Coolers replacing mini fridges??

[YoungFamilyExplorers]

We just got off Navigator and our room no longer had a mini fridge. It had a “cooler” which definitely didn’t really cool anything down. It certainly wouldn’t be safe to store any leftovers. 
 

Is this a new change? It’s the first time we’ve seen these….

[smokeybandit]

It's been like that for a few years. Some are definitely cooler than others.

[YoungFamilyExplorers]

4 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

It's been like that for a few years. Some are definitely cooler than others.

Interesting. We’re pretty new to Royal and the previous few ships have all had true mini fridges. It was a much better experience because food safety was never an issue. Sometimes you just want to bring back something from those speciality restaurants….

[Pattycruise]

I’ve been on Royal ships that didn’t even have a cooler in the cabin.  

[BigKarl]

Cooler = Mini Fridge with the electrical cord removed ?

[CanHardlyWait]

1 hour ago, BigKarl said:

Cooler = Mini Fridge with the electrical cord removed ?

Kinda yes.

[ScottD]

2 hours ago, BigKarl said:

Cooler = Mini Fridge with the electrical cord removed ?

Not sure how they work, mine got pretty cold- enough to get room temp water bottles to pretty chilled. I think they may be electric but maybe use a cooling plate instead of Freon?  

[Xaa]

They of course both need a plug. 

These coolers, like a wine cooler you might have at home use Thermoelectric Cooling.  Essentially plates that transfer the heat from one side to the other.  They are reliant on the ambient temperature to be effective.  A fridge uses Compression Cooling where refrigerant is moved through the system. 

[CanHardlyWait]

However, they don't get refrigerator cold. So be careful what you use them for. 

[OCSC Mike]

2 hours ago, CanHardlyWait said:

However, they don't get refrigerator cold. So be careful what you use them for. 

They very greatly by ship (perhaps even cabin) in my experience. Some have been close to fridge cold, some have been close to useless.

[Xaa]

2 hours ago, CanHardlyWait said:

However, they don't get refrigerator cold. So be careful what you use them for. 

Usually 45-50

[crazy4disney]

5 hours ago, Xaa said:

They of course both need a plug. 

These coolers, like a wine cooler you might have at home use Thermoelectric Cooling.  Essentially plates that transfer the heat from one side to the other.  They are reliant on the ambient temperature to be effective.  A fridge uses Compression Cooling where refrigerant is moved through the system. 

Interesting... Do they function in the same way as the fridges/coolers on Carnival, in that they get WAY cooler if you pull them forward an inch or two and leave the cabinet door open to allow heat to escape? Makes such a ginormous difference on those, but not sure if it works the same way with the type of cooling you describe. It sounds like it would work even better, but I'm no engineer.  

 

[Xaa]

I am also not an engineer and don't know about the ones on Carnival but probably.  The system moves the heat to the other side of the plates where there is an heatsink and fans to dissipate.  They work better in cooler ambient temperatures so opening the cabinet and allowing more flow from behind would impact the ambient temp and allow for better performance I would expect.

[OCSC Mike]

2 minutes ago, crazy4disney said:

Interesting... Do they function in the same way as the fridges/coolers on Carnival, in that they get WAY cooler if you pull them forward an inch or two and leave the cabinet door open to allow heat to escape? Makes such a ginormous difference on those, but not sure if it works the same way with the type of cooling you describe. It sounds like it would work even better, but I'm no engineer.

Never been on Carnival, but yes, supposedly this helps... a little.

[ScottD]

9 minutes ago, crazy4disney said:

Interesting... Do they function in the same way as the fridges/coolers on Carnival, in that they get WAY cooler if you pull them forward an inch or two and leave the cabinet door open to allow heat to escape? Makes such a ginormous difference on those, but not sure if it works the same way with the type of cooling you describe. It sounds like it would work even better, but I'm no engineer.  

 

Yes, some people say leaving the cabinet door open helps (but most of the cooler doors are attached to the cabinet doors now) Mine worked great when kept closed...to the point where my glass water bottles actually had condensation on them. 

[Geezer Of The Seas]

I can confirm the 'cooler' in a cabin on Wonder can make a pint of cottage cheese out of a pint of milk within 48 hours.  Drink your milk! 

[OCSC Mike]

7 minutes ago, Geezer Of The Seas said:

I can confirm the 'cooler' in a cabin on Wonder can make a pint of cottage cheese out of a pint of milk within 48 hours.  Drink your milk! 

Good example of it varying by cabin even on the same ship. My cooler on Wonder in June was actually on the colder side (as far as coolers go).

[Ampurp85]

They aren't replacing anything, it's always been a cooler and not a mini fridge. You can typically change the settings on a mini-fridge and that option has not been available on cruise ships. I think it is just the quality of the purchased products that differ along cabin types and lines.

