Coca-Cola Freestyle Machine

[BoDidly]

Just read about Holland Americas new beverage package program and it says that the Koningsdam has a Freestyle machine on it and it's included. Obviously the exclusivity factor of RCI being the only cruise line to have the machines at sea has expired and Carnival Corporation goes and puts it on HAL instead of their "Family Friendly" cruise line? This makes zero marketing sense. Kids like it because they don't have to wait in line and they have more drink choices. Adults like it because the lines are shorter at some bars because kids are not getting their bottomless bubbles refilled and the diet soda choices are much greater than just Diet Coke, Coke Zero and Sprite Zero. Finally, bartenders like it because they don't have to worry about kids and sodas and they can concentrate on making drinks and thus making more money.

 

I would be all for it ,even with an exception that the kids will make a mess out of it. Which might be the hold up. And we all know what a mess they make while getting the ice cream :)

Some of you may remember the Icee machines on the Dream when she first came out, that didn't last long at all.

 

 

[Organized Chaos]

I don't understand the hate. I love them whenever they're available at Five Guys or other places. I would love to see them on Carnival.

I don't hate them. I don't agree with others who have said it messes with the flavor of one soda since they're all dispensed from the same spout. I've never tasted a difference. I merely said in my experience, they have made lines worse.

[JawjaFatBoy]

Personally, I rarely ever drink sodas on a cruise but I would love to see these on Carnival ships. It would even be worth a little time in line to get a Lime Coke!

[RW20]

Mmmm vanilla diet coke!!

[teknoge3k]

I don't understand the hate. I love them whenever they're available at Five Guys or other places. I would love to see them on Carnival.

 

Most older folks hate change. See basically any other thread on here regarding any change a cruise line makes.

[TheTravelista]

Most older folks hate change. See basically any other thread on here regarding any change a cruise line makes.

 

Yep. It never fails.

 

It always amuses me when it comes to discussing any type of change here, especially the kind that wouldn't affect anyone, but would simply make the experience better for some. People still turn their noses up at it.

 

No one HAS to use the machine if they don't want to. Warm canned sodas poured over ice will be available eternally.

[FloridaMommyof3]

I think it would be fantastic to have them. It would save the bartenders so much time and be better service for everyone.

[funkidd]

I run 12 fast food restaurants and have installed and then taken out these freestyle machines. I cannot say they wont be in all places in the future, however there are several real drawbacks to the machines. yes they can dispense more drink flavors. The advantage just about ends there. They are more expensive, about 15% more. The machines break a lot and cannot be easily fixed or fixed at all at sea. It takes a special tech to work on them. Traditional bag in the box is much easier to fix and parts can be easily kept on hand. They also take a lot of daily maintenance from the wait staff to keep going. Too much fiddling with the machine wastes time= wasted money. I also read a few posts up that soda beverages are the biggest profit maker in the food business. Wrong. This used to be true however soda costs are now equal to most food groups in the business. You still make pretty good money most of the time, however you have to be careful its not like the old days when soda was cheap and you could just waste it. You can thank the federal government for mandating that ethanol (made from corn) be put in all gasoline for that. Corn and corn syrup which is what soda is has gone thru the roof in the last 10 years.

 

Operationally and cost wise I don't see cruise lines jumping at putting them in place. You might see some tests in some cruise applications, but not ship wide and industry wide, not for a while.

[Badfinger]

I don't like them since people have to touch those things multiple times. It's just gross. I don't know where all those nasty people's fingers have been

 

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Those fingers have been touching stair railings, elevator buttons, bathroom door handles, bathroom faucet handles, that toilet push button in their cabin, the hot tub and pool railings, slot machine handles, various parts of their own body and buffet serving utensils..you know...all the stuff you touch on a cruise ship!

[Badfinger]

I run 12 fast food restaurants and have installed and then taken out these freestyle machines. I cannot say they wont be in all places in the future, however there are several real drawbacks to the machines. yes they can dispense more drink flavors. The advantage just about ends there. They are more expensive, about 15% more. The machines break a lot and cannot be easily fixed or fixed at all at sea. It takes a special tech to work on them. Traditional bag in the box is much easier to fix and parts can be easily kept on hand. They also take a lot of daily maintenance from the wait staff to keep going. Too much fiddling with the machine wastes time= wasted money. I also read a few posts up that soda beverages are the biggest profit maker in the food business. Wrong. This used to be true however soda costs are now equal to most food groups in the business. You still make pretty good money most of the time, however you have to be careful its not like the old days when soda was cheap and you could just waste it. You can thank the federal government for mandating that ethanol (made from corn) be put in all gasoline for that. Corn and corn syrup which is what soda is has gone thru the roof in the last 10 years.

