Weird Soda Question

[Derf]

I have always wondered this:

 

Why do cruise lines use canned soda products instead of soda fountains?

 

Do the CO2 containers provide a fire/safety risk?

Would they not taste the same using the ship's water?

Something else?

 

I've always been curious about this because it seems like it would be a huge cost & space/weight saver for them to use fountains.

[jimbo5544]

I have always wondered this:

 

Why do cruise lines use canned soda products instead of soda fountains?

 

Do the CO2 containers provide a fire/safety risk?

Would they not taste the same using the ship's water?

Something else?

 

I've always been curious about this because it seems like it would be a huge cost & space/weight saver for them to use fountains.

That is a good question. Have no idea.....

[shof515]

I have always wondered this:

 

Why do cruise lines use canned soda products instead of soda fountains?

 

Do the CO2 containers provide a fire/safety risk?

Would they not taste the same using the ship's water?

Something else?

 

I've always been curious about this because it seems like it would be a huge cost & space/weight saver for them to use fountains.

I think on the newer ships, there is fountain soda. Other cruises lines i think use fountain soda.

 

The logically reason why i think carnival does not use might be due to logistics and cost. Unlike can soda, you got to perform routine maintenance on the co2 system and other devices

[jobster71]

Wondered that myself. I just drink tea anyway.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[nawlinscruiser22]

According to the person I asked on the Ecstasy last week, soda fountains are hard to clean and would increase the risk of health code violations.

[bdstrom]

I have been wondering about that too. Not sure if health code reason is accurate because there are juice machines, coffeemakers, etc...

[livestocruisetoo]

I think on the newer ships, there is fountain soda. Other cruises lines i think use fountain soda.

 

The logically reason why i think carnival does not use might be due to logistics and cost. Unlike can soda, you got to perform routine maintenance on the co2 system and other devices

 

Just off the Magic and they use cans. Besides less lines to clean, once empty, cans are crushed which saves space and sold back for recycling. Beer bottles are aluminum and are crushed as well. Bottles are crushed and recycled as well. There is a lot of recycling done. Leftover food goes to crew quarters and what isn't eaten is macerated and fed to the fishes once they are 15 miles out to sea. There is a sewage treatment facility that turns bathwater into greywater and used in the laundry. If I remember correctly, bathroom waste is treated, dried then burned on most, if not on all of the fleet, then discharged at sea. Sorry if that's TMI.

[cb at sea]

RCI uses ONLY fountain soda for the soda packages. If you don't buy a "package", you buy soda by the can.

[JoeMissile]

It’s possible that Coke/Pepsi won’t let them.

 

Soda vendors generally take care of the equipment when their product is dispensed to ensure the customer gets a quality experience.

 

The dynamic nature of the environment (It’s a ship!) prevents Coke/Pepsi from servicing the equipment on a routine basis, so the only way they can be assured the product meets their standards is to offer cans. Coke / Pepsi do not want passengers getting off a cruise ship saying the soda sucked.

[zgwortz]

As someone noted, RCI has a bar-style fountain dispenser (one outlet with different buttons for the different sodas) on their ships, used mainly for people with the soda cards. That said, you get cans there in some of the bars too.

 

Personally, I think the cans are much better - soda from those fountain dispensers tends to taste flatter and often has flavors mixed a bit, and also tastes differently depending on the water supply. Cans are more consistent.

[momoftwinboys09]

Just off the Magic and they use cans. Besides less lines to clean, once empty, cans are crushed which saves space and sold back for recycling. Beer bottles are aluminum and are crushed as well. Bottles are crushed and recycled as well. There is a lot of recycling done. Leftover food goes to crew quarters and what isn't eaten is macerated and fed to the fishes once they are 15 miles out to sea. There is a sewage treatment facility that turns bathwater into greywater and used in the laundry. If I remember correctly, bathroom waste is treated, dried then burned on most, if not on all of the fleet, then discharged at sea. Sorry if that's TMI.

 

I am cruising next week and will be getting a soda card for hubby and daughter. We are cruising on the Fascination and I thought it is fountain. Is there somewhere that you can get a soda 'refill' for having the card but they give you a can?? Just a question. I thought with the soda cards you only got fountain drinks. Thanks if you can answer!!

[MamaParrotHead]

I am cruising next week and will be getting a soda card for hubby and daughter. We are cruising on the Fascination and I thought it is fountain. Is there somewhere that you can get a soda 'refill' for having the card but they give you a can?? Just a question. I thought with the soda cards you only got fountain drinks. Thanks if you can answer!!

 

Soda cards, atleast on all the ships I've been on (as they've all had cans only) means you get like maybe a 12 oz cup with ice and soda. It's also good for any juices served at the bar as well. It's been my experience (though I've read that some people have had better luck) that the bar tenders do not give up the whole can at one time with a soda card.

[frito58]

RCI doesnt thats one of the things my wife hates on Carnival is the canned pop . Our last RCI cruise they even had a fountain set where you could serve yourself , kind of honor system thing for people with the Soda card. RCI also includes the tumbler in there price which is the same per day as carnival. Of course most of there cruises are higher lol.

[SadieN]

I have been wondering about that too. Not sure if health code reason is accurate because there are juice machines, coffeemakers, etc...

 

 

From what I have seen the juice/coffee/hot chocolate machines are self contained except for a water line? Soda fountains have lines for the CO2, water and syrup.

Cans probably have less product waste than the syrup bladders.

[GloriaF]

RCI uses ONLY fountain soda for the soda packages. If you don't buy a "package", you buy soda by the can.

 

Same goes for Princess. And by the can last time I checked was $2.75 + 15% per can!

 

I prefer the can, and am glad to know Carnival uses canned sodas for the soda card

[BOSN]

This is not Gospel, but what a bartender on the Glory told me. Amazing what conversations come up at 2 a.m.

 

Canned and bottled beverages (beer & soda) vs fountain/draft is an inventory/quantity control issue. The bar staff is responsible for a certain yield from each container of beverage. Some bartenders may pour a bit heavier than others on mixed drinks, but the profet margin is much higher with mixed drinks as opposed to beer and soda. Having the beer and soda in cans and bottles also keeps the bar staff honest with those items. It is very easy to pass off free soda or beer with fountain or draft products.

 

He also said it would be a big nightmare to perform maintenance on the systems. There is a big difference on the juice/beverage system machines on the Lido vs those in a bar set up. The machines on Lido are stand alone, and easier to clean, and perform maintenance and fix/replace when necessary. Fountain soda and draft beer systems have a lot of hose lines that need periodic maintenance, and also stand a bigger chance of malfunctions, and not having the products available if the system fails. Then you have to have a back up, which is back to cans and bottles. The cans and bottles also have a shelf life, and cannot be stored forever, and would have to be used/rotated in so as to not have a product/profit loss.

[Jettadear]

Profit would be my guess?

 

Basically, they take inventory of the cans before and after the cruise, subtract the cans they sold without the soda card. Then divide that number by the amount of soda cards sold. You now have the average amount of soda consumed by card holders. Then you can calculate cost of the card versus the income received by the sale of the cards. Profit or loss.

 

If you are using a fountain than this could get ugly because you now have to factor in waste (ex: making sure fountain is set right) and how much ice people put in their glass. My husband hates ice in his glass and always ends up with more drink in his glass than most. So that makes ounces up to the individual filling the glass.

[Geology_Rocks]

It's definitely not the CO2 concern, it's a fire retardant.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It is easy to control that way....