Soda and more package

[SquishTheWhale]

Hi, its our first Princess cruise in December. I'll be wanting to purchase the Soda and more package- should I do this in advance online or wait until we board? Is there any advantage to either way?

Is it a sticker on my card or just loaded onto it? I imagine if its a sticker I'll have to track down the desk even if we've pre purchased. So should I just wait until we board?

[moki'smommy]

We wait till we board--no advantage to doing it in advance other than it is one less thing to do on board. Stickers are gone--it is loaded onto your card. On our last cruise they had done away with the insulated cup also; we got 2 large bottles of water as part of the package. There are rumors that the cups are returning (you don't need to carry it; they will put the soda in a glass).

 

IF you pre-purchase, print out your confirmation. On our first Princess cruise, it was not on my daughter's account and it took multiple efforts to get it applied correctly. I had to present the e-mail confirmation to passenger services. They did something in the computer and told me to "go to any bar" to get the sticker...but someone forgot to tell the bars. The first 2 claimed to not have stickers. The third one called a supervisor who looked it up and got a sticker. That's probably why I don't like pre-orders.

 

On our most frequent cruise, we purchased at a bar on board. The seller swiped the card and it loaded immediately.

[SquishTheWhale]

We wait till we board--no advantage to doing it in advance other than it is one less thing to do on board. Stickers are gone--it is loaded onto your card. On our last cruise they had done away with the insulated cup also; we got 2 large bottles of water as part of the package. There are rumors that the cups are returning (you don't need to carry it; they will put the soda in a glass).

 

IF you pre-purchase' date=' print out your confirmation. On our first Princess cruise, it was not on my daughter's account and it took multiple efforts to get it applied correctly. I had to present the e-mail confirmation to passenger services. They did something in the computer and told me to "go to any bar" to get the sticker...but someone forgot to tell the bars. The first 2 claimed to not have stickers. The third one called a supervisor who looked it up and got a sticker. That's probably why I don't like pre-orders.

 

On our most frequent cruise, we purchased at a bar on board. The seller swiped the card and it loaded immediately.[/quote']Thank you! Very useful. That was kind of my thoughts on pre-purchasing- if I have to chase it on board then it's easier just to wait!

 

Does there tend to be a desk set up selling drinks packages on boarding? Where is it likely to be?

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Forums mobile app

[moki'smommy]

Thank you! Very useful. That was kind of my thoughts on pre-purchasing- if I have to chase it on board then it's easier just to wait!

 

Does there tend to be a desk set up selling drinks packages on boarding? Where is it likely to be?

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Forums mobile app

There are multiple "desks" on the pool deck. You can also purchase it at any bar as well as in the dining room (we do sit down lunch after boarding.) I've read that the seller gets some sort of reward for making the sale. I can't say whether that is true or not, but there are plenty of people offering to sell you a package after boarding--it is harder to avoid them than to find them!

 

Just FYI, you are also able to bring any amount of soft drink that you might wish on board. It depends a lot which port you are using for departure and what your travel arrangements are. For one soda drinker out of Vancouver, I found it easier to purchase the package. For two soda drinkers out of Ft. Lauderdale, it was worth the trouble to stop at Publix and bring some on board. I just couldn't see paying $160 for sodas! If you drink the mocktails, the package is a good value.

[skynight]

A few comments:

If you wait until you board the charge will be posted to your on board account. If you have OBC it will net against that.

Once on board purchase at one of the tables where they hand write the receipts. These transactions are finalized later in the evening when the ship is at sea. Thus you avoid local sales tax.

You are permitted to carry on, or even check, as much soda and other non-alcoholic beverage as you like. We normally purchase the small 7 ounce cans at a local market and carry them on board. The small cans, for us, are just the right size.

[Pam in CA]

Does there tend to be a desk set up selling drinks packages on boarding? Where is it likely to be?

There’ll be desks but you can buy it anywhere beverages are served: any bar, restaurant, dining room, the buffet, Lido pool area, etc.

[skynight]

There’ll be desks but you can buy it anywhere beverages are served: any bar, restaurant, dining room, the buffet, Lido pool area, etc.

The problem with purchasing at a bar is that the sale is run through the computer system at the time of purchase, thus the possibility of local sales tax. At tables the sales are hand written and processed in the evening.

[moki'smommy]

The problem with purchasing at a bar is that the sale is run through the computer system at the time of purchase, thus the possibility of local sales tax. At tables the sales are hand written and processed in the evening.

We have never been charged local sales tax, regardless of how we purchased. The only time I saw signs up about local sales tax was in Houston, and that was where we had our pre-payment disaster.

 

Yes, I keep reading about local sales tax, but it has never been charged (US and abroad!)

