How is the quality of the free iced tea?

[cruiser4305]

I haven't been on a Carnival cruise in some time so I can't remember how the quality of the iced tea was on their ships many moons ago. I drink a lot of unsweet iced tea (southerner that lost his sweet tooth) but can only handle it if it's semi-decent. One of the only things in life I'm a little picky about.

 

So how is the iced tea? Is it brewed on-site? Lipton, Nestea, etc? Anyone know?

 

 

Thanks!

[BoDidly]

The Tea is drinkable.:D

[sanmarcosman]

I think it is a liquid tea concentrate that is reconstituted with water at the time it is dispensed. I don't know the brand name but I find it bland and lacking a deep tea flavor. We bring our own tea bags and an empty 2 quart plastic container and fill it up and make our own tea for iced tea on board.

Edited October 16, 2016 by sanmarcosman

[elainmir]

No if I'm not mistaken it's a MIX that comes in these half gallon size cartons just like the lemonade and the juice do. I personally avoid the "tea" because it tastes like artificial lemon ..ick...I do like the lemonade but it's wayyyy to sweet for me so I do ice, half lemonade and half water. It makes it way more palatable. We also have to "cut" the OJ with water...the sugar content has to be astronomical in those! ;)

[magnetlady4u]

The iced tea is not the greatest. Probably from a mix. I usually mix it with lemonade. But you can always brew a few tea bags strong and pour it over ice! They only offer regular lipton and green tea for free now. No flavored ones now without a charge. I just pack a few of my own favorite flavors from home. Enjoy your cruise and your iced tea!

[riffatsea]

Just think about it-----The tea is in giant containers in several places on the ship and is available all day and night. Do you think they would stop and brew it constantly??? That would be one person's job all day to sit and brew tea. I think not.

I am sure it is from some sort of mix.

It does not have a strong tea flavor. I think of it as flavored water.

[BoDidly]

I think it is a liquid tea concentrate that is reconstituted with water at the time it is dispensed. I don't know the brand name but I find it bland and lacking a deep tea flavor. We bring our own tea bags and an empty 2 quart plastic container and fill it up and make our own tea for iced tea on board.

Yes liquid concentrate .

 

Interesting ,do you use hot water or cold ? And how do you sweeten it ? sugar packs ,sweet and low ?

[GweninTX]

It is really awful! Especially if you really like brewed iced tea. I cannot drink it- sorry!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[funinthesun1964]

It is gross IMO.

[sanmarcosman]

Yes liquid concentrate .

 

Interesting ,do you use hot water or cold ? And how do you sweeten it ? sugar packs ,sweet and low ?

We use cold water and let it sit in our cooler on ice in the cabin until it steeps like sun tea without the sun. It takes a few hours so we plan ahead. Neither of us likes sweet tea.

[MMastell]

I would give it, on a scale of 1-10, a 6. It's drinkable. I usually do an Arnie Palmer and mix it with the lemonade. That's not bad at all and not too sweet.

 

Take care,

Mike

[cruizergal70]

The ice tea is fine. Just know that it is UNSWEETENED. You will have to add a sweetener or mix it with the lemonade.

[BoDidly]

We use cold water and let it sit in our cooler on ice in the cabin until it steeps like sun tea without the sun. It takes a few hours so we plan ahead. Neither of us likes sweet tea.

 

Good idea, DIL uses hot water followed by two and a half cups of sugar per gallon ,let it sit for and hour then pour over ice. :eek: . No I don't drink it.

[maxydu]

In comparison to brewed sweet North Carolina tea it's NASTY! "Doctor" it up with some

of the too sweet lemonade and the mixture is drinkable! It's part of the cruise experience!

[cruiser4305]

Just think about it-----The tea is in giant containers in several places on the ship and is available all day and night. Do you think they would stop and brew it constantly??? That would be one person's job all day to sit and brew tea. I think not.

I am sure it is from some sort of mix.

It does not have a strong tea flavor. I think of it as flavored water.

 

A lot of busy restaurants use the machines below to brew large quantity of iced tea. I've seen them before on other ships but it doesn't sound like Carnival uses them!

 

[fshstck]

My last cruise I never touched the tea or lemonade, I drank water and a few root beers I carried on. I remember from the past the tea is horrid, but better than the lemonade.

[ray98]

It is as good as a concentrate tea can be. I usually make an Arnold Palmer and mix it with the lemonade.

[berrieh]

Last time, I brought cold brew tea bags because I prefer them. I don't think the tea at lido is awful, but it tastes like it's from concentrate, and I'm not a fan of that.

[DHnDWplus2]

In my southern opinion, it's nasty!

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Forums mobile app

[Tennessee Rose]

We've always found the MDR tea to be stronger than what is at Lido.

 

But we generally drink Arnold Palmers, so don't have a problem with it. On one cruise, our dinner drink server, after night 1, just mixed our own pitchers of Arnold Palmers to bring to us instead of separate pitchers of tea and lemonade! Every night he had "our tea" fixed for us! :D

[Carnival_Brides]

It's pretty gross. My niece loves iced tea and got some last week on Sunshine--she didn't get any for the rest of the cruise because it tasted like funky water.

[tallyho8]

Although I like their tea more than their coffee, when I want a really good ice tea I make my own. It takes a couple of minutes more but no longer than if you brew tea at home.

 

I have always found a variety of teabags on every Carnival ship I have been on and can easily fill 2 coffee cups with hot water, insert the tea bag(s) of my choice, wait a couple of minutes, then pour it into a cup of ice and enjoy as good a glass of ice tea as I can get anywhere.

 

Wish I could do that with their coffee.

[sanmarcosman]

I have always found a variety of teabags on every Carnival ship I have been on

 

The free tea varieties on Carnival now are green and orange pekoe only.

[USNUZULOOSE]

It is okay, at least it is something to drink. For the most part I drink milk at meal time.

[GradUT]

To my Southern palate, it tastes just fine. I think only some sort of "iced tea snob" would object to it.