HAL Tea

[AncientWanderer]

Okay...dedicated, fussy tea drinkers, here's the drill:

 

Bring your own insulated beverage container, and your own favorite tea. Place your tea bag in your own insulated beverage container and top with hot water. (It's your teapot!)

 

Allow the tea to steep and then pour into a HAL cup with milk or sugar, as you like it.

 

Enjoy!

 

(Yes, it's a lot of work for a cup of tea, but when the sweet waiter brings you a cup of tea with the water, milk, and tea bag all together and unsteeping, you'll get onboard with the AncientWanderer method!!)

 

Of course, this is the Lido procedure. All bets are off in the dining room.

 

:):eek:

[ellieanne]

My Dad loved the HAL Darjeeling blend. He's not as happy with the Fields & Select stuff. So I'm bringing some Twinings Russian Caravan and Australian Afternoon for him for this cruise. I know he likes those blends and he says they are hard/impossible to find in the US.

 

I'll pop in some Dilmah bags for myself, though I'm not really picky. I'm an iced tea drinker, and as long as it's not instant, I'm pretty easy to please as far as my iced tea goes. I've never had any problems with the iced tea on the ship.

[cranethie]

 

I'll pop in some Dilmah bags for myself, though I'm not really picky.

 

Definitely Dilmah :) A great travelling companion lol. Goes with me on every cruise I take.

 

Breakfast in the MDR can be a bit like a pantomime at times getting the waiter to bring HOT water to steep and an extra pot of HOT water in case I leave it too long and I've made it too strong :):p

[fann1sh]

Okay...dedicated, fussy tea drinkers, here's the drill:

 

Bring your own insulated beverage container, and your own favorite tea. Place your tea bag in your own insulated beverage container and top with hot water. (It's your teapot!)

 

Allow the tea to steep and then pour into a HAL cup with milk or sugar, as you like it.

 

Enjoy!

 

(Yes, it's a lot of work for a cup of tea, but when the sweet waiter brings you a cup of tea with the water, milk, and tea bag all together and unsteeping, you'll get onboard with the AncientWanderer method!!)

 

Of course, this is the Lido procedure. All bets are off in the dining room.

 

:):eek:

 

 

.....and as RuthC suggests, warm the mug first by pouring in water, swishing, and discarding, which properly prepares your "pot".

 

Arcane useless fact: this was first recommended in England in the 18th century - not to improve the tea - but to prevent their "new" bone china pots from cracking. Made better tea, too.

[seapointer]

Is someone really "disgusted" over bad tea, or just going with the current trend to overstate anything out of proportion?

[fann1sh]

Is someone really "disgusted" over bad tea, or just going with the current trend to overstate anything out of proportion?

 

With the greatest respect, seapointer, this is not out of proportion.

 

You expect coffee to be hot, right? At least THAT?

 

Due to the USA habit of presenting water separate from tea bag, water is is never even CLOSE to hot enough once bag goes in. Then you have to wait, let it steep. My first sip is usually no better than warm, and often cool. Never hot.

 

You can get Coke or Pepsi anywhere in the US and know what to expect. You can get coffee anywhere in the US and know *basically* what to expect. And, a whole lot of other people will be screaming if it doesn't meet basic minimum.

 

But tea? In many places: what Douglas Adams once described as "almost, but not quite, exactly unlike tea."

 

HAL at it's worst is better than the bottom 1/3 of USA tea. HAL at it's best never approaches what I drink at home.

 

"Disgusting" pretty much covers MDR tea. IMO: YMMV.

 

Making it yourself in the Lido, with care, bringing your own tea, you can make pretty good tea. But HAL water is just short of boiling, and actually boiling water is the *universal*, most basic requirement for making black and most green tea.

 

If HAL coffee was like HAL tea? This board would resemble the Princess coffee threads. IMO. Again, YMMV.

Edited September 16, 2016 by fann1sh

[Cruiserbillyboo]

Personal opinion, other's tastes may differ:

I had never had PG Tips until I did a HAL cruise.

It's fantastic tea, IMO.

And I am a regular tea drinker and pretty particular about my teas.

:)

[SilvertoGold]

I need some enlightenment from the experts!

 

PG Tips: never even heard of this tea! Sheeesh!

 

So, I'll want to try this brand on our next cruise. Any info about how many types HAL uses and any recommendations would be appreciated.

 

I love Harney and Sons, but am happy to hear about a new-to-me tea, on HAL!

