How’s Cafe Promenade? Should I save my $36.58?

[Seannie]

So sailing on AOS soon and RCL for the first time and I noticed Cafe Promenade has free coffee and specialty coffee drinks for purchase…but there’s also a Starbucks for coffee purchases.  
 

I will not be patronizing Starbucks on the ship, so what’s your review of the specialty drinks at Cafe Promenade?  I’ve read posts about how people enjoy the espresso/cappuccino machine in the diamond and suite lounges (when they’re working) but does Cafe Promenade have the professional equipment that you’d find at a good cafe?  Surely not the same machine as in the diamond/suite lounges?

 

Should I save my $36.48 and not buy the cafe card or is it worth it?

[ARandomTraveler]

The free coffee in the cafe is just regular drip coffee, nothing special. The specialty coffee is pretty equitable to Starbucks or other coffee shop coffees. If you like specialty coffee, buy the coffee card, or just pay out of pocket.

[Norwich Cruiser]

We are fine with the free coffee.

[the penguins]

1 hour ago, ARandomTraveler said:

The free coffee in the cafe is just regular drip coffee, nothing special. The specialty coffee is pretty equitable to Starbucks or other coffee shop coffees. If you like specialty coffee, buy the coffee card, or just pay out of pocket.

Coffee card is great if you have "regular size" drinks if you prefer large it's usually cheaper to pay as you go. The reason is the card is punched at the rate of one punch per drink but often they will insist on 2 punches if it's a large. Check on board before you buy which system they are operating.

[loman]

7 hours ago, Seannie said:

So sailing on AOS soon and RCL for the first time and I noticed Cafe Promenade has free coffee and specialty coffee drinks for purchase…but there’s also a Starbucks for coffee purchases.  
 

I will not be patronizing Starbucks on the ship, so what’s your review of the specialty drinks at Cafe Promenade?  I’ve read posts about how people enjoy the espresso/cappuccino machine in the diamond and suite lounges (when they’re working) but does Cafe Promenade have the professional equipment that you’d find at a good cafe?  Surely not the same machine as in the diamond/suite lounges?

 

Should I save my $36.48 and not buy the cafe card or is it worth it?

I have bought expresso at Cafe Promenade and its fine .

The free coffee is a tad on the strong side so i add a squirt of hot water and its ok . I dont drink SB coffee as i find it too strong , with a burnt bitter taste .

I prefer a medium roast , but you may find it acceptable if you like SB.

 

[SilkySal]

I usually buy the "refreshment package" which includes all (even frozen) no alcohol drinks. The Cafe Promenade makes a great caramel macchiato!!

[DaKahuna]

41 minutes ago, loman said:

I dont drink SB coffee as i find it too strong , with a burnt bitter taste .

I prefer a medium roast , but you may find it acceptable if you like SB.

 

 

 I have often described starbucks coffee as 'cheap beans, over roasted'. 
I will drink their Frap's and the nitro cold brew but not their regular coffee.
I have gotten to the point where I do not drink as much hot coffee anymore but when I do I like to have a little Bailey's added to it.  

[Seannie]

8 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 I have often described starbucks coffee as 'cheap beans, over roasted'. 
I will drink their Frap's and the nitro cold brew but not their regular coffee.
I have gotten to the point where I do not drink as much hot coffee anymore but when I do I like to have a little Bailey's added to it.  

What do you think of Cafe Promenade?

[DaKahuna]

I have not been on a Royal Caribbean ship since 2019 but I, as someone else mentioned, remember adding hot water to hit as it was too strong and bitter for my taste. 

I have yet to receive good coffee from room service.  I prefer the coffee served in the dining rooms but sometimes even that is a little bitter.  

[Sunshine3601]

4 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

I have yet to receive good coffee from room service. 

So true, room service coffee is horrible, IMO.   I have always wondered why.

Edited July 15, 2022 by Sunshine3601

[loman]

As i recall ,  i agree that dining room coffee was not as bitter .

 

[aubreyc1988]

I haven't been on Royal since 2018 but I remember the free coffee being BAD. I remember Cafe Promenade having lavazza coffee beans as their brand but I could be wrong. 

[cft8]

It's been a while for me, too, but I am not a fan of Royal's free coffee in any venue. I've done the coffee card a few times, but I prefer doing the refreshment package because I also don't like the free orange juice, so that lets me get the fresh-squeezed and also means I can grab bottled waters throughout the day.

[sdrocks]

IMO, and just off Symphony in June, the coffee in the windjammer and main dining rooms are good.

Especially if they just replace the empty pot with a fresh brewed one.  Also Park Cafe.  Now understand I don't drink speciality coffees, only plain black coffee.  Just want it hot and want it fresh and I'm happy.  Don't like it super strong and don't like it weak.

[wallyj]

12 hours ago, Seannie said:

So sailing on AOS soon and RCL for the first time and I noticed Cafe Promenade has free coffee and specialty coffee drinks for purchase…but there’s also a Starbucks for coffee purchases.  
 

I will not be patronizing Starbucks on the ship, so what’s your review of the specialty drinks at Cafe Promenade?  I’ve read posts about how people enjoy the espresso/cappuccino machine in the diamond and suite lounges (when they’re working) but does Cafe Promenade have the professional equipment that you’d find at a good cafe?  Surely not the same machine as in the diamond/suite lounges?

 

Should I save my $36.48 and not buy the cafe card or is it worth it?

I thought I saw, coming to Royal ships soon will be the introduction of Starbucks coffee at Cafe Promenade and you WILL be able to use your D, D+, or Pinnacle drink vouchers. 
 

