Anyone able to get soda package free instead of adult beverage package

[jtrollin]

My wife and I don't drink alcohol, but do drink soda, the free drink package tips are more that just buying a soda package, but the free soda package is super cheap, I have tried in the past to argue my case with NCL, but with no luck, was wondering if anyone has had luck just getting the soda package free when over 21?

[julig22]

Nope - but I'm with you.  I have asked corporate about offering different options - and always get a "thanks for your suggestions, we've passed them on to the appropriate department"

I'd be more than happy to just pay the gratuities on the soda package - but the soda package itself costs way more than I'd drink, so I just stick to paying as I go.

 

I tried a couple of times to get soda substituted for the wine that they used to give to returning latitudes members. I'm allergic. Nope - best they would do was to offer to substitute non-alcoholic wine.

Keep suggesting they offer a choice of "treats" instead of chocolate-covered strawberries - or even an opt-out.  Also allergic.  Nope.  So they go in the trash if they are delivered when I'm not in my room.  One CN manager did however send me a substitute goodie tray when I mentioned that I couldn't eat the strawberries.

[CruiseBunny425]

I called up my PCC and asked about the soda package since I turned down the free one with alcohol. I wouldn’t drink enough soda to justify the gratuities the alcohol package wanted. I wasn’t able to get it for free on my 7 day, but did get it for $66.78 including gratuities, so I saved something at least. Nice peace of mind that I can enjoy as much Coca Cola as I want now. 🙂

[Sailing12Away]

It's cheaper to decline the 'free' alcohol package and just buy the soda one instead. That's what my parents did for our trip next week on the Joy. 

[MotownVoice]

As I stated in another thread I called and asked to have my promotion Adult Beverage removed, I won't go over why, again.  But when she agreed to take it off, she offered me the sodas.  I declined those too, so she just refunded the difference to my credit card.

When you're dealing with a single, human-being I think they each have certain latitude as to how to keep a customer happy.  That means it comes down to how that customer service person might be feeling that day, or whether they would or wouldn't even do something as gracious as she did for me that day at all.

All this blah blah to say, you won't know until you call and ask.

Edited August 31, 2022 by MotownVoice

[julig22]

1 hour ago, MotownVoice said:

As I stated in another thread I called and asked to have my promotion Adult Beverage removed, I won't go over why, again.  But when she agreed to take it off, she offered me the sodas.  I declined those too, so she just refunded the difference to my credit card.

When you're dealing with a single, human-being I think they each have certain latitude as to how to keep a customer happy.  That means it comes down to how that customer service person might be feeling that day, or whether they would or wouldn't even do something as gracious as she did for me that day at all.

All this blah blah to say, you won't know until you call and ask.

Not sure what that person did for you? I always decline the drink package and the soda package is always available - but it's not discounted or substituted in lieu of the drink package. Only difference is that they don't try to up sell the soda package because I decline it when I book.

[PTC DAWG]

3 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

It's cheaper to decline the 'free' alcohol package and just buy the soda one instead. That's what my parents did for our trip next week on the Joy. 

Yeah, that seems like a no brainer if you don't drink alcohol...not sure of the issue some seem to have.  

[MotownVoice]

9 minutes ago, julig22 said:

Not sure what that person did for you? I always decline the drink package and the soda package is always available - but it's not discounted or substituted in lieu of the drink package. Only difference is that they don't try to up sell the soda package because I decline it when I book.

eh?

I know exactly what she did.

I declined the booze, she offered the soda, I declined the soda she gave me the cash.

Was that unclear to you?

[JustAPilot]

It kinda is, the op is asking about switching the beverage package included in their rate with the soda package instead.
 

I’m guessing they did not book a sail away cabin and booked a regular priced cabin which bumps the price up to compensate for the “free” open bar. Anyone can log into their account and remove the beverage package which just refunds you the tips and tax so nothing the agent did for you that you couldn’t of done yourself. 

[CarlaMasterson]

On 8/29/2022 at 1:30 PM, jtrollin said:

My wife and I don't drink alcohol, but do drink soda, the free drink package tips are more that just buying a soda package, but the free soda package is super cheap, I have tried in the past to argue my case with NCL, but with no luck, was wondering if anyone has had luck just getting the soda package free when over 21?

I did for my daughter and her boyfriend.  I had them remove the alcohol package from our cruise. So don't have to pay the gratuities.  Then I just bought the soda package for them.  Not free but cheaper than keeping the alcohol package

 

[ChiefMateJRK]

On 8/29/2022 at 11:00 AM, julig22 said:

So they go in the trash

Alway the ultimate "opt out." 🤣

[julig22]

8 hours ago, MotownVoice said:

eh?

I know exactly what she did.

I declined the booze, she offered the soda, I declined the soda she gave me the cash.

Was that unclear to you?

Unclear as to why the narrative about being nice and people will be nice when she didn't do anything special, your request didn't require her to use her discretion, she didn't offer anything special, etc.

[barb65]

....or you could order a rum and coke and tell them to hold the rum.😀

[Thunderbird19]

8 hours ago, MotownVoice said:

eh?

I know exactly what she did.

I declined the booze, she offered the soda, I declined the soda she gave me the cash.

Was that unclear to you?

MoTown,

you were lucky!

My brother tried that and, yes, after declining booze package the rep did offer the soda package...but when brother tried to clarify by asking if rep could substitute the soda for booze package, rep said no the soda package was available at x$ per day plus gratuity.  So he wasn't offered a free substitution.

[julig22]

7 minutes ago, Thunderbird19 said:

MoTown,

you were lucky!

My brother tried that and, yes, after declining booze package the rep did offer the soda package...but when brother tried to clarify by asking if rep could substitute the soda for booze package, rep said no the soda package was available at x$ per day plus gratuity.  So he wasn't offered a free substitution.

I apparently missed the part where there was an offer to substitute the soda package for just the cost of gratuities.

[MotownVoice]

2 hours ago, julig22 said:

Unclear as to why the narrative about being nice and people will be nice when she didn't do anything special, your request didn't require her to use her discretion, she didn't offer anything special, etc.

Boy do you have an active reading imagination.  I never said a word about being nice.   I said they have latitude, and there’s no accounting for how a person feels when they make a call on your account.    But you needed me to say “people were being nice” and just wrote that right in, didn’t ya?