Princess Cruises passengers share solutions for brewing problem
Some cruise passengers have found clever ways to do one tricky thing on board without breaking any rules.
For safety and security reasons, cruise lines have strict rules that prohibit a long list of items from being brought on board their ships.
Because cruise lines take fire safety very seriously, they strictly ban any kind of electrical or household appliance that contains a heating element, such as a coffee maker.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line makes another ban very clear
Carnival Cruise Line recently reinforced this ban in a Facebook post from the cruise line’s brand ambassador John Heald, which said that coffee makers are not allowed on board Carnival cruise ships — period.
No matter which cruise line you sail, the fact that coffee makers are banned on cruise ships creates complications for many passengers who are particular about their coffee.
Online forums about cruises are filled with posts about the cruise ship coffee struggle. While some cruise passengers seek opinions on which cruise line offers the best coffee, others want to know cruisers’ strategies for making their own coffee on board without breaking any cruise ship rules.
For many passengers sailing with Carnival’s sister cruise line Princess Cruises, coffee is a key concern. And for some, what they brew at home is a cup above what’s available on board the ship.
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Princess Cruises passengers will go to great lengths to brew their own coffee
One passenger recently turned to other passengers for advice on the cruise ship coffee conundrum in the Princess Cruises Reddit community.
“Sailed Princess last year and loved the experience, but hated the coffee,” Reddit user eehoe explained. “Will be bringing my own coffee grinder/Aeropress onboard. Is this allowed, or would it get confiscated?”
Although the cruise line prohibits passengers from bringing coffee makers with heating elements or hot plates, or water heaters, on board, Princess Cruises doesn’t ban manual coffee-making gadgets that don’t have heating elements like a travel-friendly Aeropress, which uses a manual French press-like system to produce an espresso-strength brew.
Related: Princess Cruises passengers say cruise add-on is well worth cost
In the Reddit thread’s comments, some passengers agreed that Aeropress is a good way to go. Passengers recommended bringing your own ground coffee, or bringing a small, manual grinder for your coffee beans, and asking for hot water on board.
“Aeropress is awesome, just use your coffee and they will give you boiling water at the coffee bar if your steward can’t get you a kettle for your room,” Competitive-Basil188 wrote.
One passenger suggested bringing an insulated travel mug to get hot water from the buffet as an alternative.
“I was on Ruby and regretted not bringing my own coffee,” luxtama commented. “You can ask the steward for a kettle of boiling water or if you want to not depend on them, bring an insulated thermos and get hot water from the buffet.”
Princess Cruises passengers get creative to make their own coffee drinks
Another passenger shared an alternative solution for the coffee-making dilemma.
“Here's what I did: I brought the Melitta pour-over. I think it's, like, $7 at Walmart. Black plastic thing you just stick a filter in, spoon in your coffee of choice (you can absolutely bring your own ground coffee — not sure about a grinder, though), get a kettle on Day 1 from your steward, use boiling water, and voila, decent coffee,” krenster explained.
The passenger also shared that they brought along a battery-powered handheld milk frother to make lattes.
Related: Celebrity and Princess cruise lines have a sweet problem
“Because I also like lattes, I brought a cheap Aerolatte-type frother thing — couple of AA batteries — and brought some vanilla syrup, mixed that with cinnamon I also brought, added to milk delivered daily by the breakfast people, frothed it up, added it to my coffee cup. It was not heated, but it was a good enough hack,” krenster said.
For passengers looking for lattes on board Princess cruise ships, the cruise line's International Café serves barista-crafted specialty espresso drinks made with Lavazza coffee. Specialty coffees are available at an additional charge, but included with the cruise line’s Princess Premier and Princess Plus onboard cruise packages.
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