$48.50 for a 7 day soda card? No thanks.

[abhb]

I always get the coke card because I like the taste of fountain better than the can.

[GXmanDC]

I always get the coke card because I like the taste of fountain better than the can.

 

I agree, love the taste of fountain soda and actually dislike the taste from the can.

[scoruntt]

Convenience,taste,and ease is why I always get one.

 

Scoruntt

[StaceyCT]

I wish I'd bought a soda card on my recent cruise. I love seltzer and wound up buying about three cans a day. I would have had more if I'd had the card.

 

I didn't buy the card because I'd only cruised Carnival before and it was hard to find someone offering sodas (i.e. no waiters in buffet). Much different (and better) on RCCL. Next time: soda card, as many seltzers as I can stomach, and not having to sign that little receipt every time!

[beachchick]

Do they actually still have "cards"? I've only seen stickers.

 

They use the stickers on your Sea Pass and have been for more than 5 years.

 

beachchick

[bala1130]

It is not the cost. My kids do not need to drink 3-4 cans of soda for 7 days while on a cruise.

[sandian]

We are not brining alcohol on board as we are flying.

 

Can you tell us if drinks are cheaper without a mixer? If this is the case it may be woth while getting a soda card for DD and using it for mixers as well. Do know you are not supposed to do this, but just a thought.

 

Sandian

[sandravb79]

Funny, we went on an excursion in Mazatlan and coke & diet coke were provided. The two topics of conversation: The coke tasted like people remember it used to taste like and the diet coke was called coke light.

 

I personally stopped consuming HFCS a while ago. You would be amazed how many things it is in. It was even in the granola (Kellogs) and yogurt on the boat.

 

In Europe, most, if not all diet sodas, are called light (of course there is also the Coke Zero that is marketed towards men)

 

Ultimately, like almost everything in life, what you are willing to pay for a product or service determines whether the asking price is "fair" or not. Each person is different and retailers, restaurants, hotels and cruise ships will only charge as much as the market will bear. If they institute a price hike and sales plummet then they will lower the price, until that point they will gently nudge it higher if they can.

 

Recently I went out to lunch at a national chain restaurant in the Chicago suburbs and was shocked to be charged $3.50(+tax+tip) for a glass of unsweet icedtea. Here in Atlanta the same drink would be $1.75-2.50 max. Admittedly there were unlimited refills, but that seems excessive! However the market there sustains that level of pricing and so it sticks.

 

btw - most, if not all, soft drinks made outside the US use real sugar. It is only the US market where so many products are amde w/ high fructose corn syrup!

 

Most restaurants/ pubs/ bars near where I work will charge between 3-5 euro for a small glass of coke. No refill. :eek:

[Host Faith]

My husband ususally gets the card since he drinks several sodas a day on vacation. We don't drink soda at home so it's a treat for him.

 

I usually drink their complimentary iced tea and water, and have a soda every couple days, so just one soda card makes sense for the two of us. I think I'll bring some ginger ale and bottled water with me onboard next time.

[silentbob007]

I bought a soda card once and felt like I was drinking "extra" soda just to get my money's worth. I find soda cards an interesting social experiment for observing how people act with them. From people waiting politely line line to young kids snapping their fingers at waiters in the theater ... interesting.

[cruiserbryce]

dont remember it being $25 on Princess for a 7 day cruise??? The amount RC charges seems to be pretty standard...although you do have to drink a fair amount of soda each day to make it worth it

[bluegirlum]

It is not the cost. My kids do not need to drink 3-4 cans of soda for 7 days while on a cruise.

 

My dad didn't allow pop in the house when I was growing up. When I went to college, I went nuts, since the dorms had unlimited amounts in the cafeterias and all the restaurants had free refills. I was up to about 10 a day! :D

 

Drinking 3-4 is pretty easy to do without even trying.

[RELucas]

A can of soda is $1.95 p and after taxes $2.15 on AOS.

 

It is much cheaper to simply bring onboard your own beverage selection (and as someone mention in most ports of Carib - made with real sugar - not the fructose stuff) and bring back onboard. Just pick up a six pack and bring onboard and restock when you need it.

[GXmanDC]

My dad didn't allow pop in the house when I was growing up. When I went to college, I went nuts, since the dorms had unlimited amounts in the cafeterias and all the restaurants had free refills. I was up to about 10 a day! :D

 

Drinking 3-4 is pretty easy to do without even trying.

 

Same here. we couldn't have sugar cereal either. I ate Froot Loops for the first few weeks in the dorm. I gave up the cereal, but still love the soda.

[John Henry on CC]

A can of soda is $1.95 p and after taxes $2.15 on AOS.

 

It is much cheaper to simply bring onboard your own beverage selection (and as someone mention in most ports of Carib - made with real sugar - not the fructose stuff) and bring back onboard. Just pick up a six pack and bring onboard and restock when you need it.

 

RELucas: That extra 20 cents is the gratuity, not taxes.

[patriot lady]

Does anyone know if Royal Caribbean has caffeine free Diet Coke with the soda card purchase?

[island visitor]

Does anyone know if Royal Caribbean has caffeine free Diet Coke with the soda card purchase?

Was on the FOS in January and they did not have the caffeine free Diet Coke. Caffeine keeps my hubby awake at night if he has it in the evening so he had Sprite instead. They did not have Diet Sprite. The soda card does seem like alot but we don't drink alcohol and enjoy the soda's. We feel like we would spend more if we bought as we go so it is a no-brainer for us. Also one post said that they thought that on Princess the price was $25. We were on the Princess Emerald last year and the year before and they offer a coffee card for $25 (for about 20 coffees) but the soda card was much more but really can't remember the exact price. I am thinking around $4 a day. It was a 10 day cruise and we paid around $92 for the two of us which did include the tip.

