Soft drinks, coffee, etc.

[Jaylie]

Are all soft drinks, tea, hot chocolate and coffee free on the Princess cruises? Also, are they available 24 hours a day? What about self serve ice cream machines? We have only been on DCL but will be trying a Princess cruise next spring.

[Pam in CA]

Tea, iced tea, coffee and soft serve ice cream are free. Soft drinks are not. You can get a soda "card" (really a sticker on your cruise card) for $4.50/day. The soft serve ice cream is served, not self-serve. At breakfast in the morning, juice is free, there's a charge at other times. Lemonade is free at lunch.

[karatemom2]

Soft drinks are not free. If you drink more than a couple of sodas a day you will likely want to consider purchasing a soda sticker which will provide unlimited sodas during your cruise.

 

Coffee is free, but according to many who post here Princess coffee isn't the best so if you love good coffee many advise purchasing a coffee card which allows a certain number of the premium coffees. I am not a coffee drinker so can't comment!

 

Hot chocolate is free with breakfast, but if you get it at any of the bars there is a charge. Hot and cold tea is always available at no charge.

 

Princess also offers the Ultimate Sticker which provides unlimited sodas, mocktails, juices, smoothies, milkshakes/malts, hot chocolate and canned root beer for a higher cost than the standard soda sticker. Not sure what the current rate is for soda sticker or ultimate sticker. I have heard the price has been reduced since our last cruise with Princess in December. Maybe someone who has cruised recently can confirm the current prices.

 

The soft serve ice cream is free, but is not self serve and is only available during the day, typically from around 10 or 11 a.m. to about 6 p.m. based on our experience.

[luvtravel88]

Soft drinks are not free at any time. Tea and coffee can be gotten from the buffet 24 hours a day. We usually bring a couple of travel mugs with us and carry them around. You can also order coffee and tea for breakfast room service and it's free then. I have seen hot chocolate packets at the buffet that you can add hot water to, but to get a ready made cup of hot chocolate will cost you.

If you order coffee or tea at any of the bars or cafe's it will cost you.

Princess does have an "ultimate drink card" that includes soft drinks, juices, non alcoholic drinks and smoothies that you pay for the week.

They also have a coffee card that gives you I believe 15 cups of coffee for the week with a set price.

If you want more information on the drink cards, just search for ultimate drink card or coffee card. You will find lots of information.

I have to say, we have never gotten either of these cards. I don't mind walking to the buffet if I want something to drink and if it's inconvenient, I just pay for it where I am.

I'm sorry I don't know about the self service ice cream machines.

[canmark]

I got the soft drink card on the Ruby Princess in June. I think it was $54 for the 12-day Grand Mediterranean cruise.

 

One strange problem I found: in the dining room I would usually order a soft drink (Coke or Sprite) with my food order... and about 5 times out of 10 I would not get the drink until I asked a second time. And only about 2 times out of 10 was my drink refilled without having to ask for it. The wait staff was usually very solicitous in pouring wine and water... but seemed slow on the draw with the soft drinks. Were they subtly discouraging soft drink consumption or was it just a coincidence of the wait staff forgetting my order*? I don't know. But I found it rather odd.

 

*One time I saw what was presumably my Coke sitting on the waiter's food stand. I had ordered this drink late in the meal (lunch, and it was the end of the service period and there were no occupied tables near us). Well, the Coke ended up never being delivered to me at all. Eventually, I assumed that I would not get my drink unless I asked twice and was sometimes surprised when it arrived soon after it was ordered (as it should be).

[Jasperdo]

The Soft Serve ice cream comes in vanilla, chocolate or swirl. The server will add sprinkles if you'd like. You can get either a cone or a bowl. The hours vary by ship. On the Sapphire Princess it was open until 6pm. Yet, on the Golden Princess it stayed open until 11pm. It's free, and I think it's very good soft serve.

 

Here's what it looks like on the Golden: