Anthem Soda Machines older cup

[hapster85]

 

 

 

 

The Freestyle machines won’t work as the RFID tag in the cup would not be active.  

 

First use is what activates the RFID. Or more accurately, first use is when the system logs the chip as active.

 

[A2Mich]

4 minutes ago, hapster85 said:

 

 

 

 

 

First use is what activates the RFID. Or more accurately, first use is when the system logs the chip as active.

 

 

My understanding is that cases of cups are activated by lot number for each cruise, as was explained to me by one of the bartenders on Freedom.  Who knows....

[hapster85]

 
My understanding is that cases of cups are activated by lot number for each cruise, as was explained to me by one of the bartenders on Freedom.  Who knows....

That seems like an unnecessary level of complication, unless they just throw out the unused cups at the end of each cruise. Even as cheaply made as they now are, I can't see that happening. But yeah, who knows how they actually handle it. While I have some unopened cups, that someone other than myself lugged home, I'm not curious enough to take them back on a later cruise to find out.

Life needs a little mystery. Lol

[A2Mich]

1 minute ago, hapster85 said:

That seems like an unnecessary level of complication, unless they just throw out the unused cups at the end of each cruise. Even as cheaply made as they now are, I can't see that happening. But yeah, who knows how they actually handle it. While I have some unopened cups, that someone other than myself lugged home, I'm not curious enough to take them back on a later cruise to find out.

Life needs a little mystery. Lol

 

 

The way it was explained to me, is that they pre-activated enough cups for the online package sales, and placed those in the cabins, as well as a certain number of extras for the onboard sales tables.  Apparently, activation is done by a scan of a single barcode on the box, and that would activate every cup at once as the codes were sequential, so a batch activation was simple.  Who knows?

[travelplus]

If you knew about the Freestyle Admn Menu for staff to load the cartridges, maintain the system you would find the RFID activation menu. At Mc Donald's for instance there is no RFID menu. 

 

The RFID code is basically a chip and the machine pairs it like Bluetooth in your car. If you change the password on the machine all RFID codes needs to be reactivated. All you need is a RFID chip reader and writer. Basically the Frestyle Machine writes the code. 

 

Heck you could even program the machine not to dispense sodas with caffeine to minors by encoding an extra number.

 

Ill spare you the rest but do know that Royal Caribbean and Coke can remotely access the data from the machine as its connected to the internet. I believe it can detect tampering as some vending machines have a motion sensor camera to record people trying to get a free product, remove money from the machine or tamper with it. If a cup from last year was trying to be used it records that and if the same cup with an invalid RFID chip password is used again at any other machine it can record the theft and activate the machine's camera and send your photo to ship security and Miami. It's not hard to incorporate a tampering system into this high tech machine. You could then be asked to purchase a new soda package, surrender the old cup and perhaps thrown off the ship and banned from Royal for Theft of Service per the Passenger Conduct Code. Now then was it really worth it trying to pass off an old cup for a current one? Also bar tenders are instructed to refuse to fill up an old cup at a bar as well. 

 

I do not condone trying to get a free product as you can be recorded not only on the ship's cameras but on the Frestyle camera as well. A silent Alarm can be programmed to summon security and alert Miami and Coke to tampering. Essentially your photo could be shared with all Freestyle machine owners as someone who is trying to get a free product or tampering with the machine just like Target does for shoplifters 

 

 

Edited April 6, 2019 by travelplus

[Ourusualbeach]

8 hours ago, A2Mich said:

 

My understanding is that cases of cups are activated by lot number for each cruise, as was explained to me by one of the bartenders on Freedom.  Who knows....

Hapster85 is correct.

[tennislvr8]

When you use the cup at the freestyle machines, it gives you an expiration date.  It's usually a few days after the last date of your cruise. 

[mac66]

My understanding is that the chips are activated for the number of days the cruise is. Activation starts the first time you use it and ends however many days your cruise is. Activation is not for any date or ship, so theoretically, as long as its not been activated it should work on any other cruise/ship one time.

[Ourusualbeach]

Just now, mac66 said:

My understanding is that the chips are activated for the number of days the cruise is. Activation starts the first time you use it and ends however many days your cruise is. Activation is not for any date or ship, so theoretically, as long as its not been activated it should work on any other cruise/ship one time.

There have been posts on here stating that people have done exactly that and what you said is 100% correct.

[A2Mich]

10 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

There have been posts on here stating that people have done exactly that and what you said is 100% correct.

 

Good to know.  Sorry, I was going off of what I was told previously.

[later]

On 4/5/2019 at 4:24 PM, travelplus said:

The cup has a RFID chip linked to your SeaPass. The Freestyle Machine reads the chip located at the bottom of the cup. If it does not match you will get the expired syrup with an extra treat that you will remember for life-the soda machine cleaning cartridge contents. 

 

Please for the life of me just purchase a new package. It's not sanitary to keep reusing an old cup. Plus besides if Security Catches you or anyone you could be thrown off the ship and banned from sailing. 

 

If you don't want to purchase the package then wait until you are in port for  better soda. 

 

 

If you grab any cup it can’t be linked to your seapass card.  It activates the chip when you have the first drink.  It is not linked back to your seapass.

[A2Mich]

17 minutes ago, later said:

If you grab any cup it can’t be linked to your seapass card.  It activates the chip when you have the first drink.  It is not linked back to your seapass.

 

You missed the sarcasm...

[Iamcruzin]

12 hours ago, mac66 said:

My understanding is that the chips are activated for the number of days the cruise is. Activation starts the first time you use it and ends however many days your cruise is. Activation is not for any date or ship, so theoretically, as long as its not been activated it should work on any other cruise/ship one time.