[kathyt939]

When we went to Alaska this August we prepurchased the soda package. Got on board and already loaded. No issues. We were surprised that we did not see desks set up

To sell the package. Strange.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[moki'smommy]

When we went to Alaska this August we prepurchased the soda package. Got on board and already loaded. No issues. We were surprised that we did not see desks set up

To sell the package. Strange.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm sure that most of the time there are no issues...I'm just in that "Once burned, twice shy" area. The other point, noted above, is that if you order in advance, you pay with your credit card at the time of the order. If you pay on board, it is charged to your folio and can be paid with OBC. Just another consideration if you have a lot of OBC.

[SquishTheWhale]

Thank you all for the replies! We don't have any OBC, but I will check if the exchange rate will be in our favour for pre purchasing or not.

 

As we're flying in internationally and staying in FLL the night before, it might be too much hassle to stop and get some sodas to carry on. So I figured the package was the way to go as it's so reasonably priced. We will have some mocktails too I'm sure!

[moki'smommy]

Thank you all for the replies! We don't have any OBC, but I will check if the exchange rate will be in our favour for pre purchasing or not.

 

As we're flying in internationally and staying in FLL the night before, it might be too much hassle to stop and get some sodas to carry on. So I figured the package was the way to go as it's so reasonably priced. We will have some mocktails too I'm sure!

Just because it might help you in other ways, the hotel we used in FLL had a complimentary shuttle (tip the driver a couple bucks) anywhere within a 2 mile radius per the web site. When I asked, they gave me a list of places it would take me, but they phoned the driver and he had no problem taking me to the grocery. Very convenient, if you forget something or have something you don't want to take on the international flight.

[SquishTheWhale]

Just because it might help you in other ways' date=' the hotel we used in FLL had a complimentary shuttle (tip the driver a couple bucks) anywhere within a 2 mile radius per the web site. When I asked, they gave me a list of places it would take me, but they phoned the driver and he had no problem taking me to the grocery. Very convenient, if you forget something or have something you don't want to take on the international flight.[/quote']Thank you that could be useful! We are staying at the Westin on the beach

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Forums mobile app

[myfuzzy]

I am thinking of getting the package. Could someone tell me exactly what kind of beverages are "more"

[bemis12]

Juices, mocktails, hot chocolate

[myfuzzy]

Uh....ohhhh. Hot chocolate in the Caribbean in the summer...yum and juice? Something you can get for "free" during breakfast and Mocktails....have I seen those in the bar menu's? Well that may be something different.

[bemis12]

I have heard rumors that some cruises don’t go to the Caribbean, and some of them are not in the summer. These are unconfirmed.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[myfuzzy]

I have heard rumors that some cruises don’t go to the Caribbean, and some of them are not in the summer. These are unconfirmed.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

OK, I had that coming.....

[riclop]

Hi, its our first Princess cruise in December. I'll be wanting to purchase the Soda and more package- should I do this in advance online or wait until we board? Is there any advantage to either way?

Is it a sticker on my card or just loaded onto it? I imagine if its a sticker I'll have to track down the desk even if we've pre purchased. So should I just wait until we board?

No advantage either way.

[Colo Cruiser]

Pre cruise or during the cruise....buy it when you want.

[jerseyaxn]

I did it pre cruise and had no problem

 

Sent from my SM-G960U using Forums mobile app

[SquishTheWhale]

Thank you for the advice.

 

I figure if we have one soda and one mocktail a day we break even so the package seems a good deal. We have 3 sea days too.

 

I've had the soda package on NCL in the past and been glad of it, as sometimes at the bars your soda is 90% ice. If you're paying for each one that would be annoying!

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Forums mobile app

[satxdiver]

Princess really pushes the two drink packages and has tables set up on boarding day all over the common areas such as buffet, dining rooms, etc. Just be aware that the ship will probably charge tax on any drinks you order while the ship is still in port waters. This tax does not apply to the purchase of the drink package however.

[bex_disney]

Stickers are gone--it is loaded onto your card. On our last cruise they had done away with the insulated cup also; we got 2 large bottles of water as part of the package. There are rumors that the cups are returning (you don't need to carry it; they will put the soda in a glass).

 

I am considering purchasing the soda package on my next cruise. Before when they used to have the stickers they would just look at your card with the sticker and get you a soda. How do they know you have the soda package now that it is loaded to your card? I am just that paranoid person that doesn't want to accidentally get charged for a soda if they have to write down our folio #.

[moki'smommy]

I am considering purchasing the soda package on my next cruise. Before when they used to have the stickers they would just look at your card with the sticker and get you a soda. How do they know you have the soda package now that it is loaded to your card? I am just that paranoid person that doesn't want to accidentally get charged for a soda if they have to write down our folio #.

On our August cruises, they sometimes swiped the card, which would show the soda package. Other times, they just handed us the Diet Coke. They did swipe the card for all mocktails.

 

There is no way to prevent accidentally being charged if the card system isn't working. But it is very easy to print your folio any time you wish and if you have the package, passenger services will delete the charge. I was not charged when the system was "down," but that could have been just luck that it worked out correctly after the fact.