On some older ships, the cheaper rooms don't have coolers. I found that staying in a suite, the cooler was closer to a mini fridge but still not cold enough to keep milk in the safe zone. I sailed CCL once and found their coolers to be a bit better than Royal's but again I was staying in a suite so that might have made the difference. 

[Geezer Of The Seas]

43 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

Good example of it varying by cabin even on the same ship. My cooler on Wonder in June was actually on the colder side (as far as coolers go).

OTOH, the bottle of wine we kept in it didn't curdle. I've got my priorities straight.........

[OCSC Mike]

8 minutes ago, Geezer Of The Seas said:

OTOH, the bottle of wine we kept in it didn't curdle. I've got my priorities straight.........

Yeah, I really didn't have much in mine besides water, soda, beer, and Truly... but I occasionally throw a food item in there and I do remember it surviving on that cruise... at least for half a day.

[Psycho and Barb]

2 hours ago, crazy4disney said:

Interesting... Do they function in the same way as the fridges/coolers on Carnival, in that they get WAY cooler if you pull them forward an inch or two and leave the cabinet door open to allow heat to escape? Makes such a ginormous difference on those, but not sure if it works the same way with the type of cooling you describe. It sounds like it would work even better, but I'm no engineer.  

 

Take a gallon zip lock bag with ya...Fill it with ice and put it in the Cooler.  Really helps getting your things colder.

[Carlos A.]

I've never seen a mini fridge on a Royal Caribbean Ship. They're always these cheap coolers. 

I guess they "save energy"... 

[barjpoe]

4 hours ago, Psycho and Barb said:

Take a gallon zip lock bag with ya...Fill it with ice and put it in the Cooler.  Really helps getting your things colder.

Never though of that. Do it for my coolers all the time.

[Fuzzywuzzy]

8 hours ago, Psycho and Barb said:

Take a gallon zip lock bag with ya...Fill it with ice and put it in the Cooler.  Really helps getting your things colder.

Well, there's something I'll be giving a try next time.

[CrznTxn]

Most of the cabinets that the coolers are in are too restrictive on air flow which is why some of them do not cool very well. Also the thermoelectric temperature settings are not changable without disassembly or at all (I am a themo-mechanical engineer). We always prop the cabinet door open slightly with something to allow cooler cabin air in and better air flow. This usually, not always, helps get the temperature down to a chill level. Only one time did we have a cooler that actually froze some of the liquid in the wife's water bottles. The rest of the time is is only a slight chill better than room temperature. The ice bags will definitely help.

[smokeybandit]

On Jewel in March, that was one of the warmest coolers I can remember. Milk didn't stand a chance.

 

On Adventure last month, it was quite cool. No need to use the ice bag trick.

[CruiseMsclDad]

Do suites have coolers or fridges?

[smokeybandit]

4 minutes ago, CruiseMsclDad said:

Do suites have coolers or fridges?

Coolers

[tingtang]

"In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in milk there is bacteria.”

[CruiseMsclDad]

20 hours ago, tingtang said:

"In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in milk there is bacteria.”

That is a T-Shirt waiting to be printed! :)

[smokeybandit]

I mean technically, bacteria is quite important in winemaking and brewing

[VillainsGin]

On 8/21/2023 at 6:47 PM, YoungFamilyExplorers said:

We just got off Navigator and our room no longer had a mini fridge. It had a “cooler” which definitely didn’t really cool anything down. It certainly wouldn’t be safe to store any leftovers. 
 

Is this a new change? It’s the first time we’ve seen these….

Maybe I can shed some light on this, I was chit chatting with our cabin attendant about this too!

Not just Navigator OTS but many other smaller ships are slowly transitioning out of compact/mini refrigerators to coolers (no refrigeration) in their efforts to optimize operating cost on smaller ships. (Since the pandemic)

If you take a look at the sticker attached to the front panel door you can request for an actual mini-fridge if you require one for medical purposes BUTTTT you can also ask them for one even if you have no medical conditions.

Ive requested a mini-fridge and notify them I did not have any medical needs for one, they checked to make sure they had spares, sent a attendant to install it while we were out of the cabin. The attendant stated there was a storage room stacked to the ceiling with mini-fridges and there is more than enough for anyone who requested during the sailing.

All the oasis and quantum class ships I've been on have mini-fridges so far but several of the small ships similar to navigator has replaced them with traditional coolers.

Those coolers purpose is to extend the coolness of food and beverage for maybe a few hours but definitely not recommended for longer periods of time to avoid bacteria and spoilage.

They have mini-fridges prioritized for medical needs guest first but they have a lot of spares, don't be afraid to ask and let them know you have no medical purposes but would like one if available!

[CruiseMsclDad]

8 minutes ago, VillainsGin said:

Maybe I can shed some light on this, I was chit chatting with our cabin attendant about this too!

