Coffee Card - worth purchasing in advance ?

[Elle_Bi]

hi everyone! I am italian and so is my husband, as you can well imagine we're both quite addicted to ESPRESSO coffee and also quite demanding about it 🙂

We're interested in the Coffee Card that RCCL is currently proposing on our reservation web area (post login, East Med cruise), but it appears to be a full price purchase, no discounts with respect to the price we'd pay once on board.  The cost is 34,99 USD per person.   Am I wrong?

Few questions, if anyone could help:

- how much does it cost once on the ship? if the price is actually the very same,  I'd rather try the espresso once on board and then decide if it is worth a card....

- we're a family of 4: 2 adults and 2 kids. If I buy the coffee card, is the purchase automatically extended to each cabin members, children included? I mean, of course they do not drink coffee. 

 

thanks in advance

 

[poocher]

Coffee card will only get you coffee so not sure why you’d want it extended to kids who don’t drink it?  

My understanding is you can buy coffee with the card for anyone so you & your husband could share it.

[Funky Fusion FoodsJ]

Definitely worth it, if used for specialty drinks (not just coffee, but latte's etc) it works out to 1/2 the regular cost per cup.  You can use it to purchase anyone coffee drinks.  Also, I've never seen it go on sale for a lower price.

[Biker19]

19 minutes ago, Elle_Bi said:

if the price is actually the very same,  I'd rather try the espresso once on board and then decide if it is worth a card....

- we're a family of 4: 2 adults and 2 kids. If I buy the coffee card, is the purchase automatically extended to each cabin members, children included?

The cost is typically the same on board. The reason to buy it on board is to ask how many punches they use for the drink you will order - if you they use more than one punch, financially, you are better off buying drinks individually. You can share/give the punch card to anyone.

[LadyBerard]

How big is this punch card?  Will it fit in my jeans back pocket?  I hate carrying anything around.

[Biker19]

18 minutes ago, LadyBerard said:

How big is this punch card?  Will it fit in my jeans back pocket?  I hate carrying anything around.

The size of a credit card.

[Elle_Bi]

I

10 hours ago, poocher said:

Coffee card will only get you coffee so not sure why you’d want it extended to kids who don’t drink it?  

My understanding is you can buy coffee with the card for anyone so you & your husband could share it.

 It is NOT me wanting to extend coffee to my kids! OMG no!! 😂 

Let me explain: I read on this and other online cruising communities that any drink package you buy, you have to buy it for ALL the guests sharing your cabin. It does make sense to me: they prevent cruisers to share drinks by buying one single drink package for a whole family. They maximize the sales! 

So, did I get it wrong??

Am I allowed to buy i.e one Unlimited Soda package for my son and one coffee card for me to be shared with hubs? 

 

 

 

[HicksRA]

The only package that has to be purchased for every adult in the cabin is the Unlimited Beverage package (alcohol pkg). No restrictions on any other beverage package. 
 

I’d just wait and buy the coffee card on the ship. 

Edited June 16, 2022 by HicksRA

[Elle_Bi]

I just double checked on RCCL APP,  in the Beverage Packages section is clearly stated that "guests cannot share any package" and if so, the package might be cancelled without refund.

[HicksRA]

8 minutes ago, Elle_Bi said:

I just double checked on RCCL APP,  in the Beverage Packages section is clearly stated that "guests cannot share any package" and if so, the package might be cancelled without refund.

The coffee card is not a package. It’s a punch card that is good for fifteen coffees and can be used by anyone. 

Edited June 16, 2022 by HicksRA

[poocher]

20 minutes ago, Elle_Bi said:

I

 It is NOT me wanting to extend coffee to my kids! OMG no!! 😂 

Let me explain: I read on this and other online cruising communities that any drink package you buy, you have to buy it for ALL the guests sharing your cabin. It does make sense to me: they prevent cruisers to share drinks by buying one single drink package for a whole family. They maximize the sales! 

So, did I get it wrong??

Am I allowed to buy i.e one Unlimited Soda package for my son and one coffee card for me to be shared with hubs? 

 

 

 

As others have said here, only the deluxe beverage package (the one with the alcohol!) has a requirement that all adults in a cabin purchase it and there are ways around that too.  You are purchasing a card not a package and can share it as you choose.  And you can also buy your son the soda package without having to purchase it for you or your husband.

[Elle_Bi]

Ok  thanks for clarifying! I actually did not get that the coffee card is capped....

[Lane Hog]

My wife and daughter share a coffee card when we've cruised RCL. 

Unused punches should be usable on future cruises if it's still a paper punch card... I don't recall this being a swipe or having any indicator of the ship or cruise dates.

Edited June 16, 2022 by Lane Hog

[poocher]

7 minutes ago, Elle_Bi said:

Ok  thanks for clarifying! I actually did not get that the coffee card is capped....

Yes it is 10 cups NOT unlimited.  If you are looking for all the espresso/coffee you can drink, you have to buy at least the Refreshment  Package.

