Freedom Of The Seas Faux Pas or watch what they're charging you!

[cruisejunki]

I just returned last weekend from a cruise aboard the Freedom Of The Seas from Royal Caribbean and wanted to inform you of an unusual little bad experience that I hope you will look for in your future trips on RCCL. I bought a "water package" for my girlfriend that the bar staff sells on the first and second day of cruising not unlike the coke package and wine package that I also purchased. The water package is just a certain number of bottles of water delivered to your stateroom for a set fee. These packages are usually discounted under the price of buying the bottles singly. The price was $36.00 that included the gratuity and was on all the placards out with the water. That is what I was charged on my statement folio. The charge was then removed and I was charged $46.00. I have the hand written ticket that just says one water package 12 bottles. I also have the point of sale receipt that was brought to the stateroom that says 36.00 and change to be exact. Customer service and the bar staff gave me excuses from "it got updated in the computer after you bought it"!!? to that is with the gratuity!! Even the supposed bar manager came to "explain" what I didn't understand! Worst customer service I have had over A $10 dollar upcharge. I don't mind handing out $10 tips, and we did, but I don't want to give a buissiness profit that they don't deserve! LOL I have to scan this stuff in and get it to RCI Miami with a complaint, yet I thought I would first write to you in thanks for steering me to some great adventures in the past. Hate to be negative, yet I have to tell this as it's just not right. RCI let me off the ship without taking care of this. "Were RCI BBye". I wasn't super pleased with many things the way RCI does them and this just put me over the top. :mad:

[alexw]

$46(even $36) for 12 bottles of water is a crime.

 

Especially when I can purchased the case of 24 (of that same brand) for $5 at home.

 

Thats just an incredible mark up for water....thats unreal!

[mation101]

You can bring on your own h20 why buy the bottles on board?

[Davey Interweb]

Tap water is free.

[setsail]

Hope you are doing the CC dispute.

[Papa T]

We used to buy or bring water but then we discovered the ice water available in the cafe on the promenade. And the best part . . . it's free!!!

[DivineDivia]

Thanks for sharing OP. Hope you work it out.

[cb at sea]

BUY water? Never!

[mariapd719]

Rip off! The water on the ship isnt the best tasting thats why people buy bottled water. Isnt it desalinated on board...bleck. Why do you think the coffee tastes like crap

[Davey Interweb]

Rip off! The water on the ship isnt the best tasting thats why people buy bottled water. Isnt it desalinated on board...bleck. Why do you think the coffee tastes like crap

 

The coffee tastes horrible because the water they use to brew it is far too hot. It's burnt.

 

Aren't many brands of bottled water - like Dasani or Aquafina - basically filtered municipal (tap) water? Yeah, those who pay more for water than they do gasoline sure are savvy consumers.

[mariapd719]

Thats your opinion:rolleyes:...and the OP was warning cruisers about the faux charges and wasnt trying to get their approval or disapproval for drinking bottled water...unreal. Threads always have to off topic.

 

Since we are off topic, has anyone else seen where certain cities are using cleaned(cleansed with some sort of a gas) sewer water and turning it into tap water? Heres a link

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/27/us/27conserve.html

 

 

desalinated toilet water...sounds yummy

[Davey Interweb]

Thats your opinion:rolleyes:...and the OP was warning cruisers about the faux charges and wasnt trying to get their approval or disapproval for drinking bottled water...unreal. Threads always have to off topic.

 

My opinion? You just gave your opinion that the water on modern cruise ships is, and I'm paraphrasing, "yucky". I was just pointing out that there are more sensible ways to ensure yourself of clean water, than paying three dollars for a small plastic bottle of it.

 

Where did you expect this thread to go, anyway?

[Gator0178]

Welcome to Cruise Critic:D

[HorrorFan]

The coffee tastes horrible because the water they use to brew it is far too hot. It's burnt.

Ok, sorry for going off topic but that is ridiculous. You cannot burn coffee with water. Coffee CAN taste burnt after the fact due to it being boiled. etc, but coffee will NOT be burnt by the water being too hot during brewing.

 

Now, back on topic. Sounds like you got overcharged to me. Then again, I wouldn't pay the cost for the 'water package' anyway, as it sounds way too expensive to begin with.

We will take a case of water on board. While I am sure the water is perfectly safe to drink, and probably just as 'pure' as anything you can buy, we just found we don't like the 'taste'.

We don't like the taste of our tap water at home either.

[crusinmama06]

So you see the coke package seperately on your bill? Because isn't that around $46.00? And then you see another $46 charge for the water? Yes I would do a credit card dispute.

 

A little story, we were on Disney Wonder and at each ship excursion meeting, the tour person got up and started talking about the "Great Water Deal". So people would rush up to get their bottled water package (and yes, it was the same price as Royal Caribbean). Then we would be led off the ship and right past guys yelling "Bottles of Water - $1 here" :D

 

I saw one guy turn to his wife and say "HOW MUCH DID WE JUST PAY ONBOARD?" :mad:

 

So dispute the charge and let us know what happens.

[cruisejunki]

Thanks everyone for responding!! Good debate is always welcome to me. I am the culprit that started my girlfriend Sheree on the bottled water around the house. The price is a crime even for the 750ml bottles that we were sold. I said to the RC rep that it was the same price as the mini bar! The bar staffer told us the price was for these bigger 750ml bottles she was showing on the table. So, in the absence of a brought on board case of water, I bought them. I won't forget to bring one again!

