What constitutes "speciality" coffee

[Inkd]

Hey y'all

I'm going on my first cruise in the new year and i'm wondering what consitutes a specialty coffee.

Can I assume that normal coffee is barista made basic drinks like espresso, piccolo, latte, machhiato etc?

 

Thanks

[KJ777]

Welcome!  From my understanding (others have better answers than me), you can get specialty coffees at the Cafe Promenade.  They will make lattes, flavored coffees, espressos, etc.  Anything but Starbucks, Starbucks you will still need to pay extra for.  

[ScottD]

7 hours ago, Inkd said:

Hey y'all

I'm going on my first cruise in the new year and i'm wondering what consitutes a specialty coffee.

Can I assume that normal coffee is barista made basic drinks like espresso, piccolo, latte, machhiato etc?

 

Thanks

So basically the free coffee is just out in giant urns, like you would see at a convenience store or gas station. If you have to order it from the Promenade cafe or park cafe (or any cafe), it's a specialty coffee...which is anything other than regular or decaf coffee. 

[MaryCS62]

1 hour ago, ScottD said:

So basically the free coffee is just out in giant urns, like you would see at a convenience store or gas station. If you have to order it from the Promenade cafe or park cafe (or any cafe), it's a specialty coffee...which is anything other than regular or decaf coffee. 

to add on to that - specialty coffees cost you - but are included in the deluxe drink package & refreshment package.  There are also coffee cards that are for 15 specialty coffee drinks (from cafe promenade, park cafe, cafe lattetudes, cafe 270 & sometimes windjammer - locations are ship specific). Freestanding Starbucks locations are NOT included in any package, although you can use starbucks gift cards, I believe.  

[Atlantix2000]

11 hours ago, Inkd said:

Hey y'all

I'm going on my first cruise in the new year and i'm wondering what consitutes a specialty coffee.

Can I assume that normal coffee is barista made basic drinks like espresso, piccolo, latte, machhiato etc?

Thanks

Nope, barista-made including everything you listed is specialty coffee.  Normal coffee is just coffee from a pot where you add your own cream and sugar.

[Ryan79]

If it is not brewed and poured from a mass pot, it’s speciality coffee. Anything that requires effort to make is speciality.

[Inkd]

11 hours ago, ScottD said:

So basically the free coffee is just out in giant urns, like you would see at a convenience store or gas station. If you have to order it from the Promenade cafe or park cafe (or any cafe), it's a specialty coffee...which is anything other than regular or decaf coffee. 

Our convenience stores and petrol stations have don't have giant urns, they have machines that freshly grind the beans & brew the coffee for you. 

Specialty coffee here is based on the grade of bean.

[Inkd]

8 hours ago, Atlantix2000 said:

Nope, barista-made including everything you listed is specialty coffee.  Normal coffee is just coffee from a pot where you add your own cream and sugar.

What is coffee from a pot? We don't have that here, I've never heard or seen it.

[Inkd]

5 hours ago, Ryan79 said:

If it is not brewed and poured from a mass pot, it’s speciality coffee. Anything that requires effort to make is speciality.

We don't have mass pots of coffee here, never seen them. Anybody who served that here wouldn't last a month in business. 

[Inkd]

Thanks everyone for the replies, seems like I will have to bring my own freshly ground beans and travel cafetière and ask for water or organise a kettle in my room, like I have to when I usually visit the USA.

[happy cruisers 2]

In the past, I've always had the deluxe beverage package and get my morning mocha from Cafe Promenade or Cafe Latte-tudes.  They taste great and therefore I see no need to buy from Starbucks -- not that I have anything against them.  I never pay too much attention to the details, but I think they may even use Starbucks cups and coffee??

[ScottD]

18 hours ago, Inkd said:

Thanks everyone for the replies, seems like I will have to bring my own freshly ground beans and travel cafetière and ask for water or organise a kettle in my room, like I have to when I usually visit the USA.