 

Operationally and cost wise I don't see cruise lines jumping at putting them in place. You might see some tests in some cruise applications, but not ship wide and industry wide, not for a while.

 

Thanks for passing on your knowledge. IMO, simple is better. Offer Cola, Diet Cola, Lemon Lime and one other (Root Beer/Dr Pepper/etc) and call it a day. No that would not please everyone but it is the point of diminishing returns I would think.

[SNJCruisers]

I don't hate them. I don't agree with others who have said it messes with the flavor of one soda since they're all dispensed from the same spout. I've never tasted a difference. I merely said in my experience, they have made lines worse.

But there is a difference between the lines in a fast food place and the lines on Royal. In a fast food place, the machines are the only place to get a cold drink and there could be 4 or 5 in line ahead of you. On board, the lines were non existent in the promenade and at the most two people at the height of lunchtime rush in the Windjammer. Not everyone on board is getting soda, some are getting the free stuff such as iced tea or lemonade, while others are getting a beer or bottled water at the bar. 100% of people wanting a cold drink at a fast food place need to use the machines, whereas that percentage​ is substantially less on board the cruise​ ship.

 

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[AmeliaAtSea]

But there is a difference between the lines in a fast food place and the lines on Royal. In a fast food place, the machines are the only place to get a cold drink and there could be 4 or 5 in line ahead of you. On board, the lines were non existent in the promenade and at the most two people at the height of lunchtime rush in the Windjammer. Not everyone on board is getting soda, some are getting the free stuff such as iced tea or lemonade, while others are getting a beer or bottled water at the bar. 100% of people wanting a cold drink at a fast food place need to use the machines, whereas that percentage​ is substantially less on board the cruise​ ship.

(y)

At a land-based fast food restaurant, even when you just want iced tea, those dispensers are usually right next to the freestyle machine, often inadvertantly blocked by the people getting their soft drinks, putting a lid on their drink, getting straws, etc. And if you want ice for your tea, you still have to use the freestyle machine.

[FLSteve11]

I run 12 fast food restaurants and have installed and then taken out these freestyle machines. I cannot say they wont be in all places in the future, however there are several real drawbacks to the machines. yes they can dispense more drink flavors. The advantage just about ends there. They are more expensive, about 15% more. The machines break a lot and cannot be easily fixed or fixed at all at sea. It takes a special tech to work on them. Traditional bag in the box is much easier to fix and parts can be easily kept on hand. They also take a lot of daily maintenance from the wait staff to keep going. Too much fiddling with the machine wastes time= wasted money. I also read a few posts up that soda beverages are the biggest profit maker in the food business. Wrong. This used to be true however soda costs are now equal to most food groups in the business. You still make pretty good money most of the time, however you have to be careful its not like the old days when soda was cheap and you could just waste it. You can thank the federal government for mandating that ethanol (made from corn) be put in all gasoline for that. Corn and corn syrup which is what soda is has gone thru the roof in the last 10 years.

 

Operationally and cost wise I don't see cruise lines jumping at putting them in place. You might see some tests in some cruise applications, but not ship wide and industry wide, not for a while.

 

Most of the RCCL ships have them now I believe, so it's fairly fleet wide there.

 

I think some of the difference on cruise ships is that soda otherwise has to be handled by bartenders. While they're doing soda, they're not doing alcohol. So it's get more bartenders, or sell less drinks.

[Yvonne]

I don't like them since people have to touch those things multiple times. It's just gross. I don't know where all those nasty people's fingers have been

 

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That's why you always should use your knuckle to press the buttons. Same for elevator buttons.

 

I like the freestyle machine at our local Wendy's, unless I'm behind people who don't know how to use them and take f-o-r-e-v-e-r to decide what they want. I do wish they had more than one machine though, because if there is someone who doesn't know how to use it trying to figure it out then there can be several people lining up behind them waiting. I also wish the machine wouldn't drip on your hand as you're filling your cup with ice.

