Freestyle Machine

[scjordan2016]

Travelling on harmony of the seas in October and am wondering with the soda package that gives you the cup for the freestyle machine how many machine on that ship and also are they available to use 24/7 or only selected times 

 

Thanks 

[Essiesmom]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.  You might get the latest experience if you ask this on the board here for Royal Caribbean, back on the main boards page under Cruise Lines P-Z.  EM

[SuiteTraveler]

4 in Windjammer

2 on the Promenade near Sorrento's pizza

1 in Adventure Ocean (kid's club)

1 aft of Mini-bites

 

They are available 24x7

Edited June 1, 2019 by SuiteTraveler

[cb at sea]

yes..they are available all the time....not all flavors might be stocked 24/7 however...stuff does "run out" at times!

 

[leaveitallbehind]

Note also FYI that the cups have a chip in their base that is date coded so that they would only be usable on your specific cruise at the machines.  (They can also be filled at the bars).  As a result, you would not be able to take them on subsequent cruises to use at the machines.  Only mention this as it has been asked before....

Edited June 2, 2019 by leaveitallbehind

[ggtjr]

On 6/2/2019 at 9:54 AM, leaveitallbehind said:

Note also FYI that the cups have a chip in their base that is date coded so that they would only be usable on your specific cruise at the machines.  (They can also be filled at the bars).  As a result, you would not be able to take them on subsequent cruises to use at the machines.  Only mention this as it has been asked before....

There is also a "wait" period between fills. I can't remember how long it was.

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, ggtjr said:

There is also a "wait" period between fills. I can't remember how long it was.

On Grandeur in February a very frustrated teenager was displaying advanced invectives when he discovered, after pouring his first batch into his buddy’s big cup, that he couldn’t get an immediate refill.  He clearly felt that Royal Caribbean was cheating him.

[mpdahmer]

My kids were interested in this...how do the machines work? do you need just the cup or your card key as well?

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, mpdahmer said:

My kids were interested in this...how do the machines work? do you need just the cup or your card key as well?

You “buy” the cup, which has a chip embedded in it which triggers the machine to dispense the requested soda - no key card required.  I do not know how much time must  pass between each refill, but it is a logical requirement to prevent wise guys from exploiting the program.

[scjordan2016]

is the cup included in the soda package ??? or does it cost extra 

[mpdahmer]

10 minutes ago, scjordan2016 said:

is the cup included in the soda package ??? or does it cost extra 

All of the packages say that they include the Freestyle Souvenir Cup.

[navybankerteacher]

1 minute ago, scjordan2016 said:

is the cup included in the soda package ??? or does it cost extra 

It is included — as it essential to the soda package.  I think there are some RCI ships which do not yet have the machines, so alternate plans would have to be in effect.

[SRF]

You need the cup (supplied free) for the Freestyle machine.  You can get the basic types of soda from any bar with the Sea Pass card.

 

There is a You Tube video of how to destroy the cup and remove the chip, so you do not have to carry the cup around.

 

The chip is registered the first use, and it is usable for X number of days, then the cup is just a cup.

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, SRF said:

...

 

There is a You Tube video of how to destroy the cup and remove the chip, so you do not have to carry the cup around.

...

 

Not sure of the point of destroying the cup and removing the chip:  would that be to use your own cup —- why?

[SRF]

18 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

 

Not sure of the point of destroying the cup and removing the chip:  would that be to use your own cup —- why?

 

You can use one of the ships cups, then leave it to be picked up and cleaned.

 

Versus carrying the special cup around with your everywhere you go.

[navybankerteacher]

15 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

You can use one of the ships cups, then leave it to be picked up and cleaned.

 

Versus carrying the special cup around with your everywhere you go.

So you would have to hold the chip (probably encased in broken plastic) in the dispensing machine with one hand and the ships cup in the other to get your refill?  You’d still need to carry the chip around with you —- sounds messy - and a lot more bother than carrying the special cup around.

[SRF]

No, you lay the chip in the bottom of the machine.  Where is would be in the cup, then fill the cup.

 

The kid who did the You Tube video had a lanyard with a sleeve, and just stuck the chip part (a plastic disk) in the sleeve.

 

And if it gets soda on it, the machine also dispenses water to give it a rinse.

 

 

[leaveitallbehind]

1 hour ago, SRF said:

No, you lay the chip in the bottom of the machine.  Where is would be in the cup, then fill the cup.

 

The kid who did the You Tube video had a lanyard with a sleeve, and just stuck the chip part (a plastic disk) in the sleeve.

 

And if it gets soda on it, the machine also dispenses water to give it a rinse.

 

 

So what is the advantage to this?  IMO there is none. There are no other cups available at the soda machines - specifically to limit their use to the provided chip cup to assure only legitimate use.  You would have to go to a bar or food venue to get a cup to use in place of the one provided by the cruise line - which would be the same as carrying the provided one around. 

 

I'm guessing the You Tube video was likely to show a method to try to scam the system by using the chip on other cruises with any cup - perhaps by someone who doesn't realize the chips are programmed for a certain time frame, thus limiting their use.  Why else would anyone - in particular a kid -  go to that trouble?

Edited June 6, 2019 by leaveitallbehind

[japlanet]

We sailed on Brilliance of the Seas a few years ago when I guess the Freestyle machines were pretty new. I was curious about how they worked and just took a regular buffet cup to one - expecting it either to not work or perhaps let me pay for a single fill with my card. In fact, it just worked! I don’t really drink soda so I didn’t really exploit it during the rest of the cruise, but I did occasionally get myself some illicit bubbly water lol. I suppose they are all locked down properly by now though. 

[leaveitallbehind]

2 minutes ago, japlanet said:

We sailed on Brilliance of the Seas a few years ago when I guess the Freestyle machines were pretty new. I was curious about how they worked and just took a regular buffet cup to one - expecting it either to not work or perhaps let me pay for a single fill with my card. In fact, it just worked! I don’t really drink soda so I didn’t really exploit it during the rest of the cruise, but I did occasionally get myself some illicit bubbly water lol. I suppose they are all locked down properly by now though. 

 

Definitely a fluke.  You also cannot purchase a soda with your card at the machines either.

[navybankerteacher]

3 hours ago, SRF said:

No, you lay the chip in the bottom of the machine.  Where is would be in the cup, then fill the cup.

 

The kid who did the You Tube video had a lanyard with a sleeve, and just stuck the chip part (a plastic disk) in the sleeve.

 

And if it gets soda on it, the machine also dispenses water to give it a rinse.

 

 

Still, an utterly pointless exercise.

[SRF]

If you don't want to do it, then don't

 

Others want the soda, but do not want to carry that cup around all day.

 

And no, the kid was not trying to scam the system, he just didn't want to carry the cup.

[navybankerteacher]

6 hours ago, SRF said:

If you don't want to do it, then don't

 

Others want the soda, but do not want to carry that cup around all day.

 

And no, the kid was not trying to scam the system, he just didn't want to carry the cup.

Let us know how you like doing it that way.

[ldubs]

If I was Carnival, I would sell cups with the RCI chips in them.   😀