Soft Drink Cards

[seattleadjuster]

This May on the Statendam I got the soda card, both on a 7 day northbound and a 7 day southbound. The 15% is added as a graduity. Never had any problems getting softdrinks. I loved going to the Crow's Nest and watching the views for hours, and having my drink refreshed.

We were allowed the soft drinks at dinner. The first night (of 14 nights) the bar waiter never did return with my drink. The next night he apologized, and for the rest of the cruise I had one or two cans waiting for me every night.

[reggielew]

Hi!

We will be going on the Maasdam in 3 weeks, and I am debating whether or not to purchase a soda card. Is lemonade or fruit punch available in the lido during lunch hours? If it is, I probably will only drink soda once a day in the dining room at dinner and will not need the soda card. If only water and iced tea are available, the soda card is probably my best bet. Thanks!

Reggie

[sail7seas]

Ice Water and Ice Tea, coffee and tea are complimentary beverages at lunch.

There might be some small glasses of juice available in the Lido buffet line but I don't think so.

[wineandbeach]

Just got off the Zuiderdam. Myy children and I had soda cards. They sell them as you are getting on the ship. They cost $35 plus 15% gratuity. This includes soda at Half Moon Cay. You can get it for less without the half moon cay but they don't tell you that unless you ask. We had no problem using our cards anywhere on the ship. The bars that don't have fountain soda just poured it from a can. We had no problem getting it in the Vista. Antonio our wine Steward made sure we we always had full glasses of soda. In the Lido, there is a little cart set up where you can get soda. The cups were a decent size and the card was well worth it for soda drinkers. The only time you can't get it is in the morning in the Lido. I brought some from home for this and had no trouble carrying it on.

[kootz]

Can you ask for a can not opened to be drunk later in your cabin? I like to have it at night before I go to bed.

[sail7seas]

Yes, you can.

[montgomeryfamily]

kootz, just to clarify, the soda card only entitles you to fountain sodas. Sometimes you get soda from a can with the soda card when it is more convenient for the cruise line staff, such as when the particular bar doesn't have the fountain soda.

You can get a canned soda which is not opened, but you ordinarily will be charged for the canned soda, even with your soda card. Sometimes a waiter/server will be gracious enough to give you a can instead of a fountain soda, but you technically aren't entitled to a canned soda with the card.

The reason I know about this is my sister-in-law only drinks caffeine-free sodas. The fountain Coke comes only in regular and diet. But they do have Caffeine-free Coke in cans. So with the fountain soda, she was limited to Sprite, Ginger-ale and tonic water as her caffeine-free choices. Sometimes she would go ahead and get the Caffeine-free Cokes and almost always she had to pay. (Only once did the server go ahead and give it to her since she had the card.)

[gizmo]

[quote name='staufj22']Actually, when we book all inclusive vacations, to places like Mexico, all restaurants in the resort provide drinks at no additional cost.[/QUOTE]
Most cruise lines are not all inclusive. There is an upscale line that does include everything including booze and soda but the majority do not.

The majority of cruises are not sold as all inclusive. A good TA should tell you what is included and what is not.

[ore-ee-gun]

My husband bought a soda card for our trip this past week, and it was a complete waste of money. It was difficult to get sodas in the dining room, and we got the feeling that the bartenders disliked serving them. At lunch one day, he ordered one that never came at all. Canned soft drinks cost $1.75 plus 15% service charge. I am a soda addict, and didn't have one the entire week. The iced tea is quite good.

[dam1050]

[quote name='revneal']
With the new gratuity charge I'm not sure how the cards are handled. I'm almost certain the 15% is added even on soft drinks (1.75 x .15 = 2.01 per can of soda). [/QUOTE]

On the Volendam in May it was indeed $2.01 per can of pop. I don't particularly like the soda fountain kind of pop, so I never get a card and buy it by the can myself. I did see a couple of people who showed the bartender a card to have him get them a glass of pop, and he did look a little sad .... but brought the drink regardless.

You will find that the bartenders on HAL have a new "energy" about them since this new system ... almost as if they are om commission in a clothing store, where the clerk "jumps" you as soon as you enter........LOL

Dave

[a1moty]

Does anyone know if Hot Chocolate is available on the Zaandam--
and if it is--is it complimentary-(Gee, you look nice today!)?:cool:

[sail7seas]

I don't drimk hot chocolate but it seems to me there are packets of it available at the coffee station in Lido near the tea bags at breakfast. I'm not positive though and don't know if it is there at lunch time.

