First Princess cruise since 2006, is the coffee still the worst on the high seas?

[scienceteacher]

Never had a problem with the coffee on the ship and I've never paid for a cup. Coffee is very subjective... one person gets a cup of black coffee and the next gets a little coffee with tons of sugar and cream. We're all different.

 

I am with you on that. Tastes vary. Someone can tell you if they like or dislike the coffee but they do not know whether you will like it.

[Mommypig]

I have invested in a Wild Hybrid Handpresso that I got on The Grommet website. It is a handpumped small handheld espresso machine that uses ground coffee or ESE pods and hot water. Seriously the answer to the coffee dilemma. It is small enough for backpackers to use. No more bad coffee! It's as easy as ordering hot water for tea.

 

Linda

[jak378]

At home we grind beans every morning to make coffee. Because of that I find Princess coffee a bit weak but otherwise ok. Room service coffee is as good as any and it always seems to be delivered in a timely manner. That makes it enjoyable.

[caribill]

[quote name=sknight;45529628

 

Free coffee on most ships is from a syrup concentrate' date=' similar to Burger King. On the Royal and Regal the free coffee is from ground coffee prepared something like the K Cups when you push the button.[/quote]

 

Some of the best restaurants on land also use coffee from a syrup concentrate.

 

The difference is that the syrups come in different levels of quality and the cruise lines do not purchase the best (more $$) quality.

[4x4bob]

A few years ago, well maybe more than a few, my favorite Unicle provided me with a free all expense trip to a country covered in Jungle. Upon arrival I was assigned the night shift. Twice each night a jeep would come past my work station. On the back was a rusty can that contained Hot Coffee. It tasted like a mixture of dust and jeep exhaust.

 

Fast forward to a couple of Cruises. After drinking coffee on both Royal Caribbean and Princess, I look back to that jeep coffee with found memories.:D

 

Bob

Edited February 7, 2015 by 4x4bob

[birdiebill]

As others have said, taste is subjective. I am not a coffee connoisseur. I find the Horizon Court coffee at breakfast is okay as is the decaf after dinner in the MDR. Definitely different than what I get in my Keurig at home, but there is tremendous differences in the different K-cups also.

 

I purchased the coffee card on our last cruise. Liked the coffee at the IC, but really liked to use the card for gelato.

[suzieb25]

I always take Starbuck's VIA's to doctor up my coffee as needed until I get to the IC.

[shredie]

I always take Starbuck's VIA's to doctor up my coffee as needed until I get to the IC.

 

 

That's what I do, but I am going to look into the crank espresso maker.

[lolane1]

Given enough half n half, it's drinkable. But I always purchase the coffee card for specialty drinks. At home, I use a Nespresso machine and it's wonderfully addictive.

[CptSticky]

There is no way that anyone's coffee can be called the "worst on the high seas". That honor belongs to coffee served in "plastic" cups in the Windjammer (Royal Caribbean). However, on our last cruise, it was actual ceramic cups so maybe the honor now belongs to Princess.:p

[DebJ14]

Sorry, but we found the coffee in Sabatini's, Crown Grill and the main dining room, quite good on Emerald Princess. It was much better than what we were served last year on the CB. To each his own...

[shepp]

I do have my preferences - I brewed dark roast single-origin Sumatran this morning, thanks - but can manage with the MDR stuff just fine. On my way back from my last cruise, I tried highly touted Dunkin Donuts brew for the first time at the FLL airport. I thought Princess' was much better.

Edited February 8, 2015 by shepp

[undercat]

I have invested in a Wild Hybrid Handpresso that I got on The Grommet website. It is a handpumped small handheld espresso machine that uses ground coffee or ESE pods and hot water. Seriously the answer to the coffee dilemma. It is small enough for backpackers to use. No more bad coffee! It's as easy as ordering hot water for tea.

 

Linda

 

I'd never heard of the Wild Hybrid Handpresso prior to your post, but I looked it up on Amazon and I'm intrigued! I might buy one of these for an upcoming trip. Thank you!

 

Thanks to all of you who mentioned the coffee card, too. I'm new to Princess and will definitely be purchasing this card on our upcoming cruise! I can go without soda and don't drink alcohol, so the typical beverage packages are overkill for me. I'm a fan of good, strong coffee. "Good" is subjective, of course.

Edited February 8, 2015 by undercat

[ortfa]

Taste is subjective, however no ship I have been on has served an acceptable brew and the espresso fares not much better! No one has yet proved to me that the murky black liquid is in fact coffee! Wonder what it is???

[Astro Flyer]

Never had a problem with the coffee on the ship and I've never paid for a cup. Coffee is very subjective... one person gets a cup of black coffee and the next gets a little coffee with tons of sugar and cream. We're all different.

To me that's the bottom line although because I get a coffee card for specialty coffee (and ice cream treats at Gelato's on the Royal & Regal) I sometimes get brewed coffee (included with the coffee card) from the International Café. :)

 

OP...what ship are you sailing? The Royal & Regal have different coffee makers in the buffet for the free coffee and to me it tasted better than the coffee from concentrate.

 

It's been debated on this forum about whether the ground coffee on top of the coffee maker is for show & is still from concentrate OR the ground coffee is actually used to brew cups of coffee. As is too often the case, crewmembers have given passengers conflicting info on how the coffee is produced.

 

So I went to the manufacturer's website and they only make commercial coffee machines that use coffee & not from coffee concentrate.

Edited February 8, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[Julia’s Journey’s]

We have the coffee press mugs from liquid planet - work great but get coffee cards too

[Julia’s Journey’s]

To me that's the bottom line although because I get a coffee card for specialty coffee (and ice cream treats at Gelato's on the Royal & Regal) I sometimes get brewed coffee (included with the coffee card) from the International Café. :)

 

OP...what ship are you sailing? The Royal & Regal have different coffee makers in the buffet for the free coffee and to me it tasted better than the coffee from concentrate.

 

It's been debated on this forum about whether the ground coffee on top of the coffee maker is for show & is still from concentrate OR the ground coffee is actually used to brew cups of coffee. As is too often the case, crewmembers have given passengers conflicting info on how the coffee is produced.

 

So I went to the manufacturer's website and they only make commercial coffee machines that use coffee & not from coffee concentrate.

 

 

I've seen them filling the machines that have the coffee on the top - that coffee is much better than on the other ships.

[Astro Flyer]

I've seen them filling the machines that have the coffee on the top - that coffee is much better than on the other ships.

 

Thanks & I agree but some are still skeptical about it being made from ground coffee.

[UpcountryTravelers]

I'll admit to being a bit of a coffee nerd. At home I NEVER use ground coffee; it must be fresh ground from whole beans just before brewing. And never ruin a good cup of coffee with milk or sugar. That said, I find the room service coffee (from whatever source) to be palatable, and FAR superior to Starbucks. The so-called fresh brewed is maybe a bit better. It's all in your personal taste. Coffee card? Never. Hardly worth the effort to save maybe a dollar or two.