Further Cheapening of the Brand as Half and Half Disappears from Cruises

[klfrodo]

All I can say is I love melodrama and hyperbole.

[HBE4]

2 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

 

 

You've sent me down the rabbit hole of Ron Swanson quotes.  That one tops many of the lists.

 

My favorite: Just give me all the bacon and eggs you have. Wait … I worry what you heard was, ‘Give me a lot of bacon and eggs.’ What I said was, give me all the bacon and eggs you have. Do you understand?”

[goldfish65]

You are making assumptions. I'd speak with the F&B officer. 

[chazzinator8]

On Ovation last month, we struck up a good relationship with our head, main, and assistant waiters. On the 4th day of the cruise, they all told us that they don't carry half and half anymore and when a guest asks for cream, they serve milk instead and don't mention it. That's what I had the entire cruise with the regular, not espresso coffee. 

[Tree_skier]

3 hours ago, HBE4 said:

 

You've sent me down the rabbit hole of Ron Swanson quotes.  That one tops many of the lists.

 

My favorite: Just give me all the bacon and eggs you have. Wait … I worry what you heard was, ‘Give me a lot of bacon and eggs.’ What I said was, give me all the bacon and eggs you have. Do you understand?”

That was a great one too. The episode where the elementary school girl stumbles into his office while on a field trip and he teaches her about taxes using her lunch is a classic too. Sending her off with land mine was classic. 

Edited June 7, 2023 by Tree_skier

[little britain]

I always thought “half and half” was half milk/half skimmed milk… until I tried it.🤢

Perhaps with more and more international guests they have found there is little requirement for this.  No other nation puts cream in coffee ...  Think of all those unnecessary additional calories. 🤷‍♀️

 

 

[sgmn]

1 hour ago, little britain said:

I always thought “half and half” was half milk/half skimmed milk… until I tried it.🤢

Perhaps with more and more international guests they have found there is little requirement for this.  No other nation puts cream in coffee ...  Think of all those unnecessary additional calories. 🤷‍♀️

 

 

I also was never knew what half and half is. So good to finally find out what it is. 

[alistairg]

With a lot of American relatives I finally decided to figure out what half and half was as they sometimes ask for it and I had previously told them you don't get it in the UK.

 

Turns out half and half is what we call single cream in the UK. (Half milk, half full cream). We call full cream double cream in the UK.

 

Virtually no one in the UK would ever consider putting cream in coffee and even less so tea. Indeed it is pretty much only a thing in the US and Canada. Coffee creamer is also virtually non existent here (except powdered Coffee Mate)

 

63% of milk sold in the UK is semi skimmed (called 2% in America) and only 27% is full fat.

[little britain]

5 minutes ago, alistairg said:

With a lot of American relatives I finally decided to figure out what half and half was as they sometimes ask for it and I had previously told them you don't get it in the UK.

 

Turns out half and half is what we call single cream in the UK. (Half milk, half full cream). We call full cream double cream in the UK.

 

Virtually no one in the UK would ever consider putting cream in coffee and even less so tea. Indeed it is pretty much only a thing in the US and Canada. Coffee creamer is also virtually non existent here (except powdered Coffee Mate)

 

63% of milk sold in the UK is semi skimmed (called 2% in America) and only 27% is full fat.

I recall I thought it was very “posh” to be given cream in coffee when out to dinner with my parents in the 1970s!!!  Coffee was those Rumbouts trickle things!   Of course those were the days of Black Forest gateau’s for for pudding too!  Thank goodness culinary tastes have moved on! 

Edited June 7, 2023 by little britain

[alistairg]

Single cream is what we would pour over our Black Forest gateau in the UK! Makes a piece of chocolate cake lovely and moist. My American wife is horrified by me wanting to pour cream over chocolate cake.

 

For some reason cream is very country specific. When my wife makes whipped cream she adds sugar and a little vanilla to it, making it very sweet. To my thinking cream should be plain and less sweet than he dessert you put it on.

 

The other similar item that we have here, but you hardly ever see in the US is custard. Americans have vanilla ice cream with hot desserts, we have custard. I have been gradually converting my in-laws to this. They had copious amounts of sticky toffee pudding and custard on their last visit with us.

[John&LaLa]

17 hours ago, island lady said:

I go into the SL or CL very early for Bucky's coffee and my morning Latte.  Have many times been in there when they were checking, cleaning, and refilling the fancy coffee machine in there. 

