Using a French Press onboard

[chengkp75]

7 hours ago, marysb said:

I would think that the small amount of grounds used in a single serve press would be fine just flushed (its not solid or clumpy 😉

 

 

or you could cruise on the Aegean Odyssey and get a french press coffee every morning.

No, the small amount of grounds from a french press WOULD NOT be okay to be flushed down the toilet.  Even a small amount of hard solid substance could get trapped on the discharge valve rubber diaphragm causing a vacuum leak and loss of toilets throughout the ship.  Some of the vacuum piping actually flows up (a big design advantage of the vacuum systems over gravity (land) systems), so the coffee grounds would drop out and accumulate at the bottom of the upward run, and could cause problems, maybe not on your cruise, but on the next.

[TrinaLC]

On 8/7/2012 at 7:23 PM, firefly333 said:

 

Ive used a french press and they need to be washed out.

 

It also says no coffee makers... a french press is a coffee maker. It doesnt say ... the rules are up to your own interpretation. .. they are optional.

 

So you claim a french press isnt a coffee maker.. dont tell me its not.. whatever. .. the rules were posted. Some people think the rules dont apply to them. I get it.

 

the starbucks instant is almost as good as fresh brewed... its allowed.

 

Its also a kitchen appliance which is also not allowed.. so two rules apply. As I said you can say these rules dont apply .. lots of people do what they want.. thats up to you.. but trying to say it is not a kitchen appliance nor is a coffee maker .. ok..as I said whatever.

Huh?  The grounds go in the waste basket. No sane person puts them in the plumbing, whether at home or on a cruise. 

 

Any prohibition on on coffee makers is clearly directed at electric models.  

 

OP is not breaking rules or acting entitled. 

[chengkp75]

7 minutes ago, TrinaLC said:

Huh?  The grounds go in the waste basket. No sane person puts them in the plumbing, whether at home or on a cruise. 

 

Any prohibition on on coffee makers is clearly directed at electric models.  

 

OP is not breaking rules or acting entitled. 

If you are going to put wet coffee grounds in the trash, please bring a supply of sandwich bags to put these grounds in.  While the cabin steward will simply dump your trash into their bag on the service cart, once they take the trash down to the sorting station, they have to go through the entire bag by hand, sorting into burnables, recyclables, etc.

[firefly333]

lol now we get notified if someone quotes us?! from a post in 2012, 6 years ago.

 

Heck ive had a 6 ft ext cord confiscated and scissors (when they give us steak knifes at dinner).

 

I just dont take stuff aboard customs might deem dangerous. The extension cord customs told me i might hang myself with. seriously? a 6 ft cord i brought to use with my electric clock?

 

who knows what the rules are now, the way the plumbing used to clog up i wouldnt be flushing coffee grounds in my bathroom, but do what you please. lol arguing about a post i made 6 years ago, ..... really?

 

good luck with customs, they pick and choose imo. my french press would have been hard to dispose of the grounds without flushing them down my bathroom sink. hope i dont get the cabin below you when you clog up the drains.

[firefly333]

In the last 6 years now there are pods, too bad its electric and probably not allowed as people might not turn them off. But they sure solve the problem of the mess of coffee grounds

 

but i still think a french press the grounds would be messy and hard not to have to wash off the coffee maker in between and the grounds wouldnt all go into the trash, but i no longer care, if you want to bring one onboard because you are too cheap to buy the good coffee .... be my guest. 

[Chervil]

Didn't realize this was a 6 yr old necro until I reached the comment above, lol!
However it is relevant to my interests since we will be cruising soon with a family member who roasts their own beans and brews their own coffee and was wondering exactly this question!

Since the cited policies seemed open to interpretation, I contacted Carnival Customer Support and was told that since it is not electrical then it can be brought on board. It needed to be in my carry on rather than checked luggage and it needed to be empty.

However, the coffee would need to be in a sealed container (not home-ground) and once we returned, I would have to throw away any unused coffee since customs likely would not let it through back into the US.

 

So if you are going to do this, then make sure to pack the coffee and press in your carry on and only take a bag of coffee large enough for your trip.

