International Cafe questions

[madre2]

Hi all!  Just wondering if anyone has any pics of what beverages are offered at the International Cafe?  Just looking for some fresh brewed coffee, and fresh brewed iced tea.  Nothing fancy!  And are those two items free there, or is there a charge for those?  Also, could we get those two things in the dining room with our meal with no fee?

[CruzeQueen2]

Beverages at the IC are offered for purchase. 

Tea and coffee are free in the MDR and at the buffet.

[memoak]

For fancy there will be all the usual espresso type coffees   Yes there is a charge unless you have a beverage package 

Edited May 25, 2023 by memoak

[SCX22]

Coffee, iced tea, and hot water (for tea bags) are available in the buffet through self serve dispensers.  On Grand class and the Island and the Coral ships, coffee is from concentrate at the buffets, not freshly brewed.  There is no freshly brewed iced tea on any Princess ship; it's from concentrate.  If you want fresh brewed iced tea, bring a water flask and make it from the tea bags on offer at the buffet.  Plan ahead or you'll be stuck with freshly brewed hot tea.

 

IC has brewed coffee, but it will cost you.  Iced tea and coffee are offered with your meals at the MDR and buffet at no extra charge.

 

 

[PacnGoNow]

9 hours ago, madre2 said:

Hi all!  Just wondering if anyone has any pics of what beverages are offered at the International Cafe?  Just looking for some fresh brewed coffee, and fresh brewed iced tea.  Nothing fancy!  And are those two items free there, or is there a charge for those?  Also, could we get those two things in the dining room with our meal with no fee?

[justafem]

2 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

No, there is no brewed coffee or tea without a charge unless you have a beverage package.

[DCThunder]

If you're an iced tea drinker from the South, bring along your own tea bags (I prefer Luzianne).  Ice tea made with English Breakfast or Earl Grey just ain't the same. 

[Hlitner]

As a long time fan of the IC, I would point out that their coffee is "small batch" vs the huge machines in the Lido and MDR Galley.  Small batch means it is much fresher and they also use decent beans as opposed to the more commercial brew found in other venue.  

 

DW would echo the post of DC Thunder.  She has been known to come to the IC with her own tea bags and simply ask for a cup of hot water (no charge).  

 

Hank

[DCThunder]

1 minute ago, Hlitner said:

DW would echo the post of DC Thunder.  She has been known to come to the IC with her own tea bags and simply ask for a cup of hot water (no charge).  

 

Hank

Hot water---FREE

Ice---$2.50

 

🧊🧊

[PacnGoNow]

49 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

As a long time fan of the IC, I would point out that their coffee is "small batch" vs the huge machines in the Lido and MDR Galley.  Small batch means it is much fresher and they also use decent beans as opposed to the more commercial brew found in other venue.  

 

DW would echo the post of DC Thunder.  She has been known to come to the IC with her own tea bags and simply ask for a cup of hot water (no charge).  

 

Hank

Smart lady!  Have you an idea when Lavazza will start?  Wondering if it will only be at the coffee bars/IC?

[Hlitner]

Just now, PacnGoNow said:

Smart lady!  Have you an idea when Lavazza will start?  Wondering if it will only be at the coffee bars/IC?

Have no clue what product they will use in the future.  In the past, we have actually been on Princess when they did use Lavazza (at the IC).  In the interests of full disclosure, I use Lavazza at home (for my expresso machine) and buy it by the carton (6 - 1 Kilo bags) at amazing prices.  The only product I like better than Lavazza are some of the Illy products, but I am too cheap to pay for that stuff.

 

Hank

[JustVinney]

55 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

As a long time fan of the IC, I would point out that their coffee is "small batch" vs the huge machines in the Lido and MDR Galley.  Small batch means it is much fresher and they also use decent beans as opposed to the more commercial brew found in other venue.  

Currently on the Crown and I agree this is certainly true - and also the most important distinction. 

 

International Cafe and Coffee & Cones are the two places where I have found decent coffee. 

 

Everywhere else is commercial - either from concentrate (I suspect) or very large batch brew that is quite weak. Even the ‘espresso’ ordered to the cabin was definitely not espresso - I think it was just a very small volume of the regular coffee. 

[Hlitner]

1 minute ago, JustVinney said:

Currently on the Crown and I agree this is certainly true - and also the most important distinction. 

 

International Cafe and Coffee & Cones are the two places where I have found decent coffee. 

 

Everywhere else is commercial - either from concentrate (I suspect) or very large batch brew that is quite weak. Even the ‘espresso’ ordered to the cabin was definitely not espresso - I think it was just a very small volume of the regular coffee. 

You will find no bigger fan of the IC then moi :).  It is my Princess "hang out" and a strong incentive for us to book Princess cruises (we cruise on many different lines).   On most mornings, I will be out of our cabin (while DW sleeps) and down at seat near the IC enjoying my cappucino and a donut, egg sandwich, pastry, etc.  We seldom go to the Lido (or MDR) for breakfast.  The IC/Atrium area is also a great place for people watching, meeting new folks, socializing, etc.