[rolnickr]

The price of the soda "card" (actually a little Coca Cola sticker the stick on your ship card) on the Zaandam last week was $27.50 plus 15% gratuity (which was *not* mentioned until we got our final bill, but we'd suspected that there would be a gratuity so we weren't too surprised). In the Lido, they give you canned soda with the card, but all other dining rooms and bars provided fountain drinks. The card also does not apply to the canned sodas prestocked in the cabin minifridge.

I skipped the card as I knew I wasn't going to be drinking anything except water, but my wife sprang for the card and made good use of it.

-- Rob

[FoxyTerrier]

[quote name='jayjo']We just returned from the Maasdam. My son had a coke card.... Important to note that the soda card is good for fountain sodas not cans. We have always had them as the kids, 14 year old then can have a drink on his own when he likes with out having to charge. Gratuity WAS charged when we purchased the card. This was one area that I would say HAL does a poor job at. The first 4 days my son could not get the waitstaff to bring a soda. If he wanted one he had to go to the bar himself. I spoke to the customer advocate woman on board. They refunded the coat of the sticker, and spoke to the waitstaff and it was amazing how much better the service got. I think the staff of the Maasdam is not used to as many younger people that were on board and really didn't understand how to deal with them. As I always say, don't complain unless the person listening has the authority to do something about the problem.

Coffee and tea, iced and hot as well as milk are available, although the milk was UHT and defintely tasted strange. Juice is available in the morning. Sodas are not included in meals.[/QUOTE]

We were on the Maasdam April 2003, my son got his first soda card on that cruise on this trip. (We had never heard of them on Noordam 2001 or Ryndam 2002) He used it everywhere on the ship including the dining room. After the first night one was waiting for him every evening when we arrived. Talk about GREAT service. So I guess it just depends or maybe service really has downhill.

As far as the free drinks go - I'm not a soda, coffee or tea drinker, but do like sparkling water. Do you have to pay for sparkling water? Sometime I got George to get me one and I don't feel like I cheated HAL as sparkling water isn't really soda and they just gave it to him at the bar.

[Plut0]

Hi,
We just got off the Veendam on Sunday. Both my son and I had a soda card/stikcer. It was purchased for us as a gift for us through ship services (27.50 each). The stickers were in our room when we arrived and we immediately put them on our ship card. When we went to dinner the first evening, my son showed his to the wine steward and she got him his coke (and refills all throughout dinner). Each night she had a soda waiting for him and when I finished my two glasses of wine each night, she knew to bring me a diet Coke.

We also had no problems getting them at any bar, at the pool or in the Lido. Some of the places we went regularly, we did not have to show the card as the staff knew us and knew that we each had a card.

For us, they were well worth the cost.

Hope this helps.
Mary

[FoxyTerrier]

I heard there are no soda cards on the Noordam and Ryndam. Anyone know why?

[elmorejj]

If your cruise includes Half Moon Cay, be aware you cannot use a soda card there. They do not have fountain soda on HMC and that is what you get with a soda card....jean

[aussie jb]

Just for the sake of clarifying....
Will a 'soda card' get me coca cola or do I have to buy it in a can? Do the soda fountains dispense coke?
Seems we speak different languages sometimes :)
Debbie

[gammaf]

We just returned from the Zuiderdam in June. I purchased the soda card for 27.50. I was disappointed that when I wanted a soda, like at lunch that is was too hard to get one. You had to get a bar stewart to get it and they were not always around. I would have been better off just getting one when I wanted it. I do not think that they are worth the money. You can always take soda in a backpack and water like we did on the sip if you really want it.

[lindleyjulie]

reading this its going to cost a small fortune, I know us britts are known as being thrifty(saving money) but for our up and coming cruise Volendam 17/10/2004 3 children and I dont drink thats $150 for soda cards $50 a day tips $550 thats the price for one person, good job my mums paying dont I have the best mum:)

[susiep]

Thanks for the info............so are coffee, iced tea and bottled water available at all times? Is there a charge? Is it self service? If so where is it located on the Amsterdam? THANKS. Susan