Free fountain soda

[GAGirlinVA]

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?

 

Am I the only one wondering how adding $20 to everyone's fare makes it FREE?

 

This is an argument often heard among Disney Cruisers. (SODA IS FREE!!!!!!!)

 

No, it is included in the fare.

 

Very different.

 

The same argument is used for FREE healthcare, btw. ;)

[thomarvin]

The price of the cruises flucuate so much, it could be included in the price just like dinner, ice cream and room service. i am just thinking here.

[conchead]

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.

 

I'm pretty sure people here on the boards have said Royal has fountain sodas.

Also, don't you think the 100's of cases of soda take up room too?

[arpie05]

I don't like soda out the fountain. I also don't drink soda onboard. I prefer soda out of a can.

[rickechambers1@aol.com]

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.

 

DISNEY cruises has them and you'd be hard pressed to find a cleaner environment than anything Disney. And never a wait. I agree that the benefits outweigh the costs on this. And it would likely be more like $5 a person.

[needabreakcanada]

Why would I pay if I don't drink soda?

 

Does it work for juice? Then I might think about it.

[BallFour4]

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

 

A can of soda served by someone, dispensed from a machine or any other method might have a lesser expense on land, but consider how the cruise line must load aboard, store, move to bar areas, serve and clean up. Seems to me you have forgot the cost involved in the service part of the transaction. Disney does offer "free" soda, but divide the cost you paid for a Disney cruise by the number of days and then tell me what is "free."

 

If I used your logic then why aren't photos aboard the ship around a dollar or less? The photo paper and ink required to print them are a fraction of what cruise lines charge.

 

These two items are part of a cost shifting method that cruise lines use to generate profit. The cost of a week aboard the Carnival Magic is less than it cost me to sail the Carnival Mardi Gras in 1976. Drinks were cheap, photos were cheap and the cost spread was minimal.

 

Today's market with fierce competition is built around a model where the actual cost you and I pay pre-cruise are at best a break even proposition. Mix in the nearly double the cost of fuel for ships and they must shift the profit source.

 

Drinks, shore excursions, soda cards, spa treatments, casino, bingo, etc are the higher profit items. Non-soda drinkers aren't delighted to absorb your (and my) cost of the vacation.

 

No one forces any of us to buy the card, but sharing it is akin to walking in a buffet restaurant and you and someone else taking turns going to get food.

 

You may disagree, but the the facts remain that sharing is not part of the program for soda cards, and that's addressed from the cruise line that sold it.

 

.

[arpie05]

I will say that on first carnival cruise in 1987 they had fountain drinks. I remember using a casino cup because I didn't like the little cups and getting a strange look from a worker :-)

[Eeyoregon]

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?

 

I agree 100%!! Disney cruise line has been providing free soda throughout the ship for many, many years. It can be done...it should be done.

[sharecruises]

After hearing of people refilling their glasses/water bottles...and personally seeing a guy wash wash wash his hands using the water dispenser ..:eek:

I can see why they would not put sodas in a fountain

 

Kids would really make a mess too...I have seen them messing up the icecream and cones

[TypeRCop]

I agree! Add it to the cruise fare and people will only get what they will drink and there wont be a mad rush to drink everything you can just to feel like you got what you paid for. Plus there will be some that don't even drink soda.

[tanyaewa]

Disney does the fountain drinks for "free".

It works well, no mess, less waste in the form of cans to be recycled.

If Carnival is keeping the soda card it's because it's making them money.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Disney does the fountain drinks for "free".

It works well, no mess, less waste in the form of cans to be recycled.

If Carnival is keeping the soda card it's because it's making them money.

 

I'm sure if Carnival could get their pax to pay as much as Disney pax pay they'd be happy to throw in free soda.

 

Bill

[JediSkipdogg]

I'm sure if Carnival could get their pax to pay as much as Disney pax pay they'd be happy to throw in free soda.