I just happen to work at a dairy, juice, and water processing facility in Florida and I don't like what I see coming out of our municipal water system in the filter backwash. Believe whichever taste test you wish as the fact remains that I think I can tell a qualitative difference in the bottled as opposed to the local tap water and most assuredly can tell a huge quality difference between the bottled and ship tap water. Bottled is also easier to throw two of them in my backpack, what I did, for our excursions. The royal Caribbean little, white, water cups are not that convenient. Most of those would leak before I was finished drinking them. Oh, and no it wasn't the coke card charge as it is on there separately. I am going to dispute this with Royal Carib Miami first and hopefully last. Like I told the "assistant bar manager" : "you P'd me off for 10 bucks"????

[Lady Chew]

Just got off Liberty ... paid $25.76 (including gratuity) for the 8-bottle water package. Should mention these are the liter-size, not the regular bottles we usually carry around. We paid for the convenience - didn't want to buy a case somewhere in the port and lug it around 'til we got on board (we have plenty of luggage without it), and we wanted water available all the time without having to run to one of the bars to get it and pay a gratuity each time. It was much easier just purchasing it once and then we could forget about it.

[cheaptravel]

I've brought my own travel mugs to fill with coffee in the cafe (keeps warm longer when brought back to the cabin), and clean, empty liter bottles in my luggage to fill at the buffet. I usually do bring some bottled water on board, though.

[amybear912]

Ok, sorry for going off topic but that is ridiculous. You cannot burn coffee with water. Coffee CAN taste burnt after the fact due to it being boiled. etc, but coffee will NOT be burnt by the water being too hot during brewing.

 

.

 

Actually... Yes, you CAN burn coffee by using water that is too hot during the brewing process... Same thing applies to hot tea, you should never use boiling water to prepare tea because it will affect the taste... The taste of both coffee and tea are affected by bad brewing practices, ie, water that is too hot being used during the brewing process...

 

Back to the topic... didn't realize they had a "water package" in the first place but not something I would purchase anyway... I hope you get this worked out... $46 for 12 bottles of water is outrageous...

[amybeth4]

I've never heard of coffee or tea being "burned" by water that was too hot. In fact, 1) Brits complain that tea in the US sucks because the water is never hot enough, and B) on "America's Test Kitchen," they said most home coffee brewers made lousy coffee because the coffee never got HOT enough while brewing!

 

So I'm not buying it. Just my opinion.

[Davey Interweb]

I've never heard of coffee or tea being "burned" by water that was too hot. In fact, 1) Brits complain that tea in the US sucks because the water is never hot enough, and B) on "America's Test Kitchen," they said most home coffee brewers made lousy coffee because the coffee never got HOT enough while brewing!

 

So I'm not buying it. Just my opinion.

 

Your source (America's Test Kitchen) does indeed bemoan the fact that few coffee makers brew at a correct temperature and I agree with them. They cite an ideal range of 195-205F. At sea level, water boils at 212F. Here's a quote from ATK, emphasis is mine:

 

"Many didn’t reach the correct temperature until the last minute or two of brewing—and then kept climbing, scorching the grounds as the last few cups dripped into the carafe. "

 

Here's a fun exercise you can do in your own kitchen: brew a cup of coffee at a precise 198F simply by steeping coarsely-ground coffee in a cup for four minutes. Do the same, this time in a pot or a pan, using identical amounts of water and ground coffee, but bring the mix up to a rolling boil for four minutes. Drink the results, and feel free to report back to us that the boiled sample does not have a radically different flavor profile than the other. I already know that one will taste "burnt" and bitter. If you find this to be not the case, then our tastebuds differ significantly.

 

Sorry for going off-topic yet again. I'm incorrigible.

[BadBoysDriveAudi]

I just returned last weekend from a cruise aboard the Freedom Of The Seas from Royal Caribbean and wanted to inform you of an unusual little bad experience that I hope you will look for in your future trips on RCCL. I bought a "water package" for my girlfriend that the bar staff sells on the first and second day of cruising not unlike the coke package and wine package that I also purchased. The water package is just a certain number of bottles of water delivered to your stateroom for a set fee. These packages are usually discounted under the price of buying the bottles singly. The price was $36.00 that included the gratuity and was on all the placards out with the water. That is what I was charged on my statement folio. The charge was then removed and I was charged $46.00. I have the hand written ticket that just says one water package 12 bottles. I also have the point of sale receipt that was brought to the stateroom that says 36.00 and change to be exact. Customer service and the bar staff gave me excuses from "it got updated in the computer after you bought it"!!? to that is with the gratuity!! Even the supposed bar manager came to "explain" what I didn't understand! Worst customer service I have had over A $10 dollar upcharge. I don't mind handing out $10 tips, and we did, but I don't want to give a buissiness profit that they don't deserve! LOL I have to scan this stuff in and get it to RCI Miami with a complaint, yet I thought I would first write to you in thanks for steering me to some great adventures in the past. Hate to be negative, yet I have to tell this as it's just not right. RCI let me off the ship without taking care of this. "Were RCI BBye". I wasn't super pleased with many things the way RCI does them and this just put me over the top. :mad:

 

You could always dispute the charge with your credit card company. Explain the situation and provide proof of receipt. They take it from there.

[suvicki]

I've never heard of coffee or tea being "burned" by water that was too hot. In fact, 1) Brits complain that tea in the US sucks because the water is never hot enough, and B) on "America's Test Kitchen," they said most home coffee brewers made lousy coffee because the coffee never got HOT enough while brewing!

 

So I'm not buying it. Just my opinion.

 

 

As a 'Brit' I have to agree with you. Tea made with hot water is terrible! Tea has to be made with freshly boiled water for the tea leaves to infuse properly.:)