Coffee on HAL Ships?

[patrick65]

I really like the coffee from the dining room and look forward to it. The Lido coffee ranges from bad to just ok. A good thing, you can get a cup there 24 hours a day. Years ago a crew member from the Statedam told me they made lido coffee in big vats of hot water in which they took new white cotton tube socks,filled them with coffee, tied them off and placed them in the hot water to brew. To this day I do not know if he was telling me a fact or just kidding me. When the coffee is bad I remember the story and wonder. The coffee from the exploration cafe is good but I have found it to be extremely hot. I do the exploration cafe coffee as I like it with a shot of irish cream.

[ski ww]

I thought the same--was finally chastised by a worker in the Explorations Cafe' on the Oosterdam that the cookies/pastries etc. were for the paid customers only. Embarrassing! :mad:

 

I never pay for coffee, but have never been chastised for taking the cookies/pastries. They are a nice snack in the AM or PM between meals if we don't do the afternoon tea.

Allan

[Lizzie68]

I never pay for coffee, but have never been chastised for taking the cookies/pastries. They are a nice snack in the AM or PM between meals if we don't do the afternoon tea.

Allan

 

There have been varying reports about this. I have overheard someone being told the snacks are free if you buy the coffee. Probably another ship-to-ship variation.

[SS Exeter]

Because one never knows how the coffee will be - I take Ferrero Pocket Coffee.

Hard to get here in the States - but if your in Europe - especially the Autogrills in Italy - buy them. When you just NEED coffee - they are chocolates filled with liquid espresso. Oh My Goodness..... maybe not a cup of coffee - but very satisfying.:D

[iancal]

We were in France 10 days ago. We bought a package of 20 single serving instant coffee packets from Carefour grocery store. Cost less than 2E for the box. Believe it or not it was the more expensive of their offerings-bold flavour. Far better than anything we have had on a cruise ship buffet.

 

It worked out to just under .10E each, 10-15 cents depending if you are US or Canada. Wish we had bought another package since I did not realize the Starbucks product was so much more expensive and not that much better in our opinion.

[dakrewser]

I really like the coffee from the dining room and look forward to it. The Lido coffee ranges from bad to just ok. A good thing, you can get a cup there 24 hours a day. Years ago a crew member from the Statedam told me they made lido coffee in big vats of hot water in which they took new white cotton tube socks,filled them with coffee, tied them off and placed them in the hot water to brew. To this day I do not know if he was telling me a fact or just kidding me.

 

He was either pulling your leg or yanking your chain :)

 

They have very large filters which fit into the machines, paper - just like you use at home.

[sail7seas]

He was either pulling your leg or yanking your chain :)

 

They have very large filters which fit into the machines, paper - just like you use at home.

 

Exactly ^^ :)

 

 

[HamOp]

I'm curious -- what kind of coffee maker is in the Neptune Lounge? Is it some sort of professional machine? And/or is it the quality of the coffee that's used that makes it good (or better)?

 

The Neptune coffee machine. Notice the "beans bins" on top. Coffee is ground fresh.

 

[holacanada]

I cannot remember the exact cost of java in Explorations but it is only a few dollars. As 4 Star Mariners we get 50% Off of any coffee drink in Explorations so have never really paid much attention to the price…

 

 

So true Hlitner !

 

Holacanada from Quebec city .

[CowPrincess]

I won't listen to anyone who considers Starbucks' decent coffee. It is consistently over-roasted, if not burnt. That's not what "Dark Roast" means! The same can be said for Peets' (another west coast abomination).

 

HAL's Lido coffee isn't the world's best, but I'll take it over Starbucks any day.

 

I freely admit to enjoying Starbucks, so you may want to skip any posts I make in this thread ;)

 

I cannot remember the exact cost of java in Explorations but it is only a few dollars. As 4 Star Mariners we get 50% Off of any coffee drink in Explorations so have never really paid much attention to the price. For coffee and espresso lovers it is worth whatever the cost :). On our last few cruises they were using Lavazza beans for the large Espresso machines but not sure if they also use that to brew regular coffee.

