What brand of tea is served at IC?

[fluffybunny22]

I'm placing an order for some tea soon and am wondering if I should place an order for some tea bags too since I tend to like high end tea. What brand and types of teas are served in the IC? I'll be on the Enchanted next June but I know no one has sailed her yet but what is usually served on her sister ships?

[erber]

I believe the brand they had December 2019 was Mighty Leaf tea.

[skynight]

1 hour ago, erber said:

I believe the brand they had December 2019 was Mighty Leaf tea.

correct.

For no extra charge various flavors of Twinnings, some herbal teas and plain old Lipton was available in the DR, other DR's and the buffet.

Edited July 23, 2021 by skynight

[Jeter02]

International cafe uses mighty leaf tea. In the main dining room like mentioned above free of cost which is where I get my ultimate favorite of Bigelow Tea as I'm in Earl Gray tea drinker. But they do have some twinings and Lipton as well.

[wowzz]

No "proper" Yorkshire tea then !

I

Edited July 23, 2021 by wowzz

[DUCHESSRN]

Tea options very good ..I am a picky Brit ...

 

[geoherb]

I bring along some tea bags for myself since I have to have decaf options. I like decaf green tea for breakfast. I will drink the decaf tea they have available in the buffet--making it into a glass of iced tea. They also have a few herbal (naturally decaf) tea bags available in the dining room. I will order chamomile to go with my dessert. 

[Californian]

Do they have ginger tea anywhere on board?

[Kay S]

Okay, it's been way too long since my last cruise, but I seem to remember a tea bar or something like that in the International Cafe on the Royal (Regal?)  Am I imagining things?

[Chad_O]

I have seen Ginger Tea in the IC on the Regal, Royal, and Sky. It was a Mighty Leaf product and really good. There might have been a peach component to the blend. 

[brisalta]

16 hours ago, Jeter02 said:

International cafe uses mighty leaf tea. In the main dining room like mentioned above free of cost which is where I get my ultimate favorite of Bigelow Tea as I'm in Earl Gray tea drinker. But they do have some twinings and Lipton as well.

 

I take it you have never had a decent quality tea if you drink Bigelow brand willingly.

[cr8tiv1]

I just looked this up tonight too...Yes, Mighty Leaf Tea.  I like the White Orchid.  It is the tea with the lowest caffeine.  They do not offer decaffeinated tea at the IC.

[skynight]

14 hours ago, Californian said:

Do they have ginger tea anywhere on board?

Princess has had Bigelow herbal teas in the DR's as well as in the buffet area. They could stock their ginger tea. Ask the waiter if you don't see it. 

[The Wilkies]

As a fully committed and proud English (wo)man, I would say the tea in the IC is absolute rubbish. Smells and tastes of perfume. Take my own or, alternatively stock up from the buffet and just get boiling water and brew my own. At the moment addicted to lemon and ginger herbal tea, so will probably take these with me for my September seacation.

[Kay S]

19 hours ago, Kay S said:

Okay, it's been way too long since my last cruise, but I seem to remember a tea bar or something like that in the International Cafe on the Royal (Regal?)  Am I imagining things?

This thing.  On the Royal.  I think the idea was that they would make a personal blend for you from these drawers full of teas.  I think it had a cost.  There was also the Leaves bar on the Grand where they did the same sort of thing.

Edited July 24, 2021 by Kay S

[Coolmama_1]

19 hours ago, Chad_O said:

I have seen Ginger Tea in the IC on the Regal, Royal, and Sky. It was a Mighty Leaf product and really good. There might have been a peach component to the blend. 

The peach is very good!

[wowzz]

Can I just say that tea is made from tea leaves - nothing else. No added arty farty herbs or spices. And in the name of Typhoo, what has peach got to do with a cup of tea?

All of these concoctions are "herbal infusions". 

The test is - would you dunk a digestive in your tea? If the answer is "No" , it is not tea! 

Edited July 24, 2021 by wowzz

[fluffybunny22]

18 hours ago, brisalta said:

 

I take it you have never had a decent quality tea if you drink Bigelow brand willingly.

