Soda package vs bringing your own onboard

[SquishTheWhale]

Hi there. From what people have said you can buy the soda package for individuals when on board and at sea (no state tax when at sea!). For carry on soda it's been advised to check it as luggage with a tag.

 

For ordering drinks on sofa package, you need the cruise card with sticker on it for each drink ordered. So one card cannot order 2 drinks.

 

On our last cruise, ordering a soda in the MDR was slow/crap. I started taking one in with me in the end it took so long to get one!

 

Hope it helps

 

So it's ok to order a soda from a bar then take it into any restaurant? And if you did order a soda in a restaurant its included in the package?

[ellis101]

So it's ok to order a soda from a bar then take it into any restaurant? And if you did order a soda in a restaurant its included in the package?

 

on our cruise on the Sun last year, yes it was ok to take a bar drink into the MDR, and yes soda ordered in the MDR was on the package (when you actually got it delivered to the table that is!)

[DrNora]

on our cruise on the Sun last year, yes it was ok to take a bar drink into the MDR, and yes soda ordered in the MDR was on the package (when you actually got it delivered to the table that is!)

 

We have never had a problem getting a soda in the restaurants, at bingo or at shows..

We even got refills at dinner. Only 2 of our 3 kids drink soda, so we purchase on board.

 

If we are in the cabin for down time, grabbing a soda for a couple bucks is no big deal.

 

As to water, carrying on a few of the bottles with the pull-up spout is a good idea. Easy to carry to excursions, bot as big as the bulky b,ottles from the ship, and we can toss them instead of washing and refilling reusable bottles. I know, not green ( my daughter won't do this) but vacation should be easy.

[SquishTheWhale]

on our cruise on the Sun last year, yes it was ok to take a bar drink into the MDR, and yes soda ordered in the MDR was on the package (when you actually got it delivered to the table that is!)

 

Thanks for the clarification, sounds like it will be worth it then!

[Mistizoom]

Sorry for jumping in here but I have a question- can you use the soda package to get a drink with dinner in the MDR or the speciality restaurants? I like a diet coke with my meal and was thinking about getting the soda package.

 

You won't be getting Diet Coke. NCL has Pepsi products, so you will be getting Diet Pepsi if you order onboard. If that is not ok with you, you will need to bring on Diet Coke with you.

[SquishTheWhale]

You won't be getting Diet Coke. NCL has Pepsi products, so you will be getting Diet Pepsi if you order onboard. If that is not ok with you, you will need to bring on Diet Coke with you.

 

Thanks for the heads up- I know some people are fussy between the two! I'm fine with Pepsi. I actually really like Pepsi Max if they have that :)

[Svenson]

Question regarding soda package: I know that if we pre-pay for the package before we board it is a total of $114.80 per person ($6.95 per adult per day plus 18% service charge). I also know that if we pre-pay, everyone in the room must buy the package, and we cannot use OBC to pay. From the NCL site: Applicable beverage packages must be purchased for all guests staying within the same stateroom for the entire length of the cruise (even though numerous folks on the NCL Q&A site say that you don't all have to buy in the same cabin).

 

So now I'd like to compare that with the exact cost of buying on-board -- where we can use our OBC, and I don't have to buy for myself (I'm fine with ice water and tea). I've read that it costs more, but can't find the exact cost.

 

Does anyone know the exact total cost of one adult soda package for a 14-day cruise with the 18% service charge, when it is bought on board?

 

Thanks in advance!:)

[Cruise4Real]

For ordering drinks on sofa package, you need the cruise card with sticker on it for each drink ordered. So one card cannot order 2 drinks.

 

It's possible they treat soda orders differently than alcohol. But on our 4/19/15 Breakaway cruise, it would have been FAR MORE DIFFICULT to get bar wait staff to put our orders for beverage on two cards than one. I don't think we EVER got asked to so much as show the other card. They only wanted one card and would put both drinks on it, every time.

[ellis101]

Feedback on this thread is saying you can purchase soda package for an individual when on the ship and in international waters (to avoid state taxes) and don't have to pay for all cabin members

[Svenson]

Thanks, ellis101! Does anyone know the price difference between soda package pre-paid and package bought on the ship?

 

Also, does anyone know the price of individual sodas bought at dinner? Trying to decide if it's worth it to buy the package, since the kids will only drink at most one or two sodas per day. The NCL website says dinner only has coffee, tea, and water at dinner, though a number of posts on various threads mention milk, lemonade or other "fruity waters" free at dinner. This could be the deciding factor for us as the kids would be fine if lemonade or milk were included free at dinner. (We're on the Spirit, if that makes a difference.)

 

Thanks again for your help!:)