[Cruiserbillyboo]

I need some enlightenment from the experts!

 

PG Tips: never even heard of this tea! Sheeesh!

 

So, I'll want to try this brand on our next cruise. Any info about how many types HAL uses and any recommendations would be appreciated.

 

I love Harney and Sons, but am happy to hear about a new-to-me tea, on HAL!

 

 

I never heard of it either until my first HAL cruise!

More info here:

http://www.pgtips.co.uk/en-US

[SilvertoGold]

I never heard of it either until my first HAL cruise!

More info here:

http://www.pgtips.co.uk/en-US

 

Thanks.

 

As that website says, a wide range of teas. So, I am wondering what HAL has from this brand?

[fann1sh]

Thanks.

 

As that website says, a wide range of teas. So, I am wondering what HAL has from this brand?

 

I'll let you know in about a week. :D

 

PG Tips is the most popular tea in England. But, it's what the British consider "bog standard" or "builder's tea". It's not an upscale "posh" tea.

 

That would be Twinings.

[georgie73]

Just back from the Volendam 10 days ago. Make sure you go to the Indonesian Tea served in the dining room - for us it was on the last full day. The Indonesian tea (while still tea-bag style) was very good.

 

And for the coffee drinkers, the Sumatran coffee served at that tea was the best coffee we had the entire cruise.

[SilvertoGold]

I'll let you know in about a week. :D

 

PG Tips is the most popular tea in England. But, it's what the British consider "bog standard" or "builder's tea". It's not an upscale "posh" tea.

 

That would be Twinings.

 

I agree about Twinings, which is what I buy at home mostly.

 

Thanks for the offer to post what you find! That would really be great. I don't like my tea strong. The green teas suit me unless it is one of the "dishwater" ones!

 

Have a great cruise, eh!

Edited September 16, 2016 by SilvertoGold

[Cruiserbillyboo]

Thanks.

 

As that website says, a wide range of teas. So, I am wondering what HAL has from this brand?

 

The only PG Tips kind I saw was regular black. But it was a good, solid, decent respectable black tea!

[TriGirl]

Is someone really "disgusted" over bad tea, or just going with the current trend to overstate anything out of proportion?

 

I think it's all relative. At home I drink tea and water. The only tea I drink at home is loose leaf Teavana tea and I brew a 64 oz carafe of ice tea with it and a cup of hot tea at night. I also go Starbucks pretty regularly for a hot tea, sometimes iced tea. To me Bigelow tea has no flavor, I would likely need more than one tea bag. Disgusted? Maybe a strong word, but I wouldn't be happy with it. Sure I could drink water or HAL's ice tea but when you're used to something it's just not the same. Will it ruin my trip? No, just something to be aware of.

 

Teavana recently started making sachets, they aren't the same as loose leaf but I may get a couple of boxes to take with me.

 

I really like Teavana's Emperor's Mist Green Tea and my husband always asks me how I can drink something that smells like feet!

[MmmMango]

Not just Vancouver! Tim seems to be everywhere we go in Canada! A friend from Canada swears it's possible to give directions by using only Tim Hortons as landmarks for turns. Last time we were in Montreal, I took lots of pictures of the bilingual signs. My favorite was Tim's Toujour Frais!

 

When we have a port stop in Halifax we like to go out early and stroll along the Harbourwalk, and somehow we always find ourselves at a Tim's. They do have good coffee, and I tried their version of Dunkin's coolata. Tim's was better!

 

Edited to add: I don't like the mermaid's coffee or tea, either.

 

I thought it was just me but within the last year most of the people I have coffee with, after our morning outdoor runs, are saying they don't like Tim Horton's coffee anymore. They must have changed things in the few years....for the worse, and as much as I dislike McD's food, we are all in agreement that their coffee is waaay better. So we often now buy our coffee (for much less $$ too) and enjoy it in personal mugs outside the mermaid's shop, basking in the warmth of the sun (when we get some, that is). Give Canadian McD's a try if you haven't recently. On the tea front, PG Tips is my go-to :-)

[Epicureangirl]

 

There are MANY Tim Hortons in downtown Vancouver. There's one beside the Fairmont Waterfront hotel/across from the Pan Pacific, and another beside the Hyatt Regency, along with a dozen others. Hope you can try a cuppa Canadian tea before you embark.

