soda card...worth it?

[lisah1465]

I have two teenage boys and was thinking about purchasing them each a soda card. Is it worth it? I heard that 15% gratuitity is added on??? Is that to each soda and is it automatically just added on to your sign and sail card? How does this work? Is this just for soda??? Thanks

Lisa

[Cruise Dragon]

Hi Lisa,

 

We always buy 2 soda cards for my wife and I because we drink alot of Diet Coke, so it's worth it for us. It really depends on how much soda you kids drink.

 

You can buy the soda card at any bar as soon as you get on the ship. The 15% SC is added on to the price of the purchase of the soda card not each soda.

 

The way it works is you go up to any where they serve drinks (not including Room Service) show them your soda card and they ope a can of soda, pour it into a glass and hand it to you.

 

As far as I know it's only good for soda. If you don't get the answer here, you can always ask when you go buy the card.

 

Walter

 

6/12/04 2nd Anniversary on The Carnival Miracle

 

6/2003 Carnival Legend

1st Anniversary

6/2002 Celebrity Mercury

Honeymoon

[halos]

Like Cruise Dragon said, it depends on how much you drink. For our two kids, it is worth it for us to buy it for one of them but not the other....fortunately, the oldest daughter is a big water drinker...the other is a soda addict like her Dad.....while on the ship the DH and I don't get them because although the Dh IS a Cola addict; on the ship, there is rum in his Coke and the soda card doesn't cover that!!!!

 

I believe in Miracles

MIRACLE JUNE 19, 2004

Calm Seas, Good Friends

[Juliah67]

I didn't get one for my 5-year-old b/c I didn't want him drinking soda all the time. However, if he were older I might have. My niece and nephew each had one and they loved it!!!! They really loved getting the Shirley Temples at dinner....seemed to make the dining experience more festive for them My son had his first Shirley Temple and loved it. I'll let him get one as a treat when we go out to eat now. I think they seem to be a good deal if you're a big soda drinker. Bet Cyt will reply on this one Love, Juliah

 

Glory Eastern 5/29/04

[simkoreb]

I thought my husband and I would need one on our first cruise, but we ended up drinking the fruit punch and other drinks provided everyday and being satisfied. We would buy a few cokes when we were craving one, but because we knew if we had a soda card all we would drink would be coke, we tried to stay a little healthier?!

[kajsb]

We just sailed the Pride and loaded a roll on ice chest with almost 2 cases of diet coke and bottled water. It made it on the ship just fine. Our cabin steward filled the ice chest with ice twice a day and we always had soda and water whenever we wanted. This saved a lot of money.

 

Kathy

 

Cruise with Mom- Early 80th birthday celebration!!

 

 

Since we sailed on the Pride in aft cabin 4228!

 

 

Ecstasy 05/26/03

Ecstasy 09/13/02

 

 

 

[serene56]

We took our own soda onboard too. Made use of the iced tea and lemonade. Kids drank Choc milk with dinners. I didnt get them a soda card for the reason they would drink nothing but soda all day long- this way they had 12 cans to last thema week. (it did)

 

Going NOWHERE

 

 

 

Miracle, February 13, 2005

Legend, October 22,2004

Voyager August 31,2003

Victory September 22,2002

Regal Empress,June 2001

Sensation,August 2000

 

 

[mayrashke]

Hi, Juliah67-I was just wondering if you can get Shirley Temples on the soda card anywhere on the ship;or just in the dining room with the soda card??? Kids<12yrs.get free soda in the dining room anyway. I may get a soda card for my 13 yr.old and she can have soda too at meals[and other times). I may not get one for my 7 yr.old-as she can have her sodas at meals. I do not want the kids drinking too much pop!! [but they will get some-they are on vacation too!!)

 

Valor Jan.23/05(W.Caribb.)-we are all going and are very excited!!!!!!!!!!!

SeaPrincess Jan./01(W.Caribb)

[gagirl]

Just off the Glory and we did get a coke card for each of our teenage boys (Both 13) They used it all week well worth the money, never experience trouble using it either as I have read in other posts.

 

Cost of each $32.20 (that includes the tip)

 

At the bar areas they are given a glass w/ice and coke and at dinner they were served (several) can cokes.

Can cokes were 1.50 with/out the card.

 

Considering they never really get to use their sign and sail card, except when re-entering on the ship....it must have made them feel special to whip out that card and get something "Free"

[therainbows1999]

I am thinking about getting one for my daughter and husband when we go. Do they server Mr. Pibb or Dr. Pepper?

