Can someone explain the reasoning behind this?...

[Rob M.]

Why don't cruiselines offer free fountain soda to passengers?

It would seem to me that juices and teas would cost WAY more than the cost of fountain sodas. Even if they only offered the sodas in the dinning room at meals that would still be great.

I simply don't understand the rational behind this, someone shed some light!

Thanks!

[cd]

Some cruiselines offer non-acholic drinks in the price, they tend to be Luxury lines or special expeditions like (Celebrity's Xepedition)

RCCL use to offer fountain drinks free in the dinning room till they bought over Celebrity(which charged you) and then thought it would be a great idea to charge. Some suites get soda in the mini-frig free and sometimes alcoholic drinks too.

Don't know why! But I have to admit sometimes the fountain drinks taste really gross. Prefer mine from a can

CD

If cruise lines offered soda for free, a lot more soda than juice or tea would be consumed. Since soda is offered all over the ship at every bar, I believe that soda would be consumed in great quantities. I know that when I buy the soda card, I usually go through at least a dozen sodas a day. I'm sure that the little kiddies would do the same.

Also, like the poster above stated, the luxury cruiselines do offer non-alcoholic drinks for free. It just costs a lot more to go on these.

Besides, with how cheap most cruises can be bought for these days, cruises need to make money some way. My last two 7 day cruises cost $500/pp. I spent $75 last night for just me and my wife to go out to Lonestar...

Paul

Rob M,

Have you ever considered how McDonalds makes a profit?
Hint : Its not from selling hamburgers and french fries.
It is the SOFT DRINKS.

Just a few drops of corn syrup, a dash of artificial flavor, some CO2, and lots of water.
What does it cost them to make a fountain soft drink? 2 or 3 cents maybe.
What do they charge? $1.50 or so.
With a profit margin like that, only a complete moron would consider giving them away.

[Sissy]

I agree with Bruce-profit margin is extremely high on sodas...over 100% in my restaurant, also-people are addicted to Coke, Diet Coke...they will pay what they have to-just to get it.
I am addicted to Diet Coke! I don't drink alcohol, and we have already paid thru the nose for our Millennium Cruise on Sunday, so $40 for my drinks will be OK...I am worried about the other issue of non-service.
Do you not float a couple of dollars to the bartender while you are there? Is this a totally non-cash situation?? Hurry, I leave on Sunday!!