I'm seconding this because I don't drink grocery store tea. I mainly drink stuff I buy from Canadian tea companies and never bags. I'm actually currently banned from buying any more tea until I drink what I have. My birthday is soon and I asked my in laws for cash so I can buy some more of a tea that I love but have run out of and I was thinking about adding on some bagged tea for traveling.

[brisalta]

6 hours ago, fluffybunny22 said:

I'm seconding this because I don't drink grocery store tea. I mainly drink stuff I buy from Canadian tea companies and never bags. I'm actually currently banned from buying any more tea until I drink what I have. My birthday is soon and I asked my in laws for cash so I can buy some more of a tea that I love but have run out of and I was thinking about adding on some bagged tea for traveling.

 

I used to purchase my tea from Murchies in Vancouver. https://www.murchies.com/

They are quite possibly the finest tea purveyor in North America.

[brisalta]

7 hours ago, wowzz said:

Can I just say that tea is made from tea leaves - nothing else. No added arty farty herbs or spices. And in the name of Typhoo, what has peach got to do with a cup of tea?

All of these concoctions are "herbal infusions". 

The test is - would you dunk a digestive in your tea? If the answer is "No" , it is not tea! 

 

 I think you lost 90% of the audience with "dunk a digestive in your tea".

Now I prefer a dark chocolate coated digestive over a plain or milk chocolate digestive.

The big quandary is whether to apply the chocolate coated side to the tongue or the uncoated side?

 

Thinking of tea and chocolate is now making me think of the afternoon teas that they have on the Grand Princess and all the delightful tea cakes, finger sandwhiches and scones that they serve with it,

Edited July 25, 2021 by brisalta

[wowzz]

35 minutes ago, brisalta said:

 

 I think you lost 90% of the audience with "dunk a digestive in your tea".

I'm sure I did, but those 90% have no idea what a proper cup of tea should taste like!

Personally, I think dunking a chocolate biscuit is a crime against nature, but as long as you are dunking into a proper cup of tea, not some hot water flavoured with pot pourri,  you are forgiven ! 

[brisalta]

20 hours ago, wowzz said:

I'm sure I did, but those 90% have no idea what a proper cup of tea should taste like!

Personally, I think dunking a chocolate biscuit is a crime against nature, but as long as you are dunking into a proper cup of tea, not some hot water flavoured with pot pourri,  you are forgiven ! 

 

I never said to dunk a chocolate digestive in the tea.

[geoherb]

On 7/24/2021 at 12:14 AM, cr8tiv1 said:

I just looked this up tonight too...Yes, Mighty Leaf Tea.  I like the White Orchid.  It is the tea with the lowest caffeine.  They do not offer decaffeinated tea at the IC.

 

They have two herbal teas without caffeine: chamomile citrus and ginger twist. When DH and I were on our 2019 transatlantic cruise, I bought the coffee package so I could get the free tea and would use it to buy his cappuccino each night at dinner. The workers would even give me the tea bags so I could take them to the dining room.

[geoherb]

On 7/24/2021 at 6:24 PM, wowzz said:

Can I just say that tea is made from tea leaves - nothing else. No added arty farty herbs or spices. And in the name of Typhoo, what has peach got to do with a cup of tea?

All of these concoctions are "herbal infusions". 

The test is - would you dunk a digestive in your tea? If the answer is "No" , it is not tea! 

 

Arty farty herbs and spices make a nice cup of tea. It seems sad to go through life not recognizing reality. The Oxford English Dictionary includes this definition for tea: "a hot drink made by pouring boiling water onto the leaves of other plants." So yes, I would dunk a digestive in my cup of chamomile tea. It would be delicious. 

[cr8tiv1]

1 hour ago, geoherb said:

 

They have two herbal teas without caffeine: chamomile citrus and ginger twist. When DH and I were on our 2019 transatlantic cruise, I bought the coffee package so I could get the free tea and would use it to buy his cappuccino each night at dinner. The workers would even give me the tea bags so I could take them to the dining room.

 

I didn't know that.  I will have to try the chamomile.  I don't care for ginger in any form.  I know...it's good for you.  Thanks.  I knew coffee was free.  Didn't know that tea was also free.