Electric Kettles Question

[SargassoPirate]

I am looking at P&O for a world cruise in the future and am doing as much research on the boards here as I can.  I've noticed the cabins on P&O are equipped with an electric kettle.  Does the setup include both instant coffee and tea? 

 

We are not used to finding a kettle in our cabin since other lines we have cruised with ban them as "dangerous" - in reality it's just a cost saving move since those same lines put the kettles in the room when sailing around Australia.  In fact, we did a transpacific from Sydney to the US several years ago on a ship that had been in Australia for several months.  We had a kettle on the Sydney to Hawaii leg, but when we returned to the ship after touring Honolulu our kettle was gone.  I inquired and was told that they had been removed because they are a fire hazard.  Funny, I told the hotel director, they weren't a fire hazard while you were sailing around Australia. 😉

 

 

[dgs1956]

3 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

I am looking at P&O for a world cruise in the future and am doing as much research on the boards here as I can.  I've noticed the cabins on P&O are equipped with an electric kettle.  Does the setup include both instant coffee and tea? 

 

 

 

Yes. It does. Instant coffee and tea and if you need more the Cabin Steward will oblige.

[lindyloo22]

Yes tea, coffee, milk, sugar and biscuits

[Host Sharon]

It is Dowe Egberts coffee - both caffinated and decaffinated but I prefer to take my own sachets of Kenco Flat White. However, the milk is UHT in sachets but you could buy milk in port and keep in the cabin fridge but it isn't very cold.

[SargassoPirate]

7 minutes ago, Host Sharon said:

It is Dowe Egberts coffee - both caffinated and decaffinated but I prefer to take my own sachets of Kenco Flat White. However, the milk is UHT in sachets but you could buy milk in port and keep in the cabin fridge but it isn't very cold.

 

Thanks, Sharon.  I get used to Douwe Egberts when we travel in Europe and She Who Must Be Obeyed switches to tea for those trips. There have been times when we have had a room on land without a kettle but the tap water was plenty hot and I get into my stash of packets and had my Douwe's that way. We should be fine.

[Scorpio41]

I always take a jar of my favourite coffee with me and a packet of ginger biscuits. 

[pete14]

36 minutes ago, Host Sharon said:

It is Dowe Egberts coffee - both caffinated and decaffinated but I prefer to take my own sachets of Kenco Flat White. However, the milk is UHT in sachets but you could buy milk in port and keep in the cabin fridge but it isn't very cold.

 

I have never been into a port in Europe where I have been able to buy anything but long life UHT milk. I have often longed for the pasteurised variety we are used to in UK. They also mainly use UHT milk onboard even in the Costa outlets which makes cappuccino a no go area for my tastes.

[SarahHben]

Are you allowed to take fresh milk onboard? I assumed you couldn't but can't stand UHT so was expecting not to be able to use tea or coffee facilities in my cabin. I would happily take my own milk with me if it's permitted.

[wowzz]

23 minutes ago, SarahHben said:

Are you allowed to take fresh milk onboard? I assumed you couldn't but can't stand UHT so was expecting not to be able to use tea or coffee facilities in my cabin. I would happily take my own milk with me if it's permitted.

No reason why you can't take fresh milk on board, but be aware that the room  fridge is cool, rather than cold.

Have to say that we use skimmed UHT milk all the time,  and can't tell the difference between it and fresh. Nor can any of our house guests either,  if we don't tell them!

Edited August 13, 2019 by wowzz

[Rupert2251]

1 hour ago, lindyloo22 said:

Yes tea, coffee, milk, sugar and biscuits

Ooo yes don't forget the P&O biscuits!! Lol 😋

[pete14]

2 minutes ago, Rupert2251 said:

Ooo yes don't forget the P&O biscuits!! Lol 😋

 

Unlike any biscuits you may get anywhere else! I assume they are cheap for P&O to buy, I would hate to think they are not.

[AnnieC]

3 hours ago, SarahHben said:

Are you allowed to take fresh milk onboard? I assumed you couldn't but can't stand UHT so was expecting not to be able to use tea or coffee facilities in my cabin. I would happily take my own milk with me if it's permitted.

