Pet peeve - charges for bottled water

[lvtotrvl1]

actually I am waiting for the beer to be free too:)

[Jade13]

Bruce Muzz made a very valid comment IMO

 

The water that comes out of the tap on HAL ships is far more pure than what comes in those bottles.

 

Buy three bottles so each in your family has one and refill it every morning from the tap before you leave the ship.

 

 

Thanks Sail!

[kryos]

Thank you, lvtotrvl1....... I think the same. Also for soda. When I hear people suggest soda should be included in the fare, I always wonder why they think that. Few (if any) restaurants /hotels on land provide free soda. I can't imagine why they don't expect to pay for it.

Actually, I have heard of some cases where soda is provided for free. :)

 

A lot of bars and clubs along the waterfront have a deal ... if you have a group out "partying" and designate one person as the "designated driver," that person can get a button he wears and then his sodas for the evening are on the house. :)

 

Don't know if they still do that, but at least as of several years ago, the larger night spots out this way did.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[sail7seas]

Do they provide free fuel for the car?? :D

 

 

[Jade13]

Scary ??? I think the platypus is an adorable creature and very unique. ;)

 

He is cute, but not as cute as my Australian Water dragons. :)

[kryos]

Do they provide free fuel for the car?? :D

 

 

Ahhhhhh, no ... I'd think not ... especially in this day and age. :)

 

But then ... fuel for the car was never a worry for me anyway. My monthly Transit Pass still cost the same $70 a month that it cost me ten years ago. :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[jtl513]

Bottled water costs when you buy it at home....why would you expect it free on a ship?

Oh, there's lots of things that are "free" (i.e., included in your fare) that you pay for at home. That argument doesn't wash with me! :D (But we don't buy the ship's bottled water.)

[Jade13]

I'm not sure I understand the problem? Bottled water costs when you buy it at home....why would you expect it free on a ship?

 

I think the answer is that it is free (Ok, included in your cruise fare), since the sink water is drinkable. I guess I didn't think of that, knowing I would not drink the water that I find on planes or trains. I answer is to bring a bottle and fill it for your excursions.

 

I still don't think it would be a bad idea for HAL to offer it on some (summer/hot) excursions. Many tours (ones I have arranged on my own, not while on a cruise) normally do if you go on a snorkeling or rafting or horseback riding type excursion etc.

[sail7seas]

....."Ya" think it's built into the price of the tour? ;)

[Copper10-8]

Actually, I have heard of some cases where soda is provided for free. :)

 

A lot of bars and clubs along the waterfront have a deal ... if you have a group out "partying" and designate one person as the "designated driver," that person can get a button he wears and then his sodas for the evening are on the house. :)

 

Don't know if they still do that, but at least as of several years ago, the larger night spots out this way did.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

I'm still waiting for my Wang Wang button;)

[sail7seas]

Rumor has it that it's coming, John......... on the way. :)

 

Keep a lookout for it. :D

 

 

[Copper10-8]

Rumor has it that it's coming, John......... on the way. :)

 

Keep a lookout for it. :D

 

 

 

Cool beans! Ocean Bar (next July) first round is on me!:)

[xpcdoojk]

It's just something we're going to have to live with.

 

I just came back from a land based vaction in Hawaii. The hotel had water sitting on top of the fridge. $4.25 a bottle if we used it.

 

Fortunately, in Hawaii, there are a bazillion ABC stores :D

 

Even in most of the hotels, which makes it really silly for them to charge $4.25.:D Of course, my boss is a multi-millionaire and I always laugh when we are in a hotel and he thinks absolutely nothing about wiping out the entire snack bar in the room. I will bring a bottle of champagne over to his room that I brought from home and he will be there eating the cashews out of the mini bar. Clearly the hotels and cruiselines rely on these customers to increase their revenue, which is their fiduciary responsibility, BTW. I don't understand the need/desire to drink bottled water while on a cruise. The water from the tap is probably lower in bad things than any bottle of bottled water. When you go to shore take a bicycle bottle from home full of tap water with you, or buy some at a convenience store in port.

 

jc

[Orcrone]

Thank you, lvtotrvl1....... I think the same. Also for soda. When I hear people suggest soda should be included in the fare, I always wonder why they think that. Few (if any) restaurants /hotels on land provide free soda. I can't imagine why they don't expect to pay for it.

