Soda card changes

[ali6879]

We cruise with Carnival around once a year or so. We just got back from the Breeze and the one thing that has changed is that they run your card every time you order a soda. They give you a receipt to sign with a place to tip.

 

Now, I am in no way against tipping, and probably tip more than normal, but this one kind of bothers me. There is a tip when you purchase the card - are we now expected to tip every time we go to get a soda? I'm not talking about the lido drink servers (I totally agree that's a service to have them bring you a drink there, or in the show lounge, etc) but for someone going up to the bar and the bartender just pouring it out of a can into a glass - is that now an expected gratuity on top of paying the gratuity at the time of purchasing the soda card?

[snc_cam]

We cruise with Carnival around once a year or so. We just got back from the Breeze and the one thing that has changed is that they run your card every time you order a soda. They give you a receipt to sign with a place to tip.

 

Now, I am in no way against tipping, and probably tip more than normal, but this one kind of bothers me. There is a tip when you purchase the card - are we now expected to tip every time we go to get a soda? I'm not talking about the lido drink servers (I totally agree that's a service to have them bring you a drink there, or in the show lounge, etc) but for someone going up to the bar and the bartender just pouring it out of a can into a glass - is that now an expected gratuity on top of paying the gratuity at the time of purchasing the soda card?

 

I am pretty sure they are doing this more for inventory control than requesting a tip. Every slip they produce has the tip line on it.

[loxley]

No, the tip was paid upfront. No reason to tip more. Just put 0 and total.

[edbro]

That makes me concerned about turning my young son loose with one now. Do children sign these?

[isaiahsnana]

That makes me concerned about turning my young son loose with one now. Do children sign these?

 

My grandson, aged 10, had one. We told him what to do for the signature. On the next to the last day, he wanted me to go with him to the bar so he could give a tip to the bartender who had been so kind to him throughout the trip. He routinely went to the same bar. Sometimes he would have his 5 yo brother with him and the waiter would give him two sodas so brother could have one. He had decided that $10 was what he wanted to give, so I, being a very pleased grandmother, provided the ten spot and my boy was thrilled to be able to do that. His sign and sail card did not have charging privileges so I was not worried about him spending all his money without realizing it.

[Cruzin2paradise09]

My grandson, aged 10, had one. We told him what to do for the signature. On the next to the last day, he wanted me to go with him to the bar so he could give a tip to the bartender who had been so kind to him throughout the trip. He routinely went to the same bar. Sometimes he would have his 5 yo brother with him and the waiter would give him two sodas so brother could have one. He had decided that $10 was what he wanted to give, so I, being a very pleased grandmother, provided the ten spot and my boy was thrilled to be able to do that. His sign and sail card did not have charging privileges so I was not worried about him spending all his money without realizing it.

 

 

What a sweet young boy!

[ali6879]

Thanks for the replies. It just caught me off guard and I feel really bad about putting a $0 down for a tip - past waitress in me I guess. They did tell us that you are only able to get 1 soda every 5 minutes so maybe that's their way of controlling that?

 

isaiahsnana, that's a great story! Good for your grandson - such a sweet gesture!

[volmoma]

Bless his little heart!!![emoji173]️[emoji173]️

[thomarvin]

also to make sure that the card actually belongs to the person ordering the soda and not using someone else's card. My son is special needs and so I keep his card with me and order for him. He gets a soda card but I don't drink soda.

[firemanbobswife]

They started doing this last year sometime in between my cruises last May and October. I was told by the bartender that it was because they now collect tax on every soda purchased in US Ports. They do it whether there is tax or not though probably to keep it consistent. I was shocked and I still don't like it. It's a pain in the rear end.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2110226

[Gamecock_Cruiser]

We just returned from the Fascination and it was my first time experencing this. I think that they are doing it to see how much soda is used. Probably to determined some type of soda limit or something. I often visited one particular bar to get my soda, adn the bartender would only ring it up one a day and just hand me the other drinks. This was with the bottomless bubbles.

[NoDayButToday]

I think it might be related to accounting for the cans too. My husband is a big soda drinker but I'm not, so he got the soda card and I skipped it. We went to the same couple bars and quickly discovered that one of them had a soda dispenser from the bar as well as the cans. We noticed the bartender would swipe my husband's card and give him soda from the can, and then ask if I would like one too. If I said yes he would pull the soda from the dispenser and not swipe the card again.

 

As for tipping, I work a tipped position with my company, I tend to be a more generous tipper than some others because of it. We brought a stack of singles with us and every bartender got 1 or 2 of them for every transaction, even the free sodas. They work hard and they deserve it.

[sseuorosal]

That makes me concerned about turning my young son loose with one now.

[nokidz]

That makes me concerned about turning my young son loose with one now.

 

Do not allow charging on his card. He will not be able to tip then. You can do this at check in or anytime at guest services.