 

Bill

 

Next someone will want free alcohol while on board and say they should have that. Wait, they do, it's called Crystal Cruises and you pay out the behind for it.

[familycruzinnewbie]

$20 is definitely not free and with 4 of us it would be $80. We bought 12 cans of orange crush and a 2L Dr Pepper to bring on board for a little treat for the kids (9 and 12), even at overpriced South Beach Wallgreens it was about $7. We barely touched it. Had to purposely drink a few cans, and left several for the staff. Being that they now want to charge $3 for cappuccino at the MDR, I don't think Carnival is going in this direction.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

$20 is definitely not free and with 4 of us it would be $80. We bought 12 cans of orange crush and a 2L Dr Pepper to bring on board for a little treat for the kids (9 and 12), even at overpriced South Beach Wallgreens it was about $7. We barely touched it. Had to purposely drink a few cans, and left several for the staff. Being that they now want to charge $3 for cappuccino at the MDR, I don't think Carnival is going in this direction.

 

You wouldn't even notice that $80. ;)

 

Bill

[coachpete]

Disney does the fountain drinks for "free".

It works well, no mess, less waste in the form of cans to be recycled.

If Carnival is keeping the soda card it's because it's making them money.

 

 

I agree with you there. But it would be nice to have the soda included. No one would notice a $20 bump in fare.

[Out to sea!]

I agree 100%!! Disney cruise line has been providing free soda throughout the ship for many, many years. It can be done...it should be done.

 

While it can be done and would be nice, it's hardly "free" since Disney charges about double what a Carnival cruise costs!

[John1928]

For me it isn't really cost issue. Waiting in line at a bar for a person to pour a soda is so 1950's... Keep the price the same, give me an RFID or barcoded S&S card that can be used to dispense a drink every X minutes and they'd eliminate the labor, use less expensive, more scalable materials to drive higher profits, and provide a better service. Win, win, win.

 

None of the sanitary concerns raised are significantly different for dispensing soda vs. lemonade. Keeping the mix in tune (restocking supplies) may take some effort, but there are flocks of teeagers servicing the hundred thousand plus fountains found on land in the US without this being a major concern for most establishments...

[loubetti]

Free soda aside. What is the SIGNIFICANT difference between Carnival and Disney, and why do Disney cruise fares typically cost more?

 

Anyone, anyone? ;)

[BallFour4]

Free soda aside. What is the SIGNIFICANT difference between Carnival and Disney, and why do Disney cruise fares typically cost more?

 

Anyone, anyone? ;)

 

No casino, and because they can...

[KruznKel]

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?

 

 

Fountain soda is like liquid syrup disgusting.. I pay for can pop I am quite happy with that..

[tanyaewa]

I'm sure if Carnival could get their pax to pay as much as Disney pax pay they'd be happy to throw in free soda.

 

 

Carnival could if the experience were equal. I am not saying either is better. There are definite differences and the ability to cruise with Mickey and all the Disney Gang has a definite value to it. That's why people pay what they do.

I am cruising Carnival this time.... For value and itinerary.

[Pellaz]

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

 

This is exactly what RCCL does on at least two of the ships in their fleet, and it works well. They give you the souvenir cup instead of having you pay an extra $5 for it -- it was in my stateroom waiting for me, as I had ordered the soda program via their website before the cruise -- and the cup has a microchip that activates the fountain soda machine on the Lido deck.

 

I was shocked, after that cruise on Majesty, to discover that Carnival was using only canned soft drinks. In my admittedly limited experience Carnival does many things better than RCCL, but their soda program is not one of them.

[JediSkipdogg]

I agree with you there. But it would be nice to have the soda included. No one would notice a $20 bump in fare.

 

I definitely would being a single/solo cruiser. I already pay double everything but only eat the food for one. Why should I have to pay $40 for soda? It's canned to begin with and I've taken a 12 pack on board multiple times for a 4 day cruise. I'm sure I could get a 24 pack on board as well.