Soda Cards

[FathomOfTheOpera]

We're going on a 15-day LAX-FLL Panama. I am guessing that I'll be averaging at 2-3 sodas a day. Is it worth it to purchase a soda card? Are these fountain drinks or will they be in cans? Thanks.

[chrysalis]

yes--it will be worth it....and it is fountain only

[saltymalty]

How much are the soda cards for a 7 day cruise?

[FathomOfTheOpera]

If I recalled correctly from the FAQ's, it said that it's about $25 for an 11-day cruise, so...... I would assume that it would be less for 7-day cruise.

 

Seriously thinking of bringing a couple of cases of my favorite soda for my trip.:D

[Tom O.]

There has been several increases over time on the soda stickers. I can't remember the exact price but with the 15% automatic gratuity added, I think it came to about $4.50 per day. I don't remember the price for an individual soda, but I think you would have to have 3 per day to come out ahead with the sticker.

[PrincessMelody]

Hi...the soda cards are 3.95 per day + 15% gratuity

 

Total with tip for:

 

7 day card: 31.80

9 day card: 40.88

10 day card: 45.43

11 day card: 49.97

14 day card: 63.60

 

Hope that helps...:)

[trvlcrzy]

For comparison, cans are $1.50 each (plus gratuity).

[Nliedel]

A glass of soda is about half the size of a can. I drank two cans a day on the last cruise so a card was not worth it. If I had drunk three, then it would have been a good buy.

[MrSchwump]

Since I wake up with a Coke in my hand, this soda card thing sounds like the deal of a lifetime for me. Where do you get these? What format is it in? Is there a card on a lanyard, a plastic bracelet? Do they write on your forehead with a Sharpie? How's it work?

 

Your old pal,

Joe

[pollyanno]

haha.. pal joe, you amused me with that sharpie thing. :)

 

they put a sticker on your card, and they give you a cool cup too.. don't know what it looks like now, couple years ago it looked like a tall skinny coke can, nice insulated thing, I really like my cup. still use it now and then.. for toting icy soda or water in the car, mostly.

 

anno

[Pam in CA]

Since I wake up with a Coke in my hand, this soda card thing sounds like the deal of a lifetime for me. Where do you get these? What format is it in? Is there a card on a lanyard, a plastic bracelet? Do they write on your forehead with a Sharpie? How's it work?

You can get the "card" which is actually a sticker that's put on your cruise card at any bar onboard the ship. The first day or so, there'll also be tables set up right near you embark and near the buffet where they sell it as well. They give you a Coke tumbler as well but I very rarely use it.

 

You can get the soda in any sized glass, from small to very large. It's very convenient if you're lounging on deck and a waiter comes by -- you can just flash your card and they'll get your drink. Same thing for the buffet area. One thing to keep in mind is that the bars don't have the plastic glasses during the evening so if you like to get a large soda for your cabin before going to bed, go up to the buffet bar for the large glass.

[Rollexx]

We get the stickers every cruise, but is it just me??, or does the soda that you get out of the bar taps taste like S***??..Either no carb, or too sweet...

[Tom O.]

We get the stickers every cruise, but is it just me??, or does the soda that you get out of the bar taps taste like S***??..Either no carb, or too sweet...

 

No it's not just you, my wife and I thought it wasn't quite right too. We only drink Diet Coke, and we thought it was just a little flat.

For our next cruise, we weren't going to buy the stickers. The main reason: We spend a lot of time sitting on our balcony watching the world go by, and we found it to be a little bit of a hassle to take our mugs up to one of the bars to get them refilled. I would look at those soda cans the steward leaves in the room and think, "It sure would be easier to just open one of those." So I have decided to bring a couple of large soda bottles to keep in the fridge, and if I want a soda with my lunch or dinner, to just pay for them individually. We usually have coffee with our dinner anyway.

[philham]

It used to be you could pay less than the going rate if you did not take the Coke tumbler. Unfortunately, Princess no longer offers that choice. How many tumblers does a person need?

[merela]

We get the stickers every cruise, but is it just me??, or does the soda that you get out of the bar taps taste like S***??..Either no carb, or too sweet...

 

I think they clean out the fountain guns with solutions (tasted like chlorine) each morning, so it tasted off one morning. I've learned since to get soda at the bar near the pool entrance to the Horizon Court in the morning.

 

2 years ago, we were able to deduct around $2.50 off the soda stickers if you do not buy the tumbler. The soda sticker then was only $20 for 7-days. That was a bargain. Unless you are a big soda drinker or if your itinerary is for hot spots such as the Mexican Riviera or the Caribbeans, you won't really need that much soda.

 

If your favorite soda is not offered on board, I would suggest that you pack your own.

[musicgirl528]

Specifically, what drinks are included with the soda card? Thanks!

[PrincessMelody]

Specifically, what drinks are included with the soda card? Thanks!

 

As I can recall, it includes fountain Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Ginger Ale, and Club Soda.

[flvol77]

We get the stickers every cruise, but is it just me??, or does the soda that you get out of the bar taps taste like S***??..Either no carb, or too sweet...

 

first of all there is a reason for this

 

1) 9 times out of 10 they use bar guns. While bar guns are useful they aren't intended to pour massive amounts of soda. A bar gun is good for a MAYBE a 4oz then after that the mix becomes bad. Also another reason, if you look at a bar gun they have a long cord...well, if product stays in there for any length of time it becomes bad. My suggestion...I think they have a couple of places on the ship that actually have fountain machines, find them and ask for a soda out that.

 

2) its really hard to service the eq, first of all because you are at sea for 7 days and then you come back on a saturday and Coca-Cola has limited time to fix the problem.

[XtinaRenee]

Which beverages are free with dinner? Ice/hot tea, coffee, milk, and water. Is the water filtered?

[trvlcrzy]

Which beverages are free with dinner? Ice/hot tea, coffee, milk, and water. Is the water filtered?

 

Specialty coffees (espresso, cappucino, latte) after dinner were listed on the dessert menu along with prices. (I don't drink coffee at all, so I'm not much help there.)

 

We had soda cards, so we had a glass of Coca-Cola with dinner in addition to our water.

[NorCal123]

Is there an extra bar charge for sodas in the dinning rooms? Or another way to put the question, are sodas always additional charge no matter where or when?

[Lighting Guy]

Is there an extra bar charge for sodas in the dinning rooms? Or another way to put the question, are sodas always additional charge no matter where or when?

 

The way I understand it is if you don't have a soda card, the soda will cost the same all over the ship. Gratuity is already included in the price you pay either individually or with the card. Hope this helps.

[Tom O.]

Is there an extra bar charge for sodas in the dinning rooms? Or another way to put the question, are sodas always additional charge no matter where or when?

 

Also please note that the soda sticker only covers fountain drinks. Your steward will also place soda cans in your room. These soda cans are not included with the sticker and you will have to pay for these if you drink them.

[NorCal123]

Thank you Tom and Lighting Guy for clarification.