Coffee

[FlotsamJetsam]

I am wondering where I can get good free coffee on the Equinox. We sail at the end of the month. We will be in a suite and are Elite- so does that give us access to good coffee?

 

We sailed Solstice in January and had the premium drink package, so the coffee and lattes were free at the coffee bar on deck five. This time we are going without the drink package. We are still relative newbies on Celebrity, having earned our Elite by virtue of being Diamond on RCCL.

[HelloMoo]

Short answer? Ashore :rolleyes:

 

You might want to consider bringing your own. There are mugs that have french press lids, which are fairly easy to use.

 

Recently on the Solstice I found the buffet coffee to be absolutely undrinkable, but the café on deck 5 wasn't much better. A waste of money, to be honest. We were in AquaClass and could eat breakfast in Blu, where the coffee was acceptable. The room service coffee was the same as in Blu.

[dana77kc]

I am wondering where I can get good free coffee on the Equinox. We sail at the end of the month. We will be in a suite and are Elite- so does that give us access to good coffee?

 

We sailed Solstice in January and had the premium drink package, so the coffee and lattes were free at the coffee bar on deck five. This time we are going without the drink package. We are still relative newbies on Celebrity, having earned our Elite by virtue of being Diamond on RCCL.

 

"good free coffee" on any Celebrity ship is an oxymoron...sad, but true. I get the premium non-alcoholic package. I can get my "good" coffee fixes and a couple of virgin pina coladas a day, caffeine diet sodas and specialty bottled waters.

[FunCruiser56]

I agree most cruise coffee is undrinkable, I am very picky about coffee. My DH on the otherhand thinks the coffee is fine- he also uses alot of cream/swetner to mask the bad taste;)

I always pack my french press, order a large pot of hot water from room service and brew my own 'free' coffee in the morning. (dispose of the grounds in a small ziploc bag).

You can buy a french press at Target, Bed Bath and Beyond and lots of online sites- Amazon and such. they hardly weigh anything and take up a small amount of space in your luggage.

If you do enjoy the free coffee you can find it in the buffett most of the time, room service anytime. The coffee in the coffee shop is about $5 a cup, no where near free:(

 

Bev

[Fblack]

Actually since Elites can get free coffee in Michael's Club in the morning, you can get great coffee on the ship. While I personally consider Illy among the best, Michael's had Lavazza Gold which is very good.

[FlotsamJetsam]

Actually since Elites can get free coffee in Michael's Club in the morning, you can get great coffee on the ship. While I personally consider Illy among the best, Michael's had Lavazza Gold which is very good.

 

Thanks for the info. So the coffee in Michael's Club is like the coffee at the coffee bar? Do they also have free lattes?

[Gonzo70]

Suite guests and Elites have access to complimentary espresso based coffee beverages. Suite guests receive this perk via their butler delivering them the beverages in their suite and Elites receive this perk during the morning special breakfast. I do not believe that good quality brewed plain coffee is available though; just espresso based drinks such as cappuccinos. Brewed coffee on Celebrity (and seemingly all large cruise ships) seems to range from poor to O.K. - though it is a bit better in recent years since they went from syrup to grounds.

[jacketwatch]

Suite guests and Elites have access to complimentary espresso based coffee beverages. Suite guests receive this perk via their butler delivering them the beverages in their suite and Elites receive this perk during the morning special breakfast. I do not believe that good quality brewed plain coffee is available though; just espresso based drinks such as cappuccinos. Brewed coffee on Celebrity (and seemingly all large cruise ships) seems to range from poor to O.K. - though it is a bit better in recent years since they went from syrup to grounds.

RCI uases a Seattle Best product called "Caribbean" which is pretty good and its free. I plan on taking Starbucks Via and just getting hot H2O. BTW how much is the premium non alcoholic beverage package?

[BBsails]

Here's information I keep on a Stickie on my computer when the coffee question comes up:

 

Bodum makes a great insulated plastic travel french press. We bought one for each of us a couple of cruises ago and use them every morning. We bring ground coffee from home and spoon it into the press, then one of us dashes up to the buffet or the aqua spa cafe and fills it (almost) with hot water from the dispenser. Back in the cabin, we wrap it with a hand towel to keep it hot, and a few minutes later there's hot coffee just like at home. It's possible to bring some cream (or whatever that stuff is in the dispenser marked cream) back to the cabin in a drinking glass. Since we don't particularly like to drink directly from the press, although it's designed for that, we keep a mug each in the cabin, filling them with hot water from the tap in the cabin before dashing up to the buffet or aqua spa for water.

