Soda Card policy change

[kazu]

Just got off the Amsterdam this morning.

 

The soda cards are only for fountain sodas -- just like a few years ago.

 

No more cans.

 

Welcome home:):) Hope you had a good cruise

[bcd2010]

A few weeks ago someone posted an article about a new move (new people who focus on finding ways) to increase onboard revenue and now I'm reading about a few things like this. We may be seeing some of the decisions they're making already.

[fatham]

Just my 2cents worth;

 

Why is there a charge for non alcoholic beverages anyway? When you consider the cost of the food that they supply.....the cost of beverage must be minimal to them................

If you add in the extra time and hassle for ship's crew and passengers to deal with the various ordering/payment methods, it to me seems a no win situation for all concerned...................

Why not charge for Canned Pop (as it costs the ships more) and then provide Fountain Pop free. This second method would make customers a little happier I'm sure and not cost cruise lines that much more. I am sure, that they will increase cruise fairs anyway......at least with this, you would be getting something for it.

 

Cheers............fatham

[Swice]

Just bought the soda card for the first time last month and was pleased with the way it worked. Oh well, glad it worked for us.

 

We had a lot of colas during our shore excursions (all day tours). We really should drink more water anyway.

 

The thing I'm concerned about is, what about the people who have bought the cards for upcoming cruises who haven't read this board? Apparently some will gets 12 ounces and others will get six. Boy, I would be ticked if I ended up with the small fountain gun variety and wasn't expecting it.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome home:):) Hope you had a good cruise

 

 

Thank you Kazu.

We are at a Seattle hotel right now. Have a very long day ahead of us tomorrow. We leave Seattle at 7 AM (Seattle time) to go to Atlanta -- have a 4 hour layover. Don't get into Pittsburgh until 9:30 PM. Will get to a hotel near the airport about 11 PM eastern time if all goes well and the weather co-operates. Then drive home on Sunday.

[canadarocks]

The thing I'm concerned about is, what about the people who have bought the cards for upcoming cruises who haven't read this board? Apparently some will gets 12 ounces and others will get six. Boy, I would be ticked if I ended up with the small fountain gun variety and wasn't expecting it.

 

I remember when they switched from the wine cards to the new beverage cards. I had pre-ordered the "punch" cards and was quite worried they wouldn't be honored once we boarded. Fortunately they were, but we had a few servers who wanted to refuse the cards thinking they had been totally discontinued.

 

In this case they have just changed the policy completely, without changing the card. I can really see people who are expecting cans getting very angry over it.

 

My guess is that they'll end up doing away with the soda cards altogether.

[jtl513]

Just my 2cents worth;

 

Why is there a charge for non alcoholic beverages anyway? When you consider the cost of the food that they supply.....the cost of beverage must be minimal to them................

If you add in the extra time and hassle for ship's crew and passengers to deal with the various ordering/payment methods, it to me seems a no win situation for all concerned...................

Why not charge for Canned Pop (as it costs the ships more) and then provide Fountain Pop free. This second method would make customers a little happier I'm sure and not cost cruise lines that much more. I am sure, that they will increase cruise fairs anyway......at least with this, you would be getting something for it.

 

Cheers............fatham

You've got a lot of nerve coming in and making such a logical suggestion with your very first post!

:D :D

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic. :)

[RevNeal]

Just my 2cents worth;

 

Why is there a charge for non alcoholic beverages anyway? When you consider the cost of the food that they supply.....the cost of beverage must be minimal to them................

If you add in the extra time and hassle for ship's crew and passengers to deal with the various ordering/payment methods, it to me seems a no win situation for all concerned...................

Why not charge for Canned Pop (as it costs the ships more) and then provide Fountain Pop free. This second method would make customers a little happier I'm sure and not cost cruise lines that much more. I am sure, that they will increase cruise fairs anyway......at least with this, you would be getting something for it.

 

Cheers............fatham

 

Selling canned soft drinks is a revenue stream for the Line. Providing it for free from canisters through soda fountain distribution would undercut that revenue stream.

 

The wholesale cost of soft drinks by the can varies by the kind, the lot, and the location. However, the average cost by the can, wholesale, in most US markets is somewhere between .20 - .35. Non-US markets vary more greatly, however given that HAL negotiates re-provisioning in large-scale lots, while doing quite a bit of transporting its provisioning supplies to the re-provisioning ports where it can operate most safely and cheaply, they would seek to minimize extreme variations in soda costs.

 

Hence, each sale of a canned soft drink produces a rather significant profit margin: after deducting all logistics-related-expenses, as well as any other varying costs in providing the product (all of which is not likely to more than equal to the wholesale cost of each can), they're probably earning somewhere in the neighborhood of $1 to $1.10 off of each sale, not counting the gratuity.

 

Maximizing revenue from onboard expenses is how the Lines make money. And, we WANT them to make money.

[Typhoon1]

Just got off the Amsterdam this morning.

The soda cards are only for fountain sodas -- just like a few years ago.

No more cans.

 

That is certainly a disappointment. I wish HAL would decide on one policy and stick with it for some time instead of doing the flip flop.

[KirkNC]

Selling canned soft drinks is a revenue stream for the Line. Providing it for free from canisters through soda fountain distribution would undercut that revenue stream.