So my unused cup should fetch a nice price  on eBay or Let it go.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

On 4/6/2019 at 11:31 AM, travelplus said:

If you knew about the Freestyle Admn Menu for staff to load the cartridges, maintain the system you would find the RFID activation menu. At Mc Donald's for instance there is no RFID menu. 

 

The RFID code is basically a chip and the machine pairs it like Bluetooth in your car. If you change the password on the machine all RFID codes needs to be reactivated. All you need is a RFID chip reader and writer. Basically the Frestyle Machine writes the code. 

 

Heck you could even program the machine not to dispense sodas with caffeine to minors by encoding an extra number.

 

Ill spare you the rest but do know that Royal Caribbean and Coke can remotely access the data from the machine as its connected to the internet. I believe it can detect tampering as some vending machines have a motion sensor camera to record people trying to get a free product, remove money from the machine or tamper with it. If a cup from last year was trying to be used it records that and if the same cup with an invalid RFID chip password is used again at any other machine it can record the theft and activate the machine's camera and send your photo to ship security and Miami. It's not hard to incorporate a tampering system into this high tech machine. You could then be asked to purchase a new soda package, surrender the old cup and perhaps thrown off the ship and banned from Royal for Theft of Service per the Passenger Conduct Code. Now then was it really worth it trying to pass off an old cup for a current one? Also bar tenders are instructed to refuse to fill up an old cup at a bar as well. 

 

I do not condone trying to get a free product as you can be recorded not only on the ship's cameras but on the Frestyle camera as well. A silent Alarm can be programmed to summon security and alert Miami and Coke to tampering. Essentially your photo could be shared with all Freestyle machine owners as someone who is trying to get a free product or tampering with the machine just like Target does for shoplifters 

 

 

MEGA -LOL🤣

[John&LaLa]

On 4/5/2019 at 11:01 PM, hapster85 said:

That seems like an unnecessary level of complication, unless they just throw out the unused cups at the end of each cruise. Even as cheaply made as they now are, I can't see that happening. But yeah, who knows how they actually handle it. While I have some unopened cups, that someone other than myself lugged home, I'm not curious enough to take them back on a later cruise to find out.

Life needs a little mystery. Lol

 

I've already tested it. Unused cups will work.

[John&LaLa]

On 4/6/2019 at 9:03 AM, tennislvr8 said:

When you use the cup at the freestyle machines, it gives you an expiration date.  It's usually a few days after the last date of your cruise. 

 

Close to two weeks total. This picture was taken on September 27, 2018. Harmony of the Seas. Cup was acquired in August 2018 on Serenade of the Seas. I don't  believe Serenade has Freestyle machines. 

 

No sodas were stolen during this experiment.  😇

I've already been chastised on CC for posting this last year. 😉

 

 

Edited April 7, 2019 by John&LaLa

[A2Mich]

1 hour ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Close to two weeks total. This picture was taken on September 27, 2018. Harmony of the Seas. Cup was acquired in August 2018 on Serenade of the Seas. I don't  believe Serenade has Freestyle machines. 

 

No sodas were stolen during this experiment.  😇

I've already been chastised on CC for posting this last year. 😉

 

 

 

Thank you for being the renegade and nearly becoming a criminal for all of us! Way to take one for the team.  😂

[Biker19]

2 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I've already tested it. Unused cups will work.

With the caveat that they have not changed cup designs. 

 

Biker, who also tried this experiment and found it to not work ( the only variable was changed cup design). 

[later]

3 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

With the caveat that they have not changed cup designs. 

 

Biker, who also tried this experiment and found it to not work ( the only variable was changed cup design). 

Old chip ID numbers were most likely removed from the system when they put out the new designs.

[A2Mich]

15 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

With the caveat that they have not changed cup designs. 

 

Biker, who also tried this experiment and found it to not work ( the only variable was changed cup design). 

 

Do you know how old your unused cup was at the time?  In John&LaLa’s test, the cup is only about a month or so older than the cruise it was tried on.

[starrcards]

On ‎4‎/‎5‎/‎2019 at 10:05 PM, A2Mich said:

 

The Freestyle machines won’t work as the RFID tag in the cup would not be active.  You MIGHT be able to find a bartender that would fill your cup from the bar gun for cash, but I would guess that doing so may be against their policies, and that most people aren’t going to risk disciplinary actions, or the loss of their job, just to hook up cheaters with some free soda.

I hate to disagree but the chip is NOT activated until the cup is used for the first time.  If the cup was never used, it should work on a different  ship.  On our  Freedom Christmas cruise my wife and I bought the packages but we used an unopened cup for my step daughter from a previous Oasis cruise. Worked fine. 

[Biker19]

25 minutes ago, A2Mich said:

 

Do you know how old your unused cup was at the time?  

Probably close to a year old - RCI changed cup design during that time. 

[A2Mich]

4 minutes ago, starrcards said:

I hate to disagree but the chip is NOT activated until the cup is used for the first time.  If the cup was never used, it should work on a different  ship.  On our  Freedom Christmas cruise my wife and I bought the packages but we used an unopened cup for my step daughter from a previous Oasis cruise. Worked fine. 

 

That’s perfectly fine. I was apparently given incorrect info.

[John&LaLa]

56 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

With the caveat that they have not changed cup designs. 

 

Biker, who also tried this experiment and found it to not work ( the only variable was changed cup design). 

 

I was kind of surprised the Serenade cup even had a chip since no Freestyle machines.  This was the cup.

 

 

I have another one now. New design, kind of like a Coke bottle. But cant test again till Mariner in September.  

 

 

Edited April 7, 2019 by John&LaLa

[Biker19]

44 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

I was kind of surprised the Serenade cup even had a chip since no Freestyle machines.  This was the cup.

I assume RCI buys the cups in bulk and distributes them to the ships regardless of Freestyle machine being available.