 

I recognize this process may seem arduous, but good coffee is important to us, and it really doesn't take long to get it this way.

 

Go to the Bed, Bath, and Beyond website and search for Bodum french travel press. We bought the $17.99 model, which works fine. If you're near a BB&B, you can order it through the store and they'll ship it to your home free. Don't forget to use a 20% off coupon.

 

I saw the same travel french press recently at Cost Plus World Market.

[babs101519]

Camping stores usually sell plastic French presses also. I am a self admitted coffee snob, and have suffered greatly on cruises because of it! :p I signed on for the premium beverage pkg, so I'm hoping those coffees will save me,

 

Jacketwatch, how is the Starbucks VIA? I shudder at the thought of instant, but love Starbucks and really love the idea of a cup of joe before I leave the room in the morning. I'm hoping that may a solution for me; don't feel like lugging my coffee and press along.

[mandream]

Go to the Bed, Bath, and Beyond website and search for Bodum french travel press. We bought the $17.99 model, which works fine. If you're near a BB&B, you can order it through the store and they'll ship it to your home free. Don't forget to use a 20% off coupon.

 

Actually for this you should use the $5 off $15 coupon;)

 

Mike

[Lsimon]

I am wondering where I can get good free coffee on the Equinox. We sail at the end of the month. We will be in a suite and are Elite- so does that give us access to good coffee?

 

We sailed Solstice in January and had the premium drink package, so the coffee and lattes were free at the coffee bar on deck five. This time we are going without the drink package. We are still relative newbies on Celebrity, having earned our Elite by virtue of being Diamond on RCCL.

 

 

Just to sum things up:

 

Suite guests get complimentary espresso based coffee (including espresso, cappuccino, lattes, and cafe Americano) for stateroom delivery by their butler only. They must pay the normal extra charge for these items elsewhere on the ship.

 

Elite guests are invited to a continental breakfast held most mornings in a special location (usually Micheal's club or one of the specialty restuarants) during certain hours. You will receive a newsletter in your cabin which lists the time and location. Espresso based coffees are available for no extra charge at this event.

 

Elsewhere on the ship the only coffee which I would consider good are the espresso based coffees which run around $4 plus 15% service charge at the coffee bar. These are also available at the same charge in the dining areas but service and availability there can sometimes be spotty (except in the specialty dining rooms and Bistro on 5 where service is always good).

 

The no-extra charge brewed coffee is, in my opinion, very inconsistent and ranges from terrible to not very good. For this reason we too usually bring a coffee press and our own coffee grounds. We have a standard style 32 oz. Bodnum coffee press with a shatterproof body that we bring on cruises. It makes fantastic coffee and we either have hot water delivered to our cabin or I prep the press and fill it with hot water at one of the beverage stations in the buffet. I used to bring our own regular coffee pot but Celebrity has since put them on the "do not bring" list right in between illegal drugs, weapons and explosives.

[rgaudet]

"good free coffee" on any Celebrity ship is an oxymoron...sad, but true. I get the premium non-alcoholic package. I can get my "good" coffee fixes and a couple of virgin pina coladas a day, caffeine diet sodas and specialty bottled waters.

 

how much does this premium non-alcholic package cost? Does this include bottled water in your stateroom?

[Gonzo70]

how much does this premium non-alcholic package cost? Does this include bottled water in your stateroom?

 

The pricing is on Celebrity's website, I am not sure of the amount offhand. It does not include beverages in your stateroom or delivered via room service. Beverage packages can be used at any bar/lounge or restaurant on board the ship.

[bubbachief]

Camping stores usually sell plastic French presses also. I am a self admitted coffee snob, and have suffered greatly on cruises because of it! :p I signed on for the premium beverage pkg, so I'm hoping those coffees will save me,

 

Jacketwatch, how is the Starbucks VIA? I shudder at the thought of instant, but love Starbucks and really love the idea of a cup of joe before I leave the room in the morning. I'm hoping that may a solution for me; don't feel like lugging my coffee and press along.