 

Elation 6/04

[kruisinkat]

I always buy my son a soda card on each cruise. That way if I'm not around, he can still get a drink. (Still don't give him free reign w/ the sail & sign card)

 

Never saw a Dr. Pepper on board.

 

06/04 Holiday Cruise

 

 

Nordic Empress 10/92

Ecstasy 10/98

Holiday 10/02

[Mom4Nana2]

Does Carnival have Pepsi products? A week without my Diet Pepsi might cause me to be put off at a port! Can you carry on your own without having to hide it? Don't want to get kicked off over a $5.00 case of soda. Looking forward to our 1st cruise in Oct.

 

Mom4Nana2 Ready for a cruise!!!

[pungo3]

Sorry, no Pepsi on Carnival. I carried my own and had no problem. Enjoy your cruise!

 

Carnival Pride 5/4/02

Carnival Conquest 1/19/03

Carnival Legend 1/16/04

Carnival Destiny 10/24/04

Carnival Valor 10/30/05

[Cruise Dragon]

My wife and I went on the Legend last June. We packed 24 20 oz bottles in our baggage with no problem. When we ran out, we bought more soda in the next port. I put 2 12 packs of cans into my backpack and had had no problem bringing it back on board.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Walter

 

The Policy from the Carnival webpage is below: (the part about non alcoholic drinks are in bold)

 

 

Can I Bring Liquor On Board?

 

 

 

A liquor and beverage consumption policy was created in order for Carnival to be able to control the liquor consumption of minors and the quantities consumed that lead to the disruptive behavior of others on board.

 

Liquor and Beverage Policy

 

Bringing Alcohol On Board - Embarkation

 

Guests are prohibited from bringing alcoholic beverages on board. 

 

One bottle of fine wine or champagne, per stateroom, may be brought on board during embarkation only. If the wine and/or champagne is brought to the Dining room for consumption, a $10 corkage fee per bottle will be charged to the guest; otherwise, the guest may only drink the wine and/or champagne in the privacy of a stateroom. The wine and/or champagne may NOT be brought into any other public lounge or area.   

 

Guests may bring a small quantity of non-alcoholic beverages. Excessive quantities, to be determined at the discretion of security and/or the embarkation personnel, will be confiscated and retained by Carnival until the cruise is completed.

 

Ports-of-Call

 

Alcoholic beverages of any kind purchased in any Port-of-Call will be confiscated at the gangway, stored on board and retained by Carnival until the end of the voyage. 

 

Ship Gift Shops

 

Alcoholic beverages of any kind purchased in the ship's gift shop will be stored on board and be retained by Carnival until the end of the voyage.

 

Drinking Alcohol On Board - 

 

The minimum age for the purchase and/or consumption of alcoholic beverages in the bars, lounges and gift shops is 21 years of age. Carnival reserves the right to refuse the sale of alcoholic beverages to anyone.  In the event that Bar/Restaurant/Gift Shop Staff are in question that a guest is less than 21 years old, they shall request picture identification, prior to serving the drink or selling the bottle of liquor.      

Guests may bring a small quantity of non-alcoholic beverages. Excessive quantities, to be determined at the discretion of security and/or the embarkation personnel, will be confiscated and retained by Carnival until the cruise is completed.

 

6/12/04 2nd Anniversary on The Carnival Miracle

 

6/2003 Carnival Legend

1st Anniversary

6/2002 Celebrity Mercury

Honeymoon

[Juliah67]

mayrashke...I don't know if you can get Shirley Temples all the time. I will ask Cyt...her kids had the cards. Have a great cruise! Love, Juliah

 

Glory Eastern 5/29/04

[mayrashke]

Thanks Juliah, I will check back tomorrow here. (That is one reason an all-inclusive vacation was appealing to us.All the mocktail foo-foo drinks( and alcohol ones for me!) you could drink!!, but we decided to cruise instead.) I know mocktail foo-foos will cost, but a S.Temple is still very appealing for the girls.

 

Valor Jan.23/05(W.Caribb.)-we are all going and are very excited!!!!!!!!!!!

SeaPrincess Jan./01(W.Caribb)

[QTPieRye]

In the Conquest Capers they advertise for a "Fountain Card". Yet, on these threads I've read many times where it is just canned soda poured into a glass.