[John Henry on CC]

Does anyone know if Royal Caribbean has caffeine free Diet Coke with the soda card purchase?

 

Was on the FOS in January and they did not have the caffeine free Diet Coke. Caffeine keeps my hubby awake at night if he has it in the evening so he had Sprite instead. They did not have Diet Sprite. The soda card does seem like alot but we don't drink alcohol and enjoy the soda's. We feel like we would spend more if we bought as we go so it is a no-brainer for us. Also one post said that they thought that on Princess the price was $25. We were on the Princess Emerald last year and the year before and they offer a coffee card for $25 (for about 20 coffees) but the soda card was much more but really can't remember the exact price. I am thinking around $4 a day. It was a 10 day cruise and we paid around $92 for the two of us which did include the tip.

 

Right. The soda card only includes what is on the fountain "gun".

 

That means just: Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, plus seltzer water. (it's the basis for the first three).

 

It is hard to find Caffeine Free Diet Coke on the ship at all, even when you want to buy it by the can. I would say that more often than not, it's not there. Diet Sprite has been available on each of my cruises, though.

 

Bring your own; it's just easier.

[MikeDaDog]

That seemed excessive to me, considering the same thing on Princess last March was $25 plus tip.

 

OK now the question is how much is $25 plus tip? The RCCL price includes the tip! Yes you can bring your own, but how convenient is it to run back to your cabin every time you want a soda? With the card run into the nearest bar and get one!

[steponboard]

When sitting at a show it's very convenient to order a diet coke with the soda card. Same with meal times, it's easier to have a coke delivered by a server. That's worth the card alone to me.

[Citizen Jane]

I'll readily admit that I don't like Coffee and Diet Coke is my caffeine substitute. So, given the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee...

 

As per this website: http://www.energyfiend.com/the-caffeine-database

 

12 ounces of Diet Coke has 45mg of caffeine for 3.8mg per ounce

 

the columns are ounces, mg caffeine, mg per ounce

 

Coffee (Brewed)810813.4Coffee (Decaf, Brewed)860.7Coffee (Decaf, Instant)830.3Coffee (Drip)814518.1Coffee (Espresso)1.57751.3Coffee (Instant)8577.1

Let's say you have two cups (16 oz) of Brewed coffee in the morning for a total of 24 oz (216 mg of caffeine)

 

To get the same dosing load/caffeine effect I have to drink about 57 ounces of diet coke (just under 5 12 ounce diet cokes). Can I do that, yes. Do I do it all at breakfast when many people have two cups of coffee...rarely. I can't say never, because who knows! I know I can consume large amounts during the day, however, especially since I have diet cokes and jack daniels for a cocktail. And do I order the jack neat on the side and mix my own with two or three orders of coke, yes, I do. So, I'll readily admit I drink a LOAD of Diet Coke a day and the coke card is worth it for me (okay, so I don't need it during cocktail hours in the CL, but at the Casino, yeah baby!). :)

 

By the way, this post is just to show you that people can drink that much diet coke per day.

 

We have a friend who was a former Coca Cola executive so I can share the following with you...yes, Mexican Coke is made with Cane Sugar as Coca Cola in the U.S. was originally. What fascinated me, however, is that the sweetener varies around the world. Whatever is the local sweetener of choice is what is used for regular Coca Cola so it is worth tasting wherever you are just for the diffferent experience! And, yes, Diet Coke is known as Coke Light in just about every other country I've been in (14 or so).

[Happy ks]

dont remember it being $25 on Princess for a 7 day cruise??? The amount RC charges seems to be pretty standard...although you do have to drink a fair amount of soda each day to make it worth it

 

 

I looked it up on the Princess web site and the cost is $4.89 per day (with tip added in), so it is $34.25 total for the week. RCI's cost is $6.90 per day for adults, $4.60 for kids, so $48.30 adults, $32.20 for kids total for the week.

 

I think it is personal choice. We wouldn't drink enough soda in a week to pay for a day's worth, so we never purchase one. It would be nice if they had a wine card ;)

[mslaabs]

When sitting at a show it's very convenient to order a diet coke with the soda card. Same with meal times, it's easier to have a coke delivered by a server. That's worth the card alone to me.

 

I agree, we get our cards for convenience alone. We've brought the Coke onboard with us before and that just gets to be to much trouble running back to the cabin all the time to refill our glass. I doubt we drink the "break even" amount, but having Coke served at meals and just the ease of getting a drink throughout the day is worth it for us.

[PrincesScuba]

I looked it up on the Princess web site and the cost is $4.89 per day (with tip added in), so it is $34.25 total for the week. RCI's cost is $6.90 per day for adults, $4.60 for kids, so $48.30 adults, $32.20 for kids total for the week.

 

I think it is personal choice. We wouldn't drink enough soda in a week to pay for a day's worth, so we never purchase one. It would be nice if they had a wine card ;)

Cheers! I agree! :)

[Laulipop]

Right. The soda card only includes what is on the fountain "gun".

 

That means just: Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, plus seltzer water. (it's the basis for the first three).

 

It is hard to find Caffeine Free Diet Coke on the ship at all, even when you want to buy it by the can. I would say that more often than not, it's not there. Diet Sprite has been available on each of my cruises, though.

 

Bring your own; it's just easier.

 

So do they actually charge for seltzer from the gun if you don't have a sticker? I'm not a soda drinker but love seltzer....