Afternoon Tea

[PawsMa]

Can anyone tell me if they serve afternoon tea on the Monarch?

 

 

 

 

Monarch 5-30-5 ( first cruise):D

[mcarnett]

Our last trip on the Monarch, we had afternoon tea between 3:00 and 4:00 in the windjammer. I never miss the ice cream and cookies at that time. Need some nourishment to hold me over until dinner.

 

Mike

[Lyncruiser]

But, don't expect an afternoon tea like afternoon tea is meant to be served. It's just some afternoon snacks. Even afternoon tea on Celebrity wasn't really afternoon tea in the true sense.

[bobbie0253]

I love the way Princess does afternoon tea. I wish RCCL would try something like that. :(

 

Bobbie

[MattInFLL]

A true afternoon tea is a British tradition.. not sure many mainstream cruisers would appreciate it or go to it. Even on the Queen Mary 2, while it was popular, it was not "packed". Princess probably does it since before being bought by Carnival, they were owned by P&O, a British company.

[missbear]

Afternoon tea is just snacks, high tea is the more formal version of tea. It's very rare for anyone who serves High Tea to actually do it according to tradition, even in the British Isles (at least in terms of time-it was more like our modern dinner time). Formal v casual seems to be the difference these days.

 

Just thought I'd throw this out there to clarify. I think some of the previous posters meant High Tea in comments.

 

Best wishes.

[PawsMa]

Thanks everyone for your answers.

[Lyncruiser]

Miss Bear -- Just to clarify your clarifications. Afternoon tea is the very formal tea that is usually served in hotel lobbies. It usually includes crustless sandwiches, scones with Devonshire or clotted cream, pastries, and perhaps strawberries and cream. It's served in places like the Empress Hotel in Victoria, B.C. Far from being rare, it's quite common in the luxury hotels here in New York City. The Grand Floridian at Walt Disney World serves a very nice one. And, I was recently in Salt Lake City on business and had a lovely afternoon tea at the Grand America Hotel there.

 

High tea is a light supper often eaten by workers as their evening meal. It is not the tea one thinks of when one thinks of a formal tea.

 

Afternoon tea is one of my favorite activities. It is not done by Royal Caribbean. I was looking forward to it on the Celebrity Summit and was disappointed since, although it was served in the dining room, it really bore no relationship to a traditional afternoon tea.

 

I agree with MattInFull that it probably would not be a very popular activity on mainstream cruises. I'm a little surprised it wasn't more popular on the QM2.

[WJ228]

I enjoyed afternoon tea on the Grand Princess March 98. I only went once. They know how to serve Afternoon tea. I only wish that RCCI would have afternoon Tea.

[A&G]

Just off Legend of the Seas and no afternoon tea. We cruised Carnival Conquest 12 months ago and they did afternoon tea but it was not very well attended. Anyway a pot of hot (luke warm) water and a tea bag does not make a good cup of tea. A good cup of tea comes from a tea pot with tea leaves and hot water added on a rolling boil. If it is not made like that then it will be a most disappointing cup of tea and you may as well drink coffee.

[Guienevere_Arianette]

Afternoon tea is just snacks, high tea is the more formal version of tea. It's very rare for anyone who serves High Tea to actually do it according to tradition, even in the British Isles (at least in terms of time-it was more like our modern dinner time). Formal v casual seems to be the difference these days.

 

Just thought I'd throw this out there to clarify. I think some of the previous posters meant High Tea in comments.

 

Best wishes.

 

Further clarification: Actually, High Tea is what people think is associated with tiny snacks and dressy clothes; it sounds the most fancy and formal of the two, right? Well, actually, Afternoon Tea is the formal tea. Read on for further info:

 

(provided by coffeetea.about.com)

 

Afternoon Tea

This is the one that comes to mind when people think of English tea ceremonies. It all began back in the mid 1800s, when the Duchess of Bedford started having a tray of tea with bread and butter served to her in the mid-afternoon. You see, in those days, lunch was served at noon but dinner was not eaten until 8 or even 9 o'clock at night. The Duchess found herself hungry during those long afternoon hours.

