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Coke Freestyle Machine

NorthWestPassage

By NorthWestPassage,
in Holland America Line

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CruiserBruce

CruiserBruce

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, MO7 said:

I will be on the Rotterdam for 21 days and upgrading HIA just to be able to use the Freestyle is not a realistic option.  Will consider to occasionally buy a single drink from the Freestyle, assuming that that is possible. Does anyone know how that works and what the price is? One of the things I like about Freestyle is experimenting with just tiny amounts of a strange combination, but I guess that's not an option here.

You have to have the soft drink package with the special cup to use the Freestyle machine. 

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Crew News "Live from...." Rare

Crew News

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Iamthesea said:

With the HIA package, where do you get a coke?  Is it in a bottle, can, or a cup?

In addition to any bar, cans of Coke products are available in the Explorations Cafes, Grand Dutch Cafe on Pinnacle-class, and any dining venue with roaming servers. 

 

You can ask for a couple of unopened cans at a time to take back for your minibar.  Several stops for soda cans/day can keep your minibar filled so you won't have to leave your stateroom late at night if you are thirsty.

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Highway27

Highway27

Posted
Posted

I did notice on the HAL website yesterday that they have changed the Coke package to be, basically, just the Freestyle machine on the Pinnacle class ships "starting at $8 per day". So on our sailing next week, I'm going to at least ask if I could just buy that in addition to the HIA Signature, rather than having to pay $12 a day to upgrade to Elite. Answer is probably no, but going to at least try.

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waASPCrusier

waASPCrusier

Posted
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27 minutes ago, Highway27 said:

I did notice on the HAL website yesterday that they have changed the Coke package to be, basically, just the Freestyle machine on the Pinnacle class ships "starting at $8 per day". So on our sailing next week, I'm going to at least ask if I could just buy that in addition to the HIA Signature, rather than having to pay $12 a day to upgrade to Elite. Answer is probably no, but going to at least try.

Actually that is exactly what we were offered last year when we asked about the Freestyle after we found out our HIA didn't include it.  As @CruiserBrucesaid above you are actually just purchasing a special cup that has a chip in it that allows you to use the machine(s).  That being said, would you be so kind as to post back to this thread the cost of purchasing the Freestyle onboard ?

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Highway27

Highway27

Posted
Posted
15 minutes ago, waASPCrusier said:

Actually that is exactly what we were offered last year when we asked about the Freestyle after we found out our HIA didn't include it.  As @CruiserBrucesaid above you are actually just purchasing a special cup that has a chip in it that allows you to use the machine(s).  That being said, would you be so kind as to post back to this thread the cost of purchasing the Freestyle onboard ?

I'll definitely try to post an update after I find out. Thanks for the info.

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fusion927

fusion927

Posted
Posted

 

On 11/5/2022 at 2:01 PM, highscar said:

If only allowed one drink at a time, could you pour one into another container and then get another ?  

 

If you are talking about the FreeStyle machine, there is a minimum time between filling up your cup.  I think it was about 5-10 minutes.  Of course that is technically breaking the rules, but I don't think there is a FreeStyle machine cop on board 😎

 

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highscar

highscar

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Posted

Another picture.  If I ask for my refrigerator to be emptied and ask it to be stocked with cans of soda, as a 4 star would I pay half price.   The reason I am asking these questions is on my last cruise in April I was charged $20.00Usfor a 6 pack of small cans from the bar. 

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richwmn "Live from...." Rare

richwmn

Posted
Posted
9 minutes ago, highscar said:

Another picture.  If I ask for my refrigerator to be emptied and ask it to be stocked with cans of soda, as a 4 star would I pay half price.   The reason I am asking these questions is on my last cruise in April I was charged $20.00Usfor a 6 pack of small cans from the bar. 

I just did this on Nieuw Statendam. Reloading the fridge is not one of the jobs of the cabin attendants and they did a great job of keeping cokes in my cabin.

 

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Crew News "Live from...." Rare

Crew News

Posted
Posted (edited)
17 minutes ago, highscar said:

Another picture.  If I ask for my refrigerator to be emptied and ask it to be stocked with cans of soda, as a 4 star would I pay half price.   The reason I am asking these questions is on my last cruise in April I was charged $20.00Usfor a 6 pack of small cans from the bar. 

That is my norm on every cruise.  I tell my Room Steward how many sodas I want in my emptied minibar, and they always make it happen with my discount.  The only time I visit a bar for a soda is when I have a beverage package.

 

FWIW as a four-star Mariner, you can purchase sodas from the Explorations Cafe (only from the barista who will record it on their special terminal) for 50% discount.

Edited by Crew News
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fusion927

fusion927

Posted
Posted

 

On 11/14/2022 at 9:43 AM, waASPCrusier said:

Anybody that boarded or got off this past weekend know the 7 day price on-board for the freestyle package ? 

Pretty sure it's $8 per day (plus the 18% service charge).  Which would come out to $66.08 including the service charge.

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Highway27

Highway27

Posted
Posted
On 11/5/2022 at 1:43 PM, Highway27 said:

I'll definitely try to post an update after I find out. Thanks for the info.

When we asked about the Freestyle machine upon boarding, we were initially told the 8 dollars pp/pd, but when we then clarified that we had the HIA Signature package, were told that it would have to be the 10 pp/pd upgrade. And since the only thing we would have used it for was Caffeine free Diet Coke, we decided not to. Now, that has led to us bothering every bartender to get caffeine free coke zero, but they have managed to get it all through the ship now.

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cruisemom42 Great Review Rare

cruisemom42

Posted
Posted

On land, when I've used these machines (mostly at fast food places), the calibration always seems to be off. The soda I get is either too weak (more often) or too strong. 

 

I much prefer a can. Hope they don't ever get rid of that option....

 

(I live in the home of Coca-Cola, and used to live across the street from a Coke engineer whose staff was regularly dispatched to various outlets to "sample" the coke beverages being served up. Coke is vary particular about the product being dispensed and wants it to be the most homogenous experience possible, i.e., a coke at McDonald's tastes just like one at Olive Garden or at home. If they ever found out that managers were tinkering with the proportions, they were in big trouble.....)

 

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pengu1n

pengu1n

Posted
Posted
On 11/5/2022 at 4:01 PM, highscar said:

If only allowed one drink at a time, could you pour one into another container and then get another ?  

Maybe. I poured one that had too much carbonation, and not enough syrup, dumped it out, picked a different flavor, which also tasted bad, dumped it out, and it would not give me a 3rd drink - said something like I had to wait, too soon for another.

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Petronillus

Petronillus

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Posted
On 11/5/2022 at 9:45 AM, CruiserBruce said:

Can. From any bar. You get it with a glass and ice.

For me the point of Freestyle is not the cola products but the no-sugar Minute Maid lemonade. I doubt the bars will be stocking that product in cans.

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CruiserBruce

CruiserBruce

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Petronillus said:

For me the point of Freestyle is not the cola products but the no-sugar Minute Maid lemonade. I doubt the bars will be stocking that product in cans.

That is fine, but the poster I responded to, and quoted in my post, was asking about Coke.

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