Carry on pop?

[stasys]

I am cruising on a NCL cruise which allows pop and water to be brought onboard. I see recommendations to carry this with you, and not put in your luggage. I also see recommendations to board the ship early, have lunch and explore the ship, in the few hours before the rooms are accessible. So I have to lug around 30lbs of diet coke all over the ship for three hours? What is the harm of putting in a suitcase?

 

Thanks!

[Keith1010]

They will hold this for you after you board.

 

Keith

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

Putting it in the suitcase is not a good idea. After your luggage is x-rayed, the porters throw it into big bins which are hoisted onto the ship. Then the bins are unloaded and crew on the ship take your luggage to your cabin -- and not always gently. You have a good chance of the cans bursting.

[Bonnie J.]

30lbs.? You are only allowed one 12 pack of soda per person. A 12 pack doesn't weigh 30 lbs. Usually you are allowed to your cabin at 1:30. However we just go there and have never been told we can't. If asked we just tell them we are only dropping off our carry on- which could be soda/pop- then leave.

As was said, DO NOT put in in your luggage unless you are carry it on. Bags are tossed around and cans can come open and then you'll have clothes wet with soda.

You can buy a soda card for your soda on board but you get a glass of soda, not the can. On Carnival a can of soda is $1.98 before 15% tax.

[momoftwinteens]

On my 14 day cruise in 2013, each of us,(there were three of us), brought a cube of soda. We simply taped a luggage tag to each of the cubes and added them to our checked luggage. They arrived to our cabin just fine. I did the same with my cruise this past August, although that cruise was only a week. We brought 2 twelve packs and taped luggage tags to them. Once again, they were delivered to our cabin, no problem.

[donaldsc]

Ie. So I have to lug around 30lbs of diet coke all over the ship for three hours? What is the harm of putting in a suitcase?

 

Thanks!

 

You are going to bring 30 pounds of diet coke on board!! How many cans is that?

 

DON

[SuiteTraveler]

You are going to bring 30 pounds of diet coke on board!! How many cans is that?

 

DON

 

1 pound = 16 ounces.

 

1 can contains 12 ounces.

 

30lbs = 480 oz

480 oz /12 oz =40 cans

 

stasys,

This is JMO, but I used to bring soda and water onboard but repeatedly found I had at least 3/4 of what I had bought and brought onboard left at the end of the cruise. I didn't have a suitcase for it so I couldn't check it at the airport so I wound up leaving it in my cabin. So I might have spent $10 for a 12 pack of diet Coke and 12 bottles of water. I would leave behind $7.50 worth. In the end, I realized this was a foolish waste of money and I was actually spending $10 to save maybe $8. Why? There are 5 issues. The first is that you will be out and about on the ship, and when you decide you want a soda or bottled water, you will not want the hassle of going all the way back to your cabin to get it. The second issue is that your mini-bar will already be full, so not much room to put your stuff in there. You could ask the cabin steward to empty it, I guess. On NCL, that usually means they put the mini bar stuff on the countertop in your cabin which is in the way. The third issue is that you won't have ice in your cabin all the time. For example, in the morning, it will probably have melted from the night before. So then what? Go up to the buffet and get ice and put it in what? Because the buffet cups are small. So then you have to lug along something to put ice into. What a pain. The fourth issue is that your dining habits change on the ship, so you will likely find that you don't want Diet Coke or a bottle of water that much. If you are sitting around the pool, you will probably want an umbrella drink - something frozen to keep you cool in the heat. Even if you don't drink alcohol, there are virgin umbrella drinks available that are more appealing to have by the pool than a Diet Coke or bottle of water. Onshore, soda and water is easily available and inexpensively purchased everywhere plus it has the advantage of being kept cold. Also many excursions include drinks, if not food. If you go to an all-inclusive beach, everything is included. But even if it were not included, would you want to lug along several pounds of soda and water plus ice when you could just buy it when you needed it? The fifth issue is that with your cruise card in your pocket, you don't have to carry anything else around on the ship. So, if you bring the soda or water, you are going to have to carry it somehow and that gets old real fast.