 

It became a regular occurance and as she began to invite other high-society ladies to join her, having Afternoon Tea became the 'in-thing' for the upper-class women. Along with tea, there would be small pastries with clotted cream or preserves, delicate sandwiches, and scones.

 

High Tea

Many people use the term "High Tea" to describe the event I've mentioned above, probably because it sounds more elite. But High Tea is a much different thing. It was served later (around six in the evening) and consisted of a full, dinner meal for the common people. Tea was still served, but there would also be meats, fish or eggs, cheese, bread and butter, and cake. It was more of a man's meal, than a ladies social diversion.

[sea-cruise]

Ahhhhh I DO miss afternoon tea, served by waiters wearing white gloves, on the old ships. (Shorts were not allowed in the lounge where tea was served).

[Brittgrrl]

You can always get around it as I do:

 

Go through room service, the Promenade dessert bar (they have had tarts on every cruise I've been on so far), or any other acceptable means of getting a cup of tea and biscuits, and find a place to sit and enjoy!:D Even as a Brit, I don't require an actual set cream tea for my afternoon tea. It may not be as formal as you might like, but it tastes the same.

 

If you go through room service, you can actually get a pot of tea and biscuits.

[tonyt]

Afternoon tea is served on Princess and Holland America but not on RCI.

tonyt

[billh65]

Afternoon tea is served on Princess and Holland America but not on RCI.

tonyt

Sea days on Carnival Liberty featured Afternoon Tea ... with the demi sandwiches (4 varieties, I believe), typical tea pastries, berries, cream, and a choice of teas ... all served by the wait staff, with a string quarter. Enjoyed it each time we could make it.

[billh65]

Afternoon tea is served on Princess and Holland America but not on RCI.

tonyt

Sea days on Carnival Liberty featured Afternoon Tea ... with the demi sandwiches (4 varieties, I believe), typical tea pastries, berries, cream, and a choice of teas ... all served by the wait staff, with a string quarter. Enjoyed it each time we could make it.

[OPSoccermom]

Sorry - double post. See below

[OPSoccermom]

But, don't expect an afternoon tea like afternoon tea is meant to be served. It's just some afternoon snacks. Even afternoon tea on Celebrity wasn't really afternoon tea in the true sense.

On X, if you stay in a suite or have higher CC status, you can be invited to the formal afternoon tea in the alternative dining room (i.e. Ocean Liners, Olympic, etc.) on a sea day. This was a true formal tea. Waiters had formal dress, and there was choice of multiple teas or many champagnes. There was a harpist, I believe. Tea sandwiches, strawberries and cream, etc. were served as well as wonderful desserts.

 

It was a great afternoon.

[Lyncruiser]

Thanks for that information, OPSoccermom! We'll be on X next May. And, since we're RCCL Diamond we should have reciprocal Elite privileges. So, crossing me fingers for an invite to the formal afternoon tea.

[hollyanna]

I am an English gal and have to say that as romantic and lovely as afternoon tea sounds, it is not sadly an ongoing tradition here anymore. We only really make the effort maybe the day after chritmas day when family come around to visit and at Easter time etc. The buffet version of afternoon tea on Legend was very good with cream, strawberry scones, cookies and sandwiches etc but on P & O cruise line (sister co.to Princess) which is very British, on the Oceana (which was formerly Sea Princess) it serves traditional afternoon tea as soon as you board the ship (instead of the queing at the Horizon buffet which you can do also) and you have lovely serving staff with silver pots of tea and coffeee, and layered plates with crustless sandwiches, cream scones, fondant fancies:p! and chocolate brownies etc. Very nice indeed if you dont worry about your waist line:eek: I presume Princess is similar?I look forward to this again on Oceana and Oriana next year.Hollyanna