 

Have never, ever witnessed them putting half and half in the machine.  It was always just plain milk.  Sometimes small containers, sometimes those big bladder things, sometimes box milk....but always milk.  No half and half. 

 

That's typical of an automatic latte/cappuccino machine

[cruisegus]

9 hours ago, SailorMarg said:

... And half and half was readily available for purchased coffee, just not for included coffee.  So supply chain is not the issue.....

Not to discount the possibility of a "bean counter" trying to pinch a penny.

 

From an Excutive perspective this is very indicative of supply chain issues in that there is a limited supply, you would expend that supply at the most revenue producing areas, that would be the purchased coffee venues

[shipgeeks]

17 hours ago, island lady said:

I go into the SL or CL very early for Bucky's coffee and my morning Latte.  Have many times been in there when they were checking, cleaning, and refilling the fancy coffee machine in there. 

 

Have never, ever witnessed them putting half and half in the machine.  It was always just plain milk.  Sometimes small containers, sometimes those big bladder things, sometimes box milk....but always milk.  No half and half. 

Lattes, cappuchinos, etc. are always made with skim milk, at least in Europe, and as per home coffee maker instructions.  I would assume that's what is put into our machines for those coffees.

[SailorMarg]

7 hours ago, chazzinator8 said:

On Ovation last month, we struck up a good relationship with our head, main, and assistant waiters. On the 4th day of the cruise, they all told us that they don't carry half and half anymore and when a guest asks for cream, they serve milk instead and don't mention it. That's what I had the entire cruise with the regular, not espresso coffee. 

Thanks for the information.  We were told the same but I came here to see if this was specific to our ship or if it was fleet wide.  I wonder if those that say they had “cream” with their coffee recently are speaking of coffee “creamer” or some other product that is being offered when cream or half and half is requested. Else, the issue might actually be ship and/or venue specific.  Anyway, thank you for the on topic, and non aggressive, reply.

[TinkBellaMom]

11 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Rather than flaming the cruise line, did ya bother to ask while in the ship?  
 

supply chain problems abound. The didn’t get hash browns, so we’re serving French fries for breakfast. 

I’m not sure folks were actually “flaming” the cruise line.  Many also said they asked and were unable to locate it. Most were just discussing the issue.  This is a forum after all.  It seems a discussion or debate these days is somehow wrong.  
If you don’t like a discussion going on just scroll on by and perhaps find something you are interested in.

[Tree_skier]

Putting anything (cream, 1/2 and 1/2, milk, skim or even sugar) in drip coffee is an abomination!  Latte's and cappuccinos etc. are a different matter but drip coffee was meant to be drunk black.  

 

😱

[topnole]

19 hours ago, island lady said:

I go into the SL or CL very early for Bucky's coffee and my morning Latte.  Have many times been in there when they were checking, cleaning, and refilling the fancy coffee machine in there. 

 

Have never, ever witnessed them putting half and half in the machine.  It was always just plain milk.  Sometimes small containers, sometimes those big bladder things, sometimes box milk....but always milk.  No half and half. 

Was on Harmony in Dec and Symphony in March.  I don’t recall the individual coffee creamers being available in the CK/SL.   I use non dairy creamer and they always brought me almond milk.  Not the best for coffee, but for some reason I started liking my espressos with or without the almond milk so I was fine either way.  
 

I’m pretty sure I recall they had the half and half creamers in our suite.  I know my wife had coffee many mornings in the suite in March an I’m sure she wouldn’t make a cup without those creamers.   I can’t remember December and I don’t think we ever used the coffee maker in the suite.  

[Itchy&Scratchy]

19 hours ago, firefly333 said:

I cruised twice march and end of march into april. Never saw the cream pitcher in the WJ out.

definitely had creamer on Oasis in April in WJ and at the cafes.

 

I drink tea with milk, but my coffee must have creamer in it.

[topnole]

4 hours ago, alistairg said:

Single cream is what we would pour over our Black Forest gateau in the UK! Makes a piece of chocolate cake lovely and moist. My American wife is horrified by me wanting to pour cream over chocolate cake.

 

For some reason cream is very country specific. When my wife makes whipped cream she adds sugar and a little vanilla to it, making it very sweet. To my thinking cream should be plain and less sweet than he dessert you put it on.

