Why does Princess use coffee syrup?

[Day91]

We just returned from a cruise on the Caribbean Princess. I have never liked the coffee either, but on this cruise I thought it was much better. In the dining room I thought it was very good and in the Lido it was not bad. maybe they have changed it. I could tell a difference.

 

Agree...

 

Can't believe I'm saying this as a coffee snob of sorts, but I actually kind of missed the CB's coffee when I returned home to my "fancy" coffee.

[mimi01]

I bring my own. I purchase a box of little packets of my favorite brand and add them to the hot water. Works perfect for me. I do get comments from passengers saying they wish they thought of it too. I use to purchase a coffee card and I think its a good deal but now for the past few years I just bring my own. If I want a specialty coffee I just purchase it. No big deal. Some things you just have to take into your own hands.

 

Mimi

[Nukesailor]

I have heard this on CC for years, but I don't buy it. They dispose of hundreds of pounds of uneaten food and food scraps evey day. Why are coffee ground singled out as being different, and more difficult to dispose of? Just grind them up and send them out to sea with the rest of the food waste.

 

I would think it's more cost effective for them to use syrup as they don't have to do anything for disposal of the coffee grounds (which, since they're already ground, wouldn't have to be ground up further). Also, storage of the bags of syrup is presumably easier than for coffee. Then again, they do use real coffee in some places and would have to dispose of those grounds. I would expect the amount of real coffee served is significantly less than the amount made from syrup.

 

Art

[Kamloops50]

Not a stranger to Princess and certainly not to cruising. I recognize each cruise line seems to have some strengths and some weaknesses that are unique to each. Some are so minor one wonders why they are even an issue. There are only two issues I am hopeful that Princess will correct...sooner than later. Their beds are finally being changed out to something more comfortable. Seven-day cruises are not too terribly difficult to endure but two weeks and more can leave us with long-lasting effects.

 

Why is Princess' coffee made with syrup instead of ground beans? Haven't there not been enough complaints that they would upgrade to a better tasting, better quality offering? Or, are they entirely motivated by forcing us to buy ($$) their cards to get what other ships offer for free?

 

Maybe now that they will be collecting $15 for every extra bottle of wine brought on board they will be able to offer brewed coffee from ground coffee beans to all travelers. :rolleyes: Perhaps their bean counters (pun intended) are tea drinkers and don't know the difference. :p

 

All mainstream cruise lines use coffee.

[Nukesailor]

All mainstream cruise lines use coffee.

 

Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Princess and Carnival all use syrup for their non-specialty coffee. Don't know about the others.

 

Art

[UpcountryTravelers]

Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Princess and Carnival all use syrup for their non-specialty coffee. Don't know about the others.

 

Art

 

Which IS "real coffee". Just a different processing procedure.

[homeinboca]

Yes I agree the coffee from syrup is vile. We bring a supply of VIA instant coffee for our morning room service and ask for a pot of hot water. I also get a coffee card for brewed and speciality coffees at the International Cafe.

[iceleven]

Some of you have mentioned bringing your own coffee on board, such items that come in packets. Aren't they "instant coffee as well?"

[SeaLaRae]

We just returned from a cruise on the Caribbean Princess. I have never liked the coffee either, but on this cruise I thought it was much better. In the dining room I thought it was very good and in the Lido it was not bad. maybe they have changed it. I could tell a difference.

 

 

On our last cruise on the Crown the coffee was also much better. We will be on the Star next week and hope their coffee is okay. I enjoy a cup in the morning before venturing out.

 

Sharon

[sminfiddle]

Does anyone know what type of coffee is served in Sabatini’s for breakfast? My DH and I have splurged on our next trip and we get to go to Sabatini every morning J

 

I am really looking forward to it. He has a plain black coffee, but I love my lattes.

 

Do you need to pay for a latte in Sabatini’s? I will be buying one each morning at IC before breakfast (we are early birds and up by 6 most days) but had assumed my latte at Sabatini’s would be free. If it is charged, I may buy a coffee card since I will use most of it in a 7-day cruise.

