Cruise lines are becoming increasingly sophisticated about creating gourmet restaurants, Wine Spectator-quality wine lists, and martini bars that offer nouvelle flavors (ever tried a Tang-tini?).
However, coffee, that morning -- and, these days, afternoon and evening -- staple, varies wildly in quality from cups that taste like dishwater to the next best thing to Starbucks' Caramel Macchiato. Indeed, this may be the reason: Cruise lines are offering different brews in different onboard venues, with the better beans often reserved for specialty cafes -- in the same way the best meals are reserved for alternative restaurants and the best service for suite guests.
In our quest to seek out which cruise lines offer better cups of brew we went to our message boards and simply asked: Which cruise ship's coffee do you love? Which do you despise? Is there a difference in taste between what's offered in the dining room and the buffet? What's your favorite onboard brand and who has the best specialty coffee venue?
What we discovered is that while you're almost guaranteed a great cup of free java on upscale lines like Seabourn, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Silversea and Windstar, finding quality coffee on larger ships can be a bit more challenging. Let's be fair -- perhaps it's because it's not that easy to make a good cup of Joe by the boatload. And it shows: "Tastes wicked," "It's like drinking motor-oil" and "Swab the deck with it" are just a few of the descriptions used on our message boards to describe most large-ship coffee (Crystal was the only "big ship" line to escape such revile).
Fortunately, changes are brewing. In the past decade lines from Carnival to Crystal -- and even Princess, on newer ships -- have been outfitting ships with some type of an onboard coffeehouse or patisserie. Usually these venues serve freshly brewed coffee along with hot and iced specialty coffees (albeit for an added price in most cases). As for the free stuff on the major lines, unfortunately there's still plenty of room for improvement. However, some cruise lines are switching to the type of machines that, at the press of a button, freshly grind a single serving's worth of beans, infuse the water and dispense directly into the user's cup, rather than dole out a serving from a large tank of pre-prepared brew. Though these machines will never replace the talents of skillful baristas, the quality of the product is superior to the old-fashioned machines.
Before we get down to basics, Cruise Critic members had a couple of suggestions for surviving on ships with mediocre coffee. For instance, whether it is better machines, better brewing methods, and/or better quality beans, the consensus is that your best bet for good (mass-market) shipboard coffee is to head for the specialty coffee shop.
Don't want to run up your shipboard account on coffee, or just prefer to enjoy your morning ritual without having to dress and go out to pick up good coffee? Then you should B.Y.O.B. (Be Your Own Barista). According to the posts, many coffeeholics take matters in to their own hands, packing mini coffee makers or French presses along with filters, bean grinders, and of course their favorite brand of coffee. Or, ask about the availability of a coffeemaker in your room; some lines, like Norwegian Cruise Line, include them in their suites.
Here are a few more great tips culled from the message boards:
"Remember that on any ship, if you go late, the coffee has probably been sitting on the warmer, and won't be as good. I go early in the morning, so maybe that's why I've had better luck." --flashdog_1
"I've brought my own coffee maker on the last four cruises. I always unplug it when I am not in the cabin and make sure I clean up after myself. I couldn't possibly go a whole week drinking brown sludge." --sopo1
"My preference: Folgers singles. You can get hot water anywhere at any time and make your own." --coolestwife
"I will be packing French Vanilla Creamer to make whatever (is) brewed palatable." --2Sisterz
And a tip from us: if you don't mind the expense, when you brew your own coffee, use bottled water rather than ship's water. The reason is that most ships' water is desalinated seawater, and is very much like distilled water. Many coffee aficionados -- especially those who take their java with a minimum of flavoring agents (cream, sugar, etc.) -- swear that the absence of naturally occurring minerals and dissolved salts in distilled water leads to a flat-tasting cup of coffee.
(And, if all else fails, anything tastes better with a little whiskey or Baileys Irish Cream!)
In our rundown of cruise lines and their commitment to coffee, we tell you who offers free cappuccinos and espressos and who's upgraded regular shipboard coffee -- along with miscellaneous details and dish sure to warm the cockles of any coffee aficionado's heart.
Azamara
Where to Find the Good Stuff: Celebrity's upscale spin-off line continues the main fleet's Cova Cafe di Milano franchise. On the two Azamara vessels the Cova Cafe is centrally located, hugging the atrium on Deck 5, the main public room level. Though there is a charge for espresso-based coffee drinks, the pastries and snacks are free.
