When it comes to Starbucks, we’re pretty much originals. It seems like longer than 13 years ago when we started enjoying cappuccinos at the now-famous coffee house but it isn’t, because until 13 years ago the only Starbucks in existence was in Seattle, and we weren’t in it.
So let’s make it an even dozen years.
In that span, we have bought not only cappuccinos and Frappuccinos, but also espresso machines (yes, more than one) and the pods you need to make your own. Our daughter and son-in-law both managed Starbucks stores, which led to a barista romance and ultimately a wedding, but we always told them we were Starbucks lovers before they were.
To hear that the coffee giant is joining forces with the cruising giant, Allure of the Seas, is heartening to those of us who have sometimes gone far out of our way to find a Starbucks. You don’t really want to know.
But this is just the start of something, isn’t it? The licensing agreement is between Starbucks and Royal Caribbean, which can only mean it’s a matter of time before there’s a Starbucks store on every corner…er, every ship. There are 21 of them at the moment, and it’ll be interesting to see ultimately how many have Starbucks on deck.
There is one little flaw. Like many licensed Starbucks stores, it doesn’t recognize the coffee (loyalty) cards. When informed that we were card-carrying aficionados of the brand, a Royal Caribbean spokesperson simply said: “We hope to in the future.”
To be able to walk down to the Royal Promenade on the Allure and have a cappuccino — the only real cappuccino we like — is appealing.
There’s just one catch. First we have to be on the Allure.