Not just Navigator OTS but many other smaller ships are slowly transitioning out of compact/mini refrigerators to coolers (no refrigeration) in their efforts to optimize operating cost on smaller ships. (Since the pandemic)

If you take a look at the sticker attached to the front panel door you can request for an actual mini-fridge if you require one for medical purposes BUTTTT you can also ask them for one even if you have no medical conditions.

Ive requested a mini-fridge and notify them I did not have any medical needs for one, they checked to make sure they had spares, sent a attendant install it while we were out of the cabin. The attendant stated there was a storage room stacked to the ceiling with mini-fridges and there is more than enough for anyone who requested during the sailing.

All the oasis and quantum class ships I've been on have mini-fridges so far but several of the small ships similar to navigator has replaced them with traditional coolers.

Those coolers purpose is to extend the coolness of food and beverage for maybe a few hours but definitely not recommended for longer periods of time to avoid bacteria and spoilage.

They have mini-fridges prioritized for medical needs guest first but they have a lot of spares, don't be afraid to ask and let them knwo you have no medical purposes but would like one if available!

Thank you so much for this I am contacting RCCL right now I need a fridge for my insulin, so thank you for letting us know you can request one! Plus also I literally drink a gallons of milk a day so this would help!
Thanks Mitch!

[ScottD]

4 hours ago, VillainsGin said:

Maybe I can shed some light on this, I was chit chatting with our cabin attendant about this too!

Not just Navigator OTS but many other smaller ships are slowly transitioning out of compact/mini refrigerators to coolers (no refrigeration) in their efforts to optimize operating cost on smaller ships. (Since the pandemic)

If you take a look at the sticker attached to the front panel door you can request for an actual mini-fridge if you require one for medical purposes BUTTTT you can also ask them for one even if you have no medical conditions.

Ive requested a mini-fridge and notify them I did not have any medical needs for one, they checked to make sure they had spares, sent a attendant to install it while we were out of the cabin. The attendant stated there was a storage room stacked to the ceiling with mini-fridges and there is more than enough for anyone who requested during the sailing.

All the oasis and quantum class ships I've been on have mini-fridges so far but several of the small ships similar to navigator has replaced them with traditional coolers.

Those coolers purpose is to extend the coolness of food and beverage for maybe a few hours but definitely not recommended for longer periods of time to avoid bacteria and spoilage.

They have mini-fridges prioritized for medical needs guest first but they have a lot of spares, don't be afraid to ask and let them know you have no medical purposes but would like one if available!

 

I can tell you that Oasis, at least in my Boardwalk balcony a few months ago, does not have a fridge, and does have a cooler. 

[Ampurp85]

Also keep in mind the language barrier. Crew members often play telephone as well, so they could hear something and relay it without it be accurate.

I can't recall ships having min-fridges before the pandemic either, probably a different kind of cooler. I could see them replacing the older coolers with more energy efficient ones. 

[VillainsGin]

7 minutes ago, ScottD said:

 

I can tell you that Oasis, at least in my Boardwalk balcony a few months ago, does not have a fridge, and does have a cooler. 

i hope they havent affected all the bigger ships already, i sailed on wonder + symphony earlier this year it was still there. i'm assuming they're going to swap out fridges from all their ships to coolers.

[VillainsGin]

5 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

Also keep in mind the language barrier. Crew members often play telephone as well, so they could hear something and relay it without it be accurate.

I can't recall ships having min-fridges before the pandemic either, probably a different kind of cooler. I could see them replacing the older coolers with more energy efficient ones. 

I'm basically considering it a fridge if theres a cord into an outlet lol. the one on navigator OTS i got off of last weekend was cordless. There could be variants to this fridge/cooler they're trying to keep uniformed throughout all their ships.

[Ampurp85]

1 hour ago, VillainsGin said:

I'm basically considering it a fridge if theres a cord into an outlet lol. the one on navigator OTS i got off of last weekend was cordless. There could be variants to this fridge/cooler they're trying to keep uniformed throughout all their ships.

Actually, it's considered a fridge if you can adjust the temperature, otherwise it's just a cooler. Cooler can have cords or be battery operated. But fridges have adjustable temperatures. 

[VillainsGin]

2 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

Actually, it's considered a fridge if you can adjust the temperature, otherwise it's just a cooler. Cooler can have cords or be battery operated. But fridges have adjustable temperatures. 

Now im interested in getting into this rabbit hole.

if a cooler has cords or is battery operate its using electricity to maintain a certain temperature ideally keeping items consistently cooled would it be considered a fridge?

my definition of a cooler would be a cordless box essentially not able to keep consistent temperature for long, only serves the purposes of prolonging items for perhaps a few more hours?

once it can be powered it changes classifications? I feel like wording here is important since royal caribbean can confuse a lot of guest who do not understand their definition/technicalities of a fridge vs cooler

[barjpoe]

The good old English language and interpretations.