[taglovestocruise]

1 pound = 16 ounces.

 

1 can contains 12 ounces.

 

30lbs = 480 oz

480 oz /12 oz =40 cans

 

stasys,

This is JMO, but I used to bring soda and water onboard but repeatedly found I had at least 3/4 of what I had bought and brought onboard left at the end of the cruise. I didn't have a suitcase for it so I couldn't check it at the airport so I wound up leaving it in my cabin. So I might have spent $10 for a 12 pack of diet Coke and 12 bottles of water. I would leave behind $7.50 worth. In the end, I realized this was a foolish waste of money and I was actually spending $10 to save maybe $8. Why? There are 5 issues. The first is that you will be out and about on the ship, and when you decide you want a soda or bottled water, you will not want the hassle of going all the way back to your cabin to get it. The second issue is that your mini-bar will already be full, so not much room to put your stuff in there. You could ask the cabin steward to empty it, I guess. On NCL, that usually means they put the mini bar stuff on the countertop in your cabin which is in the way. The third issue is that you won't have ice in your cabin all the time. For example, in the morning, it will probably have melted from the night before. So then what? Go up to the buffet and get ice and put it in what? Because the buffet cups are small. So then you have to lug along something to put ice into. What a pain. The fourth issue is that your dining habits change on the ship, so you will likely find that you don't want Diet Coke or a bottle of water that much. If you are sitting around the pool, you will probably want an umbrella drink - something frozen to keep you cool in the heat. Even if you don't drink alcohol, there are virgin umbrella drinks available that are more appealing to have by the pool than a Diet Coke or bottle of water. Onshore, soda and water is easily available and inexpensively purchased everywhere plus it has the advantage of being kept cold. Also many excursions include drinks, if not food. If you go to an all-inclusive beach, everything is included. But even if it were not included, would you want to lug along several pounds of soda and water plus ice when you could just buy it when you needed it? The fifth issue is that with your cruise card in your pocket, you don't have to carry anything else around on the ship. So, if you bring the soda or water, you are going to have to carry it somehow and that gets old real fast.

 

Now factor in your error.. A 12 ounce can of coke is 12 fluid ounces, volume not mass.. a 12 ounce can of sugar infused coke is 14 oz of weight with the can weighing an addional .5 ounces, the cube of coke now becomes a back breaker, the weight of a soda sticker added to a seapass card would only be .001 ounces to carry around. happy cruising

[YubaSutter]

30# of soda in cans is about 43 cans.

Edited November 16, 2015 by YubaSutter

[NMLady]

30lbs.? You are only allowed one 12 pack of soda per person. ...x.

 

The OP is going on NCL which does not have a restriction like that.

 

To OP: in most ports you can just slap a luggage tag on the case of soda and it will be delivered to your cabin, along with your other luggage.

 

You do not want to put it in a checked suitcase because if, upon xray, the crew cannot tell it is soda and not beer, they will not deliver it but will leave you a note to come show them what the cans in your suitcase are, and then take the suitcase to your cabin yourself. That is referred to as being called to the "naughty room".

Edited November 16, 2015 by NMLady

[SuiteTraveler]

Now factor in your error.. A 12 ounce can of coke is 12 fluid ounces, volume not mass.. a 12 ounce can of sugar infused coke is 14 oz of weight with the can weighing an addional .5 ounces, the cube of coke now becomes a back breaker, the weight of a soda sticker added to a seapass card would only be .001 ounces to carry around. happy cruising

 

I love it! Thanks for giving me a good laugh!

[taglovestocruise]

I love it! Thanks for giving me a good laugh!

 

Happy Holidays..

[stasys]

Thanks for all the info!

 

30lbs may be an exaggeration, but at least 20lbs. More than the weight its the bulk size. Sounds like it will be taken to the room one way or another, by someone other than me, so no problem.

