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Sure there is free coffee available on cruises, but I discovered Carnival’s Coffee Bar while on our last cruise in August. I’ll admit, I was a bit scared that I would have to drink “meh” coffee for seven days, in fact I was terrified. I know. Ridiculous. Who in their right mind is terrified of drinking bad coffee? Me. Listen, when you’re used to drinking fresh roasted coffee on the daily, you get worried as to the coffee quality you’ll be subjected to while on vacation.Thank the coffee gods Carnival knows there are coffee snobs that cruise too. I knew I had a million reasons to visit Carnival’s Coffee Bar daily so I came up with 5 reasons you’ll want to visit the Coffee Bar while on your next Carnival Cruise.
As we boarded and waited for the ship to leave port, I quickly discovered the Coffee Bar and suddenly my frown turned upside down. Carnival’s Coffee Bar serves Lavazza coffee and frankly as long as it wasn’t Starbucks, I was happy. Carnival has come a long way over the last few years in their offerings of food, beverage and things to do. This was our first Carnival cruise and we have another one booked in March, 2019.
Carnival’s Coffee Bar Offerings
What I loved about the coffee bar is it’s open 24 hours. While I’m not a midnight coffee drinker, their menu included adult options like adding Baileys or Jameson to your coffee for a late night Irish Coffee. They have the regulars; lattés, cappuccinos, americanos, mochas and of course, shots of espresso. They have milkshakes, blended coffee drinks and iced drinks as well. 
Why You Need to Visit the Coffee Bar …. daily
In case you’re not convinced just by the fact that they serve quality Lavazza coffee at the Coffee Bar, here are some additional reasons to hang out at the Coffee Bar:
Open 24 hours
I already mentioned this before, but it’s worth mentioning again. While you’re friends are hanging out at the Alchemy Bar around the corner, you can grab an Irish Coffee or Mexican Coffee for half the price at the bars.
Included in the Cheers! beverage program
If you purchased the Cheers! package then the drinks at Carnival’s Coffee Bar are included! All you have to do is show your wristband and wallah! No charge! But even if you didn’t buy the drink package (although I will be buying it next time; more to come on that!) you simply show your Sea Pass and they’ll charge it to your account. It’s still affordable even if you only go once a day.
Rewards Program
Carnival is smart. They created a Coffee Bar rewards program to motivate you to come back. Buy 6 drinks get the 7th one free. Of course they are banking on the fact that you’ll come at least 6 of the 7 or more days of your cruise, but what the hay. It’s better than having to buy 10 or better yet, accumulate some ungodly number of points just to get a free drink.
Short Lines
Believe it or not, Carnival’s Coffee Bar rarely has a line. Maybe it was our ship and maybe it depends on how many passengers are coffee snobs, but I found the line to be reasonable. There was never more than 3-5 people in line ever and that was during morning hours. Oh and the barista’s are incredibly friendly. Despite working long hours, they are efficient and pleasant, especially after dealing with people before they’ve had their coffee!
Baked Goods & Pastries
Are you a cake and coffee kinda person? Or a pastry and coffee kinda person? You can get that here too. Their chocolate cake was AMAZING and their other pastries looked flaky and buttery! Perfectly placed to tease your eyes, the pastries and baked goods at the Carnival Coffee Bar is the perfect treat to pair with your coffee.
I was surprised that Carnival serves something other than Starbucks and even more surprised that it’s included in their Cheers! beverage program. Make sure you’re subscribed to the monthly Coffee Corner to hear about why I’ll be buying the Cheers! drink package with Carnival on our next cruise! Follow me on Instagram to catch more glimpses of our New Orleans port along with Belize, Cozumel and Honduras stops! Share your thoughts in the comments about what cruise line has the best coffee!
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