 

And may I add... if you are in Vancouver, we also have a location of Murchie's Teas (flagship is in Victoria, but Murchie's is only in BC). They have a huge selections of teas and most are available in 10 bag boxes. They happen to make a great souvenir or small gift for those back home. And no, I don't work for them, I just drink their black teas and will be taking some onboard along with my Yorkshire Gold. ;)

[nana51]

I hope they continue to have PG Tips. I like black teas, and I think Bigelow's black teas are poor. (They do better with green and herbals) But they're way ahead of that Fields & Select stuff. It was awful.

 

 

 

Something else to pack, I guess...

 

 

 

Love PG tips. It what I use at home

 

 

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[nana51]

Is someone really "disgusted" over bad tea, or just going with the current trend to overstate anything out of proportion?

 

 

 

Oh I am. I always carry my own tea ,(PG tips). Imagine the difference between instant coffee and your favorite brewed.

 

 

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[nana51]

With the greatest respect, seapointer, this is not out of proportion.

 

You expect coffee to be hot, right? At least THAT?

 

Due to the USA habit of presenting water separate from tea bag, water is is never even CLOSE to hot enough once bag goes in. Then you have to wait, let it steep. My first sip is usually no better than warm, and often cool. Never hot.

 

You can get Coke or Pepsi anywhere in the US and know what to expect. You can get coffee anywhere in the US and know *basically* what to expect. And, a whole lot of other people will be screaming if it doesn't meet basic minimum.

 

But tea? In many places: what Douglas Adams once described as "almost, but not quite, exactly unlike tea."

 

HAL at it's worst is better than the bottom 1/3 of USA tea. HAL at it's best never approaches what I drink at home.

 

"Disgusting" pretty much covers MDR tea. IMO: YMMV.

 

Making it yourself in the Lido, with care, bringing your own tea, you can make pretty good tea. But HAL water is just short of boiling, and actually boiling water is the *universal*, most basic requirement for making black and most green tea.

 

If HAL coffee was like HAL tea? This board would resemble the Princess coffee threads. IMO. Again, YMMV.

 

 

 

Hear hear. As a Canadian I never order tea in a restaurant

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[nana51]

And may I add... if you are in Vancouver, we also have a location of Murchie's Teas (flagship is in Victoria, but Murchie's is only in BC). They have a huge selections of teas and most are available in 10 bag boxes. They happen to make a great souvenir or small gift for those back home. And no, I don't work for them, I just drink their black teas and will be taking some onboard along with my Yorkshire Gold. ;)

 

 

 

Love Yorkshire gold.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[lastlook]

Another fan here of Yorkshire Gold - just discovered it this past year and bought extra boxes the last time that I ordered it, to give to fellow tea drinker friends for Christmas. Planning to bring some with me on our next HAL cruise as well.

 

As far as coffee goes, Dunkin' Donuts is our preference here in the New England area. However, I also really enjoy Green Mountain Columbian coffee at work and home when I'm not drinking tea.

[Epicureangirl]

Is someone really "disgusted" over bad tea, or just going with the current trend to overstate anything out of proportion?

 

Sadly, I am passionate about tea, coffee, wine and most food -- I am frequently disgusted (or at the very least disappointed) by all four. The flip-side of that, is when a place or person gets it right, it is a BEAUTIFUL thing.

 

My mother-in-law (British) is the one who first got me cruising HAL. She struggles on her cruises to ever so politely ask/educate the MDR staff to get her tea prepared properly. I swear she was ELATED when on the last day it came to her correctly. But now that I have seen this thread, I can be the one to tell her about the life-hack for the Lido tea experience! She will be forever grateful. And actually -- I am grateful to come across this thread. I love tea but gave up drinking it on HAL because of having similar experiences to the others here.

[SetAnOpenCourse]

Thanks Crew News.

 

JMO: Tazo is absolutely NOT for me. Tried it: 3 times/3 varieties/3 places, once on Eurodam.

 

I know there are people who swear by Starbucks, but I only swear at that mermaid.

 

I'm so glad we'll be able to get Tim Horton's steeped tea in Vancouver before we embark. :cool: U.S. Timmy's don't have it.

 

 

I was surprised how poor Tazo is! Nothing more than a fancy name and box.

[SetAnOpenCourse]

For a bit of history regarding tea in the US:

 

 

http://lilactearoom.com/2012/07/mix-ignorance-with-knowledge-add-conventional-wisdom-meet-chief-tea-inspector-robert-dick/