@firefly333 - Not that we are "too cheap to buy good coffee" but exactly because we appreciate "good" coffee that we will be bringing our own. I prefer to spend my cruising dollars on other tasty treats while on board instead!
Also, we will be bringing an aeropress since the grounds are shaped into a puck and deposited in the garbage, hence avoiding the issue of any going down the drain.
However, I truly appreciate your respect for the rules, since we do our best to abide by all of them as well. (don't get me started on shorts/jeans in the MDR on formal night!)
 

[firefly333]

my comments ....SIX years ago stand. Back then people used dollies to crate so much water and soda onto the cruise and other things, made me think of the Beverly Hillbilles when they pulled up with all this stuff overflowing their truck. 

 

It just seems tacky, but maybe I am too, as i only bring what I can carry on. 

 

I do like to bring a clock so i can see the time during the night, my watch doesnt light up. But I dont go to extremes where i have to have a dolly. Even last december one guy was showing me his dolly which folded out to carry tons of bottles of booze off. I have looked around and its cheaper to buy stuff i drink here in Dallas then cart it off. Though I do like a good bottle of aged tequila.

 

Its more I just dont get carrying on everything but the kitchen sink ... but different strokes for different folks. If you want to sit in your cabin and make your own coffee, so be it. I really dont care. My comments made 6 years ago, .... true I still think its crazy to bring all that stuff aboard, not because of the rules, i just like travelling light and getting away to enjoy the ocean which I miss now living away from it. 

 

My parents are elderly or Id move back to where I wake up and see and smell the ocean. All the rest frankly doesnt matter. Im happy going up to the buffet and getting coffee and reading a book early in the morning. each to his own, ... and again its not about the rules for me, just seems crazy when I see people laden with so much stuff boarding. Though since they moved to 12 cans only, it does seem better, just crazy to me, but then Im not a soda drinker.

 

Bring your french press on. enjoy. my problem would be warming it up because i always seem to let my coffee get cold when Im reading and talking. To the guy who said im angry, not really, just more amazed at how much stuff people used to tote aboard when i made those comments. Things have changed for the better in the last 6 years though.

 

last cruise i brought home cigars which were complimented (but you can buy good cigars online cheaper) but i bought for the novelty and 4 expensive bottles of scotch. Now galveston has a tax on each bottle, and the guys i brought them to, a meet up group here convinced me they are half the price here, dont bother again, so i will have much less weight debarking too. 

 

its just a choice  ... travel in your own style and enjoy, arguing and debating a post i made 6 years ago ...i still travel light, always will, nothing to do with rules

 

 

[NavarreCruiser]

17 hours ago, Ludyboodie said:

 

Lord HELP US!!!!  I hope I never encounter YOU on a cruise. SUCH anger and negativity. No one said a word about washing grounds down the toilet or sinks. Geeezzzeeee!   😞  I truly believe the rule is to prevent people from bringing electrical appliances....coffee makers, irons....heating pads....things that can be left unattended and catch fire. Don't think anyone would care if a non-electrical coffee or tea device was brought onboard, but maybe it would be best to ask the CRUISE LINE rather than trust others who really don't know. BUT...I will say, with all the folks who have attested to bringing a coffee press and have NEVER had it confiscated, I'd say the cruise lines are OK with it, but then again, I'm not the 'safety patrol'.

 

Just curious, what prompted you to search for a thread that is more than 6 years old?

[Chervil]

10 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

my comments ....SIX years ago stand. Back then people used dollies to crate so much water and soda onto the cruise and other things, made me think of the Beverly Hillbilles when they pulled up with all this stuff overflowing their truck. 

 

It just seems tacky, but maybe I am too, as i only bring what I can carry on. 

 

I do like to bring a clock so i can see the time during the night, my watch doesnt light up. But I dont go to extremes where i have to have a dolly. Even last december one guy was showing me his dolly which folded out to carry tons of bottles of booze off. I have looked around and its cheaper to buy stuff i drink here in Dallas then cart it off. Though I do like a good bottle of aged tequila.

 

Its more I just dont get carrying on everything but the kitchen sink ... but different strokes for different folks. If you want to sit in your cabin and make your own coffee, so be it. I really dont care. My comments made 6 years ago, .... true I still think its crazy to bring all that stuff aboard, not because of the rules, i just like travelling light and getting away to enjoy the ocean which I miss now living away from it. 

