Free fountain soda

[thomarvin]

With all the talk about waiting to buy you BB card after sailing to avoid the taxes, I think Carnival should just add $20 to the cost of the cruise. No one would notice. Switch to fountain soda. And make it FREE. Fountain soda is like 2 cents a cup. It would save on all those cans and trash that is produced. You wouldnt have people trying to get their $6.50 worth per day. Getting a soda and then just leaving it. They probably would only get what they really will drink.

 

What do you all think?

[Terpboy]

You are sooo right...I buy my cans of soda in 12 packs of cans for about $3 on sale...think how much cheaper it would be for Carnival to switch to a fountain.... Although Carnival probably has a huge deal with Coca~Cola

[bruisin4cruisin]

I am not a big soda drinker anymore, so I stopped getting the stamp. The problem with adding $20 to a fare is that if you add $20 for soda, what else do you do? $3 for chocolates on the pillows? $4 for clean towels every day?

Don't get me wrong, I see where you are going with this, but it takes manpower to run the machines, and if you have ever been on a cruise with a lot of kids on board, you will know they can't keep up with the cone dispensers and bowls at the ice cream machines.

[Zoey]

Do you mean just adding $20 to the people who would want to buy a BB card or to all passengers fares? If you're talking adding it to all passengers, I'm not sure that the ones who never go within a mile of soft drinks (like me :)) would love that idea.

[firefly333]

I sure am not willing to pay $20 extra so you can get your soda cheaper. I hardly drink soda and like lemonaide better anyway.

 

Only someone who wants their stuff cheaper at someone else's expense would think this is a good idea, yikes.

[marshhawk]

You are sooo right...I buy my cans of soda in 12 packs of cans for about $3 on sale...think how much cheaper it would be for Carnival to switch to a fountain.... Although Carnival probably has a huge deal with Coca~Cola

 

They do, but not out of New Orleans. Found that fact to be interesting.

[KPfromCT]

I am ALL FOR IT. I am a die hard Diet Coke drinker, but it HAS to be from a fountain. Cannot STAND the taste of soda from a can. When we cruised on the Pride in April, we got a BB sticker for my daughter, and when I REALLY needed a Diet Coke, she would just get it for me, but again, it was from a CAN:eek::eek: yuck!!!!!

[t1adams]

Do you mean just adding $20 to the people who would want to buy a BB card or to all passengers fares? If you're talking adding it to all passengers, I'm not sure that the ones who never go within a mile of soft drinks (like me :)) would love that idea.

 

Oh come on, let's just add it to EVERYONE's fare. "Spread the wealth," remember that one? ;)

 

(I say that with such sarcasm:D)

[rjones683-1]

Hello,

An interesting point although have you thought about the people who do not drink soda? You just cost them an extra $20 for something they would not use. How about adding an extra $50 so you could get a free Spa visit, or an extra $60 and a specialty restaurant night. It could go on I hope you see the point. It is an a-la-cart system. Pay for what you want and skip the rest.

 

Regards,

R

[SirGoose29445]

I don't drink soda, so it would be $20 added to the cost for something that offers no benefit to me.

[Terpboy]

Or mabye a specialty fountain that you have to insert your S&S card for the fountain to work...still based off of BB but just cheaper for Carnival

[l2c4fun]

I went on the Behind the Fun tour and the fountain soda question was raised. They mentioned a couple of reasons that they don't have it. 1) the mixture always causes problems as everyone is used to something different. Far less complaints with the cans. 2) the machines are very difficult to keep heads properly clean. I know I've seen or heard something about the bacteria levels on them in restaurants.

 

These reasons sounded reasonable to me.

[conchead]

And I think the part about people with the BB cards...wasting cokes.

Getting it just to get their moneys worth, then walking off leaving it sitting there....

Well I think that is totally backwards.

The people getting it are the ones that really want it and drink it.

 

Example... Look at the waste on trays in the buffet.:rolleyes:

An open fountain would be the same.

[lady_cruiser]

I do not drink soft drinks as much as I use to. Maybe one or two cans a month. If that $20 included cans of juice; tomato, grapefuit, apple, etc, then yes I would not mind paying that extra fee.

[Disneycruisers]

Or mabye a specialty fountain that you have to insert your S&S card for the fountain to work...still based off of BB but just cheaper for Carnival

 

I think that's a great idea.

 

I think the BB is a huge profit for Carnival though.

 

Disney USED to have a soda card (or mug, can't remember.) They finally did away with it and installed self-serve soda fountains on their lido decks by the pools. It cut way down on passengers going to bars with their mugs.

[Out to sea!]

With all the talk about waiting to buy you BB card after sailing to avoid the taxes, I think Carnival should just add $20 to the cost of the cruise. No one would notice. Switch to fountain soda. And make it FREE. Fountain soda is like 2 cents a cup. It would save on all those cans and trash that is produced. You wouldnt have people trying to get their $6.50 worth per day. Getting a soda and then just leaving it. They probably would only get what they really will drink.

 

What do you all think?

 

Since they don't serve Pepsi products, I wouldn't think too highly of it.

[RWolver672]

Maybe they should make it like the gratuities. Pre-pay when booking your cruise if you want it. That way, it's added on to the cost of your cruise and if you don't want it, you don't get it.

[willy32465]

If someone wants to buy the soda card why can't they just purchase it when they book their cruise? Then Carnival can print their Sail and Sign cards with the stamp already on them. This would save the labor of having someone on the ship record the transaction and then put a stamp on the card. They would also save the cost of having the stamps produced. Just a thought

[diamondgirl54]

They should have a coffee and tea card. They could charge 50 dollars for it just like the soda card. I don't drink coffee or tea but I do drink soda.

[Cathy p]

I am a diabetic (recently found out) and I am sure all my soda drinks have contributed to that. The chunky little children walking around with a soda in one hand and an ice cream in another. OK so I could go on and on so no $20 charge for me. I now drink water with Crystal Light in it and no sugar. Sorry didn't mean to have everyone jump on my bandwagon just starting to enjoy healthy eating habits, feeling much better and wanted to share.:)

[bm6pm5]

We just got off of the Glory yesterday.There are no soda fountains aboard the ships only cans. I work with the soda guns and fountain units and wondered why they did not as it would be more cost effective for them. One of the bartenders explained to me that it was more sanitary for the cans versus cleaning the guns and fountain units every night. Also they were worried about bugs coming in with the syrup boxes. The syrup boxes hold 5 gallons of syrup and are also quite a mess if one ruptures.

[Out to sea!]

They should have a coffee and tea card. They could charge 50 dollars for it just like the soda card. I don't drink coffee or tea but I do drink soda.

 

Princess has a coffee card. Little punch outs on it. Something like 10 cups for $20 if I remember correctly.

[thomarvin]

I just picked the $20 randomly. Not necessarily just for soda. There is free coffee, tea, iced tea and lemonade. I ment just increase the fare (minimally) and have free beverages one less thing for the waiters to worry about on the Lido deck and in the Windjammer.

 

I do get the sanitary part though. Good point. This was just a thought.

[wrigley80]

Cruise Lines will never go to fountain drinks because the soda fountain cannisters take up too much room in storage. After a can is empty is it crushed and they are recycled.

[scperk]

You are sooo right...I buy my cans of soda in 12 packs of cans for about $3 on sale...think how much cheaper it would be for Carnival to switch to a fountain.... Although Carnival probably has a huge deal with Coca~Cola

I've heard that they pay around 5 to 10 cents a can...Dennis