Question for tea drinkers

[patty1955]

I love a  good afternoon tea and was impressed with the Oceania version on our cruise. I have a question for other tea lovers though. We saw a number of people take one teabag and put it in the pot of hot water. The pot held at least 3 cups so it seems to me that would be an very weak pot of tea.  We put a tea bag in our cup and poured the water from the pot over it. 
What would be the correct way to prepare the tea?

[Flatbush Flyer]

7 minutes ago, patty1955 said:

I love a  good afternoon tea and was impressed with the Oceania version on our cruise. I have a question for other tea lovers though. We saw a number of people take one teabag and put it in the pot of hot water. The pot held at least 3 cups so it seems to me that would be an very weak pot of tea.  We put a tea bag in our cup and poured the water from the pot over it. 
What would be the correct way to prepare the tea?

We put at least two (if not three) bags per pot of hot water. DW doesn’t use any cream. But I love her anyway.😍

[patty1955]

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

We put at least two (if not three) bags per pot of hot water. DW doesn’t use any cream. But I love her anyway.😍

Thank you! I thought maybe I was missing something.

[LHT28]

4 hours ago, patty1955 said:

I love a  good afternoon tea and was impressed with the Oceania version on our cruise. I have a question for other tea lovers though. We saw a number of people take one teabag and put it in the pot of hot water. The pot held at least 3 cups so it seems to me that would be an very weak pot of tea.  We put a tea bag in our cup and poured the water from the pot over it. 
What would be the correct way to prepare the tea?

make the way you like

That said  we make tea in the pot  same way as at home

You can ask for 2 tea bags  ..no problem

 

FF  Cream in your tea 🤔 

[Rosroz]

You can only make a decent cup of tea using BOILING water , I know it’s old fashioned using a tea pot but I still make my tea like that , I use 2 good quality tea bags , put them in a pot and pour the boiling water over ,, stir, then I let the tea ‘draw” for about 5 mins and pour into a cup, not a mug ! I out my milk in first but some prefer to add afterwards ,  You can use loose tea if you prefer. I have never ever had a decent cup of tea at Oceania’s afternoon tea , bringing a tea bag on a saucer and a pot of hot water just doesn’t cut it, and cream is for coffee definitely not tea , a slice of lemon especially in earl grey is nice . I do love the savouries and the cakes though.

Edited May 9, 2022 by Rosroz

[hamrag]

55 minutes ago, Rosroz said:

You can only make a decent cup of tea using BOILING water.....

 

I have never ever had a decent cup of tea at Oceania’s afternoon tea , bringing a tea bag on a saucer and a pot of hot water just doesn’t cut it...

Precisely! Haven't yet sailed Oceania (July, all being well) but 53 cruises on 15 other cruiselines and we have never received a decent pot of tea. They don't understand the concept of placing tea bag(s) at the point water is boiling.

 

So, they fill a pot with hot (not boiling) water, and bring to your table. If you're lucky, the tea bag is on the saucer, so throw it into pot immediately. Often they then head of for the tea bag, and by the time it arrives there is no way that tea is ever going to percolate without rapid activation/stirring of the teabag.....we concluded long ago it's just not worth ordering!

[LaCroisiereS'amuse]

The only way I get a decent cup of tea on any ship is bringing my own travel kettle, tea bags & fresh milk, otherwise my caffeine fix comes from Baristas!

[LHT28]

5 hours ago, LaCroisiereS'amuse said:

The only way I get a decent cup of tea on any ship is bringing my own travel kettle, tea bags & fresh milk, otherwise my caffeine fix comes from Baristas!

do they allow a kettle on Oceania ?

[LHT28]

5 hours ago, hamrag said:

So, they fill a pot with hot (not boiling) water, and bring to your table. If you're lucky, the tea bag is on the saucer, so throw it into pot immediately. Often they then head of for the tea bag, and by the time it arrives there is no way that tea is ever going to percolate without rapid activation/stirring of the teabag.....we concluded long ago it's just not worth ordering!

Pre covid  they used to bring the tea chest  for you to choose your teabag of choice  then someone would bring the pot of hot water

I put the bag in asap  then let it steep to my liking

Enjoy

 

[Harters]

17 hours ago, patty1955 said:

What would be the correct way to prepare the tea?

The correct way would always be the way that best suits you.

 

I am not a tea drinker (don't like the taste) but, when my companion in life makes it, it's a bag in the mug followed by water straight from a boiling kettle. Milk & sugar added when the tea has brewed. After nearly 50 years making tea from time to time, I am deemed to be just about adequate to the task.

 

 

Edited May 9, 2022 by Harters

[patty1955]

1 hour ago, LHT28 said:

Pre covid  they used to bring the tea chest  for you to choose your teabag of choice  then someone would bring the pot of hot water

 

 

That's what  they did on our cruise last October. I was really surprised when people were only taking one bag.

[cruiseaholic78]

Sorry there is only one way to drink tea and that is of course to brew it then add it to the cup with milk in it. After more than forty years in the Netherlands it is still a problem for some friends so I always have English Breakfast tea with me plus a small carton of milk.

