Tell me how the soda card works

[Fritzie]

I've read that people have been able to share the coffee card--does the same apply to the soda card? If we get two cards between the four of us, would we be able to share them? Or would that be tacky? And could you ask for two drinks on one card?

Thanks! :)

[chrysalis]

the soda card (actually a sticker on your cruise card) is for that person only and is not meant to be shared....they are sold "per person"

 

...a coffee card is for a certain number of drinks.....a soda card is for unlimited number of drinks. Big Difference

[Fritzie]

Thanks--that's what I was thinking. :)

[maltesemom]

Soda cards are sold per person but lots of people share them. If my husband had the card and did not want a soda he would get one and I would drink it.

[Alaska surprise!]

could someone please explain the whole coffee card and soda card to me?

 

I get so confused. I thought that stuff like coffee, water, soda, etc. were included in the cruise? You have to pay extra for all this stuff?

 

And I noticed that if you go to another restaurant on the ship, aside from the regular dining room, they charge extra. Why is this? Are these restaurants that much nicer....are the worth it?

 

Would love to hear more about other "hidden expenses" on the ship! like the ice cream bar...etc

 

thanks,

sue

[chrysalis]

regular coffee is free 24 hours a day.....soda cards are sold (for fountain soda only) based on $3.95 X # of days of cruise, plus 15% grat....you get unlimited sodas with that.

 

The coffee cards are for specialty coffees....and you get a certain number per card.

 

Bottle water is extra but the ship's tap water is perfectly good.

 

Only certain specialty dining venues are extra...other are free. For those where you pay extra, the food is a step above and so is the service. Yes, many think that those restaurants are worth the extra price.

 

Ice cream (made daily on the ship) is free at lunch and dinner in the dining room....for a limited time in the afternoon in the buffet......and at the buffet (depending on the ship) in the evening. Ice Cream, milk shakes, sundaes, etc are extra if purchased at the ice cream bar near one of the pools.

[cataholic]

milk shakes, sundaes, etc are extra if purchased at the ice cream bar near one of the pools.

Does that mean I can order soda and refills at lunch or dinner - or order a milkshake for lunch if I am eating in the dining room. Is that going to cost me extra. I do like my chocolate milkshakes.

[Andee]

To me, there's no problem sharing the coffee card because you've paid for a set number of drinks, and whether one person drinks 15 or 15 people drink one, you've paid for the 15.

 

On the other hand, the soda card is supposed to be for one person, and the price is based on that. IMHO, it's stealing for more than one person to use it. It's like going to an all-you-can-eat restaurant, paying for one dinner, and expecting more than one personto be allowed to eat. Even if the original diner elected not to eat dessert, another person wouldn't be permitted to have that person's dessert.

[maltesemom]

The cruise ship industry are a bunch of thieves. Charging for things like sitting in a solarium and soda for that matter is petty. One, Two or ten cokes during the cruise wont bankrupt them.

[chrysalis]

The cruise ship industry are a bunch of thieves. Charging for things like sitting in a solarium and soda for that matter is petty. One, Two or ten cokes during the cruise wont bankrupt them.

 

it is petty of them to even charge for the cruise itself......they should be providing it for the public good......why should they be trying to make money or providing dividends for their shareholders. Shame on them!:eek:

[notentirelynormal]

I get the soda card all the time. I bring a large plastic glass from home because I drink constantly (that doesn't mean alcohol either) and having to run back and forth for refills is annoying. I take the drink back to my room and add ice there. Sometimes I use it to make alcoholic drinks too. The bartenders are happy to fill it instead of the tiny container they give you. You can use it from any bar or eating area that has a fountain or order it in the restaurants with your meal. If you drink more then 1 or 2 cans of soda a day then its a good deal.

[cruzfiend]

I have to pay to sit in the solarium??????:confused:

[play21cw]

I would say get one for 2 people. There were times when i would flash my soda card and they would give me two drinks at once. And, they just look for the sticker, they dont check to see if you are the card holder.

[cruisequeen10]

FYI the soda card on NCL is over $8.00 per day per person. Pretty soon Princess will be increasing theirs to keep up.

[caifas]

Hi, I got the soda card in another cruise I made few months ago, and whenever I asked for a drink I just had to show my card with the sticker, they never took the card nor check it. The question is, now I´m going on another cruise and I´ve read some peaple remove the sticker and put it in the new card, wouldn´t it be possible just to show the old card with the sticker on?

[Bar-fly]

regular coffee is free 24 hours a day.....soda cards are sold (for fountain soda only) based on $3.95 X # of days of cruise, plus 15% grat....you get unlimited sodas with that.

