Coffee Mate in Le Bistro - c'mon man...

[wurm914]

We were on the NCL Joy in January this year, half and half for coffee was standard - available in the little single serve cups.  You could get heavy cream if requested in most of the dining rooms.  Fast forward to last week on the Getaway and they've switched to Coffee Mate!  You can still get half and half from what used to be a milk dispenser in the Garden Cafe, but if you want to bring a few extras back for making coffee in your cabin - you'll be using Coffee Mate.  I didn't really mind in the Garden Cafe - I had my workaround and would bring a water glass back filled with half and half back to the cabin every other day - I had a covered reusable container that fit in the fridge.  But - seriously, Coffee Mate on the table at Le Bistro?  Nothing says fine french dining like Coffee Mate.  Is this switch across all ships?  Am I a coffee snob? (kind of, maybe...) What do you think?

 

deb 🙂

[wil e coyote]

It seems like Coffee Mate and half and half are both around on NCL ships. On our sailing on the Jewel earlier this month, I could only find Coffee Mate on the ship for the first half of the week, and then all of a sudden everything changed over to half and half for the last few days.

We had a similar experience on Escape in January. It seems like the ships get a pallet of one, and use it up, then get a pallet of the other, but I really don't know.

I agree they are not the same, and I definitely prefer half and half!

[Travelling2Some]

We were in a restaurant the other day and the waitress brought only the little cups for our coffee with "Coffee Mate" in large red letters.  I asked for Half & Half instead and she showed me a smaller, much less noticeable, line of print reading "Half & Half" and said "Coffee Mate" was just the brand name.  She said it causes objections all day long. I had never seen this before.  Any chance this was the confusing labeling?

[wil e coyote]

Wow - Coffee Mate brand half & half? I've never heard of such a thing - I guess this means we have to go on another cruise so I can personally verify this.  🤪

Dear...where is the credit card?

[wurm914]

2 hours ago, Travelling2Some said:

 Any chance this was the confusing labeling?

nope, not a chance, it was straight up Coffee Mate - a trademarked product.  The ingredient labeling said Contains: a milk derivative. 

[wurm914]

14 minutes ago, wil e coyote said:

I guess this means we have to go on another cruise so I can personally verify this.  🤪

Dear...where is the credit card?

be sure to bring your little container to fill with half and half in the Garden Cafe.  So nice to have that first cup of coffee (with half and half) on the balcony.  🙂

 

deb 🙂

[DCGuy64]

I agree, Coffeemate isn't half-and-half, and I definitely prefer the latter. However, when it's morning and I need my coffee, either one will do!

[goldmom]

I'm probably the only person happy about the coffee mate.  DH is diabetic and I used to bring the coffee mate cups onboard for him as they don't have sugar.  And he actually prefers them to cream or half and half.  Now I wouldn't have to cart them in my carry on.  LOL!

[schmoopie17]

What is this Coffee Mate of which you speak?  

 

Signed,

A black coffee drinker

[depplep]

My first thought, as another lifelong black coffee drinker was, "What would your other option be if not Coffee Mate?"

[Ellis1138]

I wish I could drink my coffee black, as it would make my life easier. I avoid non-dairy creamer products, since they have ingredients I might react to. (Severe allergy roulette). I was looking forward to the Studio Cabin coffee on the the Escape, but not if I need to spend my morning hunting down actual cream or half and half. 

[Travelling2Some]

42 minutes ago, Ellis1138 said:

I wish I could drink my coffee black, as it would make my life easier. I avoid non-dairy creamer products, since they have ingredients I might react to. (Severe allergy roulette). I was looking forward to the Studio Cabin coffee on the the Escape, but not if I need to spend my morning hunting down actual cream or half and half. 

You can pick up a glass or two of it in the buffet and keep it in your cabin fridge so you have it for the mornings without leaving your cabin.

[Meander Ingwa]

Coffee Mate does not make a half and half product.  CM is water, coconut oil, sugar, and Sodium Caseinate , which is derived from milk and lactose free.  I am a Land o Lakes Mini Moo gal, myself.  Just one in a 24 oz coffee is enough.  I rather use a jot of regular milk from the buffet than a CM product.  Real good coffee doesnt need cream, but I do like taking some acid edge off and I like the mouth feel of a little touch of milk.  Many baristas dont know the measure "a plop" so I now ask for a teaspoon of milk.

 

[scooter6139]

By the time I'm done with setting up my coffee, it's not really coffee anymore.  😏

[Ellis1138]

1 hour ago, Travelling2Some said:

You can pick up a glass or two of it in the buffet and keep it in your cabin fridge so you have it for the mornings without leaving your cabin.

Alas, a Studio cabin has no fridge. 

[Travelling2Some]

8 minutes ago, Ellis1138 said:

Alas, a Studio cabin has no fridge. 

wow I did not know that

[smillerholmes]

1 hour ago, scooter6139 said:

By the time I'm done with setting up my coffee, it's not really coffee anymore.  😏

Same.

[YVRteacher]

4 hours ago, Travelling2Some said:

You can pick up a glass or two of it in the buffet and keep it in your cabin fridge so you have it for the mornings without leaving your cabin.

Studio cabins don’t have fridges

[justhappy]

On the Getaway we had the same issue. No matter how many times you ask for half and half they bring you the coffee mate crap. 
We were in the Haven and even there they will only supply that.

When our friend who will only use real half and half in his coffee would explain what he wanted it was not supplied. He ended up going to the buffet and getting a glass of it from the dispenser and keeping it in his room fridge, then bringing it with him to breakfast. No one could be bothered to keep a supply in the Haven restaurant for him .

 

[zzdoug]

It's gross.  But every time I requested milk, it was gladly provided.

[Ellis1138]

6 minutes ago, zzdoug said:

It's gross.  But every time I requested milk, it was gladly provided.

I'm glad to hear that. I'm still going to bring my powdered heavy cream, though.

[Von & John]

On 5/22/2023 at 2:15 PM, scooter6139 said:

By the time I'm done with setting up my coffee, it's not really coffee anymore.  😏

 

The majority of the coffee on the Sun recently needed lot's of Cream, half-n-half or milk to "help" the coffee....
I used to drink black coffee - but due to challenges w/ acid I now use heavy cream @ home & any of the above elsewhere 🙂

[Ellis1138]

I honestly think they make the cruise's regular coffee so awful to entice us to buy the specialty coffee on board. I mean, I can bring my own Instant Cafe Bustelo and add hot water to it, no problem. But there used to be real dairy (cream, half and half) readily available. I guess I could think of it as an activity: Scavenger Hunt for Cream on the Escape.

 

I wonder if there's real dairy in the Studio Lounge? Like even if they don't have the pods, maybe the bar fridge has some.

[Sigyn]

Reading this at home as I sit and drink my coffee with Coffee mate. 

[cruisinmeme]

Forever i have brought my own.  It is up to 3.28 at walmart for 24 little cups.  No refrigeration needed. Release the stress of what they have or do not have. I also do this for land trips also.