soda card question

[mina]

I read somewhere recently that you can request cans when using your soda card. Is this true? Have not heard of this before -- but it would be wonderful if you can.

 

Also - will they honor your soda card during dinner? Thank you!

[pklopp]

When I used my soda card, I was always given a fountain drink.

Peggy

[woldridge]

Yes, they will honor your soda card at dinner, but no, cans are not part of the deal.

Barb

[jhannah]

Sometimes they are. On our Prinsendam cruise, the card was for 20 sodas ... not unlimited. For those, we always got cans.

[willowoodf]

On the Ryndam in May, we got cans for our soda card. Nothing was said about a limit.

 

Don't know if we could use the card at dinner - we drank something a little stronger. ;)

 

Mary

[RuthC]

Typically you get a fountain soda, unless what you request isn't available that way. Then you get soda from a can, but the can is not given to you with the glass.

I had the soda card on my last cruise. Since I order caffeine free diet Coke, and it isn't available via the fountain, I was poured a glass. I never got the can; the refill was poured from it, though.

There are two different types of soda cards---the unlimited, and the one Jim is referring to where a set price gets you a set number of cans at a reduced total price.

[JimVrhovac]

Fountain drink with no limit is our experience..

 

Jim

[Iggipolka]

What are the soda's that they have on board? I know there's Coke, Diet Coke and Caffine Free Diet Coke, but what else?

 

Thanks!

[WNYCRUISER]

I find the soda cards interesting. In my two previous cruises on the Zuiderdam, I had never heard of and had never been offered a soda card. I had never known anything of them until I started reading these boards!

 

Maybe they don't push them as much as I have read here.

[jhannah]

I haven't noticed them being pushed like they are on Princess. On HAL you generally have to ask for them.

[willowoodf]

On the Ryndam in May, they had a "liquor store" on the ramp to get on the ship. We stopped to buy a bottle and at that time asked about the soda card, which we had only known about from reading here. The "liquor salesman" was able to sell us the cards (well, actually stickers you put on your room card).

 

We were always given cans, no matter what we asked for. I have heard they don't have fountain soda on the Ryndam, only cans, but I don't know that for sure.

 

Mary

[Sierrachik]

I find the soda cards interesting. In my two previous cruises on the Zuiderdam, I had never heard of and had never been offered a soda card. I had never known anything of them until I started reading these boards!

 

Maybe they don't push them as much as I have read here.

 

On the Zuiderdam they are generally offered in the Lido pool area the day of embarkation. Last year they pushed quite heavily, this year it didn't seem to be as much.

[RuthC]

What are the soda's that they have on board? I know there's Coke, Diet Coke and Caffine Free Diet Coke, but what else?

Sprite, certainly, is available. HAL uses Coke products exclusively, but I don't know which ones---or which ones are left out.

One thing you could do is have your TA inquire about a specific Coke product you're interested in to see if they stock it. If they don't you could have your TA ask that some be on-loaded for your cruise.

I did that once. They didn't have caffeine free diet coke at the time. They did by my cruise. :)

[Marbella]

Would anyone have an idea of the cost of these cards? We will be on a 14 day cruise aboard the Statendam. Ruth, I too drink caffeine free diet coke and am glad to hear that it is stocked.

[jhannah]

Our card for 20 sodas was $24.95 plus the 15% gratuity.

[Marbella]

Thanks Jhannah. Soda cards are new to me also. The first and only HAL cruise we've ever taken was on the Amsterdam in 2001. I don't recall ever seeing them available.

[K&RCurt]

On the Westerdam in January the unlimited "fountain" soda "card" was $27.50 for a 7 day. (The "card" is actually a coke sticker that is placed on your cruise card). I would imagine it would be double that for a 14 day.

 

We bought ours from a beverage steward in the Lido while we ate lunch after getting on board. They were also selling them

at the wine table that was set up by the lido pool.

 

We usually were served small glasses from the fountain at most of the bars. The bartender by the lido pool was more than happy

to fill the large HAL sports bottles we bought at the on-board shops. When we ordered sodas in the dinning room, we were brought

cans. The sticker was not valid on HMC.

 

You can call ship's services ahead of time and order these. The stickers will be waiting for you in your cabin when you arrive.

[mina]

Thank you all for the responses. Now -- what is the cost of a can of soda? Trying to figure out if we will drink enough to break even:) Thank you!

[mrskmirolla]

What are the soda's that they have on board? I know there's Coke, Diet Coke and Caffine Free Diet Coke, but what else?

 

Thanks!

 

I bought the soda card once and was extremely disappointed as we are a PEPSI COLA family and couldn't find any at all. Had to buy it in port:( My husband worked for PEPSI for 41 years so yeah I would say we are loyal. Oh and I only got fountain diet C (just can't say or write the work:o )

 

Kathy

[earthfarie]

Thank you all for the responses. Now -- what is the cost of a can of soda? Trying to figure out if we will drink enough to break even:) Thank you!

 

A can of soda costs $1.75 .

[Joanandjoe]

The only sode I drink is diet soda, but I HATE the taste of Diet Coke, in all its various forms. Does that mean I'd better drink only iced tea, or are there some non-Coke diet choices such as Sprite or other non-colas?

[RuthC]

-- what is the cost of a can of soda? Trying to figure out if we will drink enough to break even:) Thank you!

mina, earthfarie is correct that a can of soda is $1.75, but when budgeting you also have to add the service charge. Total cost of a can of soda is $2.01.

[RuthC]

The only sode I drink is diet soda, but I HATE the taste of Diet Coke, in all its various forms. Does that mean I'd better drink only iced tea, or are there some non-Coke diet choices such as Sprite or other non-colas?

You might want to re-read post #13 in this thread. Hopefully that will answer your question.

[Joanandjoe]

Post #13 mentions Sprite, not diet Sprite. As diet soda drinkers, we find that many restaurants have five or more non-diet choices, but only cola as a diet choice. At home we drink root beer, birch beer, orange, cherry, ginger ale, etc.-diet flavors not usually found in restaurants.

 

This is not a biggie. On Windstar last year, Joe simply didn't drink any soda for two weeks.

[RuthC]

To repeat:

One thing you could do is have your TA inquire about a specific Coke product you're interested in to see if they stock it. If they don't you could have your TA ask that some be on-loaded for your cruise.