Can't speak for everyone. However, many people probably feel that way because it used to be included in your cruise fare, rather than an add-on charge.

[sail7seas]

We've only been cruising since about 1990 so I can't speak before that but since we've been cruising, soft drinks have been an additional charge. What happened 17 or more years ago, I can't say.

 

Lots of things have changed in these 17 years. Not all for the better. ;)

[sail7seas]

Cool beans! Ocean Bar (next July) first round is on me!:)

 

:) Can't Wait!!! Next round on me!

After seeing Noordam's fabulous Ocean Bar, I'm eager to see what they do with Eurodam's.

 

[ger_77]

We always bring along a Nalgene bottle each - they don't absorb odors, so one day we can use them for iced tea, the next one can be plain water. They're lightweight and virtually indestructible., and they don't crush easily like the ones you find on the vanity in your cabin. I bring lightweight bottle wraps to help keep the contents cool for a good while.

 

John, when you get your Wang Wang button, use it for your cruise, then pass it along to the next of us who is taking a cruise. Kind of like "sharing" a Soda Card.:D Let me know when you're finished with it, okay???

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[Orcrone]

We've only been cruising since about 1990 so I can't speak before that but since we've been cruising, soft drinks have been an additional charge. What happened 17 or more years ago, I can't say.

 

Lots of things have changed in these 17 years. Not all for the better. ;)

My first cruise was also in 1990. RCCL's Song of America. Did not go on another cruise for 13 years. Somewhere between the two is when they started charging for soft drinks.

 

Perhaps I went right before the change in policy. Or perhaps RCCL continued with complementary soft drinks after other lines began charging for it. But I'm sure they were complementary on that cruise.

 

Regardless, the iced tea is fine for me.:)

[Copper10-8]

.......John, when you get your Wang Wang button, use it for your cruise, then pass it along to the next of us who is taking a cruise. Kind of like "sharing" a Soda Card.:D Let me know when you're finished with it, okay???..........

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

 

You got it, Gerry!;)

[sail7seas]

Our one and only RCCL (as it was called then) cruise was in 1991 or 1992 on the brand new Monarch of the Seas. Soda cost extra on that cruise. We drink very little soda so it is insignificant to us but I know some folks drink lots of soda.

 

[xpcdoojk]

My first cruise was also in 1990. RCCL's Song of America. Did not go on another cruise for 13 years. Somewhere between the two is when they started charging for soft drinks.

 

Perhaps I went right before the change in policy. Or perhaps RCCL continued with complementary soft drinks after other lines began charging for it. But I'm sure they were complementary on that cruise.

 

Regardless, the iced tea is fine for me.:)

 

RCI started charging for soft drinks in the dining room sometime after 911. They always charged for them at bars.

 

jc

[Cruising Illini]

We fly Delta and they overload us with nice small waters -- easier to carry on tours than what ship sells. I usually take an empty one from the plane for each of us to refill and it is perfect.

 

Also, we have had several ship's tours that had bus drivers providing water for the passengers -- especially in the Carib.

 

Crystal provides fridge filled with soft drinks, water, etc. & Oceania provides water. Of course the price of those lines reflects the freebies so not really free.

 

Basically, this is when I laugh as I tell friends we have free laundry and dry cleaning in the S category -- BOY we really do pay for it and it would be cheaper to buy the special laundry deals in a standard cabin.

[sail7seas]

RCI started charging for soft drinks in the dining room sometime after 911. They always charged for them at bars.

 

jc

 

 

Thanks for clearing that up. :) I'm a little surprised to hear they served complimentary soda in the dining room as long as they did.

 

 

 

[Orcrone]

RCI started charging for soft drinks in the dining room sometime after 911. They always charged for them at bars.

 

jc

Thanks for clearing that up. At least I'm not going crazy. Ok, I am going crazy, but at least I remember the complementary soda.;)

[O2B@C]

We always bring along a Nalgene bottle each - they don't absorb odors, so one day we can use them for iced tea, the next one can be plain water. They're lightweight and virtually indestructible, and they don't crush easily like the ones you find on the vanity in your cabin. I bring lightweight bottle wraps to help keep the contents cool for a good while....

 

These are all very good points. Another advantage of Nalgene bottles, as opposed to the ones bottled water comes in, is that they come in a style that is wide-mouthed so you can put ice cubes in it. Fill with ice first, then add chilled water and put the bottle in an insulated carrier, and the water will stay cool for quite some time.