Tea drinkers beware!

We just returned from a cruise on the Sun. They are in the process of replacing Lipton tea with an unknown, unusable tea brand. I kid you not, this stuff tastes like SOAP! It takes several tea bags, 2, 3 or more????, to get the stuff to steep a pot to any reasonable color, IF you can stand to drink it. This is from someone who is not overly choosey on brands, ie, I drink Lipton, Bigelow, Twinings, and most other major brands. Even the waiter in Le Bistro sort of indicated that the complaints had been numerous and to let NCL know as he was helpless to fix the situation.

IF you enjoy a cup of tea, BRING YOUR OWN and when you get back, if you feel the same as myself AND my sisters did about the new brand, LET NCL KNOW!

I'll do some sort of overall review on the cruise later. I wanted a separate thread for the tea drinkers to be aware, regardless of ship, there is a potential for tea issues. I'm as bad about my morning tea as many coffee drinkers out there, and wanted to let others be warned.

(For the record, yes I enjoyed the cruise, and the leftover Lipton bags that were scrounged up for my sisters and myself.)

Thanks for the warning :eek:

I am a HUGE tea drinker and drink several pots each cruise. I even make iced tea with the tea bags. I will bring a box of my own. Strange they would switch to a lesser or unknown brand. Tea bags are not that expensive. But I understand every penny adds up. Didn't NCL switch to a yucky cheaper imitation maple syrup? I have not experienced that yet but in a few days I will know. Don't tell me I need to bring tea bags and syrup :eek:

However, I am sure I will survive if I leave everything at home.

Oh no I love the gold label Lipton Chamomile tjphey usually have. I'll bring my own, but that is too bad!

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I am glad to get this warning about the tea. We sail on the Sun at the end of March and my DH and I had discussed whether or not I needed to bring tea bags. Now I will definitely bring an assortment of my favorite tea bags! Looking forward to your review!

Just off the Getaway, no Lipton in sight. The regular tea was weak, as stated, but the Earl Grey was perfect. :)

Thanks for the "heads up"! I usually drink some hot, and brew some for iced tea too, because I don't like their iced tea!

Ugh! I love strong tea! Not booked until 08/16 on the Pearl. Hopefully they will come to their senses by then! [emoji15]

In the Caribbean, this isn't an issue for me. On our upcoming Alaska cruise, however, this is a big deal. I will pack my tea bags.

Someone else mentioned the syrup debacle so I thought I touch on that. When we were on the Jewel in November, the syrup was fine/okay. Definitely not pure maple, but it was good enough. If it had been bad, I would have had to order something else and that didn't happen.

We just returned from a cruise on the Sun. They are in the process of replacing Lipton tea with an unknown, unusable tea brand. I kid you not, this stuff tastes like SOAP! It takes several tea bags, 2, 3 or more????, to get the stuff to steep a pot to any reasonable color, IF you can stand to drink it. This is from someone who is not overly choosey on brands, ie, I drink Lipton, Bigelow, Twinings, and most other major brands. Even the waiter in Le Bistro sort of indicated that the complaints had been numerous and to let NCL know as he was helpless to fix the situation.

 

IF you enjoy a cup of tea, BRING YOUR OWN and when you get back, if you feel the same as myself AND my sisters did about the new brand, LET NCL KNOW!

 

I'll do some sort of overall review on the cruise later. I wanted a separate thread for the tea drinkers to be aware, regardless of ship, there is a potential for tea issues. I'm as bad about my morning tea as many coffee drinkers out there, and wanted to let others be warned.

 

(For the record, yes I enjoyed the cruise, and the leftover Lipton bags that were scrounged up for my sisters and myself.)

Thank you for warning us. I'll be sure to bring our own now, though I hope they'll go back to Lipton soon (or switch to Twinnings). DM is very picky about her teas!

Just off the Getaway, no Lipton in sight. The regular tea was weak, as stated, but the Earl Grey was perfect. :)

Do you know what brand the Earl Grey was?

Another poster here who thanks you for the warning!! I'll be sure to bring my own.

Thank you for the warning. I will definitely pack my own tea bags.

Agree. The new tea bags they are using is terrible. They have no taste and unless you leave it steep in hot water forever the water just looks and tasts like 'dirty water' with no color or flavor.

I took a photo of the tea bags because I wanted to look the brand up when I got home. Fields & Selects Organic Tea - Made in Singapore

Harriet

Camomile is AWFUL>..tastes like someone put perfume in the water....AAAARRRGGG!

