Jump to content

Specialty Coffees from Cafe Promenade


CeciMami

Recommended Posts

We are trying to decide if the specialty coffees at the CP are worth buying a package to have them (either the Refreshment Pkg or the Cafe Select coffee card). Recent reviews in some of my Navigator of the Seas facebook groups have given the CP coffee not so great reviews so I’m asking here to ask you lovely people to chime in! Our other option is to just pay at Starbucks for their drinks which are at least predictable, lol. 

Are the specialty coffee drink choices at the CP as good as the coffee we could get at Starbucks on Navigator of the Seas? Please give me your brutal honesty. My partner was recently diagnosed with some blood sugar issues so having one coffee a day will be his only daily sweet indulgence so I want to make sure it’ll be great! 😊

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've only had some fancy iced coffee drink there on disembarkation morning to use up my D vouchers but they now use Starbucks coffee to make their drinks if that has any influence. My SIL gets the coffee card (even though she's D and can just get free specialty coffee from the DL like I do) and seems to like it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, CeciMami said:

We are trying to decide if the specialty coffees at the CP are worth buying a package to have them (either the Refreshment Pkg or the Cafe Select coffee card). Recent reviews in some of my Navigator of the Seas facebook groups have given the CP coffee not so great reviews so I’m asking here to ask you lovely people to chime in! Our other option is to just pay at Starbucks for their drinks which are at least predictable, lol. 

Are the specialty coffee drink choices at the CP as good as the coffee we could get at Starbucks on Navigator of the Seas? Please give me your brutal honesty. My partner was recently diagnosed with some blood sugar issues so having one coffee a day will be his only daily sweet indulgence so I want to make sure it’ll be great! 😊

The Cafe Select card you buy in cruise planner is for 15 shots of espresso.  There are 1,2,3 shots of espresso in the small, medium and large coffee sizes respectively (tall, grande and venti?)  On Harmony the person taking the order made sure I understood that when I ordered.  I have read some others were not so clear.

I am not a regular customer at the coffee shops at home so I can't compare the quality.  I do know from experience on board the ship the chocolate syrup in the Starbucks mochas is not as sweet as Cafe Promenade.  I prefer Starbucks mochas for that reason.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wouldn't say the specialty coffee at Cafe Promenade is as fancy as you'll find at some independently owned coffee shops, but the quality has definitely gone up since they started using Starbucks coffee!

I bought the Cafe Select Coffee Card twice before to use on my cruises and I thought it was worth it. I think it was around $30 for 15 espresso-based drinks so it worked out to $2 or so a drink. That was cheaper than paying $5+ each time.

However there didn't seem to be any real rules when it came to how many punches came out of the card per drink. Sometimes I would order a larger drink and they would count it as 2 espresso drinks and sometimes only 1.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have found CP baristas very helpful when I explain what I want. They taught me I really like espresso macchiato rather than cappuccino, because too much milk covers up espresso flavor. At two punches per drink (7+ total), I am paying slightly less than menu for a full drink but more than menu for a double espresso. So value depends on your selection. When I lost my card, CP gave me a replacement.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, TessOR said:

One thing to consider is the Starbucks coffee you can have made sugar free.  I am not sure if the specialty coffees have that option. We liked them on our last cruise, but hubby is diabetic now so we will be getting his from Starbucks if there is not a SF option. 

This the the thing really…he’s borderline diabetic at this point so I’m thinking the sugar free options at SB might be best even tho it costs more than CP…lots to think about!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, CeciMami said:

This the the thing really…he’s borderline diabetic at this point so I’m thinking the sugar free options at SB might be best even tho it costs more than CP…lots to think about!!!

I'm not sure if they would have more options on your cruise but Cafe Latte-tudes on Brilliance last week only offered sugar-free vanilla as an option. They also used Illy coffee for their espressos. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/21/2022 at 2:56 PM, OCSC Mike said:

I've only had some fancy iced coffee drink there on disembarkation morning to use up my D vouchers but they now use Starbucks coffee to make their drinks if that has any influence. My SIL gets the coffee card (even though she's D and can just get free specialty coffee from the DL like I do) and seems to like it.

That's interesting 

I've never bought anything from Cafe promenade 

What else there you can use diamond vouchers for? 

Lady morning is impossible to find any place to spend them 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, Vlad said:

That's interesting 

I've never bought anything from Cafe promenade 

What else there you can use diamond vouchers for? 

Lady morning is impossible to find any place to spend them 

What else can you use them for in general or at Cafe Promenade?

You may or may not be able to get a mimosa or bloody mary from the WJ bar or MDR. Fresh squeezed OJ, bottled water.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

What else can you use them for in general or at Cafe Promenade?

You may or may not be able to get a mimosa or bloody mary from the WJ bar or MDR. Fresh squeezed OJ, bottled water.

Not in general... I know you can use them for basically anything... 

I'm asking regarding last morning... 

Since bars, etc are closed 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Vlad said:

Not in general... I know you can use them for basically anything... 

I'm asking regarding last morning... 

Since bars, etc are closed 

I meant in general on disembarkation morning.

See my above answer. WJ bar should be open & you can order drinks in the MDR.

YMMV. I have seen both successful & unsuccessful reports.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/21/2022 at 11:54 PM, TessOR said:

One thing to consider is the Starbucks coffee you can have made sugar free.  I am not sure if the specialty coffees have that option. We liked them on our last cruise, but hubby is diabetic now so we will be getting his from Starbucks if there is not a SF option. 

In my experience, the only sugar free syrup available at cafe promenade has been vanilla.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I drink a ton of coffee and enjoy both the included options and the options at café promenade.  My only complaint is that they do not make the drinks correctly.  If you order a latte, macchiato, or a cappuccino, you're really getting a latte.  I drink mostly Americanos and shots of espresso with a "splash" of almond milk, so it doesn't affect me too much.  I've been listing it on my post cruise survey for a couple of years now and hopefully it will get corrected.  I'm sure it's just a training issue.

 

image.thumb.png.850374c62127574c2d3f524b3813b445.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/21/2022 at 11:54 PM, TessOR said:

One thing to consider is the Starbucks coffee you can have made sugar free.  I am not sure if the specialty coffees have that option. We liked them on our last cruise, but hubby is diabetic now so we will be getting his from Starbucks if there is not a SF option. 

I was on the Keto diet while on the Allure last year, so I was also watching the sugar in my coffee.  At the Cafe Promenade, I ask them to put sugar substitutes in my drink every time I order.  That's cappuccinos and lattés.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...