Coffee on Princess Cruises

[SailingGuy2]

I just did a recent cruise from Sydney to New Zealand and back on the Golden Princess. The syrup-hot water mix which Captain Domenico allowed to be served on the ship was among the top three worst coffees I had to date on cruises and on land since I started drinking coffee. I like good coffee (addict) so it is important to me on cruise ships to have at least average quality (brewed drip) style coffee service. The coffee on the Golden Princess was so bad that it prompted me to write a letter to the captain and management. I have attached it FYI. When and if they change, I will re-consider cruising with Princess Cruise Lines again.

Letter to Princess Cruise Lines.pdf

[SteveH2508]

I just did a recent cruise from Sydney to New Zealand and back on the Golden Princess. The syrup-hot water mix which Captain Domenico allowed to be served on the ship was among the top three worst coffees I had to date on cruises and on land since I started drinking coffee. I like good coffee (addict) so it is important to me on cruise ships to have at least average quality (brewed drip) style coffee service. The coffee on the Golden Princess was so bad that it prompted me to write a letter to the captain and management. I have attached it FYI. When and if they change, I will re-consider cruising with Princess Cruise Lines again.

 

Agreed that cruise ship coffee can be rotten, but I think the Aussies on this board are going to rip you a new one for your comments on Aussie coffee. They take their coffee seriously and we had some excellent brews in Sydney last year. I'm afraid to say this, but the nation which makes the worst coffee I have tasted is the USA (over-genaralising perhaps but 'physician, heal thyself').

[joeyancho]

It's not coffee! It's a coffee -like product. Bilge water would be a step up.

[pablo222]

The syrup-hot water mix which Captain Domenico allowed to be served on the ship was among

 

Why would the captain be involved in what coffee making hardware was selected when the

ship entered service, or what brand / quality of ingredients were subsequently used?

 

Wouldn't it have been better to address the letter to the captain, care of the port agent at

an upcoming port, or turn-around?

[DennisNV]

Having just taken my first Princess cruise I can say the coffee served is the spawn of Satan with the exception of the coffee in the IC. Seriously terrible. I usually drink it black but had to add sugar and milk so I could choke it down. Seriously......... #awefulcoffee

[Whirlybird]

I agree that the coffee in Buffet area is awful. In my opinion, coffee served in MDR is drinkable. I now carry sufficient number of Cafe Via instant coffee packets to get me through the cruise. In the morning, I usually order hot tea from room service, use the hot water for my instant coffee and just save tea bags for later.

 

 

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[tip]

Unfortunately the coffee served in the Horizon Court is made from a Nestle syrup, or concentrate as I was so corrected in another thread.

 

We bought a coffee card and got brewed coffee from the International Cafe each morning and brought it with us to breakfast. It is sad that the buffet chooses not to serve a decent cup of coffee.

[SailingGuy2]

The captain is Italian and he should know how terrible the coffee is on board. I bet he has an espresso machine in his cabin. The captain is the master of the ship and he has the power on matters regarding provisioning and all else. He is responsible for every passenger while aboard.

 

Re. Aussies and coffee...well, I agree that there are some great espresso coffee houses in Australia. I found some very good espresso coffee where I visited (Sydney and Gold Coast). However, it seems that Aussies are used to drinking instant coffee at home as I did see a lot of instant coffee on store shelves but equipment for making drip brewed coffee was not seen anywhere.

 

Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi

[pablo222]

The captain is the master of the ship and he has the power on matters regarding provisioning

 

Rediculous.

 

Perhaps you meant to write food and beverage director, but even then, I think the possible changes would be small.

 

It hardly matters. When Grand Princess entered service in 1998, it was setup with coffee service.

Nothing changed until Regal/Royal entered service.

 

That's many years of ignored coffee complaints.

[floridalover5623]

Rediculous.

 

Perhaps you meant to write food and beverage director, but even then, I think the possible changes would be small.

 

It hardly matters. When Grand Princess entered service in 1998, it was setup with coffee service.

Nothing changed until Regal/Royal entered service.

 

That's many years of ignored coffee complaints.

Yep, the liquid coffee has never improved over the years.

At least the stuff on the Regal/Royal is drinkable.

[SailingGuy2]

Some of you mistook the intend of the message that the captain is responsible and master of the ship. That is indeed true 100%. He does however abide by management dictates, etc. So what he can do is have a good discussion with Princess Management that the bad coffee may dissuade future cruisers who like better coffee.

[OzKiwiJJ]

No, the reason the coffee is bad is not because the ship is cruising out of Australia. It's bad on all Princess ships. Princess sources most of it's supplies from the US. The baristas on Princess pull an espresso in the style Italians call Americano, ie with much more water added than us Aussies would expect. Actually I'm not sure how much training the baristas get, they certainly have difficulty making espresso coffees to top Australian standards, the coffees are more like what I've had from American coffee chains like Starbucks, or Pacific Coffee.

 

It is possible to get a reasonable espresso on Princess, you just have to make friends with the barista and tell him exactly how you like it.

[OzKiwiJJ]

The captain is Italian and he should know how terrible the coffee is on board. I bet he has an espresso machine in his cabin. The captain is the master of the ship and he has the power on matters regarding provisioning and all else. He is responsible for every passenger while aboard.

 

Re. Aussies and coffee...well, I agree that there are some great espresso coffee houses in Australia. I found some very good espresso coffee where I visited (Sydney and Gold Coast). However, it seems that Aussies are used to drinking instant coffee at home as I did see a lot of instant coffee on store shelves but equipment for making drip brewed coffee was not seen anywhere.

 

Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi

 

Brewed coffee is rarely drunk in Australia. Serious coffee drinkers have espresso machines at home these days, and the rest drink instant or plunger coffee - I think you call that French Press in the US.