[nc762shooter]

A freestyle machine would be pretty awesome with cheers... Order a shot of something and imagine the possibilities of mixers...

 

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[SNJCruisers]

(y)

At a land-based fast food restaurant, even when you just want iced tea, those dispensers are usually right next to the freestyle machine, often inadvertantly blocked by the people getting their soft drinks, putting a lid on their drink, getting straws, etc. And if you want ice for your tea, you still have to use the freestyle machine.

You're just reemphasizing my point that the lines at a fast food place are longer than the lines in a cruise ship

 

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[Organized Chaos]

Most older folks hate change. See basically any other thread on here regarding any change a cruise line makes.

Yep. It never fails.

It always amuses me when it comes to discussing any type of change here, especially the kind that wouldn't affect anyone, but would simply make the experience better for some. People still turn their noses up at it.

No one HAS to use the machine if they don't want to. Warm canned sodas poured over ice will be available eternally.

Most younger folks get older, then hate change too. See basically any other thread on here regarding any change in 10-20 years. ;)

 

I also wish the machine wouldn't drip on your hand as you're filling your cup with ice.

That right there! What the heck, man? We carry computers in our pockets, but they design a fancy new computer-operated soda machine and it always drips soda on me when I get ice. The old fountains don't do that.

[SNJCruisers]

they design a fancy new computer-operated soda machine and it always drips soda on me when I get ice. The old fountains don't do that.

Get your ice first and you will not have the problem of drippage from the machine on the front end and then on the back end as well as the cubes splash into your cup.

 

 

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[AmeliaAtSea]

You're just reemphasizing my point that the lines at a fast food place are longer than the lines in a cruise ship

 

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Yes, that was intended.

[deborahjo]

All I can see and have read about it happening on RCI is kids standing there playing around and wasting product and holding up the line.

 

 

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[Yvonne]

Get your ice first and you will not have the problem of drippage from the machine on the front end and then on the back end as well as the cubes splash into your cup.

 

 

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I always get the ice first, and the machine always drips on my hand as the ice goes in the cup.

[pe4all]

I have used it both at local different fast food places

and the Royal ships.....same machine. I prefer like previous posters, that it can be faster than bar, card,warm soda with ice, signature !

:cool:

I would also love to see these installed on Carnival ships. I drink only caffeine-free diet coke, and love that the freestyle machines offer this. They have only had a limited amount of cans of this beverage on every CCL cruise I have been on. They usually have to dig around in the back to find me a can, and yes, it is warm. I personally do not like ice in my drinks, so it really waters down the warm soda! After a day or 2, the bartenders usually know what I want when they see me walking up, and have a can ready, but there have been times I have had to go to a different bar to get my soda.

[SNJCruisers]

All I can see and have read about it happening on RCI is kids standing there playing around and wasting product and holding up the line.

Since you have no first hand experience with the machines on RCI since you have never cruised with them according to your signature, your statement can be taken with the same grain of salt similar to when the loyal Royals like to bash Carnival over any given topic.

 

Seriously though, there is no downside to the machines. Currently, if you go to a bar and you see a long line and you're in a hurry, what do you do? You go to another bar. You can just go to a bar and get your soda just like it's set up now if Carnival ever installs these machines and the line is too long. But, from my only experience with them on the Explorer of the Seas, it was not a problem. And the 24 hour access of some of the machines was great which you don't have in the current situation.

[pe4all]

All I can see and have read about it happening on RCI is kids standing there playing around and wasting product and holding up the line.

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I only sailed RCI once, but got the unlimited soda plan there. They give you a chip-enhanced cup, just like Universal Studios does. There really is no way to "waste" product, as it only works if you place the cup in a certain spot, and even then will only let you fill your cup. It shuts itself off when a certain amount of soda is in there, and you cannot refill your cup for a certain amount of time - I think it was 15 or 20 minutes later.

[podunkhum]

I don't like them since people have to touch those things multiple times. It's just gross. I don't know where all those nasty people's fingers have been

 

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Nasty people? Nasty like Bill Clinton nasty or Larry Craig nasty? Help me out here.

 

 

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