Coffee on board: please help me summarize!

[sherryf]

I have been able to get specialty coffees at the Calypso Bar (right outside the Horizon Court) though the service was a bit slower than at the IC, where they do them constantly. I'm also pretty sure that you can get brewed coffee at some of the bars. I remember my husband asking for a cup of coffee and being told that there would be a charge. Sorry, can't remember which ship or which bar.

[Kamloops50]

On some ships specialty coffee is available in the Horizon court .

 

 

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[travellover3]

Electric coffee brewers not allowed on any Princess ship.

Comments in red.

Is this new...not allowing electric coffee brewers? I have always (last cruise in April 2015) brought a 4 cup Cuisinart stainless brewer with auto shut off, and it has never been disallowed.

[Starshine95123]

I would mention that the price for the AIBP is per day.

[JF - retired RRT]

Thanks to everyone for the detailed feedback and clarifications --very helpful to getting a more precise end product!

 

I have a couple of follow-up questions on the issue of filling your own mugs. I understand the general concern about contamination, but since I haven't actually been on a ship, I want to make sure I also understand the service logistics correctly, so I can write a better description of the concerns.

 

• My initial assumption was that all coffee in the Horizon Court buffet is self-service -- can someone confirm that is that in fact true? I saw some references in other threads to waiters serving water at the buffet tables, which made me wonder whether they are supposed to be in charge of serving the coffee too. Or is it a mix of waiter and self-service for beverages? Both. If you don't want to wait - DIY. The waiter will come by the table (too soon or not soon enough:D)
  
  

 

• Assuming at least some of it is designed to be self-service, is the general rule on coffee and other beverages that you should always use a fresh cup/mug from the buffet line, rather than one from the buffet line? I had assumed the problem with using a personal mug -- especially a tall travel mug -- was that its larger size would put it in danger of touching the spigot. However, when I searched for images online (they exist!) I'm seeing several photos like this, which suggest there would be plenty of clearance between the bottom of the spigot and the top of even the tallest travel mug. Is the concern that no matter what the actual clearance, some people will inevitably stick their mug up into the spigot? (I'm not questioning this policy, btw, just trying to understand the rationale). My guess is it's a combination of some would get too close to the spigot and contaminate AND there could be "splashing".
  
  

 

• Am I correct in understanding that the buffet (and MDRs) have only ceramic cups, whereas the International Cafe has paper cups available? Plastic cups in the buffet, ceramic cups in the MDR and paper cups ("go cup") or glass mugs at the IC.
  
  

Any other information regarding coffee options at the specialty restaurants? Perhaps since those restaurants themselves vary from ship to ship, the safest answer on those is YYMV.

 

Many thanks again to all, please keep chiming in with any further clarifications or nuances . . .

See above.

[Thrak]

The international cafe has paper cups and lids for the drinks you order from them.

 

On our last cruise (last fall) Coral Princess ran out of the large cups at IC. I was getting large fresh-brewed coffee every morning but, about half way into the 17 day cruise, they ran out of large cups. It was a minor annoyance but that's all. I just got a smaller cup of coffee. It's not like I couldn't go back for another one later - I was on a cruise and had plenty of free time. :)

[rbt001]

Thanks to everyone for the detailed feedback and clarifications --very helpful to getting a more precise end product!

 

I have a couple of follow-up questions on the issue of filling your own mugs. I understand the general concern about contamination, but since I haven't actually been on a ship, I want to make sure I also understand the service logistics correctly, so I can write a better description of the concerns.

 

• My initial assumption was that all coffee in the Horizon Court buffet is self-service -- can someone confirm that is that in fact true? I saw some references in other threads to waiters serving water at the buffet tables, which made me wonder whether they are supposed to be in charge of serving the coffee too. Or is it a mix of waiter and self-service for beverages?
  

 

• Assuming at least some of it is designed to be self-service, is the general rule on coffee and other beverages that you should always use a fresh cup/mug from the buffet line, rather than one from the buffet line? I had assumed the problem with using a personal mug -- especially a tall travel mug -- was that its larger size would put it in danger of touching the spigot. However, when I searched for images online (they exist!) I'm seeing several photos like this, which suggest there would be plenty of clearance between the bottom of the spigot and the top of even the tallest travel mug. Is the concern that no matter what the actual clearance, some people will inevitably stick their mug up into the spigot? (I'm not questioning this policy, btw, just trying to understand the rationale).
  

 

• Am I correct in understanding that the buffet (and MDRs) have only ceramic cups, whereas the International Cafe has paper cups available?
  

Any other information regarding coffee options at the specialty restaurants? Perhaps since those restaurants themselves vary from ship to ship, the safest answer on those is YYMV.

 

Many thanks again to all, please keep chiming in with any further clarifications or nuances . . .

 

I'm a BIG coffee drinker, am always issued a coffee card by the casino as one of my perks, and travel with a glass mug that looks like a mason jar with a handle.

 

First... are you absolutely sure that the COFFEE EXTRACT used in HC is also used for RoomService and the Dining Rooms? On my April 2016, 15 day cruise on Coral Princess, I ordered coffee every morning from RoomService, then visited IC to supplement before having coffee in the MDR with breakfast. The coffee from each all tasted good. Only once, about day #10 did I venture mid-morning to HC for a snack and more coffee. Now, in the past I've enjoyed the coffee extract, a good one is not bad and it never tastes like old coffee that's burnt in the pot or urn. However I CHOCKED on it because it was so bad and different from all the other coffee. Later someone told me that was just a bad tap that everyone experienced in that HC. So I'm not sure that I was so spoiled by good brewed coffee from IC, RS, & MDR, that I noticed the difference in HC... or if it just was a tap with a bad mix.

 

 

As for using my personal mug. I am aware of the contamination issue if my mug were to make contact with something. In IC, I've volunteered to take a paper cup and transfer, but the server pointed out that it's not an issue since he pours from the pot without touching the pot's spout to mug. For self- service in HC, I always set my mug down before opening the spigot. Waitstaff has observed and I've never had a word said to me during my 16 Princess Cruises over the past two years. If they've changed the policy, I'd certainly take a clean cup to transfer, as I will respect any policy they put in place to avoid contamination. When I used to eat in HC, the waitstaff USUALLY offered to bring beverages to the table. Some would circulate with coffee pots for refills.

 

Old coffee cards are honored for unused punches. However the IC staff would probably have to be "asleep at the switch" to accept an old card for a freshly brewed, punch-less coffee.

[Happy2cruise]

 

Old coffee cards are honored for unused punches. However the IC staff would probably have to be "asleep at the switch" to accept an old card for a freshly brewed, punch-less coffee.

 

Has been known to happen:D