 

Question now about the mini bar. I know our room includes a refrigerator but did not know it would be a mini bar. Are the items included, or is it another upcharge on the 'all inclusive' cruise? Does it have pop already? Is it refilled daily?

[SuiteTraveler]

Thanks for all the info!

 

30lbs may be an exaggeration, but at least 20lbs. More than the weight its the bulk size. Sounds like it will be taken to the room one way or another, by someone other than me, so no problem.

 

Question now about the mini bar. I know our room includes a refrigerator but did not know it would be a mini bar. Are the items included, or is it another upcharge on the 'all inclusive' cruise? Does it have pop already? Is it refilled daily?

 

Mass market cruises have NEVER been all-inclusive - so put that idea aside. Even in First Class on the Titanic, alcohol was not included and they did have a specialty restaurant that incurred an extra fee. I don't know of any mass market cruise line that includes the mini bar for regular cabins. All I can say is that it seems to me that you have been grossly misinformed about mass market cruises because unless you go to an expensive luxury cruise, cruises are not all-inclusive at all. Not even close.

 

The stuff in the mini bar does indeed have a charge just like any land based hotel. On some ships, such as NCL, if you are in an Owner's Suite, then the mini bar is included, but that's the only cabin that has that. But by comparison, on RCCL in the Owner's Suite the mini bar is NOT included. There will be several types of soda pop. NCL has a contract with Pepsi, so it will be Pepsi products, various types of alcohol and juices in the mini bar - generally things which are used as mixers with the alcohol. If you want something specifically, just tell your room steward the you want all Diet Pepsi and no regular Pepsi and that is how your mini bar will be restocked each day. If you run out of something, simply call your cabin steward and request it.

 

Nowadays there are some luxury cruises which do have more stuff included. These cruises cost considerably more up front but include things like shore excursions, wine or beer with dinner, and even specialty restaurants. Some of the are river cruises such as Uniworld and Viking. Other luxury cruise lines that include more (although not necessarily all beverages) are Crystal, Silversea, Regent, Windstar.

Edited November 17, 2015 by SuiteTraveler

[momoftwinteens]

Mass market cruises have NEVER been all-inclusive - so put that idea aside. Even in First Class on the Titanic, alcohol was not included and they did have a specialty restaurant that incurred an extra fee. I don't know of any mass market cruise line that includes the mini bar for regular cabins. All I can say is that it seems to me that you have been grossly misinformed about mass market cruises because unless you go to an expensive luxury cruise, cruises are not all-inclusive at all. Not even close.

 

The stuff in the mini bar does indeed have a charge just like any land based hotel. On some ships, such as NCL, if you are in an Owner's Suite, then the mini bar is included, but that's the only cabin that has that. But by comparison, on RCCL in the Owner's Suite the mini bar is NOT included. There will be several types of soda pop. NCL has a contract with Pepsi, so it will be Pepsi products, various types of alcohol and juices in the mini bar - generally things which are used as mixers with the alcohol. If you want something specifically, just tell your room steward the you want all Diet Pepsi and no regular Pepsi and that is how your mini bar will be restocked each day. If you run out of something, simply call your cabin steward and request it.

 

Nowadays there are some luxury cruises which do have more stuff included. These cruises cost considerably more up front but include things like shore excursions, wine or beer with dinner, and even specialty restaurants. Some of the are river cruises such as Uniworld and Viking. Other luxury cruise lines that include more (although not necessarily all beverages) are Crystal, Silversea, Regent, Windstar.

 

As SuiteTraveler said, unless you are in a suite, your mini-bar items are NOT included. There is a charge for anything consumed. You can ask your cabin steward to empty the mini-bar when you arrive on the ship. Then you can fill it with your soda.

[stasys]

As SuiteTraveler said, unless you are in a suite, your mini-bar items are NOT included. There is a charge for anything consumed. You can ask your cabin steward to empty the mini-bar when you arrive on the ship. Then you can fill it with your soda.

 

Thank you!