Soda Package "Service Fee"

[reallyitsmema]

Hopefully, the service charge we paid for our refreshment package on the Anthem last week goes to the people who manned the freestyle machines the whole week. Passengers were not allowed to touch the freestyle machines because of noro virus on the ship.

[Merion_Mom]

I was finalizing the purchase of the soda packages for an upcoming cruise on the Freedom for my family of four, and I noticed the final price jumped up $49.00 due to a "service fee". I called up Royal Caribbean, and they explained that this was actually a gratuity imposed by the line. Now I have been on quite a few RC ships as of late, and I am aware they have adopted the new CocaCola Freestyle machines. They give you a special souvenir cup, and you must serve yourself. My question is, why am I paying a gratuity when I'm not actually receiving any service? Royal Caribbean's answer was that the machines need to be serviced from time to time, and this gratuity covers this "maintenance". I'm really not buying this answer. I think RC is just trying to impose yet another charge, and was hoping no one would question it. I realize the cruise lines are just trying to increase revenue, but as it is, what i am paying for with these beverage packages for a week, I could have bought 38 cases or 912 cans of CocaCola. Trust me, they are making their money off me without imposing this additional fee.

 

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[Merion_Mom]

Capt_BJ, going an entire 8 days with my children and without that soda package would not be an enjoyable experience. I really have no other choice but to purchase the package since RC no longer allows us to carry on a case of soft drinks. I am merely questioning the reasoning behind this additional fee. $50 extra in the grand scheme of things is not really a lot of money, but I do work very hard for every dollar, and I am allowed to question what I am spending that money on. I am going to voice my opinion if I feel something is not right, and I would expect others to do the same without someone just saying, " don't like it, oh well" My family and I love cruising, and would hate to stop using it as a viable and economical way to vacation. As is the way with the airlines, cruise lines will continue to tack on fee after fee after fee until it is no longer an enjoyable experience, similar to how I feel when I get off a flight. Trust me when I say representitives from RC read these posts, and if they see people are not happy with changes, they may reconsider if they are worth loosing past or prospective guests.

 

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They have never "allowed" you to bring on soda. But then and now, that rule is rarely enforced.