 

My parents are elderly or Id move back to where I wake up and see and smell the ocean. All the rest frankly doesnt matter. Im happy going up to the buffet and getting coffee and reading a book early in the morning. each to his own, ... and again its not about the rules for me, just seems crazy when I see people laden with so much stuff boarding. Though since they moved to 12 cans only, it does seem better, just crazy to me, but then Im not a soda drinker.

 

Bring your french press on. enjoy. my problem would be warming it up because i always seem to let my coffee get cold when Im reading and talking. To the guy who said im angry, not really, just more amazed at how much stuff people used to tote aboard when i made those comments. Things have changed for the better in the last 6 years though.

 

last cruise i brought home cigars which were complimented (but you can buy good cigars online cheaper) but i bought for the novelty and 4 expensive bottles of scotch. Now galveston has a tax on each bottle, and the guys i brought them to, a meet up group here convinced me they are half the price here, dont bother again, so i will have much less weight debarking too. 

 

its just a choice  ... travel in your own style and enjoy, arguing and debating a post i made 6 years ago ...i still travel light, always will, nothing to do with rules

 

 

Not sure if this was directed at me, since I mostly agreed with your point on following the rules.

Also, I was answering your post from 5 hours ago, not 6 yrs ago.

As far as people toting on tons of stuff, I completely agree that many do go overboard.

However I will say that, much like your alarm clock, we definitely bring some amenities from home to make things more "fun" and enjoyable. Of course, my wife and I have a 3 bag rule on cruises - 1 duffel/backpack each and then a suitcase to split (it fits the dress clothes, snorkel gear and other sundry items).
We try to travel as light as possible, and through many years of travelling together have gotten it to a science that works for us. (Although we are always finding new ways to improve our list)
 

[Doggielover68]

On 8/7/2012 at 7:28 PM, firefly333 said:

 

OK whatever .. but its still a coffee maker and a appliance both of which are banned.

 

I just wouldnt come on here saying I was going to break Carnival's rules.. just do it .. like smuggling.. do it if you want .. but why come on here saying ahead of time you are doing it??

 

Just do it if you are going to .. its up to you. I break some rules .. but at least I understand Im breaking them and what the rules are.

 

Wow. A french press is basically a cup with a plunger. It is nothing like an electric coffee maker. There is no fire risk because there is no electricity at all. Also, any gadget that is designed for a specific purpose is considered an appliance so...I hope you aren't planning on bringing any cameras, tissues, toothbrushes, etc on your trip. *eyeroll*

[cb at sea]

Do NOT put coffee grounds down the sink!!!!  Don't flush them, either.  Bring a few zip lock bags, if you want, and put the grounds in it, and then into the trash.  Or, wrap them in many of the pieces of paper they leave in your cabin....or, just put them in the trash, if there is a trash bag in the can.

[firefly333]

I cant believe something i said 6 years ago is being quoted, and the new CC tells me everytime im quoted.

 

bring it on. whatever. i dont care.

 

my problem is i would want my microwave to keep heating it up, lol, so i can bring my microwave too? I like my coffee super hot. On cruises Im continually throwing away my coffee and getting a new cup because there is no way to warm it up like at home.

 

but if making coffee in your room floats your boat, go for it. Im still not convinced some coffee grounds wouldnt wind up in the plumbing, but if you clog up the plumbing, oh well. I no longer cruise so often, so chances are slim it would affect me. I was cruising maybe up to 8 times a year back then, now i barely cruise. After a week I will be back from my vista cruise and nothing further booked atm. so it no longer can affect me how you wash out your french press. and of course you wash it out between making coffee?

 

ive had more than a few cruises with clogged plumbing, now i dont cruise enough to care.

[Chervil]

Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you.
I won't quote you here so you don't have to get an alert since it seems to bother you.

I do rinse out my aeropress between uses, but since the major part of the grounds are already gone, the very few that might make it into the drain would be a small enough quantity to not affect the plumbing any more than whiskers from shaving would (source: family of plumbers).

 

Incidentally, and not to hijack the thread, but we are sailing on the Vista in a few months.
Mind if I ask what your thoughts of her were?

 

[calex1976]

I'm the OP and so glad this post got brought back up. I did bring the French Press, the coffee was great, and no coffee grains went in the plumbing.  After over 25 years working on the water, 19 as a Captain, I do understand ship plumbing, and wound never dump trash in the sewer. Why people could not just give a decent answer instead of arguing acting like children I do not know. The reason I was glad this post was brought up is that it reminded me why I left this site. 

