Soda Packages?

[texasnana]

We will do a 4 day short vancouver to Alaska cruise. Do off a soda package? Or is it better to buy soda as you drink it? We are new to Holland America Cruise.

[PathfinderEss]

They do offer soda packages for cruises, not sure about the 4 day though. I will offer this when you order soft drinks with the soda card you get it from a depenser. When you just order a soda drink, you get a can which gives you several glass of whatever.

Personally I think your better off ordering without a soda card. Just my opinion. Beverage cards for 7 days run as follows:

$250 Beverage Card

Save with a pre-paid beverage card. Purchase a pre-paid beverage card for $225 and receive $250 toward beverage purchases....

$100 Beverage Card

Save with a pre-paid beverage card. Purchase a pre-paid beverage card for $95 and receive $100 toward beverage purchases

$50 Beverage Card

This beverage card can be redeemed for a variety of beverage selections from soda, espresso and non-alcoholic beverages, to...

 

$50 Non-Alcoholic Beverage Card

This beverage card can be redeemed for a variety of beverage selections from soda and espresso to non-alcoholic beverages

Soda Beverage Value Card $50

Save with a pre-paid beverage value card. Purchase a pre-paid soda beverage value card for $25 and receive $50 toward soda...

 

[jackretired]

With a soda card you get a glass full of ice and a little soda. With out the card you get a glass full of ice and a can of soda.

[Krazy Kruizers]

 

There are no longer any discounts on the regular beverage cards.

HAL has beverage cards but the only one you save money on is the coke card and even that is not really a savings:

 

$50.00 Beverage Card cost $50.00 (No discount)

 

$50.00 Non-Alcoholic Beverage Card cost $50.00 (No Discount)

 

$100.00 Beverage Card cost $100 (No discount)

$250 Beverage Card cost $250 (No discount)

$50.00 Soda Card cost $25.00

The soda card costs $25 but has a face value of $50. You get about 6 ounces of fountain soda.

 

The only advantage of getting a Beverage card is that you don't have a bunch of individual slips of paper to check at the end of the cruise. Each drink and the 15% gratuity is subtracted from the card and you get a slip showing how much is left on your card. I just keep the most recent slip and pitch the the old one.

You would be better off bringing your own soda onto the ship for a 4 day cruise.

 

 

[iriemon]

you used to get a can of soda with the card which made it a real bargain but not anymore. For those of us that don't like fountain drinks the card is not of any value anymore. We bring soda on or buy some in ports. Even with the inflated costs of soda in ports it is still cheaper.

[chloes nana]

when we did the 21 day wayfarer sunfarer in Nov the Noordam did full cans, not glasses.:D

[Sun&Sail]

you used to get a can of soda with the card which made it a real bargain but not anymore. For those of us that don't like fountain drinks the card is not of any value anymore. We bring soda on or buy some in ports. Even with the inflated costs of soda in ports it is still cheaper.

 

Do you know if they have a limit on what you can bring on?

Am I allowed to bring as much as I can carry?

[werewolf]

You can carry on what you can carry. We have carried on two 12 packs before without a problem.

[BrianC-80]

We've carried on soda before without any issues. Heck, we even bought more in ports and carried that on too.

 

When we were on the Volendam last year to Alaska we were getting cans not fountain drinks - there didn't seem to be any fountain dispensers in any of the bars that I could spot.

[RoupMom]

I've often read that with the card you can only get fountain Cokes, but my experience is that if I ask specifically for a can, that's what I get. I hope that hasn't changed.

What about coffee cards? Do they still have those? That's for the specialty coffees at the Explorers' Lounge.

[RuthC]

What about coffee cards? Do they still have those? That's for the specialty coffees at the Explorers' Lounge.

HAL no longer has coffee cards as a separate card. You can use the beverage cards for purchases in Explorations Cafe. If you are a 4* Mariner you are better off not using a beverage card, as you get a discount when you charge it to your cabin account.

The 3* Mariner may have a similar savings benefit when using the cabin card, but I don't recall for certain.

[skg8]

Do any of you experts out there know if you get a can of soda on the Zaandam with a beverage card? Not sure we will have time to pick up a 12 pack of diet coke before we leave from the port in San Diego in a few weeks. Thanks!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Fountain soda if your use the Soda card -- about a 6 ounce pour.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I've often read that with the card you can only get fountain Cokes, but my experience is that if I ask specifically for a can, that's what I get. I hope that hasn't changed.

What about coffee cards? Do they still have those? That's for the specialty coffees at the Explorers' Lounge.

 

You can ask for a can -- but you can't use the soda card to pay for it.

Soda is now fountain soda for the cards.

[skg8]

Thanks for your quick reply. Think I will try my best to buy some cans prior to boarding or use the cruise as a good excuse to wean myself off the diet coke! Thanks again.

[RoupMom]

Bummer.........I always used my soda card for cans on request. Not all change is great, I guess.

[Glenno81]

I am travelling on my first cruise on the 20th February from Auckland to Sydney on the Oosterdam.

 

Can someone confirm that you can take as much mixers on as you want? I have been told it's only wine?

[jackretired]

I am travelling on my first cruise on the 20th February from Auckland to Sydney on the Oosterdam.

 

Can someone confirm that you can take as much mixers on as you want? I have been told it's only wine?

 

YES!

Soda, water, mixers, distilled water.

[skohrs]

First time on HAL. If you bring your own soda or bottled water on the ship, can you bring it with you to the dining room, or do they charge you a "corkage" fee?:D

[Linda&Vern]

My $50 value soda card was bought Sunday for $25.00. Bartender made it very clear it was for fountain soda only!

 

What no one has mentioned is that you are charged $1.50 + sc of 0.23 for a total of $1.73 for that glass of soda ... much less than the previous "can of soda" charge.

 

DH used his $250 Beverage Card to buy me a can of CF Diet Coke for the room and that charge was $1.95 + sc of 0.30 for a total of $2.25.

 

I think that makes it 29 glasses of soda (new card) vs. 22 cans of soda (the old card).

[Typhoon1]

For a four day cruise, you are probably better off buying soda as you need it. You will get a full can.