Dietcokeholic

[first time cunarder]

Many ships charge a flat fee for soft drinks you can pay for shortly after boarding. Does anybody know if this is the case on the QM2?

[Jeanne S]

I don't believe so. You would pay by the individual can and/or bottle including the 15% service charge. The only beverage deal or combo I seem to recall was for wine.

[KitKatK]

Yes, for $3.75 plus 15% gratuity per day, you can purchase an unlimited soft drinks package at any of the ship's restaurants or bars. They'll put a little sticker on the back of your ship ID which you show every time you place a soft drinks order, then the charge will show up once daily on your shipboard account for the entire length of your trip.

 

KK

[first time cunarder]

Thank you.

[jamesm]

The problem we have encountered is getting a Diet Coke for breakfast. Often it seems that the bars are not open at that time and sodas can't be gotten - even with a soda card - at 8.00 am. Our solution is to take a six pack along, stash in the cabin, and carry one to the restaurant at breakfast. A glass with ice can be easily obtained.

[cruise junky joan]

On other cruises I have found that the glasses you receive your soda in is about 8 oz. Are there insulated plastic cups available in the gift shop that you can have filled at the bar with soda? I have done this on other cruises and it has turned out rather well. Joan

[jbailey]

As a fellow coke-a-holic, I had trouble on QE2 getting enough ice for my coke. Perhaps it is different on QM2 which tends to have a more North American consumer, but when I ordered a coke in the restaurant or bar I got a tall cocktail-type glass with two ice cubes and filled with coke that had come warm from a can.

 

I finally asked a bartender for two cans of coke, unopened, and took them to my cabin and stuffed them in the refrig. On a later crossing where I didn't have a refrigerator, I used the ice bucket to chill them.

 

One of my tablemates brought a 12 pack of cans on board with him and put it in the refrigerator. So you might want to check to see if your cabin has a refrigerator.

 

One other thing for us soft drink connoisseurs, the taste does vary depending on where it was bottled and the British ones tasted a lot different to the ones I am used to, so I drank a lot of their very excellent tea!

[robertkarenuk]

hello all,

 

can any one please tell us how do we get the $3.75 soft drinks package deal,do we ask when we get on board?it looks a great saving.

many thanks,

robert,karen.

[Jane Pond]

Well, after reading this thread and yes, being a Diet Coke for breakfast person; I plan to stop at the 7-11 on the way to boarding and pick up a twin pack to bring on board. I will also probably get the 'sticker' for the times I am not in my room. Figure that 24 will last me the 11 days in March.

 

Jane in PHL (Maybe I need to bring some nibbles, too?)

[jbailey]

No nibbles needed. You will be stuffed from eating the three regular meals a day, plus not-to-be-missed scones and sandwiches for tea, and the midnight buffet.

 

 

ANd in between meals or in the middle of the night, you can always get something from room service.

[Jane Pond]

Good point, jbailey!

 

 

Jane in PHL (although occasionally I get a 'salt' urge for a few chips. Hardly seems right calling room service for that.)

[cruise junky joan]

I know what you mean about those late night salt urges and the sodas I have the same thing and don't want to order chips from room service. I have taken to packing a few cans of Pringles and a 12 pack of soda to get me over the urges. joan

[gaupin]

i highly recommend taking a "six pac" (like an igloo) cooler aboard...not only great for carrying on those meds/special things you wouldn't want to lose, or actual soft drinks if you prefer, but once aboard a $5 bill to your room steward the first day will see full ice all the time, instead of constantly melting in small round plastic buckets. we even had other pax in nearby rooms asking for some ice instead of trying to track down a room steward. have done this on every cruise and never run out of ice, also strongly suggest you take some soft drinks aboard. for out of the cabin, the soda card is great..also take an INSULATED cup for the pool and have them fill that, which they will. bon voyage, mike

[Jane Pond]

The insulated cup is a great idea, thanks! I would not have thought of that. My other cruises have been on Seabourn Pride and that's never an issue<G>.

 

Jane in PHL

[DAVE & MARY PASCHEN]

I guess I'm really a dietcokeholic as one case won't last for our 7 day Jan cruise. My wife and I can't order diet coke at breakfast? I guess I'll have to have the taxi driver stop somewhere to pick up two cases and look real hip boarding the QM 2 with our baggage plus two cases of diet coke under my arms . Doesn't that create quite a mental image? There is no way to have the cabin steward keep the frig stocked with diet coke?

[nathan]

You can order cans of Coke from Room Service for the fridge.

[Jane Pond]

I thought that the sodas came 'bundled' with booze. I was reading another thread that had photos of the room service menu taken off the tv. Although, it seems odd not to just be able to get Diet Coke alone. If I don't have to stop off to buy Diet Coke, I can buy more chips and salsa <G>.

 

Jane in PHL

[nathan]

Cans of soft drinks are available from room service. I don't remember whether they were on the menu, but they are definitely available. That is how I managed to get my diet coke fix in the morning.

[KitKatK]

hello all,

 

can any one please tell us how do we get the $3.75 soft drinks package deal,do we ask when we get on board?it looks a great saving.

many thanks,

robert,karen.

 

You can probably get them anywhere you'd normally be charged for a soft drink.

[jbailey]

For some really good service from your cabin attendant, give him/her a $20 at the beginning with a promise of more for exemplary service. It is well worth it and you will get the ice and whatever else you need.

 

These people don't get paid nearly enough for the long hours they work and their on-call status. Like all people who ever worked in a restaurant, I am a good tipper and appreciate the work that service people do.

[gaupin]

i agree, but you don't need a $20 for the first day. $5 does it. and take that small cooler with instructions to keep it full. you need to have your meds in something personal anyway. never run out of ice is my motto...and at the end, when the ice was full, there's usually at least a $50 bonus for the room steward...well worth it..mike

[imacruizer]

The soft drink package can be purchased at any of the bars on ship. They attach a colored sticker to the back of your cruise identification card. The card can be presented in any bar or restaurant onboard. However, I do remember people saying that they could not be used before 10 AM. We did not purchase the package but a friend did. Each night before going to her cabin she would ask for a can of her favorite soda and take it back to the cabin and put it in the refrigerator to be used the next morning.

 

Dave and Mary, I am not sure what perks are included in Princess grill. Perhaps someone else can tell you if soft drinks are included. If you plan to purchase the soft drink package I would not think you would need to bring too many sodas onboard.

[Jane Pond]

Diet Cokes not withstanding, is there somewhere where the added amenities of the P1 suites are delineated?

 

Jane in PHL