 

Put any concerns about Sabatini's coffee out of your head. Or paying for a latte there. :)

I think the black coffee is a very good Cafe Americano (fresh espresso plus hot water).

I had a double espresso before juice every morning I was able to enjoy Sabatini's. It is about equivalent to a triple on land.

They then made me a Cappuccino to go with breakfast - it is not as large as a Cappuccino in the IC but it was plenty. My DD ordered one after me, and Liviu served hers in a tall clear cup so she could see the layers. (called it a "Girly Cup") He gently swirled it by the base and the layers danced and we loved the show.

 

Your latte will be perfect and faster than you can believe. The machine is very clean and apparently expertly operated.

 

You can buy a coffee card at any time so see how you feel after a couple of days.

Or, call Room Service when you board and have the mini bar replaced with two Coffee Cards. That was our best option, but be advised that no one but Room Service will know that you can do that!

 

My diabetic wife could not find sugar-free flavorings at any coffee bar on the Crown (we'll bring some next time) but enjoyed lattes as a consolation.

[space cowboy]

Just for reference, Princess doesn't grind up their waste and dump it over board, they burn it. Ever wonder the why there is more smoke coming out of stacks at night than the day, it's because they are incinerating waste.

[Matcodixon]

I've never had a problem with either the beds or the coffee. Both are very subjective. Just because one or more people don't like one or the other doesn't mean that it's "bad." It just means someone doesn't like it, not that everyone doesn't.

I agree with Pam 100%

 

"you can please all of the people, some of the time, and some of the people, all of the time, but never all of the people, all of the time"

 

If you don't like the coffee in the Buffet, get it at the IC.

[Coochuck]

Royal Caribbean & Celebrity do not use syrup...they serve Seattle's Best(I"ve seen the coffee grounds)...which is still too weak for me. I'll go up the Diamond Lounge on their ships and get fresh ground bean coffee, or pay for a cup of Starbucks. Will be doing the Star Princess in a few months...if it's syrup..I'll pay for a good cup of coffee each morning.

[Kamloops50]

Royal Caribbean & Celebrity do not use syrup...they serve Seattle's Best(I"ve seen the coffee grounds)...which is still too weak for me. I'll go up the Diamond Lounge on their ships and get fresh ground bean coffee, or pay for a cup of Starbucks. Will be doing the Star Princess in a few months...if it's syrup..I'll pay for a good cup of coffee each morning.

 

When your on the Star Princess , buy a coffee card ($31 incl Grat) and get all the fresh brewed coffee you want . The card buys you 15 specialty coffees and unlimited individually brewed tea. The tea is of better quality then in the Horizon Court.

[Nukesailor]

Which IS "real coffee". Just a different processing procedure.

 

Agreed. At least, it started from coffee beans. Sort of like powdered milk is real milk. Ditto instant coffee.

 

Art

[Nukesailor]

Royal Caribbean & Celebrity do not use syrup...they serve Seattle's Best(I"ve seen the coffee grounds)...which is still too weak for me. I'll go up the Diamond Lounge on their ships and get fresh ground bean coffee, or pay for a cup of Starbucks. Will be doing the Star Princess in a few months...if it's syrup..I'll pay for a good cup of coffee each morning.

 

They may use ground coffee in special locations, but the coffee in the buffet restaurants is syrup. I've watched them change the bag. Can't say for sure about the MDR, but, based on taste, I think it is also syrup.

 

Art

[Coochuck]

They may use ground coffee in special locations, but the coffee in the buffet restaurants is syrup. I've watched them change the bag. Can't say for sure about the MDR, but, based on taste, I think it is also syrup.

 

Art

 

Not sure what your saw or when you saw it...but in the past few months I"ve seen grounds in the buffett....of course..no one knows what goes on behind the scenes in the MDR.

[aaerobear]

I am just off the Celebrity Silhouette and they definitely used syrup bags in the buffet, I even commented to one of the stewards about it.