Are you D or above level? If so, you would probably will want to enjoy the coffee machine in the DL instead of the free drip coffee at Cafe Promenade, otherwise for their specialty espresso based drinks, they have the professional machine for coffee drinks for a fee.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

45 minutes ago, aubreyc1988 said:

I haven't been on Royal since 2018 but I remember the free coffee being BAD. I remember Cafe Promenade having lavazza coffee beans as their brand but I could be wrong. 

it did say Lavazza on our last cruise (Allure), but their free coffee was undrinkable.

We drink Lavazza at home - theirs was not Lavazza. It was awful. We are not coffee connoisseurs and like regular drip coffee like Gevalia, Community Coffee, Dunkin, Caribou, Lavazza, Starbucks blonde roasts, etc. We actually had to bring Nescafe instant coffee with us on our last cruise, because it was much better than the bitter stuff they served.

 

P.S. I like a Mocha CreamIce on Harmony at Cafe Promenade, but hated it on the Allure. It was much more bitter on the Allure.

[taglovestocruise]

14 hours ago, Seannie said:

So sailing on AOS soon and RCL for the first time and I noticed Cafe Promenade has free coffee and specialty coffee drinks for purchase…but there’s also a Starbucks for coffee purchases.  
 

I will not be patronizing Starbucks on the ship, so what’s your review of the specialty drinks at Cafe Promenade?  I’ve read posts about how people enjoy the espresso/cappuccino machine in the diamond and suite lounges (when they’re working) but does Cafe Promenade have the professional equipment that you’d find at a good cafe?  Surely not the same machine as in the diamond/suite lounges?

 

Should I save my $36.48 and not buy the cafe card or is it worth it?

Espresso machine in Cafe Promenade is far superior to that found in the DL or SL.

PC. 

 

DL...

Edited July 15, 2022 by taglovestocruise

[MCazer]

Coffee Machine in Diamond lounge has not been working on our last two sailings.  When it does, it is good.  We buy the Refreshment package, because I like to get my Mocha from the cafe.  The servers are great and very friendly!  I also like the refreshment package for the mock drinks and bottled water (which we stockpile for tours off the ship!)  I despise Starbucks coffee. It just tastes Burnt to me.  I don't drink iced coffee. 

[StephPS79]

Not going to lie, I love free cruise ship coffee.  It's not good by any means, but there's something so comforting about it.  I think mostly because I associate it with cruising.  😄

 

That said, Cafe Promenade is definitely decent, I'm no coffee snob or anything, but they have professional equipment and do a decent job.  I always start my day with a free bad free coffee, because it just feels right, but then through the day would go to the Cafe Promenade.  I definitely think it's worth the money.

[katiel53]

I bought the coffee card on Allure and haven't used all 15 drinks so I will use the balance on Harmony.  I think it was worth the money as I have one mocha latte daily while on the ship.

 

I like these, but don't drink standard coffee as I think coffee smells a lot better than it tastes.  At home I drink flavored coffee, so the mocha latte, to me, is great.  I do get it at the Cafe Promenade.

[miyanc]

unless i get a big discount, i dont think the refresh package is worth it. I dont drink alcohol so the full 1 is out too.  For me the card, is the most convenient way to get better coffee on occasion.   I can drink the regular coffee provided and yes often from location to location or even machine to machine it varies.  If I am only getting coffee, want a more then coffee drink or want something fancy with a meal, the card is the best.  

If fresh juice or mocktails or I thought i needed 5-8 specialty drinks a day i would get the refreshment package.  I also dont drink soda.  I do however really like coffee.  I used to drink gas station coffee or kcups.  I have since upraded to expensive specialty coffee, I buy freshly rosted, grind if fresh and use a scale to measure weight of coffee and water boiled to specific temp and manually poured over using 1 of several methods. I also hate starbucks coffee.  I do drink there esspresso based coffee, mainly blonde roast.  But the regular stuff is over roasted.  

 

I actullly had a card from the symphony with 5-6 punchs left.  It was from 2019 and I just thru it out about 3 months ago.  Oh well. that cruise was just after the double punching started.  It was mixed, some places punched 2x, some once and sometimes not at all.  

 

All this for the nectar of life.  HMMMMM

[wdwkings]

AOS?  Adventure, Anthem or Allure.  Guessing Allure since that was one of the first with a Starbucks.  It is not the only one these days.  
 

Earlier in this thread someone mentioned that Starbucks was being used on the ships in the cafe.  We heard that rumor, I think back in March on the Wonder.  Have not been able to verify since then but the products in the cafe and Starbucks should be very similar.

[Seannie]

47 minutes ago, wdwkings said:

AOS?  Adventure, Anthem or Allure.  Guessing Allure since that was one of the first with a Starbucks.  It is not the only one these days.  
 

Earlier in this thread someone mentioned that Starbucks was being used on the ships in the cafe.  We heard that rumor, I think back in March on the Wonder.  Have not been able to verify since then but the products in the cafe and Starbucks should be very similar.

Ah yes, I’m clearly a RCL novice assuming there was only one AOS.  We’ll be on Adventure.  

[loving2cruise]

On 7/15/2022 at 9:26 AM, Sunshine3601 said:

So true, room service coffee is horrible, IMO.   I have always wondered why.

 

 

Me too!  Someone told me the room service coffee is made from powder.  Not sure if that is true, but it sure tastes gross...and I am usually not picky when it comes to coffee.

 

 

 

[LB_NJ]

Generally, the regular coffee on the Royal and Celebrity ships is pretty bad and I usually take a couple of sips and stop, and I will drink almost anything.