 

The coffee cards are for specialty coffees....and you get a certain number per card.

 

Bottle water is extra but the ship's tap water is perfectly good.

 

Only certain specialty dining venues are extra...other are free. For those where you pay extra, the food is a step above and so is the service. Yes, many think that those restaurants are worth the extra price.

 

Ice cream (made daily on the ship) is free at lunch and dinner in the dining room....for a limited time in the afternoon in the buffet......and at the buffet (depending on the ship) in the evening. Ice Cream, milk shakes, sundaes, etc are extra if purchased at the ice cream bar near one of the pools.

Hey' I'v never had a decent coffee on any American ship, unless it was paid for and had booz in it!!!

[PescadoAmarillo]

The question is, now I´m going on another cruise and I´ve read some peaple remove the sticker and put it in the new card, wouldn´t it be possible just to show the old card with the sticker on?

Well, of course that would be cheating. But just to keep us all honest, the cruise lines have several different stickers and change them from cruise to cruise. We do a lot of B2Bs....one sticker will be a Coke sticker in one color, the next cruise they use a Sprite sticker, then back to a Coke sticker in a different color. There's the possibility that your sticker may be the same as the new one, but it's small. Plus, I don't know about you, but by the end of the cruise, my sticker LOOKS like it's been used, and the bar employees may kind of watch for that the first couple days of a cruise.

[PescadoAmarillo]

I would say get one for 2 people. There were times when i would flash my soda card and they would give me two drinks at once. And, they just look for the sticker, they dont check to see if you are the card holder.

That is definitely cheating, and I'm surprised you get away with getting two drinks at once. If my husband gets drinks for us both, he generally has to take both cards with stickers. On really long cruises, where the bartenders get to know us and know that we each have a sticker, they let one person get two drinks (and we don't even have to show the stickers), but on most cruises, we have to show two cards.

 

The soda card is the best deal on the ship. We don't buy the alcoholic drinks, I just drink club soda all day. Since we get the minibar setup, we trade in all our spirits for gin, all our soda for water bottles to take on shore, and get tonic from the bartender for G&Ts. I agree the price will keep going up. It is $5 a day on Celebrity...2 years ago on a 30 night Princess cruise it was $65.00!!!!!

[twnkltoz]

How much is soda if you just buy it by the glass? Do you get free refills?

[chrysalis]

How much is soda if you just buy it by the glass? Do you get free refills?

 

If you got free refills, then no one would ever buy the soda card/sticker:)

[GrayKat]

We did Princess first in 2004 and got the soda card and Coke tumblers We went back in 2006, same tumblers. Did not buy the soda sticker/card and just went to bar with the tumblers they filled them each time and never asked to see a sticker or card.

 

My question is now in 2007 what has changed? Are they still using the same tall Coke Red tumbers and how closely are they checking for stickers?

 

Why else does McDonnalds want to super size you and they give your free refills. The product cost in less than pennies and they get to charge you dollars more. If they are going to nickle and dime you two can play at this game.

[catergirl]

soda is sold by the can if you dont buy the card(pricey). there is different kinds of juice in the morning(which i put a glass in my frig for later),as well as coffee, tea,water and iced tea at other meals. when you buy the coke sticker they give you a thermal coke cup/container(to take home) that you can bring with you instead of the card to be refilled. we always get the stickers. best deal!! well worth it! and as far as princess goes they let you take some of your own drinks onboard(unlike other lines):)

[thecrookedcap]

 

My question is now in 2007 what has changed? Are they still using the same tall Coke Red tumbers and how closely are they checking for stickers?

 

 

When I was on CB in January, they were very vigilant about the stickers, even with the tumblers.

[MrMike1876]

can you buy that soda card at any time on Princess? I know its worth it if you buy it the first day - to use for the whole cruise - but can it be bought later?

 

Bottled water is extra?? how much? Coffee/Tea is not included in that card?

 

I wish they would be more clear about this - on their website - I see no info about this....

[caifas]

We did Princess first in 2004 and got the soda card and Coke tumblers We went back in 2006, same tumblers. Did not buy the soda sticker/card and just went to bar with the tumblers they filled them each time and never asked to see a sticker or card.

 

My question is now in 2007 what has changed? Are they still using the same tall Coke Red tumbers and how closely are they checking for stickers?

 

by tumblers you mean the red coke plastic bottle? -sorry, I´m spanish and my English is not good-. I was in the Crown princess in april and with the sticker they gave me that coke plastic bottle, and I just had to give them the bottle and they refilled it without asking to show de card. I´m getting the bottle and the sticker to my august cruise, just in case is the same.