Nice Touch: In addition to the standard coffee accompaniments -- biscotti, French pastries, madeleines, etc. -- the munchies offered in the Cova change seamlessly all day, progressing from breakfast pastries to light lunch fare to tea time sandwiches and pastries to pre-dinner hors d'oeuvres to late night buffet snacks.
On the Other Hand: As on many small ships, Azamara's public rooms often serve multiple purposes. In the case of the Cova Cafe it frequently functions as an auxiliary lounge for trivia, lectures or other activities, which can sometimes make it difficult to enjoy a quiet cup of latte and conversation.
Carnival
Where to Find the Good Stuff: The best place for coffee is in the European-style patisseries where a different (and better tasting according to many posters) brand is served from that in the Lido Deck, dining room and room service. On Carnival's newer ships, the patisseries were purposely built in to offer specialty coffees, teas milkshakes, ice cream sundaes, cakes cookies and other pastries (each with a different name -- Jardin Cafe on Carnival Liberty, Java Cafe on Carnival Valor, etc.). You can sit and enjoy your cup of joe at the cafe or take the treats to go.
Nice Touch: Carnival serves good quality cappuccinos and espresso -- gratis -- as part of its dining room dessert menu.
On the Other Hand: While you can get the better tasting java in the patisseries, most don't open until 8 or 9 a.m. (early risers, be prepared to sleep in), and there is a nominal fee for a cup of coffee.
Celebrity
Where to Find the Good Stuff: Celebrity's best cup of brew, though also for a fee, is its Cova brand, which is available fleetwide in its Cova Cafe di Milano venue. Celebrity's stylish coffeehouses are named after the company the line has partnered with to provide for these onboard venues -- a popular cafe in the fashion district of Milan. Hot and iced coffees, espressos, cappuccinos and lattes, are all excellent and range in price from $3 to $3.75.
Nice Touch: The cafe is open for traditional European continental breakfast and takes on a sophisticated lamp-lit coffeehouse vibe at night.
On the Other Hand: The free coffee is the same throughout the ship and received mixed reviews on the message boards. However, Celebrity began serving a new brand of coffee (Fresh Brew) throughout its ships in July. According to Celebrity's Food & Beverage Manager, the new brew has generated very positive guest remarks though so far Cruise Critic members haven't voiced any fresh opinions.
Costa
Where to Find the Good Stuff: Coffee from Lavazza brand ground coffee is served in dining rooms, the Lido buffet, lounges and bars, as well as in the line's Coffee and Chocolate Bar, where specialty coffees, hot and cold chocolate, chocolate cake and pralines are available for fee.
Nice Touch: The Coffee and Chocolate Bar puts a new twist on the traditional-style cafe by providing a selection of specialty coffees, as well as hot and cold chocolate, chocolate cakes and pralines -- all for fee -- in a cozy and casual onboard nook.
On the Other Hand: For those who like their coffee black or those who don't like to stray very far from their lattes, the menu might seem exotic with offerings like marocchino, espresso crema shakerato and ice bianco espresso, but when in Rome (or, rather, sailing with Costa), it's nice to give something different a try!
Crystal
Where to Find the Good Stuff: If the message boards were giving coffee awards, Crystal would take home the trophy. Every post raved about the quality and taste of Crystal's coffee throughout the ship as well as in its Bistro cafes.
Nice Touch: Coffee drinks are complimentary everywhere, but made even better by the comfortable atmosphere of the European-inspired Bistro cafe, which features Guy Buffet china, colorful mugs and treats like rich pates and international cheeses.
On the Other Hand: The Bistro's complimentary coffee drinks, pates, cheeses and exclusive porcelain all come with a higher cruise fare.
Cunard
Where to Find the Good Stuff: Dining rooms serve filtered coffee, both regular and decaffeinated, and all dining areas and bars serve espresso, cappuccino and latte coffee drinks in both regular and decaffeinated, ground from Columbian beans. Hot chocolate and teas are also available in all areas. Liqueur coffees are available for a nominal charge.
Nice Touch: For a light meal to accompany your specialty coffee, food items are served at Queen Mary 2's Sir Samuel's and Queen Victoria's Cafe Carinthia. Offerings include pastries, such as pain au chocolate, blueberry muffins and croissants in the morning; sandwiches, tarts and quiche at lunchtime; and tarts and tea cakes in the afternoon. Prices for specialty drinks at these venues vary from $1 to $5.50 (for drinks with liqueurs).