 

The wholesale cost of soft drinks by the can varies by the kind, the lot, and the location. However, the average cost by the can, wholesale, in most US markets is somewhere between .20 - .35. Non-US markets vary more greatly, however given that HAL negotiates re-provisioning in large-scale lots, while doing quite a bit of transporting its provisioning supplies to the re-provisioning ports where it can operate most safely and cheaply, they would seek to minimize extreme variations in soda costs.

 

Hence, each sale of a canned soft drink produces a rather significant profit margin: after deducting all logistics-related-expenses, as well as any other varying costs in providing the product (all of which is not likely to more than equal to the wholesale cost of each can), they're probably earning somewhere in the neighborhood of $1 to $1.10 off of each sale, not counting the gratuity.

 

Maximizing revenue from onboard expenses is how the Lines make money. And, we WANT them to make money.

 

While true at some point I get tired of being nickeled and dimed. I guess the next thing will be no Happy Hour, thats about the only deal left.

[gillybean1974]

We got off the Volendam on Wednesday, it seemed to depend on the waiter/bartender whether or not you got cans or a glass of soda. The dining room always gave cans. The other bars sometimes we got fountain pop, other times it was half a can poured in a glass (the other half can of pop sitting there until someone else bought it) If we take another HAL cruise, we'll be bringing on pop with us.

[ChelseaSailor]

We got off the Volendam on Wednesday, it seemed to depend on the waiter/bartender whether or not you got cans or a glass of soda. The dining room always gave cans. The other bars sometimes we got fountain pop, other times it was half a can poured in a glass (the other half can of pop sitting there until someone else bought it) If we take another HAL cruise, we'll be bringing on pop with us.

.

That is right some waiters would give you the canned soda. They could serve you right away as the usually had canned coke on their tray. That way they avoided having to travel to the Lido bar for the fountain stuff. My biggest complaint is not the price but the wait for the fountain drink and it is usually flat. More than one time I got the drink after the meal was over.

ChelseaSailor

[fatcat04]

.

My biggest complaint is not the price but the wait for the fountain drink and it is usually flat. More than one time I got the drink after the meal was over.

ChelseaSailor

 

Exactly. This would also be a big concern for me as wait times for drinks has progressively gotten more and more absurd. :eek:

[chloes nana]

Can't you just order a coke with no ice, and get a glass of ice at the dispenser in the lido? Do they only fill your glass half full if you order no ice?

[Typhoon1]

We got off the Volendam on Wednesday, it seemed to depend on the waiter/bartender whether or not you got cans or a glass of soda. The dining room always gave cans. The other bars sometimes we got fountain pop, other times it was half a can poured in a glass (the other half can of pop sitting there until someone else bought it) If we take another HAL cruise, we'll be bringing on pop with us.

 

 

Another example of inconsistency in the soda card policy.

[monina01]

blech....fountain soda. Do not like that stuff.

In March on Maasdam we got the full cans. If it goes to fountain soda we won't be doing that anymore.

 

too bad.:( I thought the soda card thing was great.

[djwho]

Returned from the Amsterdam and it's glass of soda only. It was more difficult trying to get service to use it. We ended up going to the bar and putting in an order......

[Wakepatrol]

four whole pages for a substance that takes rust off of cars.

 

Guess I'll go back to the cotton candy thread. What's next,a thread on crazy straws and sippy cups

[monina01]

four whole pages for a substance that takes rust off of cars.

 

 

they actually tried that on Mythbusters once. It wasn't able to break down the rust deposits. But....it cleans chrome pretty well. And bloodstains.:D

[kazu]

four whole pages for a substance that takes rust off of cars.

 

Guess I'll go back to the cotton candy thread. What's next,a thread on crazy straws and sippy cups

 

You know what they say - if you don't like - you don't have to read it;);)

[readytogo2]

With the old system...unlimited fountain soda, it was a great deal. As much as I like and would prefer can soda, there is no savings....good thing I like iced tea:D

[Typhoon1]

What used to be a great deal with the soda card is now no more. :(

Strange, but I guess HAL really does want passengers to bring their own.... or else why on earth change the policy?

 

How much longer before they ban carry on soda?

[Okie1946]

How much longer before they ban carry on soda?

 

Please don't go giving them any more ideas. That's all we need - more changes that we don't know about until it's almost too late.

 

SMILE - :D - it always confuses an oncoming frown.

 

Previous Cruises:

Alaska - Westerdam - September 2009

Alaska- Rotterdam - September 2010

Mexican Riveria - Oosterdam - April 2011

[innlady1]

four whole pages for a substance that takes rust off of cars.

 

Guess I'll go back to the cotton candy thread. What's next,a thread on crazy straws and sippy cups

 

Good one, Wake Patrol! Frankly, I don't get it...do people have nothing else to be concerned about? I'm glad I'm one who just "goes with the flow".

[twodogmom]

...Then, last October aboard the Noordam I discovered that they had gone to cans all the time. That was great. It made ordering my cokes from a bar, in a lounge or on the Lido, equal to the 50% discount I received when I drank a can of coke from my minibar in my cabin (I'm a 4-star mariner).

 

 

...

 

Does the 50% discount include the water in your cabin?