 

The VIA is actually pretty good. When they introduced VIA in Seattle thay had taste tests between VIA and their brewed coffee. I couldn't tell the difference about half the time. We are planning on taking a bunch just in case the coffee on board is undrinkable

[bellybutton530]

I bring VIA as well. Plus, Starbucks has several insulated cups that allow you to store 5-6 packets in the cup.

[jacketwatch]

The pricing is on Celebrity's website, I am not sure of the amount offhand. It does not include beverages in your stateroom or delivered via room service. Beverage packages can be used at any bar/lounge or restaurant on board the ship.

I called X today. Its $18.00 per day per person fort he non-alcoholic bev. package.

[babs101519]

Thanks for the word on VIA. I'll have to pick some up on my next Starbucks run! I have to find some alternative, hopefully the VIA will do. I'm so tired of sub-par to lousy coffee on cruises. Wonder why can't they get it right?

:mad:

[Whippets]

Babs-I can purchase Starbucks VIA at my regular grocery store in the coffee aisle.

[jacketwatch]

Thanks for the word on VIA. I'll have to pick some up on my next Starbucks run! I have to find some alternative, hopefully the VIA will do. I'm so tired of sub-par to lousy coffee on cruises. Wonder why can't they get it right?

:mad:

Via is much cheaper if you buy it at Costco or Sams club probably. BTW RCI has a nice coffee made by Seattles best that is free so its surprising that X doesn't have it or something like it. The Coffee on Princess and Carnival sucks too BTW. As coffee prices are going way up I don't expect things to change anytime soon.

[Grumpy100]

We were on the Solstice last November and it was so strong we could not even drink it and that was room service every morning.

We go again in November to the Mediterrean so hope it has gotten better.

Then when you are in Europe it probably isn't brewed coffee either so will have to wait to get my Dunkin Donuts coffee when we get back to the good old USA.

I don't like expresso coffee so probably will not get any on the shore excursions either.

Will probably get it in the buffet.

[Lsimon]

We were on the Solstice last November and it was so strong we could not even drink it and that was room service every morning.

We go again in November to the Mediterrean so hope it has gotten better.

Then when you are in Europe it probably isn't brewed coffee either so will have to wait to get my Dunkin Donuts coffee when we get back to the good old USA.

I don't like expresso coffee so probably will not get any on the shore excursions either.

Will probably get it in the buffet.

 

I have good news for you. Dunkin Donuts is alive and well in Barcelona - although why anyone would go there in a city with wonderful bakery cafes on every other corner is beyond me. I used to seek out Starbucks in Barcelona but forgot all about it when I tried one of those local cafes, besides Starbucks never had brewed coffee there anyways. Barcelona is chock full of American fast food places. Even if you don't like cappuccino or lattes you might try an americano - it's basically watered down espresso and usually OK for my brewed coffee taste. In countries east of Barcelona I doubt you'll find anything other than local cafes.

 

My advice, go into one of the bakery cafes in Barcelona or any town in Italy for a real treat, try one of their pastries or baguette sandwiches (panini in Italy) and a latte if you like milk in your coffee or an americano if you don't. It might just please you so much you'll have to change your name from grumpy to happy. Hi Ho!

[dongordon]

"good free coffee" on any Celebrity ship is an oxymoron...sad, but true. I get the premium non-alcoholic package. I can get my "good" coffee fixes and a couple of virgin pina coladas a day, caffeine diet sodas and specialty bottled waters.

 

How much is the premium non-alcoholic package and does it include expresso in the MDR?

[Thornbird]

Another option for DIY coffee that doesn't require as much packing space as a "french press" (we call them "coffee plungers" but I'm pretty sure it's the same thing) is coffee bags. They work the same way as tea bags but with coffee grounds instead of tea leaves. That way you can take your bags with you to breakfast and just get a mug and hot water. Saves washing up too - plungers can be messy to clean. And nothing to take home with you afterwards.

DH is a coffee afficianado and will use these when our proper espresso machine is not working. IMO if an Italian will drink it, then the coffee can't be too bad.:p

 

http://www.roberttimms.com/OurProducts/ForHome/CoffeeBags/tabid/70/Default.aspx

[BBsails]

LOL, Thornbird. We learned to call it "plungah coffee" when we visited your awesome country.

 

Betsy