On the Other Hand: Cafe Carinthia and Sir Samuel's have been named by many of our members as the best places for decent coffee aboard Cunard ships. The downside is that although the food items are free, you still pay for your drinks at these special venues.
Disney
Where to Find the Good Stuff: Having cruised Disney recently myself, I did my own taste test and here too discovered that the best coffee was served in the line's new Cove Cafes, an adults-only coffee bar open from noon to midnight, outfitted with comfortable couches, big-screen satellite TV and a bar serving very good specialty coffees and teas in addition to cocktails, cognac and sweet treats like danishes, cookies and brownies.
Nice Touch: With the pool deck just outside the cafe's doors, you can pick up a frozen coffee drink to enjoy as you lounge by the pool.
On the Other Hand: Most of the coffee you can get for free at the breakfast buffet, restaurants and through room service is instant coffee and receives poor reviews. If you need to be guaranteed a good brew you'll need to bring your own or run up a tab at Cove Cafe, where specialty coffees run from $2.95 to $5.50.
Holland America
Where to Find the Good Stuff: For barista-made brew, head to one of the Explorations Cafes on all Holland America ships with the exception of Oosterdam. The coffee served in Explorations is a richer, darker roasted Italian blend called Torrefazione and owned by Starbucks. Lattes are reasonably priced at $1.50 to $2. Explorations expands the amenities previously offered by the line's coffee bars by offering a comfortable living room-like environment where you can browse through over 2,000 books, listen to music or surf the specially provided content from the New York Times.
Oosterdam currently has HAL's previous coffee venue, the Windstar Cafe, which, though it serves barista-made drinks, does not have the library and Internet center that the Exploration Cafe offers. Oosterdam will get its own Explorations Cafe in the spring of 2009.
Nice Touch: Espressos and cappuccinos are complimentary after lunch or dinner in the dining room or Pinnacle Grill (note: they are served from a machine and not barista-made).
On the Other Hand: While not unanimous, the majority of posts were favorable about the coffee Holland America serves (Beukenhorst, a Dutch brand) in the dining rooms and throughout most of the ships.
MSC Cruises
Where to Find the Good Stuff: Since coffee offerings vary by ship and the region a ship is sailing, your best bet is to plan on getting your coffee from the lounges or specialty coffee bars -- unfortunately these are for-fee, but there is a good selection.
Nice Touch: A wide and delicious variety of coffees like Italian espresso, cappuccino, marocchino, cafe latte, cafe shakerato, hot chocolate and a selection of teas go for between four to six euro. Drinks are pricey, but the elegant atmosphere is comfortable and makes it worth the splurge.
On the Other Hand: Many different blends make up the coffee offerings within MSC's fleet. Just because you may have had a particular experience with one ship, don't expect the same thing when sailing on another.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Where to Find the Good Stuff: NCL has dedicated coffee bar locations, commonly found in the atriums, on all of its ships. These feature frozen coffee drinks and flavored coffees, plus the usual specialty coffee drinks using freshly ground beans for each cappuccino and espresso. The price for a latte or cappuccino is $2.50. As part of NCL's Freestyle 2.0 initiative, all Java Cafes began offering premium Italian coffee by Lavazza in June 2008.
Nice Touch: Free espresso in the dining rooms and through room service. On Norwegian Jade, Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Pearl, Norwegian Gem and Pride of America (plus future new-builds), self-service cappuccino and espresso is available, free of charge, in the buffet restaurants and the ships' 24-hour eatery. All top suites also offer Lavazza coffee products.
On the Other Hand: Norwegian is the only cruise line that serves different coffee on different ships: The line's U.S.-flagged Pride of America brews up Sara Lee Kona Coffee, whereas the remainder of the fleet uses Folgers Columbian Blend in the dining room, on the lido deck and for room service.
Oceania Cruises
Where to Find the Good Stuff: Coffee made from freshly ground beans is offered to Oceania's guests in any bar or dining room. Additionally, espresso and cappuccino are available completely free of charge.
Nice Touch: For those who have coffee cravings at strange hours, machines are available onboard Oceania ships to make fresh coffee any time of day.
On the Other Hand: If it's specialty coffee that you're after, you'll have to wait until the line's new ship, Marina, debuts in late 2010 -- Oceania representatives tell us a cafe concept is in the works.