 

As an extra note about Lavazza, it is one of the best Italian brands (Illy is another great brand) often used in Superautomatic Expresso machines (this is the type machine that grinds the beans and makes the espresso). I have a high end Swiss made superautomatic and only use Lavazza since it is not over roasted like many US brands (including Starbucks). Coffee beans that are roasted to a point where they are oily on the outside (like Starbucks Espresso beans) will build up oily deposits inside these complex machines and cause major problems (unless you can take the machine apart and thoroughly clean it). These machines need a skilled mechanic/engineer to dismantle so that is why most superautomatic machine owners prefer to use brands like Lavazza. It is also argued that by letting the oils stay inside the beans (rather then overroasting to make the oils escape to the outside) creates a smoother more flavorful espresso (or coffee) without the bitter taste that many associate with espresso. While some folks like to see expresso beans that glisten with oils on the outside, those of us who own these expensive machines (similar to what is used on cruise ships) avoid those beans like the plague.

Hank

 

Thank you for that .... absolutely fascinating. I'll never see the day I have to worry about owning a high-end coffee machine, but it is still very interesting. Thanks for taking the time to explain!

[CowPrincess]

Recommendation: bring your own French press and coffee! Hot water is available always.

 

We sometimes take a French press (we have one that is the size of a travel mug). We also take along Starbucks Via, which has saved our sanity more than once :D

[CowPrincess]

I wish it was only a 'few hundred dollars a day' for those suites. :cool:

 

 

Maybe your definition of a "few hundred" varies from mine, but that is certainly what I see when I shop and/or book. At least on the Canadian site. The difference is a few hundred $$$s a day and I think hlitner did refer to "difference".

 

I tend to think Starbucks is about paying $3+ for the feeling that you treated yourself to something special, mixed with with some lingering hipness or cachet.

 

>SNIP<

 

Trust me, I'm not at all into "hipness" or "cachet". ;) I pay the ridiculous price because sometimes I need a cup of coffee when I am on the road, and I know that I can usually count on Starbucks to provide a consistent product (with the exception of one that I will no longer frequent, even if it means I go without coffee :eek: )

Edited October 17, 2015 by CowPrincess

[Tante Amalie]

For years we have written on our surveys that the coffee was not very good.

 

But it seems that things might have changed a bit. This may be a too small a sample to draw a reliable conclusion, but something seems to be different during the last year. The room service and Lido coffee seems to have gotten better. It's still nothing to rave about, but on our last 2 cruises, we both noticed a difference. They also changed the tea bags and they seem much worse to us. (Pinnacle tea is wonderful)

 

The Explorations Cafe is very reliable and good. It's also quite cheap if you have the 50% discount. They always seem to put some of the nicest staff members at that station.

 

By the way, you might do a search and check out what Bruce Muzz has to say about coffee. His theory is that no matter how the cruise lines change their standard blend, it will bother as many people as it pleases.

[Hlitner]

DW is a tea fanatic and always brings a pile of her own tea bags (on cruises or land trips) just in case :). On HAL in Explorations, and Princess at their International Cafe, it really annoys her that they charge for tea! She will often ask them for a cup of hot water (no charge) and use her own tea bag :). I guess there is some logic to spending over $25,000 on a cruise/trip and then not wanting to spend $2.

 

Hank

[SetAnOpenCourse]

Trust me, I'm not at all into "hipness" or "cachet". ;) I pay the ridiculous price because sometimes I need a cup of coffee when I am on the road, and I know that I can usually count on Starbucks to provide a consistent product (with the exception of one that I will no longer frequent, even if it means I go without coffee :eek: )

 

My comment may have unintentionally stereotyped everyone who buys a drink there, so excuse me. Once in a while I actually like the astringent taste, but I also like vinegar in more foods than most people do.