The number of times in a restaurant after asking for tea with cold milk on the side they bring a cup/beaker full to the brim with boiling water! How do they think I can add the milk. 
 

https://dorothysteas.co.uk/blog/according-to-science-should-you-put-the-milk-in-first

 

Rosalyn

[LHT28]

25 minutes ago, patty1955 said:

That's what  they did on our cruise last October. I was really surprised when people were only taking one bag.

maybe people did not realize how much water is in the pot 

some people also like weak tea

 

I wish they would have smaller pots   sometimes DH  & I will share 1 pot if we choose the same tea bag

[Aknayt3393]

We just got home after cruising on the Oceania Riviera. We loved the tea at Red Ginger, particularly the basic green tea. Does anyone know what brand of tea they use? It is very different from what is served elsewhere on the ship. I’d love to buy some for home! 

[LHT28]

6 minutes ago, Aknayt3393 said:

We just got home after cruising on the Oceania Riviera. We loved the tea at Red Ginger, particularly the basic green tea. Does anyone know what brand of tea they use? It is very different from what is served elsewhere on the ship. I’d love to buy some for home! 

It may be TEA FORTE

I know the brand  was mentioned a few years back but not sure

[samiam0403]

33 minutes ago, Aknayt3393 said:

We just got home after cruising on the Oceania Riviera. We loved the tea at Red Ginger, particularly the basic green tea. Does anyone know what brand of tea they use? It is very different from what is served elsewhere on the ship. I’d love to buy some for home! 

Definitely Tea Forte. After my first Oceania cruise, the Orchid Vanilla is a must-have. Hubs is a big fan of their Estate Darjeeling.  

[RonNYNJCT]

On 5/8/2022 at 5:58 PM, patty1955 said:

I love a  good afternoon tea and was impressed with the Oceania version on our cruise. I have a question for other tea lovers though. We saw a number of people take one teabag and put it in the pot of hot water. The pot held at least 3 cups so it seems to me that would be an very weak pot of tea.  We put a tea bag in our cup and poured the water from the pot over it. 
What would be the correct way to prepare the tea?

I agree with you about the quality of the afternoon tea on Oceania. The only ones that come close are Cunard and Viking. We are longtime tea drinkers and each evening make a pot using tea leaves. When we do use teabags at home, we usually put one bag in the pot, add just under boiling water, and let it steep for 3 to 5 minutes, depending upon the type of tea. I use no milk, where my wife puts in some almond milk. No sweeteners for either of us.
As for restaurants (especially on ships), we usually find that the problem is that the pot is only about half filled with water, probably to make it easier to carry. Since we usually get two small pots, we put the water from both pots into one and immediately ask for more hot water to be brought.  If we add more water, we may add another teabag.

Patty, we’ll bring some of our favorites teabags from around the world to share when we meet on the Bermuda cruise in 2023.  

[patty1955]

36 minutes ago, RonNYNJCT said:

 

Patty, we’ll bring some of our favorites teabags from around the world to share when we meet on the Bermuda cruise in 2023.  

We'd love that. Thank you

[roger b]

On our last cruise on Nautia in April we found the tea selection very poor with not enough herbal teas.

 There was no mimt only one mxed with green tea , the only non caffine tea they had was chamomile..we did ask the Fand B manager and he found us some pure mint tea,but it was onlg avaible to us it seemed.

[LaCroisiereS'amuse]

17 hours ago, LHT28 said:

do they allow a kettle on Oceania ?

Officially, I don't know, but the stateroom attendants/butler have never said anything.

[ToxM]

I’m a Brit and the only time I drink tea is at afternoon tea on Oceania! 

 

I actually had to ask the advice of Marital Unit to find something suitable. I do think that’s the amount of eater they put in the pot is ridiculous - too little! the water clearly isn’t hot enough, and it seems to take a lot of steeping. 

 

They can manage to make the tea roasting hot in Red Ginger so I think the issue is down to them wandering around with teapots ready to plonk them down once the tea has been selected. 

 

I do enjoy afternoon tea, but certainly not for the tea element. The doughnut afternoon tea on Sirena was bellybustingly good!

[LHT28]

6 hours ago, LaCroisiereS'amuse said:

Officially, I don't know, but the stateroom attendants/butler have never said anything.

interesting

I thought they were under the banned items

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, ToxM said:

They can manage to make the tea roasting hot in Red Ginger so I think the issue is down to them wandering around with teapots ready to plonk them down once the tea has been selected. 

 

I think you may be right

They fill a bunch of tea pots ready to deliver to the tables 

We get there early so getting one of the HOT one usually is not a problem

[Harters]

16 hours ago, RonNYNJCT said:

we put the water from both pots into one and immediately ask for more hot water to be brought.

The traditional British way to serve tea involves a teapot with the tea (originally leaves, now bag) brewing and a separate pot of hot water. This allows you dilute the teapot to taste.

[RonNYNJCT]

37 minutes ago, Harters said:

The traditional British way to serve tea involves a teapot with the tea (originally leaves, now bag) brewing and a separate pot of hot water. This allows you dilute the teapot to taste.

We do that when we use black Turkish tea leaves.  We originally bought the tea in Istanbul but found that we can order from an importer in Brooklyn! via Amazon. We also have it in bags that we bring on cruises.