[sminfiddle]

MDR lunch on embarkation day and in Fusion lounge on disembarkation were much better than Buffet coffee at breakfast. Crown Princess Caribbean itinerary.

I am starbucks tolerant but prefer Peet's and Dunn Bros to the mermaid place.

[roe2ship]

Or, are they entirely motivated by forcing us to buy ($$) their cards to get what other ships offer for free?

 

Sometimes I think that is exactly it.

 

Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Princess and Carnival all use syrup for their non-specialty coffee. Don't know about the others.

 

Art

Royal Caribbean does not use syrup....it is Seattle's Best. Not quite sure about Celebrity but their coffee was also better than Princess. I have never had any coffee as bad as Princess....it is disgusting to say the least.

[caribill]

Sometimes I think that is exactly it.

 

Royal Caribbean does not use syrup....it is Seattle's Best. Not quite sure about Celebrity but their coffee was also better than Princess. I have never had any coffee as bad as Princess....it is disgusting to say the least.

 

From post #2 in this thread are comments from some who have cruised on RCCL:

 

RCCL: The coffee we had on Voyager in summer 2011 was terrible. If you asked for cream, you were given watery milk. We had a suite and often ate breakfast in Portofino and had the same terrible coffee. We loved our cruise and would do it again in a heartbeat, but just did not like the coffee.

 

RCCL: I don't care what they call it... I call it terrible. Very bitter. No amount of extra cream and sugar will help. Its enough to turn a person into a tea drinker.

 

 

And from some who have cruised on Celebrity:

 

Celebrity: Free coffee is bad. Not the worst at sea, but baaad.

 

Celebrity: We are veterans of a couple Celebrity cruises and remember that the free coffee was just horrible

 

Now maybe coffee on RCCL and Celebrity is better than on Princess, but it does not appear their coffee will win taste awards either.

[BruceMuzz]

When I worked for Princess, my boss in the Head Office invited groups of travel agents and frequent cruisers to the Santa Clarita office for focus groups to discuss the Princess products and services.

He invited them to go with him to Starbucks, across the street from the office, to have a coffee break and continue the discussion.

As they were drinking their coffee, he asked them how they compared the Starbucks coffee to the syrup product served on Princess Ships.

The answers were uniformly negative for the Princess coffee.

Then my boss invited the Starbucks Manager into the room, to admit that he had switched the Starbucks blend and substituted the syrup coffee supplied by Princess HQ.

 

These people who were telling my boss that the (Fake) Starbucks coffee they were drinking was so much better than the Princess syrup coffee were quite embarrassed that they could not tell the difference.

[Stevesan]

When I worked for Princess, my boss in the Head Office invited groups of travel agents and frequent cruisers to the Santa Clarita office for focus groups to discuss the Princess products and services.

He invited them to go with him to Starbucks, across the street from the office, to have a coffee break and continue the discussion.

As they were drinking their coffee, he asked them how they compared the Starbucks coffee to the syrup product served on Princess Ships.

The answers were uniformly negative for the Princess coffee.

Then my boss invited the Starbucks Manager into the room, to admit that he had switched the Starbucks blend and substituted the syrup coffee supplied by Princess HQ.

 

These people who were telling my boss that the (Fake) Starbucks coffee they were drinking was so much better than the Princess syrup coffee were quite embarrassed that they could not tell the difference.

 

Darn near any coffee tastes better than Starbucks!!

[memas retired]

We just returned from a cruise on the Caribbean Princess. I have never liked the coffee either, but on this cruise I thought it was much better. In the dining room I thought it was very good and in the Lido it was not bad. maybe they have changed it. I could tell a difference.

 

KSm77,

Hope you enjoyed the cruise on PC!!!!!

 

How about their beds? Going on a 27 cruise on PC around the British Isles and a bed for THAT long needs to be comfortable.

 

 

Hope you can tell me!!

 

Thanks

 

Cathy from Monroe Michigan