Princess Cruises
Where to Find the Good Stuff: Brewed coffee -- both decaf and regular -- and cappuccino, espresso and lattes made from Arabica beans are available shipwide and are quite good. But each vessel also has its own dedicated Coffee Bar -- depending on the ship, it will be called the International Cafe or La Patisserie -- where specialty coffee drinks like caramel lattes, vanilla bean lattes, flavored iced coffees and even green tea smoothies are available and cost between $1.50 and $3.50.
Nice Touch: The International Cafe/La Patisserie features complimentary snacks like pastries and danishes, friandises, salads, paninis, croissants, freshly baked cookies, a selection of cheeses and more. It's quite relaxing to pull up a chair with a warm drink and good snack in the Italian-inspired open-air cafe. On Princess' newer ships, the cafe is located just off of the Piazza, where you're likely to catch street performers entertaining passersby.
On the Other Hand: The cafes can get quite busy, and you may have to wait to enjoy your specialty drink of choice. It's better to avoid the cafe during peak times (mid-morning, lunchtime and just before dinner) -- and, alternately, choose a quieter time between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. to enjoy a coffee.
Royal Caribbean
Where to Find the Good Stuff: Royal Caribbean's version of an onboard coffee shop is Seattle's Best Coffee (on Voyager-class ships) and Latte-tudes (on most others). Both serve Seattle's Best Coffee. Specialty coffees such as lattes, cappuccino and espresso range in price from $3 to $3.75.
Nice Touch: Royal Caribbean's Latte-tudes and Seattle's Best Coffee provide great coffee bar atmosphere for hanging out and people watching.
On the Other Hand: While the addition of these venues is an improvement in the quality of coffee available aboard Royal Caribbean, I too noticed what others complained about on the message boards -- not all of the staff working these new expensive machines are well trained. As for the free java, Royal Caribbean received some of the most colorful complaints about its standard brew, from "wretched" to "tastes like a pot of Denny's coffee that's been sitting for a few hours." The one exception is the line's concierge lounge, which is apparently where the good coffee is hidden for those able to access it.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Where to Find the Good Stuff: The American coffee served throughout Regent ships is provided by S&D European Select (the roaster of Barnie's Coffee) and is a full-bodied European Roast.
Nice Touch: The coffee bars, which are nice nooks to read the paper or chat with friends, serve made-to-order, complimentary specialty coffees (espressos, cappuccinos, etc.) everyday from 6 a.m. until 5 p.m.
On the Other Hand: The self-service espresso/cappuccino machines received mixed reviews: some rave about them, others found the coffee from those to be the least desirable on RSSC's ships. Let your taste buds be the judge.
Seabourn Cruises
Where to Find the Good Stuff: Drip-brewed coffee and espresso-brewed coffee are served at virtually any location on the Seabourn vessels.
Nice Touch: The line's newest ship, Seabourn Odyssey (and its sister ships), features a Konditerei-style coffee bar at Seabourn Square -- the ship's concierge lounge. The concept has been extremely popular, and both specialty coffees and teas, as well as snacks -- including pastries and miniature open-faced sandwiches -- are free of charge.
On the Other Hand: Since the coffee bar has become a coveted spot to relax and enjoy a warm drink and good conversation, it's too bad the line's other ships don't have it yet. Be aware of the amenities you'd like for your Seabourn cruise when booking.
--by Christine Koubek, Cruise Critic Contributor. Updated by Steve Faber, Cruise Critic Contributor
Cruise lines are becoming increasingly sophisticated about creating gourmet restaurants, Wine Spectator-quality wine lists, and martini bars that offer nouvelle flavors (ever tried a Tang-tini?).
However, coffee, that morning -- and, these days, afternoon and evening -- staple, varies wildly in quality from cups that taste like dishwater to the next best thing to Starbucks' Caramel Macchiato. Indeed, this may be the reason: Cruise lines are offering different brews in different onboard venues, with the better beans often reserved for specialty cafes -- in the same way the best meals are reserved for alternative restaurants and the best service for suite guests.
"Remember that on any ship, if you go late, the coffee has probably been sitting on the warmer, and won't be as good. I go early in the morning, so maybe that's why I've had better luck." --flashdog_1
Where to Find the Good Stuff: Celebrity's upscale spin-off line continues the main fleet's Cova Cafe di Milano franchise. On the two 
