the shore excursions aren't up!:)

[pablo222]

[quote name='robgvic']Is scam your word or teh day ron. You certainly are insistent in using it. There is no way this is a scam as this is how princess sold it. You can use it as long as there are still fancy coffees on it. It was their choice and not mine. By the way, i have had one latte and3 coffees on four cruises so not taking advantage either.[/quote]

Back when there was free, unlimited internet for
Elite (or was it commodores?) -- I read a post by
a gent who was proud to have used $2800 worth
of time.

I notice that the free internet time is no longer
unlimited.