 

Does anyone know if you actually get Fountain Soda??? I plan on bringing 20oz bottles, but do enjoy the fizz of a fresh fountain soda on ice... Thanks

 

Girls Only Conquest!

 

Sensation Family Cruise

 

[Boston6]

We did the soda card for each of my 2 boys. I find it worthwhile because you can "turn off" charging privledges on the sail & sign card that the children are issued and they can use the soda card to get drinks as needed without having to find you every time they need a drink.

 

It's a good idea to turn off their charging privledges because they may lose the card or they can use it to get tokens for the arcade without your knowledge...until the bill comes, that is.

 

Sovereign of the Seas (11/89)

Monarch of the Seas (8/99)

Norwegian Sea (7/02)

Carnival Glory (4/17/04)

Carnival Glory (12/25/04)

 

[Cyt4SoreEyes]

Mayrashke...you can order shirley temples anywhere on the ship with the soda cards. It was well worth getting them for both my kids 9 and 12. They were asked in dining rooms for those cards when they asked for sodas or shirey temples..so I am not sure but I thought someone said sodas were free for kids under 12..that was not the case on our cruise in the dining room.

 

Julie you were right I replied..hehehe!!! Definitely was great idea getting the soda cards..I even shared a few with Alex at the pool bar when he wasn't in the pool..hehehe!!

 

Cyt

 

Atlantic

Oceanic

Norway

Enchantment of the Seas

Destiny

Voyager of the Seas

Conquest March 30th 2003

Glory May 29th 2004

Caribbean Princess Oct 23 2004

Legend November 19 2004

 

 

 

 

[jleq]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Do they server Mr. Pibb or Dr. Pepper?

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Mr. Pibb is avail.

 

[rscima]

Cyt, I'm glad you said that about them charging the kids for sodas in the dining room. I thought I had read on these boards that kids get free soda in the dining room only. The first night at dinner, DH & our 2 kids ordered soda from the "bar" waiter & it was almost $10! I didn't want to sound cheap so didn't question him about the kids getting free sodas but we did tell the kids they would drink milk or juice with their dinner for the rest of the trip.

On another note, I need to vent about the language barrier. When we asked our "bar" waiter at dinner if they had root beer for the kids he said only ODoulles & something else I couldn't understand. I repeated "ROOTBEER" to which he replied "even though there is no alcohol, we cannot serve it to children under 12)...I again replied "ROOTBEER, you know like A & W?) he just shook his head "No". We finally just gave up & said "Coke". You can't possibly tell me that we were the 1st people on a cruise ship ever to ask for root beer! O.K. the venting is over...thanks for listening

[Cyt4SoreEyes]

I think because on some Islands there beer is made from root and even though its not like our alcohol kids cannot drink it..I wish I could have been there when ya asked I might have busted a gut over that one..lol!! Island rootbeer is very very strong we had some on Jamaica.wow!

 

Cyt

 

Atlantic

Oceanic

Norway

Enchantment of the Seas

Destiny

Voyager of the Seas

Conquest March 30th 2003

Glory May 29th 2004

Caribbean Princess Oct 23 2004

Legend November 19 2004

 

 

 

 

[mayrashke]

Thanks Cyt & Juliah for the Shirley Temple info. I am SURE that I read on Carnival's website that children under 12 get free sodas in the dining room at meals. I just went to check on their site and it is down for repair. I think that would be fun for my 13 yr.old to be able to get her own sodas(or pop as we usually call it in Canada)with her card. Not sure if I will get one for the 7 yr.old though.(I can just hear it now:Why does she get one??...) Lots of time until I cruise though to think about it. Thanks again. Valor Jan.23/05(W.Caribb.)-we are all going and are very excited!!!!!!!!!!!

SeaPrincess Jan./01(W.Caribb)

[INCHARGE]

Are the soda cards separate cards, or do they add this to your sign & sail card? Also, can you take an insulated cup to them and have it filled? I don't want to keep coming back often if possible.

 

When prayers go up~Blessings come down

Miracle Sept 5,2004 7 day

Destiny June 13,2004 7 day

Disney Magic Sept 6,2003 7 day

Spirit Nov.2002 Panama 8 day

Paradise Oct 2002 10 day

Paradise Feb.2000 7 day

[deanlo]

Hi

Excuse my ignorance what is a shirley temple?

 

ECSTACY 04/03.

Until party time