Soda question

I noticed I can buy a soda gift card onlinevfor $25, and it is valued at $50. The question is: how much is a fountain soda for a Mediterranean cruise? I'm trying to figure out if I need one card, or two?

 

Thanks!

I noticed I can buy a soda gift card onlinevfor $25, and it is valued at $50. The question is: how much is a fountain soda for a Mediterranean cruise? I'm trying to figure out if I need one card, or two?

 

Thanks!

 

 

In my experience, a fountain soda - in a smallish glass - is at least 50% ice, which helps explain the "$50. Value" for $25. You might just want to pay for a can and get a glass of ice.

In my experience, a fountain soda - in a smallish glass - is at least 50% ice, which helps explain the "$50. Value" for $25. You might just want to pay for a can and get a glass of ice.

 

Can you ask for no ice or is it mandatory?

We used these soda cards last spring on the Statendam. You could get a bar-sized glass, with no ice, for $1.50 plus the 15% gratuity; your card was scanned, the cost was deducted, and the remaining amt on the card was on the receipt. Our friendly bar tender soon learned that I wanted two glasses, no ice, that I would then pour into an insulated mug which contained ice.

 

Worked just fine. But probably wasn't much difference in cost from just a full can of coke, so not sure we would do it again. The only convenience was having it already paid for so there was no need to check cabin charges for those drinks.

 

Hope this helps. Enjoy your cruise.:)

If you buy one card and find during the cruise you want another, can't you buy a second card while aboard or is there a discount for buying in advance?

 

If you buy one card and find during the cruise you want another, can't you buy a second card while aboard or is there a discount for buying in advance?

 

 

 

Yes -- a person can as many cards as they want while on the ship.

The price is the same no matter whether you buy the card online, through ship services or on the ship.

For planning purposes, each soda glass is about 8-10 ounces with ice. I ask for just a little ice and have never had the bar stewards dump in lots of ice. Once we use up a card, we see how many days are left and then decide if we will buy another card or just pay by the soda where you get the entire can. When you disembark the cruise and you have any $$ left on the card of the initial $25 spent for the card, it is refunded to you on your account. The 'free' extra $25 is lost. The cards are not transferrable as they are cancelled when you disembark as we tried to give it to friends who were staying on and it was unusable for them.

Edited January 31, 2015 by take us away

Can you ask for no ice or is it mandatory?

 

 

You can get the soda without ice.

 

 

$50.00 Soda Card cost $25.00

The ships have now changed from giving you a can to just about 6 ounces of fountain soda.

Your soda card is charged $1.50 + 15% gratuity ($0.23) for a total of $1.73 for each “glass” of soda.

 

Without a soda card, you can buy a “can” of soda for $1.95 + 15% gratuity ($0.30) for a total of just $2.25 per can.

Yes -- a person can as many cards as they want while on the ship.

The price is the same no matter whether you buy the card online, through ship services or on the ship.

 

That makes it easy then....I thought it was cheaper to buy online! Thanks!!!

Can you ask for no ice or is it mandatory?

You can certainly get it with no ice. And you can also ask for a glass of ice on the side, for which you don't get charged!

 

However, if the soda has come out of the gun, it's actually usually pretty cold anyway so often you'll find that you don't need any ice.

Edited January 31, 2015 by Globaliser

Can you share the card or is 1 PP ??

Can you share the card or is 1 PP ??

You can share a soda card, or a beverage card.

You aren't supposed to share a Signature Beverage Card, or purchase drinks for someone else with it, under the terms & conditions of that specific card.

Yes -- a person can as many cards as they want while on the ship.

The price is the same no matter whether you buy the card online, through ship services or on the ship.

 

I don't think that is true. You can buy a soda card on board at $50 but I don't think you can buy it on board for $25 (for a $50 card). The $50 for $25 is listed on line under the "gift" section. There is no incentive to buy early then.

I don't think that is true. You can buy a soda card on board at $50 but I don't think you can buy it on board for $25 (for a $50 card).

Yes, you can. I used to buy soda cards until I switched to the full beverage card.

If you don't mind a small glass with watered down coke the card is a good deal.

 

For the few extra pennies, I prefer to buy it by the can. A full can, that hasn't been watered down.

 

Several years ago, when you bought the card, you got the whole can and it was an excellent value. Unfortunately, that was short lived.

One more question

does HAL allow you to take soda onboard with you??

 

Thanks

One more question

does HAL allow you to take soda onboard with you??

 

Thanks

 

short answer: yes.

 

you can bring bottled water aboard too.

 

 

We discovered on our 11/3/14 Noordam cruise, that the 20oz plastic soda bottles (8 packs bought at Big Lots day before cruise) are perfect, as you can check them in luggage - the plastic keeps them from bursting during transport onto ship, but also are re-seal-able, so you can carry them with you and just pour over a glass of ice picked up anywhere on the ship.

 

we brought soda we prefer that HAL doesn't offer (Diet Dr. Pepper), but there's no restriction.

Edited February 1, 2015 by bert425

short answer: yes.

 

you can bring bottled water aboard too.

 

 

 

Thank you

If you don't mind a small glass with watered down coke the card is a good deal.

 

For the few extra pennies, I prefer to buy it by the can. A full can, that hasn't been watered down.

You don't have to have it watered down. If there's no ice in the glass, what comes out of the gun is pretty much indistinguishable from what comes out of a can. And what comes out of the gun is usually pretty cold already.

 

The difference is now between paying $0.87 for a glass using the soda card (assuming that you use all of its value), and $2.25 for a whole can. Is that just a "few extra pennies" to you?

If you buy one card and find during the cruise you want another, can't you buy a second card while aboard or is there a discount for buying in advance?

 

 

We didn't pre-order ours. We bought it at one of the bars on the first day.