[Chervil]

24 minutes ago, calex1976 said:

I'm the OP and so glad this post got brought back up. I did bring the French Press, the coffee was great, and no coffee grains went in the plumbing.  After over 25 years working on the water, 19 as a Captain, I do understand ship plumbing, and wound never dump trash in the sewer. Why people could not just give a decent answer instead of arguing acting like children I do not know. The reason I was glad this post was brought up is that it reminded me why I left this site. 

Saw your post on roasting beans!

My daughter also roasts her own. She too buys from Sweet Marias, although recently she has been buying from Addison Roasters in Dallas.
She really likes the Jazzy Java from them.

This will be her first cruise, so she was especially interested in whether this was an option, or if she would have to settle for "ship coffee".

Sorry you left the site, but I appreciate you responding!

[Ludyboodie]

15 hours ago, Rosefloater said:

 

You had to resurrect a 6 year old thread just to complain to 2 people. 

 

Excuse me?  I think you must be addressing the wrong poster. I never complained to anyone. That was firefly333 I believe who was 'policing' everyone's answers and 'arguing with them. I simply 'Googled' a question about bringing a French Press onboard a cruise ship and whether or not anyone had done so with no problems. It was firefly333 that got off on toilet paper, pouring grounds down the drain, stopping up drain lines, breaking cruise ship rules and then in his/her second post, bringing microwaves .....   I certainly didn't intend to 'resurrect' anything. I simply was directed by Google to this forum and read a few post on the subject without even noticing how old the posts were. I may have asked a question or two and made a comment, but ...    I guess I thought the purpose of CruiseCritic was for people to come to this forum to ask questions and to search threads for answers to questions they might have about cruising. But again, it was firefly333 who got a 'butt hurt' and began arguing with everyone, and then stated they didn't even cruise any more. Well maybe it's time for firefly333 to 'drop' this site.....Just saying. 

[calex1976]

Chervil I just got back into roasting again. I found the beans in the back of my cabinet and tried them out. After 3 years they were still better than store bought. I will have to check out the other supplier you mentioned.  

 

Ludyboodie sorry if I  came off as a jerk.  I checked my mail and had a load of replies that I skimmed through.  Cruise Critic used to be a great source of information on cruising, but as you see it only takes one @$$ to make it a argument instead of a discussion. As far as bringing a French press I really see no reason that anyone would stop you. I made my coffee in front of staff a few times and they only said the coffee smelled great.

[Ludyboodie]

2 hours ago, calex1976 said:

Chervil I just got back into roasting again. I found the beans in the back of my cabinet and tried them out. After 3 years they were still better than store bought. I will have to check out the other supplier you mentioned.  

 

Ludyboodie sorry if I  came off as a jerk.  I checked my mail and had a load of replies that I skimmed through.  Cruise Critic used to be a great source of information on cruising, but as you see it only takes one @$$ to make it a argument instead of a discussion. As far as bringing a French press I really see no reason that anyone would stop you. I made my coffee in front of staff a few times and they only said the coffee smelled great.

Thanks Calex1976; apology accepted. 🙂  I have been doing some research and may just get some instant coffee. I read that Starbucks is fairly decent as instants go. I'm not really a connoisseur of coffee, but have started drinking it in the last year and truly enjoy it! I'm 65 and never have been a coffee drinker, but on a 2.5 month trek down thru the southern region of the US and up the Eastern seaboard last Fall with the hubby, he started getting coffee at Duncan Donuts every morning, so I tried it and liked it. Now, some would say after I get finished adding sweeteners, flavors, syrups and creamers, my coffee hardly resembles coffee in any sense of the word, but...  I do enjoy it in the morning and hopefully can have some hot water brought to our room by room service to make myself a cup or two. The DH doesn't mind getting dressed and hitting the planks to go up for coffee and breakfast in the morning, but I'm not fit to be around until a hot shower and a cup of coffee.  I'm still 'back and forth' about the coffee press and/or the Aeropress, but intend to try the instant first and see if it will 'sooth my morning Grrrrrr' until I can hobble up to the Lido deck for a, hopefully, fresh, hot cup. Thanks again for all the info.

