What do I drink on the ship that's not an extra cost?

[hueyjudy]

I'm sailing alone on RCI's Brilliance (Radiance class) out of San Juan in November in a deluxe balcony stateroom. It's been years since I cruised on a big ship and reviews and other information seem to indicate that lots of things are now an extra charge. Like orange juice with breakfast, espresso, etc. I can deal with most of it ... I know I have to pay for my champagne!!

 

But I am confused about water ... do I need to buy a water package for my cabin, otherwise drink ship's water? I drink about 1.5 quarts of water/tea/juice a day. What does the ship serve for beverages at meals? Can I swing by a buffet and pick up something non-alcoholic to drink whenever I want? Can someone enlighten me? Many thanks.

[fungirl76]

The ship will have juice, tea, coffee, water and milk in the buffet at breakfast time. Throughout the day they will put out ice tea, water, coffee and tea. You can bring your own bottles of water with you. The problem with the water is that you have to go to the buffet to get it and if your like me, I like to have water in my room. Grab a case of water at a local store in San Juan and slap a luggage tag on it. They will deliver it to your room without an issue. You can also bring soda with you if you drink it.

 

Enjoy your cruise

[Beth C]

Free drinks include:

Water

Coffee

Tea

Lemonade

Ice Tea

Flavored waters (think crystal light type) on many ships

 

You can also get milk (white & choc), apple, orange, tomato (sometimes n/a) juice at breakfast mainly but if you ask at dinner in the dining room they will bring.

 

I drink 3-4 litres of water a day, always have my refillable water bottle with me and have only ever once paid for a non-alcoholic drink on a ship... a ginger ale one 'morning after' lol

 

If you're on a ship with a Sorrentos/Cafe Promenade they will have water dispensers available 24/7.

[How'sBartCruisin'?]

You can ask the wait staff to combine the iced tea and lemonade to make an Arnold Palmer....super sweet tasting.

[Swath]

I'm sailing alone on RCI's Brilliance (Radiance class) out of San Juan in November in a deluxe balcony stateroom. It's been years since I cruised on a big ship and reviews and other information seem to indicate that lots of things are now an extra charge. Like orange juice with breakfast, espresso, etc. I can deal with most of it ... I know I have to pay for my champagne!!

There is Free OJ on board BUT the Free OJ is some powered stuff

TANG is above In Tase IMHO

The OJ you PAY for is the Real Stuff

[takeavacation]

Can you get lemonade in the dining room at dinner time (or lunch) --- on the Freedom? Thanks!

[CntPAcruiser]

I like iced tea, but prefer to drink decaf, so often in the afternoon I'll brew a double-strength cup of my favorite decaf tea (the orange, or sometimes mint) and beg a cup of ice from the Promenade Cafe and combine for iced tea my way. Usually this is accompanied with a sunflower seed granola bar if I'm lucky...

[Tucker in Texas]

I am an ice tea drinker, too. I take a water bottle and put a tea bag in it, fill it with water, and keep it in the refrigerator/cooler in the cabin so I'll have some there.

 

The only place you can get ice tea is in the WJ which doesn't have it available prior to lunch or after it closes down for the night at 9:00 or 9:30 at least on the ships I have been on.

 

On our TA's which are usually into Galveston, I have had to 'splain to the F&B manager that he has a ship full of Texans that like ice tea 24/7 and asked him to put some in the Promenade Cafe. Good news is that he has. Bad news is it is a big container in which they have put the tea and ice to keep it cool. The ice melts, tea becomes diluted. They don't have an ice dispenser in the Cafe to put ice in a glass like they do at the drink stations in the WJ.

 

Never had a problem drinking the ship's tap water (knock on wood).

 

Tucker in Texas

[Grandma Dazzles]

The ship will have juice, tea, coffee, water and milk in the buffet at breakfast time. Throughout the day they will put out ice tea, water, coffee and tea. You can bring your own bottles of water with you. The problem with the water is that you have to go to the buffet to get it and if your like me, I like to have water in my room. Grab a case of water at a local store in San Juan and slap a luggage tag on it. They will deliver it to your room without an issue. You can also bring soda with you if you drink it.

 

Enjoy your cruise

 

Technically, according to the rules, you cannot bring any liquids, pop, water, etc. on board, however, many people do. It seems to depend on the port, staff, etc. Sometimes you can bring a case on board, but don't count on it.

 

It is pretty easy to fill a water bottle, cup, etc. at the drink stations. You are asked to pour from a glass rather than place your bottle on the tap (staff will usually do for you).

 

We have also requested two ice buckets in our room so that we had extra ice - water sometimes is not that cold coming out of the tap.

 

Also, we have found any of the breakfast drinks, milk, for example, to be available at lunch in the Windjammer - just ask. They usually just have lemonade, iced tea and water out.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Tucker in Texas]

Technically, according to the rules, you cannot bring any liquids, pop, water, etc. on board, however, many people do. It seems to depend on the port, staff, etc. Sometimes you can bring a case on board, but don't count on it.

 

We have also requested two ice buckets in our room so that we had extra ice - water sometimes is not that cold coming out of the tap.

 

/quote]

 

I've never had a problem bringing on soda or water in 50+ cruises. I do make sure it is in my carry-on because I don't want to go to the "naughty room" if they spy bottles in my checked luggage thinking they may contain alcohol. They have inspected my bottles in my carry-on several times but didn't take them up.

 

I take a canvas thermo six-pack holder and ask the room steward to fill it when he/she services the cabin. I keep it in the shower because it "sweats." It, also, reminds the room steward to fill it when servicing the cabin.

 

Two other advantages:

 

1) I bring an empty rum runner with me and fill it with wine I get on the ship--Diamond+ so I get a bottle plus a non-drinker friend who is Diamond+ gives me his. It fits very nicely in the bottom of it so I have cold white wine

 

2) I'm probably paranoid but the stewards collect all the ice buckets doing their rounds and take them to wherever they go to fill them. I don't necessarily get the same ice bucket back that was in my cabin. Hence, a POSSIBILITY of getting some germs from the previous user since I'm not sure just how good they clean the buckets between fillings.

 

Tucker in Texas

[hueyjudy]

Thanks, everybody. Now I'm comfortable and all I have to worry about is the price of a bottle of champagne every other day or so. But how can you put a price on a good time? I have now read about RCI coffee being disgusting, so I guess I'll need to budget for some espressos as well, huh?