How much is a soda card?

[haras]

I'm going on the Ryndam next saturday, and want to know how much HA charges for a soda card? I'm a big diet coke drinker.

I also notice that it's okay for us to bring our own wine. Since I like wine with my meal, and we're traveling with a family of 6 adults, we're also bringing enough of our favorite German reisling. How does everyone pack their wine? I have a cardboard box with the inserts when I buy mine by the case. Is it okay to just tape it up and drop it off with our luggage? It holds 12 bottles, but I'm afraid the box won't be handled correctly. Any suggestions?

[elmorejj]

I think on the gift order forn it is $27 for a 7 day cruise, can`t quite remember what a 10 day is. It`s all on the HAL web site under booked guests, I think....jean :cool:

[HeatherInFlorida]

Sarah, I think the soda card is somewhere around $27 or $29 for a 7-day cruise. Word to the wise (and I'm not sure this will be true on your cruise). On our cruise anyone who pre-purchased their soda card had to get the Cokes out of quite small glasses, but if you signed up onboard you got one of their really nice HAL plastic bubbly glasses that holds about 16 oz. So better to wait until you're onboard just in case:) .

[haras]

Thank you Jean and Heather for your prompt replies. I think i'll just wait and buy it on board.

[HeatherInFlorida]

And I can't believe I forgot to say, have a super fantastic time!!!! :D

[jasl]

SARAH.... The 2004 Gift Guide which I received with the docs for my December cruise show the 7-day card @ $27.50. There is the following remark:~~~~~ Sorry, but Soft Drink Cards are not available on the Noordam, Ryndam or Prinsendam~~~~~ Better pack your diet coke along with the wine!!!! Have never packed wine for travel, but would think bubble wrap and the divider box may do. Good luck and Happy Sailing.........

[haras]

I don't know how I'm going to be able to work this next week! Thank you Jasl and Heather. This is a very special cruise for me b/c it's the first time my boyfriend has ever been on a cruise, so it almost feels like it's a first for me as well. :D

[KCat]

Hi everyone!

We are also planning on taking a case of wine aboard. And since this is our first time on HAL, we are also wondering how we should pack our wine?


...I was simply going to put the wine in a box for 12 bottles, that is seperated barely by cardboard (like you get at a liquor store)...

...We were then going to give the case of wine to the steward at the curb along with our checked baggage...

:confused: Will this be adequate? Will the stewards be fragile with it? I would hate for our wine bottles to break (either be it on our luggage or on someone else's). What is the proper procedure?

:confused: Also...is our wine then delivered to our cabin with our checked baggage?

:confused: One last question...when we decide to have a bottle of our wine for dinner, what do we do with it? Give it to the room steward, concierge, or other? <FYI: we are staying in a suite Ms. Oosterdam #S7048>

:p THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! :p

[haras]

Hi Kcat....

I see we have a similar problem. Someone suggested bubblewrap which I thought would be a good idea. After all, at $20 bucks a pop, I can't afford to have them break, and then have to buy more wine! It isn't like I can go without for a week. :eek:

Regarding what to do with the bottles...I read that you can bring it into the dining room, and the wine steward will charge you a corkage fee. I'm not sure the cost, but probably around $10 I also read somewhere that some don't even charge you.

What I've done in the past is just open it up in my room, and carry a glass with me to dinner. I know some might frown upon that, but the truth is that I really do just like my favorite brand of German Reistling. After all, sometimes you're out in the lobby waiting for dinner, and buy a glass at the bar and it's perfectly understandable to bring it in with you to dinner. Since there's 6 of us in our group, we never have any left over, so I feel like the corkage fee is a waste. I could understand paying for it if it were just two of us and we wanted to save the remainder for the meal the next day, but we're boozaholics when we're on vacation, so that isn't likely to happen. :D

Hope that helps a little.

I think i'm going to just put my cardboard box (like the one you described) and put it on a little pully thing and just bring it on board with us.

[KCat]

Thanks Sarah for the tips:D

Have a great time on your cruise!

[AlinaMaria]

Just got off the Zuiderdam's Thanksgiving Cruise. Soda Card for 7 days $35 plus 15% automatic gratuity added. By the way, each soda can is $2.00 plus 15%. I felt it was a good deal. Also, it is not fountain soda, they actually open a can and pour it over ice, so it is a big saving. Sometimes, I would ask for two glasses to avoid coming back or waiting for the waiter to come back, and they would bring me two without any problem or comments. I also would bring them back to the room, add Bacardi rum to my diet coke and have an much cheaper drink than getting a "rum and coke" from any of the bars!!!

AlinaMaria

[grammymurray]

On Volendam last month the soda card was $37.00 for ten days! that would buy a lot of soda!