[Ludyboodie]

8 hours ago, Doggielover68 said:

 

Wow. A french press is basically a cup with a plunger. It is nothing like an electric coffee maker. There is no fire risk because there is no electricity at all. Also, any gadget that is designed for a specific purpose is considered an appliance so...I hope you aren't planning on bringing any cameras, tissues, toothbrushes, etc on your trip. *eyeroll*

EXACTLY Doggielover68!!  Some people.... I guess firefly333 thinks people don't have the good sense to not put anything down the drain or toilet on a cruise ship that they wouldn't put down the drain or toilet of their own home!  We're not stupid firefly333! 

[Ludyboodie]

9 hours ago, NavarreCruiser said:

 

Just curious, what prompted you to search for a thread that is more than 6 years old?

I didn't search for a thread that's over 6 years old. I Googled something like, "Is the tap water in the cabin of a cruise ship hot enough to make coffee in a French press," and this CuriseCritic thread come up. I never paid any attention to when it was posted and inadvertently clicked on 'quote', so that the original poster was notified, and it started a WAR when firefly333 starting 'shaming' everyone who take French Presses on a cruise. WOW!  I have never even used a French press or an Aeropress and wondered if there was hot water accessible to use these devices to make coffee in one's room without being allowed an electric coffee maker so that I don't have to get out, looking like last night's left-overs, to get that morning coffee in before hitting the deck for the day.

[Chervil]

8 minutes ago, Ludyboodie said:

I didn't search for a thread that's over 6 years old. I Googled something like, "Is the tap water in the cabin of a cruise ship hot enough to make coffee in a French press," and this CuriseCritic thread come up. I never paid any attention to when it was posted and inadvertently clicked on 'quote', so that the original poster was notified, and it started a WAR when firefly333 starting 'shaming' everyone who take French Presses on a cruise. WOW!  I have never even used a French press or an Aeropress and wondered if there was hot water accessible to use these devices to make coffee in one's room without being allowed an electric coffee maker so that I don't have to get out, looking like last night's left-overs, to get that morning coffee in before hitting the deck for the day.

My wife and I usually order hot tea from room service and the hot water comes in a sealed pitcher so you can pour multiple cups.
We are just going to use that for the aeropress, since it is hot enough to brew tea with.

Enjoy your coffee!

Oh and don't let anyone tell you that flavored/sweetened/creamered isn't coffee. You enjoy it the way you like it!

[schazzy]

Ludyboodie, We went up to the mountains last weekend and got to our cabin and realized there was nothing there for making coffee except for a kettle for hot water, so we went to the store and got some of the Starbucks VIA. It is actually really good for instant coffee, you almost can't even tell that a few seconds ago it was powder in the bottom of your cup and not fresh brewed. It think it would be just fine for you to have as a first cup in the cabin with little fuss or muss.

[crewsweeper]

17 minutes ago, schazzy said:

Ludyboodie, We went up to the mountains last weekend and got to our cabin and realized there was nothing there for making coffee except for a kettle for hot water, so we went to the store and got some of the Starbucks VIA. It is actually really good for instant coffee, you almost can't even tell that a few seconds ago it was powder in the bottom of your cup and not fresh brewed. It think it would be just fine for you to have as a first cup in the cabin with little fuss or muss.

Agree that VIA is pretty decent instant coffee...assuming you like *$$.. 

As much as coffee snobs, including yours truly, like the brew you get with French Press or Aeropress, both are just too messy to deal with in a cruise cabin.  Suck it up and go with the coffee bar.

[schazzy]

20 minutes ago, crewsweeper said:

Agree that VIA is pretty decent instant coffee...assuming you like *$$.. 

As much as coffee snobs, including yours truly, like the brew you get with French Press or Aeropress, both are just too messy to deal with in a cruise cabin.  Suck it up and go with the coffee bar.

 

I'm not the biggest fan of Starbucks, but it or Dunkin does pretty good when on the road and really want a cup of coffee that's not from a gas station. I'm not a coffee snob per say, but I do like my coffee to be at least decent. 

 

We don't really like spending any more time in the cabin than we need to, so first thing in the morning it's throw on some clothes and straight to the coffee bar. But if someone wants to have a decent cup of joe in the cabin with little effort before heading out, the VIA would be the best option in my opinion.

Edited November 2, 2018 by schazzy

[Ludyboodie]

Schazzy, thank you so very much for your opinion on the Starbucks VIA!!! Will surely give it a try at home before our sailing.