[Merion_Mom]

@Elle_Bi

 

The coffee card is one of very few things that never gets discounted and is always the same price before the cruise and on the cruise.

 

As others have advised, wait until you are on board.

 

Then go to the coffee counter (it's called La Patisserie on the Odyssey) and ask how many punches they will make for whichever kind of drink you prefer.  If it's only one,  buy the card.  If it's two (or more! 😮 ), don't buy the card and just pay as you go.

 

You can use the card for anyone.  You could get in line and yell out, "Coffee is on me!" and treat everyone in the line, if you wanted to.  😄 

[Funky Fusion FoodsJ]

42 minutes ago, poocher said:

Yes it is 10 cups NOT unlimited.  If you are looking for all the espresso/coffee you can drink, you have to buy at least the Refreshment  Package.

It is 15

[Justaguy33]

I just got back from sailing Grandeur, and my coffee card had 15 punch spots.  It was definitely worth it!  Small hot specialty coffees are one punch, but fraps and iced coffees or larger cups are 2 punches.  I had 3 punch's left when we got off, 5 day sailing but I had all I wanted.  Hoping I can use the last 3 on a future cruise.

[Merion_Mom]

6 minutes ago, Justaguy33 said:

I just got back from sailing Grandeur, and my coffee card had 15 punch spots.  It was definitely worth it!  Small hot specialty coffees are one punch, but fraps and iced coffees or larger cups are 2 punches.  I had 3 punch's left when we got off, 5 day sailing but I had all I wanted.  Hoping I can use the last 3 on a future cruise.

 

 

You can.  At least, in the experience of everyone I know.  😉 

 

[NRWPA]

20 minutes ago, Justaguy33 said:

I just got back from sailing Grandeur, and my coffee card had 15 punch spots.  It was definitely worth it!  Small hot specialty coffees are one punch, but fraps and iced coffees or larger cups are 2 punches.  I had 3 punch's left when we got off, 5 day sailing but I had all I wanted.  Hoping I can use the last 3 on a future cruise.

It's interesting to me that they do double punch unless maybe if you order a large? Here's what the description says:

 

Indulge in your favorite brews any time of day with a card that entitles you to any 15 specialty espresso-based coffees throughout your vacation, all for one low price. Start the morning off right with a macchiato or latte and reenergize your afternoons with iced coffee or an espresso, then finish your meal with a cappuccino. Or enjoy your favorite cup of joe any time you'd like and save up to 50% on individually purchased coffees.

 

Not a word about additional punches for any particular beverage. Am I missing something?

[Eddie Wilson]

13 hours ago, Funky Fusion FoodsJ said:

Definitely worth it, if used for specialty drinks (not just coffee, but latte's etc) it works out to 1/2 the regular cost per cup.  You can use it to purchase anyone coffee drinks.  Also, I've never seen it go on sale for a lower price.

 

I agree with Funky on the speciality drinks, but I used it only for coffee, and it saved 75 cents per cup.

 

i am a ‘good coffee’ drinker, and used all 15 cups on the coffee card  over 8 night sailing.  

 

I will most likely purchase one on future cruises.

 

Eddie

Edited June 17, 2022 by Eddie Wilson

[Biker19]

11 hours ago, NRWPA said:

Not a word about additional punches for any particular beverage. Am I missing something?

Yes, the ship's interpretation of that paragraph, hence the reason to ask on board before buying the card. Some have successfully argued with the barista or ship staff to get anything for one punch - YMMV.

[Funky Fusion FoodsJ]

9 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Yes, the ship's interpretation of that paragraph, hence the reason to ask on board before buying the card. Some have successfully argued with the barista or ship staff to get anything for one punch - YMMV.

Wonder of the Seas was only one punch, even for large a few weeks ago.

[HicksRA]

16 hours ago, NRWPA said:

It's interesting to me that they do double punch unless maybe if you order a large? Here's what the description says:

 

Indulge in your favorite brews any time of day with a card that entitles you to any 15 specialty espresso-based coffees throughout your vacation, all for one low price. Start the morning off right with a macchiato or latte and reenergize your afternoons with iced coffee or an espresso, then finish your meal with a cappuccino. Or enjoy your favorite cup of joe any time you'd like and save up to 50% on individually purchased coffees.

 

Not a word about additional punches for any particular beverage. Am I missing something?

I had this printed out and showed it to the agent at guest services when they wanted to charge 2 punches for a large. She called the restaurant manager to the desk and I argued with him about it. He wouldn’t bend so I gave them their coffee card back. 

[the penguins]

8 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Yes, the ship's interpretation of that paragraph, hence the reason to ask on board before buying the card. Some have successfully argued with the barista or ship staff to get anything for one punch - YMMV.

Had this problem on Indi. At 2 punches for a Latte it was cheaper to pay.

[LadyBerard]

I'm on the fence on whether or not to purchase a coffee card.  Does anybody here know the cost of a small iced coffee?  How about a single espresso?