Seaside YC - if you're a tea drinker (hot) read this!

[jules815]

The tea bag situation for just a good cuppa wasn't good the week we sailed.  (1/12)

 

I thought that maybe in YC when it comes to having a cup of tea, it would be similar to Celebrity.  Wrong.  I don't know if it was our week and maybe they had a shortage of their Twining's English Breakfast, but for a tea drinker, it was pretty dire.  (I don't drink coffee at all.)  They had Twinings, but it was a flavored black tea that couldn't be served with cream.  (The brand was Twinings, but it was different, "360 flavored" or something like that.)  Then one morning one of my servers was all excited to bring me a pot of English Breakfast, but it was decaf!  I never complained, first world problems and all that.  A few times I asked for English Breakfast and they brought me Earl Grey.  I started going for walks thru the buffets on deck 16 and I'd grab a couple of bags from there (they carry the same brand there that RC has, Fields and Select, which isn't a favorite, but it does the job.)  I would ask them to just bring me a tea pot of hot water.  

 

Anyway, if you enjoy a cuppa, and you're sailing in YC, you might want to bring your own.  And maybe it was just an off week for our cruise, but better to be safe than sorry.

 

We never did make it to tea time in the YC Lounge because we spent our afternoons up at the pool.  

 

We still had a great week on Seaside and loved the YC!  And I promise to get back to my review soon.  🙂

 

 

 

 

[sidari]

There was a shortage of black tea on our Divina sailing over New year with five days of the cruise left!

[Hlitner]

DW is a confirmed tea drinker and generally prefers Earl Grey or English Breakfast.  Over the years she has learned (the hard way) to always pack some of her own tea bags.    She thinks that, many times, American tea drinkers are discriminated against in restaurants and bars.  Consider that most places will "refresh" your cup of coffee with new hot coffee.  But tea drinkers are lucky if they get more hot water....but seldom get more tea bags :).  One restaurant we know at home does not even have any tea!

 

Hank

[disneyg1rl]

5 hours ago, jules815 said:

Anyway, if you enjoy a cuppa, and you're sailing in YC, you might want to bring your own. 

 

I enjoy Tazo Chai tea and no one carries it generally.  Even Starbucks switched to another brand!  I always bring it where ever I go.  On Norwegian ships it always catches the eye of the Haven servers from India.  I usually give away a few bags away each trip to let others experience it too.

 

 

 

[hamrag]

My DW would say, if there was a way to get boiling (not simply 'hot') water and brew her tea immediately....in our out YC....but that is another story!

[jules815]

1 hour ago, hamrag said:

My DW would say, if there was a way to get boiling (not simply 'hot') water and brew her tea immediately....in our out YC....but that is another story!

 

You can make a pretty decent cup in the buffet on 16.  One of the buffets, I can't remember if it was on 8 or 16, even had a warm milk dispenser.  We like to take a walk around the ship after breakfast and dinner, so that became our routine.  I'd make a cuppa there and grab some bags to take back to the YC with me.  If you forget to pack your own, they're located in a dispenser with little drawers at the coffee stations.  They have ceramic mugs there, too.  

 

[jules815]

16 hours ago, disneyg1rl said:

 

 

True story.  We stayed at a Courtyard in Ft. Myers for a few days after our cruise to visit with friends.  First morning my husband went down to get a cup from the Starbucks in the lobby.  Came back with a Tazo made perfectly.  I was in heaven.  Next morning I ran down and they were out of the Tazo and gave me another brand, which was still good.  I wonder if I got their last Tazo bag?!

 

[hamrag]

4 minutes ago, jules815 said:

 

You can make a pretty decent cup in the buffet on 16.....  

 

 

For UK tea drinkers, and my DW is certainly one of those, 'pretty decent' doesn't cut it....the water has to be right on the boil.

Thanks for the tea bag tip, I shall pass it on to her!

[jules815]

17 hours ago, Hlitner said:

DW is a confirmed tea drinker and generally prefers Earl Grey or English Breakfast.  Over the years she has learned (the hard way) to always pack some of her own tea bags.    She thinks that, many times, American tea drinkers are discriminated against in restaurants and bars.  Consider that most places will "refresh" your cup of coffee with new hot coffee.  But tea drinkers are lucky if they get more hot water....but seldom get more tea bags :).  One restaurant we know at home does not even have any tea!

 

Hank

She's absolutely right!  When we go out and I order tea, we always say "I wonder what will go wrong this time?"  It happens so often, kind of a running joke with us.  

 

If we get a survey from MSC, I think I'll mention it.  And like I said, we still had a great week, but not being able to have a decent cup in the YC restaurant with any meal, especially breakfast, was a bit of a disappointment.

 

[jules815]

2 minutes ago, hamrag said:

 

For UK tea drinkers, and my DW is certainly one of those, 'pretty decent' doesn't cut it....the water has to be right on the boil.

Thanks for the tea bag tip, I shall pass it on to her!

My entire family is from Scotland (Shettleston), so I've been drinking tea for as long as I can remember.  I know exactly what you mean about being right on the boil.  Ever had someone microwave a cup of water for you because they've got no kettle?  The worst!!  Have a great day!  #teadrinkersunite!

[Arzeena]

22 hours ago, jules815 said:

 

True story.  We stayed at a Courtyard in Ft. Myers for a few days after our cruise to visit with friends.  First morning my husband went down to get a cup from the Starbucks in the lobby.  Came back with a Tazo made perfectly.  I was in heaven.  Next morning I ran down and they were out of the Tazo and gave me another brand, which was still good.  I wonder if I got their last Tazo bag?!

 

Love Tazo Awake! I always bring some of my own.
I am looking forward to reading your review.

Edited January 24, 2019 by Arzeena