We take a pint carton (or whatever the metric equivalent now is) on board. Thereafter we either whip down to the buffet at breakfast time and, if lucky, nab a small carton of fresh milk from near the cereals or, failing that, order a large glass of milk via room service. 

 

Having said that, it's around 3 years since we sailed with P&O, so there may have been some changes. Did I read on here that one is now charged for room service?

[ollienbertsmum]

Can you not take a cup of milk or carton of milk from the breakfast buffet to your room??  I have not sailed P and O yet but when I have been on any other line I have taken milk from the buffet and kept it in the fridge.  I do not like the little packets of milk but I am happy to drink milk from cartons.  I cannot taste the difference between that and fresh (but I can taste the difference between Yorkshire tea and my favourite version of Nescafé and generic versions). 

 

A bit silly that kettles are said to be a fire risks.  It is irons that they blame on most ships.  Perhaps a little more likely to set on fire - but no one ever vilifies hair straighteners - and they are just as much a risk.  Cruise lines surely know that passengers would react big time if they tried to create mass bad hair days.  

[Presto2]

3 hours ago, Rupert2251 said:

Ooo yes don't forget the P&O biscuits!! Lol 😋

 

All replenished twice a day --- a definite perk of P&O

[SarahHben]

1 hour ago, AnnieC said:

We take a pint carton (or whatever the metric equivalent now is) on board. Thereafter we either whip down to the buffet at breakfast time and, if lucky, nab a small carton of fresh milk from near the cereals or, failing that, order a large glass of milk via room service. 

 

 

Good idea, thank you.

[swaddy]

We take fresh milk on board with us and have managed to buy it in port. Although the fridge isn't cold, it will keep for several days. I also take instant hot chocolate which has milk included.

[Otter18]

We politely ask for a jug of milk in the buffet at breakfast to take to our cabin. We have never been refused. Keep it in the cooler with a fresh bucket of ice. Replenish the milk and ice every day. It keeps us going for the whole cruise.

[SarahHben]

Thank you for the replies, looks like I'll be getting my cuppas in my cabin after all 🙂

[wowzz]

Just to be realistic, if you are on a long cruise, the milk you get on day 7, 8 or whatever, will  not be fresh. You may well get a jug of milk from the buffet, but how can it possibly be fresh? 

[ollienbertsmum]

Maybe the ships find a corner shop in one of the ports.  

[Tablelamp]

17 hours ago, Host Sharon said:

It is Dowe Egberts coffee - both caffinated and decaffinated but I prefer to take my own sachets of Kenco Flat White. However, the milk is UHT in sachets but you could buy milk in port and keep in the cabin fridge but it isn't very cold.

 

Or you could bring down a small jugful from the buffet and keep it in the fridge.

[wowzz]

15 minutes ago, Tablelamp said:

 

Or you could bring down a small jugful from the buffet and keep it in the fridge.

Which may not be fresh !

[groovechick]

9 hours ago, wowzz said:

Just to be realistic, if you are on a long cruise, the milk you get on day 7, 8 or whatever, will  not be fresh. You may well get a jug of milk from the buffet, but how can it possibly be fresh? 

The ship restocks with some items during the cruise, including fresh milk. I've seen them loading it from the quayside.

[groovechick]

Usually, on a shelf above the buffet breakfast cereals counter, or maybe at one end of the counter, there is a shelf with small jugs, and then big jugs of milk on the counter for use in cereals or if you want a glass of milk. We fill a small jug with milk, take it back to the room and keep it in the fridge. During our last cruise on Aurora it kept plenty cool enough and a jug was sufficient for 3/4 cups of tea/coffee. The steward removed the used jug when he gave us fresh mugs, repeat process for the next day. 

[wowzz]

3 minutes ago, groovechick said:

The ship restocks with some items during the cruise, including fresh milk. I've seen them loading it from the quayside.

I'm sure they do. But if you have 7 consecutive sea days, the freshness of the milk on day 7 can be a little suspect!