Coffee and tea served in Exlorers?

Since I have no experience with HAL- was just one sailing- I don´t know if they serve tea or coffee in the Exploration or Explorers Cafe - Lounge - i know it is self service- but how do they serve tea? Plastic cup, Paper cup- china??? Thanks for you answers.

Since I have no experience with HAL- was just one sailing- I don´t know if they serve tea or coffee in the Exploration or Explorers Cafe - Lounge - i know it is self service- but how do they serve tea? Plastic cup, Paper cup- china??? Thanks for you answers.

The coffee and tea in Explorations Cafe are not self service and they aren't free.

Are you thinking of the Neptune Lounge for Neptune and Pinnacle suites? That is self-serve and there is no charge. And they have china cups and saucers.

Since I have no experience with HAL- was just one sailing- I don´t know if they serve tea or coffee in the Exploration or Explorers Cafe - Lounge - i know it is self service- but how do they serve tea? Plastic cup, Paper cup- china??? Thanks for you answers.

oops, duplicate post

Thank you 3red Gen Cunarder- thats great news- the Exploration Cafe serves coffee and tea- and I presume in proper china? I know they are not free- but that does not matter. I usualy sail Cunard now- and love how they serve tea in almost every bar and lounge. I am also a Celebrity refugee, as one cruiser called itself here on the boards. So I switch from Cunard to HAL- and visa verse! As a tea lover i love my tea served as it should - in proper china!

Thank you 3red Gen Cunarder- thats great news- the Exploration Cafe serves coffee and tea- and I presume in proper china? I know they are not free- but that does not matter. I usualy sail Cunard now- and love how they serve tea in almost every bar and lounge. I am also a Celebrity refugee, as one cruiser called itself here on the boards. So I switch from Cunard to HAL- and visa verse! As a tea lover i love my tea served as it should - in proper china!

The china is shown at 18 seconds into

1. Free coffee and tea self-served in regular size ceramic cups 24 hours a day at the Lido. Nice variety of various packaged tea including their very good HAL house brand darjeeling and PG Tips black tea.

2. Free sit-down daily afternoon tea service with sweets and savories at 3pm - sometimes specialty teas per the daily program announcement. Location depends on the ship - either in the main dining room or atrium lobby

3. Explorations Cafe near the "library" - as noted surcharge fee for speciality coffees - memory says - tall paper cups to carry away.

4. Neptune Lounge - free speciality push-button machine made coffees and bagged tea, ceramic cups.

5. Dinner main dining room - regular coffee and tea included, surcharge fee for espresso or other speciality coffees

6. Specialty fee surcharge restaurants - coffee tea included, assume fee surcharge for speciality coffees

7. Never asked but the various bars may also have coffee or tea

8. Room service coffee and tea - served in thermos jugs with ceramic cups

The Dutch have a long history with both tea and coffee from the former colonies so it is taken seriously on HAL ships. Sadly it appears they are no longer offering the Indonesian Tea at 3pm when they also offered the most delicious Sumatra coffee - might be available in the Pinnacle still. It should be since it is so delicious.

1. Free coffee and tea self-served in regular size ceramic cups 24 hours a day at the Lido. Nice variety of various packaged tea including their very good HAL house brand darjeeling and PG Tips black tea.

Correct, except I haven't seen the HAL Darjeeling Blend since 2013, when it was hard to find in the Lido and the waiters told us they were discontinuing the blend. I would be wonderful if they brought it back. I mention it on all my post-cruise surveys.

On my cruise in December 2017/January 2018, I found the Lido had PG Tips and Bigelow blends, but none of the delightful HAL Darjeeling. I brought my own Twinings Australian Afternoon Blend for my daily "cuppa."

Oh my thank you all so much for you much appreicated help! That´s what my memory is also- big paper cups to carry away- but it seems they do serve at the table now also.

Correct, except I haven't seen the HAL Darjeeling Blend since 2013, when it was hard to find in the Lido and the waiters told us they were discontinuing the blend. I would be wonderful if they brought it back. I mention it on all my post-cruise surveys.

 

On my cruise in December 2017/January 2018, I found the Lido had PG Tips and Bigelow blends, but none of the delightful HAL Darjeeling. I brought my own Twinings Australian Afternoon Blend for my daily "cuppa."

Ohhh, I miss that Darjeeling!

On K'dam, I ordered tea after dinner, and it came in a pot. It was an odd metal pot, but it was a pot and the waiters knew to put the teabag in right away.

Why am I remembering always getting the little blue and white HAL branded darjeeling packets for dinner, afternoon tea and at the Lido beverage station - like even my last cruise Dec/Jan 2018? But I got hooked on PG Tips, so perhaps I did not notice the HAL brand was gone. The HAL darjeeling was always just the right thing for an afternoon pick me up.

Oh my thank you all so much for you much appreicated help! That´s what my memory is also- big paper cups to carry away- but it seems they do serve at the table now also.

This will vary depending on the ship as the new and larger Konigsdam has a separate Dutch Cafe where they have a very different set up. But I don't recall any tables around the Explorations Cafe on the smaller older ships. Though if one stands at the service bar, perhaps one can get their coffee choice served in a tall ceramic mug. I suppose they don't want those ending up all over the ship later if people use them for take-away.

And speaking about paper cup take-aways, anyone else notice there are virtually no waste receptacles around the ship? I am always floundering with my toothpick and napkin after picking up candied ginger from the "Yum Yum Man" after dinner. in the main dining room Found one in the library and one near the sports bar on the older ships. And of course any restroom, but none elsewhere.

Where do people toss their paper trash onboard when out of their cabins?

1. Free coffee and tea self-served in regular size ceramic cups 24 hours a day at the Lido. Nice variety of various packaged tea including their very good HAL house brand darjeeling and PG Tips black tea.

 

2. Free sit-down daily afternoon tea service with sweets and savories at 3pm - sometimes specialty teas per the daily program announcement. Location depends on the ship - either in the main dining room or atrium lobby

 

3. Explorations Cafe near the "library" - as noted surcharge fee for speciality coffees - memory says - tall paper cups to carry away.

 

4. Neptune Lounge - free speciality push-button machine made coffees and bagged tea, ceramic cups.

 

5. Dinner main dining room - regular coffee and tea included, surcharge fee for espresso or other speciality coffees

 

6. Specialty fee surcharge restaurants - coffee tea included, assume fee surcharge for speciality coffees

 

7. Never asked but the various bars may also have coffee or tea

 

8. Room service coffee and tea - served in thermos jugs with ceramic cups

 

The Dutch have a long history with both tea and coffee from the former colonies so it is taken seriously on HAL ships. Sadly it appears they are no longer offering the Indonesian Tea at 3pm when they also offered the most delicious Sumatra coffee - might be available in the Pinnacle still. It should be since it is so delicious.

Just off Volendam 14 day Asian cruise. I attended the 3PM tea (always in the MDR), which used to be in the Ocean Bar, a more tea-room locale. I was directed where to sit, then presented with a china cup with a Black Teabag inside. I asked if I had another choice, was asked what I wanted instead - No tea box for a choice. I requested green tea. The tea box was visible from where I sat. The choice of "sweet & savory" items was limited, and was over in about 15". When I returned home, I looked at the pictures of a "Dutch High Tea" in the MDR on Zaandam in February 2013. Almost made me cry........