There was no Lipton on our last 2 cruises. They blamed it on a provisions delivery, I bring my own now.

Someone else mentioned the syrup debacle so I thought I touch on that. When we were on the Jewel in November, the syrup was fine/okay. Definitely not pure maple, but it was good enough. If it had been bad, I would have had to order something else and that didn't happen.

I can't speak to the tea, but the nasty imitation syrup isn't limited to NCL. I've started bringing my own bottle of maple. I'm also bringing my own fresh coffee beans, hand grinder and pour-over brewer. I've yet to have a decent cup of coffee on a ship. Well... Costa did have good cappuccinos.

Interesting, thanks for the notice. I nearly always bring and drink my own tea as I am very finicky about tea types and brands but for those times that I might forget to bring something to the table, it's good to know that I might want to skip it!

Thanks for the warning :eek:

I am a HUGE tea drinker and drink several pots each cruise. I even make iced tea with the tea bags. I will bring a box of my own. Strange they would switch to a lesser or unknown brand. Tea bags are not that expensive. But I understand every penny adds up. Didn't NCL switch to a yucky cheaper imitation maple syrup? I have not experienced that yet but in a few days I will know. Don't tell me I need to bring tea bags and syrup :eek:

However, I am sure I will survive if I leave everything at home.

I remember folks complaining about the syrup. I don't eat the stuff, so I wouldn't know. I will be bringing my own tea bags though, if what was posted is true. I make my own iced tea from them, and miss it for a whole week!

This is uncalled for - but - here goes:

There was another Tea Party (not to be confused with today's political agenda)

a couple of centuries ago that had problems of another kind - - -

Fast Forward to today - - -

Alas they have found a way to freeze dry* tea just like coffee - now if they will

only get out of the human experimenting stage and return to a normal state

of tea and crumpets !

* I am not going to go there*** to explain exactly what they freeze dried but your

taste buds are going to tell you and then you need to tell NCL to cut the crap OUT !

*** well I will go there - it is freeze dried bilge residue with filtered soot and

labeled with some fancy oriental imprint of an animal footprint.

And if humor doesn't raise an eyebrow or two I do know another way !

"Tea drinkers unite" - at every opportunity let NCL know how you feel about

this inferior substitution !

A bean counter in the front office needs to walk the plank of customer dissatisfaction !

Oh and go easy on the crew it not their fault NCL has torpedoed the ship's

service out from beneath them.

All this over some cheap imitation tea - enough enough !

Now what was I doing when I was so rudely interrupted by this 'Alice in Wonderland'

tea party debacle ?

They are discussing the same thing on the HAL Board today. Small world.

Let's be a bit positive about this. Weaker tea means less caffeine. Don't like imitation syrup? Try honey. Taste just as good on pancakes.

Let's be a bit positive about this. Weaker tea means less caffeine. Don't like imitation syrup? Try honey. Taste just as good on pancakes.

Ahhh, but if I wanted less caffeine I'd opt for decaffeinated tea!

Harriet

This is uncalled for - but - here goes:

 

Now what was I doing when I was so rudely interrupted by this 'Alice in Wonderland' tea party debacle ?

No one put a gun to your head and made you read this thread......

Harriet

We just returned from a cruise on the Sun. They are in the process of replacing Lipton tea with an unknown, unusable tea brand. I kid you not, this stuff tastes like SOAP! It takes several tea bags, 2, 3 or more????, to get the stuff to steep a pot to any reasonable color, IF you can stand to drink it. This is from someone who is not overly choosey on brands, ie, I drink Lipton, Bigelow, Twinings, and most other major brands. Even the waiter in Le Bistro sort of indicated that the complaints had been numerous and to let NCL know as he was helpless to fix the situation.

 

IF you enjoy a cup of tea, BRING YOUR OWN and when you get back, if you feel the same as myself AND my sisters did about the new brand, LET NCL KNOW!

 

I'll do some sort of overall review on the cruise later. I wanted a separate thread for the tea drinkers to be aware, regardless of ship, there is a potential for tea issues. I'm as bad about my morning tea as many coffee drinkers out there, and wanted to let others be warned.

 

(For the record, yes I enjoyed the cruise, and the leftover Lipton bags that were scrounged up for my sisters and myself.)

How was the iced tea?

From an NCL tea drinking Brit, I can assure you that in no way is Litpon decent tea!!

Ever since I tried to brew a cup with 4 bags on my 1st NCL cruise 5 years ago and it got nowhere decent enough to drink I have resorted to bringing my own - struggling to believe that there is anything worse than Lipton :eek: