No more baristas?

[Colo Cruiser]

While the espresso machine was the highlight of my DH's one and only visit to the concierge lounge it wasn't enough to warrant repeated visits. We were on Dolphin deck in an Owner's Suite (aft) and neither of us felt it worth the effort to visit the lounge again - it probably didn't help that the concierge was on the phone the entire time we were in the lounge and never even acknowledged our presence with even the wave of a hand.

 

 

:(:(:(

[Grover_]

I saw the post the OP is referencing on Facebook. There was a comment from one person who said there was an automated machine instead of a barista on the Golden. There were no other people suggesting they had encountered this.

 

 

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[Colo Cruiser]

I saw the post the OP is referencing on Facebook. There was a comment from one person who said there was an automated machine instead of a barista on the Golden. There were no other people suggesting they had encountered this.

 

 

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That is strange. Unless they placed it on the Golden for her Australia service.

[shredie]

I saw the post the OP is referencing on Facebook. There was a comment from one person who said there was an automated machine instead of a barista on the Golden. There were no other people suggesting they had encountered this.

Facebook isn't exactly my idea of an authoritative source...

I'm on the Diamond in January and was disappointed to learn that there's no IC on board. Where will I be able to get barista coffee and specialty coffees from? Or won't they be available [emoji22]

 

True, the Diamond does not have IC (which is a shame, IMO) but you can still get the coffee drinks the same as usual at the Lobby Bar. My waiter in TD got me a latte every night after dinner (and punched the card) so it's possible to get coffee at more than one place.

[Astro Flyer]

I read on Facebook (not the most reliable source!) that Princess is doing away with baristas preparing specialty coffee drinks and replacing them with automated dispensers for espressos, cappuccinos, etc. Please tell me this isn't true.

 

Only a year ago Princess began promoting their "New Grounds Crafted Coffee" program so it's very doubtful if what you read on FB is accurate.

 

Princess partnered with the American Barista & Coffee School in Portland, OR. to train their baristas & also switched to Caffé Boasi beans from Genoa, IT. I see no reason for upgrading their IC coffee experience & then to replace it with automated coffee drink dispensers.

 

I'd take what you read on FB with a large grain of rock salt. ;)

[NZPandora]

True, the Diamond does not have IC (which is a shame, IMO) but you can still get the coffee drinks the same as usual at the Lobby Bar. My waiter in TD got me a latte every night after dinner (and punched the card) so it's possible to get coffee at more than one place.

 

 

Thank you [emoji4]

 

 

 

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[OzKiwiJJ]

That is strange. Unless they placed it on the Golden for her Australia service.

 

Nope, there were baristas on Golden in April. They made reasonable espressos.

[OzKiwiJJ]

I'm on the Diamond in January and was disappointed to learn that there's no IC on board. Where will I be able to get barista coffee and specialty coffees from? Or won't they be available [emoji22]

 

 

Don't panic, there will be places to get speciality coffees. The best espresso I've had on Princess was actually on Dawn Princess, which also doesn't have an IC, just an excellent barista.

[OzKiwiJJ]

spyro1952 You're not gonna believe this but. (That's a truck drivers story, a fairy tale starts once upon a time) If you go to Japan you can buy any kind of hot coffee out of a vending machine you can dream up. Who needs Barristas or Baristsa or Berristas of whatever to pour coffee. Robot's can do it for less and make more profit. Probably headed that way! BTW/You can still get bilge swill in MDR.

 

You can get all sorts of weird and wonderful things out of vending machines in Japan. You might call it coffee, but I don't. In fact it's very hard to get what I call a decent espresso in Japan - or it was when I was there some years ago.

[Gallivanting Souls]

Many (land) baristas go on to become layers, doctors, and you name it. The place where my DH gets his from,just graduated from Physical Therapy school with her doctorate.

Edited August 16, 2016 by familyoutdoors

[easyboy]

I read on Facebook (not the most reliable source!) that Princess is doing away with baristas preparing specialty coffee drinks and replacing them with automated dispensers for espressos, cappuccinos, etc. Please tell me this isn't true.

Not true.

[GUT2407]

I'm on the Diamond in January and was disappointed to learn that there's no IC on board. Where will I be able to get barista coffee and specialty coffees from? Or won't they be available [emoji22]

 

 

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Lobby bar on deck 5 is the spot.

[NZPandora]

Don't panic, there will be places to get speciality coffees. The best espresso I've had on Princess was actually on Dawn Princess, which also doesn't have an IC, just an excellent barista.

 

 

Thanks heaps! [emoji4]

 

 

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[brian1]

A barrister is a lawyer who practices law in the UK and has the right to argue cases in higher courts of law. :D

 

A barista is someone who makes and serves coffee mainly specialty coffee like one would find at Starbucks. The word comes from Italian.

Hi,I knew that,I was trying to crack a funny that didnt work lol.Anyway he is a bloke who pours out your coffee,you cant compare him to a sommelier who goes thru years of training.I prefer tea anyway,cheers,Brian.

[Grego]

Well so much for getting your information from Facebook or the "drive-by media". :D

[GUT2407]

Many (land) baristas go on to become layers, doctors, and you name it. The place where my DH gets his from,just graduated from Physical Therapy school with her doctorate.

 

Chicken.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Hi,I knew that,I was trying to crack a funny that didnt work lol.Anyway he is a bloke who pours out your coffee,you cant compare him to a sommelier who goes thru years of training.I prefer tea anyway,cheers,Brian.

 

No, a barista is not someone who pours out your coffee. You don't pour espresso-based coffees and you don't need a barista to make or serve brewed coffee.

 

A proper barista should have undergone training. It's not just a case of tossing some beans in a grinder, grinding them, putting them into the group and pressing a button.

- Firstly the grind has to be right and that depends on how fresh the beans are, the humidity of the air, the brand of beans etc. A good barista will run a couple of shots through the machine first thing to check they are perfect, and will constantly be checking in case the grind needs adjusting.

- Next the ground coffee is put into the group and tamped. Too loose or too firm and the coffee won't be extracted properly.

- For milk based coffees the milk needs to be steamed to exactly the right temperature and texture. The foam needs to be fine and dense. A good barista will also be able to pour the milk properly (mixing it with the coffee as it's poured) and will often finish a latte with an artistic flourish - there are actually latte art courses that baristas can do.

- If someone wants a black coffee with more water than usual a good barista will know to put the extra water in the cup/glass before extracting the coffee. The coffee should never ever be allowed to just run though until the is enough in the cup.

- Finally the barista must know how to clean the machine, what should be done after each coffee and know when the machine needs a full clean.

 

No, I'm not a barista. I did a basic course once, and when we bought our espresso machine we had a 90 minute training session on it. I've almost mastered the art of foaming milk but DH is much better at making the espresso than me.

[GUT2407]

No more Barristers:eek::eek:

 

A bit discriminatory isn't it.

 

What about solicitors are they allowed:D.

[brian1]

Hi,all joking aside here in Italy a latte or cappucino can be drunk straight away as to me it is lukewarm.I asked another expat who is an english born Italian who owned a chain of coffee shops in the south of England and he said the biggest mistake is making the milk too hot as it will burn the coffee.In England in Starbucks or wherever the milk is boiling,go figure.I still prefer my pg tips teabag lol,cheers,Brian.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Hi,all joking aside here in Italy a latte or cappucino can be drunk straight away as to me it is lukewarm.I asked another expat who is an english born Italian who owned a chain of coffee shops in the south of England and he said the biggest mistake is making the milk too hot as it will burn the coffee.In England in Starbucks or wherever the milk is boiling,go figure.I still prefer my pg tips teabag lol,cheers,Brian.

 

Exactly. Getting the perfect temperature for the milk is very important.

 

Dilmah Ceylon Supreme tea for me most of the time, except for one (hopefully perfect) coffee a day - latte mid-morning or mid-afternoon, but espresso after a meal or on a cruise ship (over-steamed UHT milk tastes vile).

 

Australia is one of the few places in the world where Starbucks hasn't made it bigtime. I think there are still a few around, especially in the city and tourist areas, but many closed down.

Edited August 16, 2016 by OzKiwiJJ

[JimmyVWine]

K-Cups make coffee. Espresso is a whole different beast- and does not come from K-Cups (even if they say it does---:confused:).

Not to veer too far afield, (but I think we are already too late for that), but there is more than a bit of non-sequitur in that statement. It essentially distills down to: "K-Cups don't make espresso even if they say they do." They may not make espresso to your liking. Or they may not make espresso to your specifications. But if an establishment decided to automate its coffee service and go the mechanical route, there certainly are K-Cups that say "espresso" right on the lid, and to the establishment, that is all that matters.

 

Patron: "Excuse me. Do you offer espresso?"

Establishment: "Why, yes, we do!"

 

Now, would such a circumstance result in countless threads here about whether the espresso is any good, or if it is "true" espresso? Of course it would. But from the establishment's standpoint, they could advertize that they offer espresso.

[triple7tahoe]

Many (land) baristas go on to become layers, doctors, and you name it. The place where my DH gets his from,just graduated from Physical Therapy school with her doctorate.

On the other hand those of us that are (were) Colonel in the US Army became baristas because their wife thought they were spending too much money on Ebay and needed to find something to do:) Even funnier is that this retired officer does not drink coffee but did work long enough at Starbucks to retire from there as well;)

[triple7tahoe]

Hi,all joking aside here in Italy a latte or cappucino can be drunk straight away as to me it is lukewarm.I asked another expat who is an english born Italian who owned a chain of coffee shops in the south of England and he said the biggest mistake is making the milk too hot as it will burn the coffee.In England in Starbucks or wherever the milk is boiling,go figure.I still prefer my pg tips teabag lol,cheers,Brian.

Boiling should not happen! Actually all machines in Starbucks are set to turn off at 165 degrees; only if you insist on your drink being extra hot can we override the setting and get to around 190. Anything higher is a malfunction and you should return the drink!

[taxatty]

Australia is one of the few places in the world where Starbucks hasn't made it bigtime. I think there are still a few around, especially in the city and tourist areas, but many closed down.

Could you please send someone to the US to show Starbucks how to make a proper flat white? I got addicted to them in Sydney and Brisbane, and Starbucks baristas haven't got a clue. Edited August 17, 2016 by taxatty

[cruisequeen4ever]

The Nespresso machines are common in Europe and produce better coffee than Keurig IMO. There are machines that make delicious cappuccinos and lattes, BUT baristas still make the best, by far.

 

 

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