Sodas

[TM13]

So, this may seem like a silly question, but approximately how long does it take to get into your cabin on the first day? I'm trying to judge whether or not it will be worth it to lug sodas around just for the sake of them being "free" or just chalk up the soda card to vacation spending.

 

Also, in the same vein, does the soda card work on room service soda purchases? If not, then we will definitely be lugging sodas on that first day.

 

Oh, we're sailing on Carnival.

 

Thank you in advance!

[Essiesmom]

You will not have access to your cabin until after 1:30pm. I have never purchased a soda card, but it is my understanding from reading the Carnival board here at CC, that room service sodas are not covered by the card. EM

[TM13]

Thank you! 1:30 isn't too bad depending upon what time we get on.

[KirkNC]

1:30 is the official time but I have gone to my cabin at 12:00 and dropped something off with no problem. The stewards may still be cleaning things up but they won't mind if you pop in and slide a case of sodas under the bed.

 

Kirk

[griffy116]

Room service brings canned drinks, so they are not included with purchase of soda card.

 

Room Availability may depend on the cruise line. Until the rooms are completed, the main doors to the cabins are closed and you are not able to get to your cabin to drop things off anymore until all the rooms are completed. In past years, we would drop things off while the room was still being prepared. RCI apparently seeing the number of things being dropped off and the interruptions to the cleaning process stopped letting you wander down the halls to the cabins while cleaning was in process. While the doors have been opened a little early, you can expect to wait until approximatley 1:30 to be able to drop things off in your room.

 

Even though we purchase the soda card, we bring a 12-pack of Diet Dr. Pepper and regular for our room fridge just in case we want something very early or very late and don't want to wait on room service. We put them into a smallish rolling duffel. That way, when the cruise is over, if we need extra luggage for things we've bought, we have it. If it's not needed, it folds up and goes into one of the other pieces of luggage. We always make sure that what we carry onto the ship can be easily carried or rolled since we know it will be with us for a while before we can get into our room.

[firefly333]

1:30 is the official time but I have gone to my cabin at 12:00 and dropped something off with no problem. The stewards may still be cleaning things up but they won't mind if you pop in and slide a case of sodas under the bed.

 

Kirk

 

Dont listen to this post. Of course they mind if you ignore the locked doors on both ends and sneak thru the middle doors which are open to get luggage to the cabins. Some people assume the signs posted dont apply to them. Let the stewards clean the cabins. Just because they dont yell at you doesnt mean they dont mind.

 

Why should one person think its ok because they dont want to wait and hold up the stewards possibly from getting the cabins clean on time.

[dane225]

Room service brings canned drinks, so they are not included with purchase of soda card.

 

Room Availability may depend on the cruise line. Until the rooms are completed, the main doors to the cabins are closed and you are not able to get to your cabin to drop things off anymore until all the rooms are completed. In past years, we would drop things off while the room was still being prepared. RCI apparently seeing the number of things being dropped off and the interruptions to the cleaning process stopped letting you wander down the halls to the cabins while cleaning was in process. While the doors have been opened a little early, you can expect to wait until approximatley 1:30 to be able to drop things off in your room.

 

Even though we purchase the soda card, we bring a 12-pack of Diet Dr. Pepper and regular for our room fridge just in case we want something very early or very late and don't want to wait on room service. We put them into a smallish rolling duffel. That way, when the cruise is over, if we need extra luggage for things we've bought, we have it. If it's not needed, it folds up and goes into one of the other pieces of luggage. We always make sure that what we carry onto the ship can be easily carried or rolled since we know it will be with us for a while before we can get into our room.

This is exactly what we do!! We just put the drinks, water and two bottles of wine in a rolling bag. When use the bag to bring back souvenirs.

[cb at sea]

You can also buy soda without a soda package....

[PreciousMissy]

What is a soda card?

[cruiselover57]

So, this may seem like a silly question, but approximately how long does it take to get into your cabin on the first day? I'm trying to judge whether or not it will be worth it to lug sodas around just for the sake of them being "free" or just chalk up the soda card to vacation spending.

 

Also, in the same vein, does the soda card work on room service soda purchases? If not, then we will definitely be lugging sodas on that first day.

 

Oh, we're sailing on Carnival.

 

Thank you in advance!

