Carrying the Cups.... What a pain!

[Sandyagarcia]

I just got off the Explorer on Saturday and I am very disappointed with the whole experience. Carrying those cups to get a drink was a pain!! Even when they would check my Seapass that have a Coca-Cola stamp they told me in the Windjamer that they need my cup to get a drink!!! That is ridiculous !!

[runner15km]

Ha Ha, you're kidding right. :D

[CP3o]

If that's a new policy, it stinks. Maybe it was just the WJ where they are sort of telling you to hit a machine yourself and bring it there. I'm sure bar staff and MDR staff would bring drinks wo requiring a cup.

[Sandyagarcia]

Nope, I am not kidding.... They said that they can't get the soda without the stupid cup... So my kids would have to carry that cup all the time.. Yeah right!! Most of the times we didn't have it so we end up having lemonade! How ridiculous is that?!

[CP3o]

I guess that would save money on washing glasses............ if people always used the cups. If it's a new policy, we'll rethink soda cards, but I'd want to hear it from more than one pax on one ship.

[Sandyagarcia]

But you still have to wash your cups in your room!! So not saving much there... We were a group of 8 people and we all had that problem, no cup no soda!

I am just so unhappy with the whole RCI experience. Maybe we choose the wrong ship! The staff was not very nice.

[Beardface]

Not only that, but the cups themselves are microchipp'd. When they say unlimited refills, they don't exactly mean unlimited refills. You're allowed one fill every 15 minutes.

 

We were in Nassau on the Oasis. The wife and I walked out to Fat Tuesday's to get some pictures and then walked back. By the time we got back, we were both pretty tired and needed a drink. Got our cups, filled with Powerade, and downed them quickly. Mine had too much ice, so I went to refill, and it told me my next unlimited refill would be in just over 13 minutes...

 

That was the first and last time I used those cups while on the cruise.

[CruisinCrow]

On Majesty, you could get soda at the bars without the cup. You only needed the cup to use the automatic machines. Maybe the Windjammer didn't have a nearby bar so the waiters had to use the machines there.

[CP3o]

But you still have to wash your cups in your room!! So not saving much there... We were a group of 8 people and we all had that problem, no cup no soda!

I am just so unhappy with the whole RCI experience. Maybe we choose the wrong ship! The staff was not very nice.

 

What about other venues outside of WJ? Would be hard to believe they made you show cup.

[OCruisers]

Gosh, is this something new? :eek:

LuLu

[jebl]

Did you try getting a glass of soda at the bar?

 

The servers in the WJ do not get bar drinks. Without the cup they could not get soda out of the freestyle machine.

[evitacruiser]

I hope this is not fleet wide or we won't be buying the package.

[CP3o]

Not only that, but the cups themselves are microchipp'd. When they say unlimited refills, they don't exactly mean unlimited refills. You're allowed one fill every 15 minutes.

 

 

Reasonable limitation designed to prevent misuse.

[Beardface]

Reasonable limitation designed to prevent misuse.

 

Except its false advertising to say that there are unlimited refills only to put limitations on it.

[jpcello]

Earlier this year on Grandeur my friends all got the soda package and never used the plastic cups. They always got sodas either from the bars or in the MDR. Can't remember what they did in the WJ.

[Troyer5]

On Majesty, you could get soda at the bars without the cup. You only needed the cup to use the automatic machines. Maybe the Windjammer didn't have a nearby bar so the waiters had to use the machines there.

I was on the Majesty and the first time I went to a bar for soda, the bartender required me to have a cup.

 

It's possible that RC gave their employees abiguos(sp) instructions and not clear as english is not many of their first language. I had no problem in dining room.

[jkrislc]

Reasonable limitation designed to prevent misuse.

I would disagree given the size of the cups. I think a shorter time frame would accomplish the same with less inconvenience. Disney has a similar system, but it accounts for ice as it only measure the amount of soda dispensed. But even then, you're screwed if the machine is out of syrup as it counts against your fill and you must wait before you can get another.

[akcruz]

I too would love to hear if this was just an off week or a new policy. We usually end up coming home with the cups still in the plastic wrap. If the cup is now required, we definitely will be rethinking the soda package!

[Denise5374]

I was on Explorer the week of 6/19/14 and my kids had the soda package and didn't need the cup to get a soda. Even in the windjammer, the servers would bring them a regular cup of soda, as long as they showed their seapass card.

[butterflymama]

We were on the Explorer in February. We thought the cups were a pain as well.

We would carry them to the breakfast/lunch buffet and then someone would run them back to the room.

No one ever asked us if we wanted anything other than coffee at breakfast (in the WJ)

The kids would just get soda from the bars throughout the day and night.

[LindaO]

The rules for the soda package specifically say that it DOES NOT include can soda. If the WJ only offers can soda, and there is a freestyle machine there, you need to have your soda cup with you. If you are at a bar, where soda is available by the glass, then you do not need your soda cup and only need your stamped sea pass card. The OP could have stopped at a bar prior to going to the WJ for soda. But, the WJ does not have a bar, but rather they sell can soda.

[Beardface]

We were on the Explorer in February. We thought the cups were a pain as well.

We would carry them to the breakfast/lunch buffet and then someone would run them back to the room.

No one ever asked us if we wanted anything other than coffee at breakfast (in the WJ)

The kids would just get soda from the bars throughout the day and night.

 

Same experience we had on the Oasis.

[4-me]

We got off Enchantment on July 4th and rarely used the cups. The teens would get drinks from the bar, the dining room and the attendants at the shows. Never had a problem. The only time they used the cups was at lunch - and then they'd leave them back in the room. They were pretty active (contests, working out, shows, etc) so keeping up with the cups was a pain for them. Especially since it was easy to just ask and get a drink when they wanted one. If you sat by the pool or lounged more - then I could see the cups working. But I also saw a lot of what appeared to be lost cups sitting around.

Edited July 14, 2014 by 4-me

[UCF_Knight]

I just got off the Explorer on Saturday and I am very disappointed with the whole experience. Carrying those cups to get a drink was a pain!! Even when they would check my Seapass that have a Coca-Cola stamp they told me in the Windjamer that they need my cup to get a drink!!! That is ridiculous !!

 

Does Explorer have any way to get a fountain Coke in the Windjammer other than the Coke Freestyle machines? If not, I can see why you would need the cups since the RFID chip in the cup is what activates the machine.

[Clarea]

Does Explorer have any way to get a fountain Coke in the Windjammer other than the Coke Freestyle machines? If not, I can see why you would need the cups since the RFID chip in the cup is what activates the machine.

I would think that the bar in Windjammer would have a fountain. I wonder what they do when someone orders a Rum & Coke.