I've seen that the ships are phasing out kettles to use in the rooms, It'll be a hit or miss situation.  This is what we are talking about when we say large pots... they brew coffee into those large containers, then put it out for you to dispense on your own from the little tap in the middle

[Inkd]

8 hours ago, ScottD said:

I've seen that the ships are phasing out kettles to use in the rooms, It'll be a hit or miss situation.  This is what we are talking about when we say large pots... they brew coffee into those large containers, then put it out for you to dispense on your own from the little tap in the middle

I’ve never actually seen anything like this even when travelling. 
 

I’ll be ok. If I can get boiling water in a container to use I’ll be fine. I can let it sit until it is at optimal temp so not to scorch the beans & make my own.

[Atlantix2000]

On 11/3/2023 at 8:50 PM, Inkd said:

Thanks everyone for the replies, seems like I will have to bring my own freshly ground beans and travel cafetière and ask for water or organise a kettle in my room, like I have to when I usually visit the USA.

Depending on what you mean by bringing your own freshly ground beans, that may not be allowed.  Any food products you bring on board have to be factory sealed or will be confiscated.

On 11/3/2023 at 8:47 PM, Inkd said:

We don't have mass pots of coffee here, never seen them. Anybody who served that here wouldn't last a month in business. 

I seriously doubt every restaurant in your country is serving you coffee that they brewed just for you.

[MaryCS62]

10 hours ago, Inkd said:

I’ve never actually seen anything like this even when travelling. 
 

I’ll be ok. If I can get boiling water in a container to use I’ll be fine. I can let it sit until it is at optimal temp so not to scorch the beans & make my own.

in addition to coffee, there will be hot (not actively boiling) water available - usually for tea or hot cocoa packets. Not sure that will do the trick for you.

[Ryan79]

On 11/3/2023 at 6:47 PM, Inkd said:

We don't have mass pots of coffee here, never seen them. Anybody who served that here wouldn't last a month in business. 

I guarantee you that most large restaurants and larger hotels absolutely have those in the back wherever you live. No one is making coffee to order at ever establishment where you live. Just because you don’t see the big pots, doesn’t mean they aren’t there. And Royal travels all over the world and has certainly lasted more than a month in all those ports and destinations

[ChessE4]

12 hours ago, Inkd said:

I’ve never actually seen anything like this even when travelling. 
 

I’ll be ok. If I can get boiling water in a container to use I’ll be fine. I can let it sit until it is at optimal temp so not to scorch the beans & make my own.

You might try getting a coffee card for Cafe Promenade if you will want coffee while roaming the ship. I've done that several times, and it is cost effective for the premium coffee or 1 shot espresso drinks.

[Inkd]

5 hours ago, Ryan79 said:

I guarantee you that most large restaurants and larger hotels absolutely have those in the back wherever you live. No one is making coffee to order at ever establishment where you live. Just because you don’t see the big pots, doesn’t mean they aren’t there. And Royal travels all over the world and has certainly lasted more than a month in all those ports and destinations

Nope restaurants here have trained baristas & commercial machines - they wouldn't survive if they served coffee like that. Even McDonalds have proper machines that baristas use (google McCafe), petrol stations have machines that grind beans as needed (see pic attached), so does 7/11. We're talking about a place where starbucks failed as a company with only about 60 in the whole country. 

[ScottD]

Well, even our McDonalds have McCafe's- that's one thing they DO make fresh and properly, with beans and all. So do most Dunkin Donuts. But for fast in and out coffee, places aren't making you a fresh cup- it's self serve from one of those coffee urns shown above.  7-11 does have machines like these, but only for the specialty coffees\lattes. Regular black coffee is still brewed in bulk 

[bretts173]

21 hours ago, Atlantix2000 said:

 

I seriously doubt every restaurant in your country is serving you coffee that they brewed just for you.

Sorry but no-one in our country would purchase a coffee from a restaurant, cafe, service station or convenience store unless it is freshly brewed. In fact the only place I can think that still has coffee in a pot would be a hotel buffet breakfast where you are not paying for the coffee individually. And even then most people will purchase some sort of espresso.

[Atlantix2000]

2 hours ago, bretts173 said:

And even then most people will purchase some sort of espresso.

then most people are purchasing specialty coffee.  For the original question, perhaps we can sum this up that for Royal (and most of the world) - Espresso is always Specialty Coffee, Non-Espresso may or may not be Specialty Coffee.