 

We were on the Carnival Splendor in August and they wouldn't let us go to the cabins until 2:00 p.m. We just took our hand-carry luggage with us to the buffet until it was time to go to the cabin - as others have mentioned, the cabin stewards need extra time to clean those cabins and the hallways so if they make one exception, then everyone will want to do it - yes, I tried but didn't want to get into trouble so I obeyed the sign on the big door! As for the soda card, it can get expensive so best bet is definitely to bring your own soda on board and some bottled water and then buy more when you're in port. Much cheaper!

[Marie51]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and ask a question:

 

Am I the only one who does not bring sodas with me?????

I cannot imagine packing them and carrying them around with me. I have enough trouble just bringing my clothes.

[welshlady39]

i am not taking any wen we do our first cruise cause we have to fly to where we r catchin the ship and i will only just about to get my clothes etc with the weigh limits

[tak81288]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and ask a question:

 

Am I the only one who does not bring sodas with me?????

I cannot imagine packing them and carrying them around with me. I have enough :)trouble just bringing my clothes.[/quote

 

I don't bring soda but am not a big soda drinker...The free water, juice at breakfast and lemonade was perfect for me...if u drink a lot of pop or have a preference for flavors that the ship doesn't offer then I guess bringing your own is worth the hassle for the first couple of hours on that first day..

[tak81288]

What is a soda card?

 

Your cruise line may offer a soda card that you purchase on the first day of your cruise and then you can drink an unlimited amount of soda...I can't speak for any other line since I have only cruised once so far and that was with Carnival. On my cruise the card was only worth purchasing if you drink more than 3 sodas a day...otherwise it is cheaper to purchase soda one at a time as you go...I think some juices were also included with the card too but I'm not 100% sure on that...

[chelsita]

Okay, here is my 2 cents worth. My husband and I don't buy the soda cards for us because we just don't drink soda. As for our daughters, they love soda and only get them on special occasions (like vacation), so we let them have a card. I know that someone mentioned that it is only worth it if they drink more than 3 a day, but I have to say that we do it for the safety concerns. When our daughters are playing by the pool or hanging out elsewhere, we are crazy to think that they don't leave their drinks unattended. Since they know that they are free, they don't have to continue to drink out of that one. It kills me to think that there might be 6 drinks on a table and one of them feels like they have to try to find which one is theirs so that they don't go over their spending limit. Of course, there is also the off chance that someone could slip something into a drink, too. So for us: better safe than sorry.

[tak81288]

Okay, here is my 2 cents worth. My husband and I don't buy the soda cards for us because we just don't drink soda. As for our daughters, they love soda and only get them on special occasions (like vacation), so we let them have a card. I know that someone mentioned that it is only worth it if they drink more than 3 a day, but I have to say that we do it for the safety concerns. When our daughters are playing by the pool or hanging out elsewhere, we are crazy to think that they don't leave their drinks unattended. Since they know that they are free, they don't have to continue to drink out of that one. It kills me to think that there might be 6 drinks on a table and one of them feels like they have to try to find which one is theirs so that they don't go over their spending limit. Of course, there is also the off chance that someone could slip something into a drink, too. So for us: better safe than sorry.

 

Exactly...you just proved my point...Your kids go thru more than three sodas a day for the reasons you mentioned so its definitely beneficial for you to get a card..For those that don't drink soda like you and myself or for those that aren't leaving drinks unattended and the other things you stated it may not be......

[johneeo]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and ask a question:

 

Am I the only one who does not bring sodas with me?????

I cannot imagine packing them and carrying them around with me. I have enough trouble just bringing my clothes.

 

How about the :confused:water people:confused: that lug cases of bottled water with them when the water on the ship is probably better than the bottled water?:eek:

[chelsita]

Exactly...you just proved my point...Your kids go thru more than three sodas a day for the reasons you mentioned so its definitely beneficial for you to get a card..For those that don't drink soda like you and myself or for those that aren't leaving drinks unattended and the other things you stated it may not be......

 

 

Calm down, I wasn't saying that you were wrong in the first place, I was saying that some people might not realize that they would have any need for more than 3. I just want to make sure that people think about the fact that there are MANY people on board the ships that set their drinks out and leave them unattended. Please consider that before you make your decision.