jeffd99 Posted April 15, 2016 Report Share Posted April 15, 2016 So I am thinking that I will buy one of the premium drink packages for myself because quite frankly I will use it. I'm a 3-4 glass of wine at dinner or after dinner so that makes it pretty well worth it just for that. Throw in a frozen drink at the pool some days and a few bottles of water and it seems like a no brainer. My wife isn't as big a drinker and thus will just pay for her one glass of red wine with dinner and a frozen drink at the pool once or twice during the sailing. My question is more related to the soda. We only have one soda drinker in the family and it's my youngest. If I get the "souvenier cup" with my drink package and have no intention of using it, can she use it? I know officially the answer is probably "no" but using the freestyle machines, am I the one who has to fill the soda cup up every time? Seems silly for us to buy a second package just for a soda a day for her - and I'd rather just pay that out of pocket. But if I have the cup and I"m not using it at all, it also seems silly not to let her use it for a few sodas during the week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jticarruthers Posted April 15, 2016 Report Share Posted April 15, 2016 Officially - no absolutely not. Unofficially - if you are on a ship with freestyle machines the machine only knows if the cup is valid, not who is holding it so anyone can walk up to the machine with your cup and get a soda, if you are on a ship without freestyle machines you have to ask a bartender to put soda in the cup and the bartender is more likely to wonder if the person holding the cup is allowed to put free soda in the cup ;) DocLC 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted April 15, 2016 Report Share Posted April 15, 2016 Officially answer is no, but if only one person uses the soda cup, I'd say that's following the "spirit" of the idea. It'd be different if you AND your wife shared the soda cup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcarney Posted April 15, 2016 Report Share Posted April 15, 2016 if you are on a ship without freestyle machines you have to ask a bartender to put soda in the cup and the bartender is more likely to wonder if the person holding the cup is allowed to put free soda in the cup ;) On Vision last week people had to show their cards with the Package sticker on it in order to have the bartender fill the pop cup. ("It's POP people, not soda!", said the mid-Westerner.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted April 15, 2016 Report Share Posted April 15, 2016 On Vision last week people had to show their cards with the Package sticker on it in order to have the bartender fill the pop cup. ("It's POP people, not soda!", said the mid-Westerner.) This would only work on a ship with freestyle machines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Vitale Posted April 16, 2016 Report Share Posted April 16, 2016 On Vision last week people had to show their cards with the Package sticker on it in order to have the bartender fill the pop cup. ("It's POP people, not soda!", said the mid-Westerner.) Actually it's Coke. Regardless of flavor says the adopted southerner CruisingKat(Kathy), WAAAYTOOO and RobWhatley 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firegal2539 Posted April 16, 2016 Report Share Posted April 16, 2016 The cruise lines nickle and dime passengers to death. I have to agree that I feel it isn't ethical to fill your cup and give it to your child. Having said that if she is only going to drink one a day, I would close my eyes and ignore that you are doing it. Getting on to another subject, if you know of CiCi's pizza, I watch people pay for one drink at the register, get a cup for free water for the other three people in their group and go fill those with soda. That is stealing, out and out stealing. Sorry had to rant! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royal Blue Posted April 16, 2016 Report Share Posted April 16, 2016 Pop, soda, cola, fizzy lifting drinks... The amount of drink discussion never fails to amaze. I guess that is why Coke is in the Dow 30. Just on the pop side the amount of profit per sailing must be astounding, pennies to the cruise line for hard costs. Can an energy drink package be far off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly Posted April 16, 2016 Report Share Posted April 16, 2016 If we get the soda package that includes specialty coffee's, does this include Starbucks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted April 16, 2016 Report Share Posted April 16, 2016 If we get the soda package that includes specialty coffee's, does this include Starbucks? Not at a standalone Starbucks like those on the Oasis class ships. However, it would include Starbucks beverages at Cafe Latitudes. Shelly 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jticarruthers Posted April 18, 2016 Report Share Posted April 18, 2016 We had the same experience on Vision back in 2014, the kids ended up ditching the cups and just getting plastic cups from the bars since they 1) had to go up to the bar anyway and then 2) had to show their cards anyway .... the souvenir cups were more an annoyance at that point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michel Posted April 18, 2016 Report Share Posted April 18, 2016 I was on the Allure in January 2016, and saw many kids (aged 6 to 16) running around with a souvenir cup and filling it in a freestyle machine every now and then. Obviusly the cup did not belong to them ! So what the heck ! Go for it my friend, and welcome to Royal Caribbean Blog. I also had the premium package and enjoyed every minute of it, ohhh the freedom it gives you.... Wish you have a great cruise !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBC Posted April 18, 2016 Report Share Posted April 18, 2016 LOL Jeff. We are sailing Freedom, my wife and I are both buying the premium package. I will get my money out of it, I doubt my wife will. Our 9 and 7 year old's will be using our souvenir cups for soda, we are not buying additional packages for them. The cost of that fountain soda per glass is pennies, and we limit our kids intake of soda anyways, so it's not like they will be running to the machine all day. You should do the same, and not feel the least bit guilty about it. Michel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffd99 Posted April 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2016 LOL Jeff. We are sailing Freedom, my wife and I are both buying the premium package. I will get my money out of it, I doubt my wife will. Our 9 and 7 year old's will be using our souvenir cups for soda, we are not buying additional packages for them. The cost of that fountain soda per glass is pennies, and we limit our kids intake of soda anyways, so it's not like they will be running to the machine all day. You should do the same, and not feel the least bit guilty about it. I was on the Allure in January 2016, and saw many kids (aged 6 to 16) running around with a souvenir cup and filling it in a freestyle machine every now and then. Obviusly the cup did not belong to them ! So what the heck ! Go for it my friend, and welcome to Royal Caribbean Blog. I also had the premium package and enjoyed every minute of it, ohhh the freedom it gives you.... Wish you have a great cruise !! I know, right? Glad to hear others share the same horrible values that I apparently do. :) Michel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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