[Ryan79]

Assuming you speak for your entire country, then all I can do is welcome you to the rest of the world where regular coffee is NOT made one cup at a time on an entire country basis!

[Inkd]

10 hours ago, Ryan79 said:

Assuming you speak for your entire country, then all I can do is welcome you to the rest of the world where regular coffee is NOT made one cup at a time on an entire country basis!

I’ve been to nearly 100 countries. I’ve had freshly made coffee with freshly ground beans in pretty much all of those. I’ve worked in hospo, managed restaurants, pubs & hotels, even in pubs in the middle of nowhere has had freshly made coffee.

 

Come to Australia & ask for coffee from a pot and you’d be laughed at. Or come to Australia and try and find a Starbucks or chain coffee place, you’d be hard pressed to find one coz there aren’t many here.

[FloridaCruiser12]

On 11/3/2023 at 11:11 AM, MaryCS62 said:

to add on to that - specialty coffees cost you - but are included in the deluxe drink package & refreshment package.  There are also coffee cards that are for 15 specialty coffee drinks (from cafe promenade, park cafe, cafe lattetudes, cafe 270 & sometimes windjammer - locations are ship specific). Freestanding Starbucks locations are NOT included in any package, although you can use starbucks gift cards, I believe.  

Do you know if the coffee card covers frozen coffee drinks? Considering it on our upcoming sailing on Allure

[MaryCS62]

18 hours ago, FloridaCruiser12 said:

Do you know if the coffee card covers frozen coffee drinks? Considering it on our upcoming sailing on Allure

I've only seen iced drinks, not frozen ones, unless they were from the standalone Starbucks location, and I never looked at their menu (on Oasis). 

[ScottD]

2 hours ago, MaryCS62 said:

I've only seen iced drinks, not frozen ones, unless they were from the standalone Starbucks location, and I never looked at their menu (on Oasis). 

They have Frappuccino's at the café promenade on oasis, so I assume they have them on other ships. Not sure if the card works for them, but I would guess they do. 

[JFCruise]

45 minutes ago, ScottD said:

They have Frappuccino's at the café promenade on oasis, so I assume they have them on other ships. Not sure if the card works for them, but I would guess they do. 

So...now that Royal seems to carry Starbucks as a default on Promenade, what is the difference between getting a capuccino here vs doing it at the standalone kiosk? I know that in CP - you can use your C&A discounts and your coffee card, but not in the kiosk.

But I've never really understood the difference. I would assume that CP is serving Starbucks branded coffee.

[Xaa]

I think only cosmetic difference @JFCruise.  If they are making the same beverage with the same coffee using essentially the same equipment, then it's just an emotional connection to the logo on the cup.

[JFCruise]

@Xaa - I think they even have regular Starbucks cups at the CP. At least I seem to remember that but I may be wrong.

But I still find it weird that the rules for the standalone kiosk and Café Promenade are different even though it seems to be technically the exact same product.

[Xaa]

The rules make sense because one is a licensed kiosk and the other an in house service.  I'm sure they have to comp SB in some way from kisok sales.  Just guessing though

[ScottD]

14 hours ago, JFCruise said:

@Xaa - I think they even have regular Starbucks cups at the CP. At least I seem to remember that but I may be wrong.

But I still find it weird that the rules for the standalone kiosk and Café Promenade are different even though it seems to be technically the exact same product.

I also think you can get MORE Starbucks specific items at the kiosks. 

[smokeybandit]

Anything that requires more than 3 syllables to order.

[ScottD]

On 11/11/2023 at 8:37 AM, smokeybandit said:

Anything that requires more than 3 syllables to order.

Or more than two ingredients! 

[jbrinkm]

The kiosk was one of the reasons we didn't choose to get the refreshment package for our March cruise - we have so many Starbucks gift cards that we've gotten over the years and never use at home, that we decided that we'd just get our specialty coffees directly from Starbucks rather than Cafe Promenade, etc. And (what we Americans consider) specialty coffee is a big chunk of our refreshment package usage.