Iced tea and sweetener

[peanutter]

Hi all.  We are fairly new to HAL (only been on Veendam once but going on Koningsdam in a few weeks - can't wait!), but we are not new to cruising and have been onboard Princess most recently.  My question in a nutshell is this - when ordering a glass of tea, in particular in the MDR, how does one add sweetener and then mix it up in the tea?  I understand there are no longer straws and haven't seen a teaspoon offered in a long time.  At least not on Princess.  On our last P. cruise, DH just ended up using his butter knife to mix in the "pink pack."  It gets the job done but kind of crude.  Am hoping to hear HAL has the proper silverware, at least with dinner.  

 

As a side note, I read on a recent "live from" that packets of anything (pink, yellow or blue and certainly not real sugar) are no longer offered.  They only offer sugar and Stevia in a glass shaker type bottle.  Can anyone confirm this is the case on the Koningsdam?  

 

Oh, and I know we could solve the "problem" by ordering wine or other libation, but DH likes tea with dinner 🙂  Thanks in advance for any info you may offer!

[Lido deck main]

Hi, hope you have great cruise on Koningsdam.  If things have changed that I am unaware of, HAL has teaspoons, if the teaspoon is not set with dinner silverware, it definitely shows up when coffee and tea are brought at the end of dinner, maybe just ask the waiter to bring you one earlier to mix up the iced tea before dinner arrives. 

[colbe]

There are always teaspoons in the MDR

[peanutter]

Thank you both for the quick responses!

 

I know what you are talking about with the little spoons brought with coffee and that would work well.  I was thinking of a longer handled teaspoon more like we use (I'm in the southern U.S. and tea is a "thing" down here!)  But certainly the other spoon should do the trick and will ask for one.

 

FWIW, I am more of a hot tea drinker and am over the top excited to get onboard and have a stroopwafel warming on top of my cup!    

[Bostonjetset]

7 hours ago, peanutter said:

Hi all.  We are fairly new to HAL (only been on Veendam once but going on Koningsdam in a few weeks - can't wait!), but we are not new to cruising and have been onboard Princess most recently.  My question in a nutshell is this - when ordering a glass of tea, in particular in the MDR, how does one add sweetener and then mix it up in the tea?  I understand there are no longer straws and haven't seen a teaspoon offered in a long time.  At least not on Princess.  On our last P. cruise, DH just ended up using his butter knife to mix in the "pink pack."  It gets the job done but kind of crude.  Am hoping to hear HAL has the proper silverware, at least with dinner.  

 

As a side note, I read on a recent "live from" that packets of anything (pink, yellow or blue and certainly not real sugar) are no longer offered.  They only offer sugar and Stevia in a glass shaker type bottle.  Can anyone confirm this is the case on the Koningsdam?  

 

Oh, and I know we could solve the "problem" by ordering wine or other libation, but DH likes tea with dinner 🙂  Thanks in advance for any info you may offer!

I totally feel you with the lack of straws...so annoying...but on Princess I just asked the waiter for a spoon with my iced tea and after the 2nd night he remembered and always brought one along; of course having set dining helps with that but I'm sure you could ask every day if you have different waitstaff. 

 

Not to hijack your thread but can anyone confirm that they no longer have Sweet N Low [or Equal, etc.] packets?  I find this hard to believe as many diabetics depend on the artificial sweeteners.  I am not diabetic but I prefer no-cal drinks when possible so always use the Sweet N Low in my iced tea.  I can always bring my own if needed but it's kind of a pain.

[DoggyDaddy]

Can you get stroopwafels in the Lido and/or MDR? We first had them on a trip to The Netherlands several years ago where they made them on site and have become addicted to them (only slightly so). 🙂

I imagine they have them in the Grand Dutch Cafe But is there a charge?

 

DD

[Seasick Sailor]

I believe someone mentioned stevia? I wonder what room service delivers for breakfast coffee?

[tunafish]

went on K-dam in december. they had all sweeteners everywhere

 

[peanutter]

Ah, good to hear tunafish about sweeteners everywhere on the Koningsdam.  I'm with you Bostonjetset as we love the pink packs.  Neither of us is a diabetic but prefer sugar free drinks.    

 

I read the packets were gone on a thread by Copper10-8 - his Oosterdam NY cruise report (great review) I think around page 4.  Maybe (hopefully) I misunderstood, but I read it to say a lot of the paper products were going away including the little packets.  I really do not want to pack a box of Sweet n Low but will probably do it just in case. . . . .   

[Floridiana]

The Koningsdam shop sold reusable straws with a small brush. They came in a small container.

[aliaschief]

On our October/November Rotterdam cruise there wasn’t sugar packets on the tables in MDR. There was a glass sugar dispenser.

 

I requested no cal sugar packet and a assortment of packets were quickly provided.

 

Just ask!

[Bostonjetset]

3 hours ago, aliaschief said:

On our October/November Rotterdam cruise there wasn’t sugar packets on the tables in MDR. There was a glass sugar dispenser.

 

I requested no cal sugar packet and a assortment of packets were quickly provided.

 

Just ask!

Thanks for confirming they are at least available upon request.  I would have been quite shocked if they didn't provide them at all.

[Copper10-8]

1 hour ago, Bostonjetset said:

Thanks for confirming they are at least available upon request.  I would have been quite shocked if they didn't provide them at all.