 

Hank

[JustVinney]

4 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

You will find no bigger fan of the IC then moi :).  It is my Princess "hang out" and a strong incentive for us to book Princess cruises (we cruise on many different lines).   On most mornings, I will be out of our cabin (while DW sleeps) and down at seat near the IC enjoying my cappucino and a donut, egg sandwich, pastry, etc.  We seldom go to the Lido (or MDR) for breakfast.  The IC/Atrium area is also a great place for people watching, meeting new folks, socializing, etc.

 

Hank

First time sailing Princess, and only the second morning… both have been lovely with an IC coffee and croissant, sitting near a window and watching the oceans and distant mountains go by… all while very few are up & about! Not even 48hrs into Princess cruising and I can totally see why it’s your hang out!

[nini]

The food items are no charge. The IC is a regular go to for us on port days.

[worldtraveller]

And they are open 24/7 for specialty coffee unlike the Lido.  When we travel I get my mother her first cup of daily Joe so when she starts waking up it is ready for her to sit in bed and sip to fully wake up.

[Buckeye10640]

On 5/25/2023 at 10:57 AM, Hlitner said:

Have no clue what product they will use in the future.  In the past, we have actually been on Princess when they did use Lavazza (at the IC).  In the interests of full disclosure, I use Lavazza at home (for my expresso machine) and buy it by the carton (6 - 1 Kilo bags) at amazing prices.  The only product I like better than Lavazza are some of the Illy products, but I am too cheap to pay for that stuff.

 

Hank

@HlitnerSlightly off topic but I recently tried Lavazza for the first time at home like it better than my previous favorite. Its expensive at my local grocery store.  Do you order directly from Lavazza? 

[Buckeye10640]

On 5/25/2023 at 11:14 AM, JustVinney said:

First time sailing Princess, and only the second morning… both have been lovely with an IC coffee and croissant, sitting near a window and watching the oceans and distant mountains go by… all while very few are up & about! Not even 48hrs into Princess cruising and I can totally see why it’s your hang out!

I hope you have tried the almond croissant, they are the best!  I am at IC every morning, early, for coffee, almond croissant, and fruit or yogurt. Rarely do I go to the buffet for breakfast. 

[Hlitner]

17 minutes ago, Buckeye10640 said:

@HlitnerSlightly off topic but I recently tried Lavazza for the first time at home like it better than my previous favorite. Its expensive at my local grocery store.  Do you order directly from Lavazza? 

Sometimes.   I price it out on the internet.  Sometimes, ordering direct from Lavazza is the best deal and other times you might find a better deal from one of the online coffee companies.  The bags are vacuum  packed (I only buy whole beans).  Since I have a "superautomatic" expresso machine (this type of machine grinds the beans as well as making the beverage) I need to be careful to only use beans that are not overly oily on the exterior.  Brands like Starbucks Expresso beans are big trouble for superautomatics since they leave an oily deposit which eventually jams the machine.  The Italian brands, such as Lavazza and Illy, do not have that problem since they do not overroast their beans.

 

When buying in bulk it is usually possible to get the price under $10/pound.

 

Hank

[Boiler Cruiser]

On 5/24/2023 at 9:48 PM, madre2 said:

Hi all!  Just wondering if anyone has any pics of what beverages are offered at the International Cafe?  Just looking for some fresh brewed coffee, and fresh brewed iced tea.  Nothing fancy!  And are those two items free there, or is there a charge for those?  Also, could we get those two things in the dining room with our meal with no fee?

Coffee and its many variations at the International Cafe are not free-of-charge.  They are "free-of-charge" if you have the Plus or Premium package (since you already paid for them with the pkg).

[Marauder]

I have a follow up question and this seems like the right thread for it. If we don't have any of the packages and I just want a cup of hot water from the IC, does anybody know if they will charge me for it?  Background, My DW brings her own tea bags.  She likes specialty Japanese green teas, and the green tea at the IC doesn't cut it for her.  We don't drink Alcohol so the drink packages are not worth it to us. In the past, we would buy one coffee card between us. Between our occasional cafe latte's and my ordering specialty teas, one card was well worth it to us.  Now that the coffee cards don't exist, I'm fine with paying for the teas and latte's with my OBC but she drinks a lot of green tea so I end up ordering hot water a lot, maybe 5 or 6 times a day.  If we're sitting in the IC area I don't want to have to go up to the buffet area to get it for her.  I'm hoping they don't charge me $2 every time I ask them for a cup of hot water at the IC.

[LACruiser88]

1 hour ago, Marauder said:

If we don't have any of the packages and I just want a cup of hot water from the IC, does anybody know if they will charge me for it? 

They do not charge for hot water.  My DW gets several hot waters throughout the day.