We found DR. PEPPER onboard !!!

[UNV-IT!!!]

It seems really the policy only extends to alcohol and opened containers. Every cruise i go on including Indy right now I bring a small roller bag full of water, Gatorade, soda and snacks. I've never had an issue. I always check that Bag on.

[lady_cruiser]

Yeah, they clearly say it's only fountain drinks -- but don't tell you how the fountain drinks are very limited. We got surprised when a waiter on Mariner said they had DP and didn't mention that it was an add-on till he showed back up with the receipt. ...

I am not trying to be rude just curious. You said you didn't realize that there was a charge for DP until the waiter showed up with a receipt. He had to ask for your sign and sail card so he could swipe it to give you a receipt for this soft drink. Didn't you quesiton him on why he was asking for your S&S Card?

[mikechass]

I know this is RCCL board but just got off Celebrity in Feb and their soda package is all cans now.

IT WAS WONDERFUL, you could always get it served with ice if you wanted.

But it was excellent.

Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite, Sprite Zero and several other kinds.

I wonder how long it will take for RCCL to get with the program??

 

I have also cruise Princess and must say, they have an AMAZING non-alcohalic drink package, with malts, milkshakes and mocktails that are WONDERFUL

 

Also, every time you get a canned drink on Celebrity, I had to give my ship card, so that wouldn't necessarily be a clue as to whether there was a charge or not.

[DallasMatt]

I am not trying to be rude just curious. You said you didn't realize that there was a charge for DP until the waiter showed up with a receipt. He had to ask for your sign and sail card so he could swipe it to give you a receipt for this soft drink. Didn't you quesiton him on why he was asking for your S&S Card?

 

No -- this incident was in the theater. As background -- wife and I in a grand suite and on the "premium inclusive" booze package. We had my mom and our daughter in a connecting balcony cabin; they were both on the soda package. I was paying for everybody.

 

In the theater, we all ordered drinks. Wife and I ordered real drinks, daughter ordered a sprite or something, mom ordered a DP after the waiter said it was available. Waiter took both my seapass card and my wife's -- they have to swipe it for every "inclusive" alcoholic beverage; he just checked mom & kids cards for the soft drink stamp. Waiter came back with all the drinks, including charging me for the DP.

 

Temple1 also asked why I viewed the drink packages as poorly managed -- the limited selections and surprise charge for the soft drinks was part of it. That a 10-year-old can't get a drink without bellying up to a bar is part of it. That there was no deck service at all was a big part of it -- I don't know what the problem was, but I was never offered a drink a single time on deck, whether in the general pool areas, solarium, or in the reserved pool-area seating.

 

My wife managed to corral someone a couple of times with some effort -- they brought a drink and never came back, despite being tipped. Not that I saw anyone else being served, either -- the deck waitstaff were quick to clear empty glasses, but didn't offer a drink and scurried away as quick as they could.

 

Not all service was bad -- bartenders were great, once you got past the dozen folks waiting to get a drink, servers in any of the dining rooms or the theater were OK, stateroom attendant and concierge were great (but...).

 

They have to take your seapass card for every drink, which is apparently so they can check your picture and be sure you're the actual person on the drink plan. But won't bring you another drink until you've finished the one in your hand (I assume so you don't pass it on) -- this was ridiculous in the theater, when I was still working on the drink I ordered when we sat down early, but ordered another just before curtain when we got the "limited service during the show" warning. Waitress didn't want to take my order until I got annoyed and assured her that I would finish my first drink before she showed up with my second drink.

 

The extra-charge booze and soft drinks in the mini-bar (which we just had them remove) was part of it. If short, it was a PITA to get a drink most of the time, and we felt screwed by both the soft-drink and booze package. I think we spent more than we would have just buying drinks a la carte.

 

As long as I'm ranting, I'll say that we were also pissed that we couldn't include mom & daughter in any "suite-level" activities (other than priority check in and departure) -- we had discussed this at length with RC during the booking/purchasing process, and they assured us that with the connecting cabin, all on my credit card, etc., mom and daughter would have all the benefits we did. When we got on board, though, concierge apologized and said that RC is cracking down since people were abusing it by trying to get all their friends and family into things, so only wife and I could take advantage of the happy hours, breakfasts, etc. Which we then didn't. If they'd said that when we were making a purchasing decision, that would have been one thing, but we were lied to.

 

Maybe it was an aberration on this cruise -- it was Mariner's last Caribbean cruise before heading to Shanghai via Dubai. Half the crew appeared to turn over during the cruise, with a largely Filipino crew being replaced en route with a largely Asian crew (wife got a lot of stories in the spa about which folks were switching ships at one of the ports, which were quitting RC altogether, and which were actually weeping because they were going to China and didn't want to).

 

But at any rate, we expect better care and feeding for our money. We indicated on our review that we would probably not be sailing RC again. Don't know if it's back to Disney -- really fantastic service all around, but daughter felt she was getting too old for it -- or on to something else. We're not the frequent cruisers most of you all seem to be -- it's only every 2-3 years. Of course, the cruise was better than being in the office for a week -- it's just that we've had better and expected better.

 

Sorry for the rant; kinda got rolling once I answered the questions.

[laurasue]

Can anyone tell me if Diet Pepsi is available in cans? My mom is a huge fan, and doesn't drink other kinds of pop. If not I'm sure she can get her fix in port.

[Clarea]

Can anyone tell me if Diet Pepsi is available in cans? My mom is a huge fan, and doesn't drink other kinds of pop. If not I'm sure she can get her fix in port.

Royal only has Coke products.

[laurasue]

Royal only has Coke products.

I know... But Since Dr Pepper isn't one and it is available in cans according to this post, I wasn't sure.