 

Got off Oosterdam last Saturday. There are no longer packets of sweeteners (Equal, Sweet & Low, and Splenda) available on the dam ships. What they have instead are large (Lido Market) and small (Pinnacle Grill/Canaletto, etc.) glass shakers of Stevia 

[Bostonjetset]

15 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Got off Oosterdam last Saturday. There are no longer packets of sweeteners (Equal, Sweet & Low, and Splenda) available on the dam ships. What they have instead are large (Lido Market) and small (Pinnacle Grill/Canaletto, etc.) glass shakers of Stevia 

Wow. What a mess that is. Do you know if this is an official policy going forward?  Stevia is awful and tastes nothing like the others.  I may have to write HAL tomorrow. I certainly wouldn’t cancel a trip over this but it would make me think twice when booking for the future. Some make think it’s petty but these sweeteners are pretty standard all over the place at coffee shops, cafes, restaurants, offices, etc. HAL really expects passengers to carry this onboard themselves?!?

[Copper10-8]

18 minutes ago, Bostonjetset said:

Wow. What a mess that is. Do you know if this is an official policy going forward?  Stevia is awful and tastes nothing like the others.  I may have to write HAL tomorrow. I certainly wouldn’t cancel a trip over this but it would make me think twice when booking for the future. Some make think it’s petty but these sweeteners are pretty standard all over the place at coffee shops, cafes, restaurants, offices, etc. HAL really expects passengers to carry this onboard themselves?!?

 

It's a new policy having to do with cutting down on papers and plastics; it includes plastic straws and the daily 'USA Today' printed news letter (the latter will still be available on line)

[fatcat04]

On NA now. I saw sweetener packets (pink and yellow) in the Explorations coffee bar (pic below) and at the drink station in the lido. 

 

In the lido and Explorations, they also had both white and the brown what I guess is raw sugar in the glass shakers and in the lido, they also had a whole plate of teaspoons for stirring your beverage.

 

I have had 2 Caribbean Coolers so far. Both had perfectly adequate and sturdy paper straws. 

Edited January 7, 2020 by fatcat04

[Copper10-8]

Posted letter in Oosterdam's Explorations Cafe last week - 2nd pic are the "sugar choices" in the Lido: white sugar, brown sugar and Stevia, all in shakers; no more sugar substitute packets available 

[fatcat04]

I am guessing at least for the time being this will be another "Your ship experience may vary" situation. Possibly because of speed of implementation of this new policy or maybe just an onboard staff decision.

 

It seems most folks who use alternative sweeteners stick to one kind... I assume because they are used to the taste. I personally can't imagine forcing everyone to go with stevia only. Thankfully I can still use sugar but not everyone can.

 

I think this policy needs a little everyday common sense and understanding added to it. 

[Bostonjetset]

7 hours ago, fatcat04 said:

On NA now. I saw sweetener packets (pink and yellow) in the Explorations coffee bar (pic below) and at the drink station in the lido. 

 

In the lido and Explorations, they also had both white and the brown what I guess is raw sugar in the glass shakers and in the lido, they also had a whole plate of teaspoons for stirring your beverage.

 

I have had 2 Caribbean Coolers so far. Both had perfectly adequate and sturdy paper straws. 

 

6 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

Posted letter in Oosterdam's Explorations Cafe last week - 2nd pic are the "sugar choices" in the Lido: white sugar, brown sugar and Stevia, all in shakers; no more sugar substitute packets available 

 

1 hour ago, fatcat04 said:

I am guessing at least for the time being this will be another "Your ship experience may vary" situation. Possibly because of speed of implementation of this new policy or maybe just an onboard staff decision.

 

It seems most folks who use alternative sweeteners stick to one kind... I assume because they are used to the taste. I personally can't imagine forcing everyone to go with stevia only. Thankfully I can still use sugar but not everyone can.

 

I think this policy needs a little everyday common sense and understanding added to it. 

Wow, so confusing. I’m glad to hear that there are still packets available on some ships?  Copper: did you ask for Sweet N Low or Equal by any chance?  I wonder if they are only available on request and stevia is in a shaker because it doesn’t cake up from humidity like the others? I did a google search and found an article from August that referenced Carnival ships (not corporate) getting rid of straws and single packets of sugar but it specifically stated (excluding artificial sweeteners) next to the line that said sugar. So I wonder if now you have to ask specifically.  

[kwb101]

I am on board Volendam, and all Lido tables get a rectanglar container full of pink, yellow, and blue packets, along with a full-size real-sugar dispenser. 

[*Miss G*]

7 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

Posted letter in Oosterdam's Explorations Cafe last week - 2nd pic are the "sugar choices" in the Lido: white sugar, brown sugar and Stevia, all in shakers; no more sugar substitute packets available 

 

Brown sugar?  So weird.  It needs to be raw sugar.  First reason for taste and second reason because it will never shake through those holes!  Thanks for the heads up.

[Seasick Sailor]

Perhaps the brown sugar is for oatmeal or cream of wheat?

[*Miss G*]

1 minute ago, Seasick Sailor said:

Perhaps the brown sugar is for oatmeal or cream of wheat?

 

At the coffee bar?

[Seasick Sailor]

25 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

At the coffee bar?

 

I believe Mr. Copper noted the 2nd picture was in the Lido?

I'm sorry if I misunderstood the caption.

[bEwAbG]

A local restaurant group here in DC switched to Stevia as the only choice a few years ago.  I complained to them to no avail, and they're still the only restaurant group in the area that doesn't offer Equal or Sweet n Low.  If I forget to bring my stash, then they lose out on a high-margin sale. 

 

Stevia is not an acceptable substitute because it does not taste the same as the others.  Perhaps if people would complain about this on their surveys, they'll keep a supply of it available.  They could cut down on usage by requiring people to ask for it, if that's really the concern.