 

The other similar item that we have here, but you hardly ever see in the US is custard. Americans have vanilla ice cream with hot desserts, we have custard. I have been gradually converting my in-laws to this. They had copious amounts of sticky toffee pudding and custard on their last visit with us.

Custard is very popular in some parts of the US.  Take a trip to Wisconsin or many parts of the Midwest.  Of course ice cream is by far the better selling type of varying types, but custard is not something you hardly ever see in the US.  In some parts of the US, it is probably preference.  

[Rogueperson]

I did not know this.  I'm questioning everything now.  Like someone said, you don't mess with someone's coffee like this.  I already bring my own coffee onboard because the coffee onboard stinks.  With my luck, the "fridge" in the cabins won't be cold enough and my 1/2 and 1/2 will go bad before the cruise ends.

 

Fortunately, in a pinch, i can use whole milk, but i'm not happy.  And now that I think about it, i think that's what's been happening because the coffee isn't the same.  I thought it was because the water is not hot enough, but maybe this is it.

[ShillyShally]

46 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

Putting anything (cream, 1/2 and 1/2, milk, skim or even sugar) in drip coffee is an abomination!  Latte's and cappuccinos etc. are a different matter but drip coffee was meant to be drunk black.  

 

😱

I agree with you on black coffee - strong, dark, black goodness!  I actually thought I didn't like coffee as my late mother always had some sugar/cream combo in hers.  Then once I tried it black I never looked back - makes it easier on traveling provided the coffee is drinkable.  I dare admit I like what Royal serves - at least on my last cruise pre-pandemic.  We liked the WJ stuff!

[Another_Critic]

51 minutes ago, TinkBellaMom said:

I’m not sure folks were actually “flaming” the cruise line.  Many also said they asked and were unable to locate it. Most were just discussing the issue.  This is a forum after all.  It seems a discussion or debate these days is somehow wrong.  
If you don’t like a discussion going on just scroll on by and perhaps find something you are interested in.

People are interested in flaming the discussion.  

[HBE4]

49 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

Putting anything (cream, 1/2 and 1/2, milk, skim or even sugar) in drip coffee is an abomination!  Latte's and cappuccinos etc. are a different matter but drip coffee was meant to be drunk black.  

 

😱

 

My father would always say that the sign of a true coffee lover is they drink their coffee black with no sugar.  Hopefully I wasn't too much of a disappointed to him as I'm Mr. "Coffee, light with two sugars, please". 😄

 

Although honestly, as long as I'm not scraping sludge off the bottom of the cup, I can take my coffee with any dairy or non-dairy product and any kind of sweetener, real or otherwise. Maybe that's the sign of a true coffee lover!

[Tree_skier]

4 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 

My father would always say that the sign of a true coffee lover is they drink their coffee black with no sugar.  Hopefully I wasn't too much of a disappointed to him as I'm Mr. "Coffee, light with two sugars, please". 😄

 

Although honestly, as long as I'm not scraping sludge off the bottom of the cup, I can take my coffee with any dairy or non-dairy product and any kind of sweetener, real or otherwise. Maybe that's the sign of a true coffee lover!

My father made what was called cowboy coffee.  He'd boil the water then dump in the coffee grounds into the boiling water.  He'd turn the heat down and let it simmer and the would grounds settle to the bottom of the pot.  You had to be careful pouring it out otherwise you stirred the grounds up and poured them into the cup.  The longer it simmered the stronger it became.  If you made he full pot of coffee it would last for quite a while heating on the stove.  Eventually you could do driveway repair with what remained in the pot.  As a teenager who had just started drinking coffee my father laughed me to scorn when he saw me putting milk and sugar into it.  It didn't take long until he cured me of that transgression. 

[lovesthebeach2]

21 hours ago, ShillyShally said:

I expect it is far more supply chain issue than budget decision at this point!

why would you think supply issues. We have no problem getting as much on land as we want.

 

 

20 hours ago, island lady said:

I go into the SL or CL very early for Bucky's coffee and my morning Latte.  Have many times been in there when they were checking, cleaning, and refilling the fancy coffee machine in there. 

 

Have never, ever witnessed them putting half and half in the machine.  It was always just plain milk.  Sometimes small containers, sometimes those big bladder things, sometimes box milk....but always milk.  No half and half. 

I also have never seen anything but whole milk poured into the machine.