Ncl Soda Cards Beware!

[immargaret]

Where and how does someone buy the soda card on-line? I'm struggling with the new NCL website

 

Try the bonvoyage gift area.....

 

 

http://freestylecruising.com/more/bon_voyage_list.htm

[PDAZ]

Where and how does someone buy the soda card on-line? I'm struggling with the new NCL website

 

Lasse Kjus? Are you a fan or are you Lasse Kjus?

[LasseKjus]

A fan, I guess, as much as anything. I'm an olympic afficiando and I got my first e-mail account right after the 1994 Lillehamer Olympics. I loved the show the Norwegians put on and his name was the only Norwegian name that would fit in the AOL screen name parameters. JohanOlafKoss, KjteilAndreAamodt, StineLiseHattesgaard all wouldn't fit. It's been a while since someone has asked me if I'm actually a Norwegian skiier.

[PDAZ]

94 was one of my favorite Olympics! Vegard Ulvang was my crush at the time!

[kimc0486]

If you order a pop at say a restaurant or at the pool for $1.25, is there an automatic tip of 15% added each time?

[M&MCruisin]

If you order a pop at say a restaurant or at the pool for $1.25, is there an automatic tip of 15% added each time?

 

Yes, tip automatic each time unless you have the soda card...they just wack it to you at one time :rolleyes: at least for me! LOL! I totally got screwed here. Oh well, I was too excited about being on the ship to really push the issue and I didnt want to ruin my cruise by getting completely pissed off at the finance guy or the bar tender.

 

Incidentally, at the Atrium Bar midship deck 7, they'll give you the can for that price.

 

As far as soda cards (not a la carte which I think you are referring to) This is the one bar on the Pearl that I got the drinks from the most and they refused to give me a can here too. They actually told me to drink a bit from the glass while standing there and they would fill it back up before I walk away. LOL! Its funny huh? The mini bar in the buffett area, I asked for one because there were NO seats available in the buffett area and I explained that I needed to go back to my room with my food and didnt want to come back down for a refill and he said no can...I already gave you a bigger glass, which by the way with ice equals about 1/2 can! LOL! You have to laugh...they are told to do this, its not the bartenders fault, they are just following NCL rules.

[PDAZ]

Yes, tip automatic each time unless you have the soda card...they just wack it to you at one time :rolleyes: at least for me! LOL! I totally got screwed here. Oh well, I was too excited about being on the ship to really push the issue and I didnt want to ruin my cruise by getting completely pissed off at the finance guy or the bar tender. .

 

 

They didn't on the Pride of Aloha! We had to calculate the tip each time which is a bit of a pain -- luckily, after the first few times, you had the amount down!

 

As far as soda cards (not a la carte which I think you are referring to) This is the one bar on the Pearl that I got the drinks from the most and they refused to give me a can here too. They actually told me to drink a bit from the glass while standing there and they would fill it back up before I walk away. LOL! Its funny huh? The mini bar in the buffett area, I asked for one because there were NO seats available in the buffett area and I explained that I needed to go back to my room with my food and didnt want to come back down for a refill and he said no can...I already gave you a bigger glass, which by the way with ice equals about 1/2 can! LOL! You have to laugh...they are told to do this, its not the bartenders fault, they are just following NCL rules.

 

I'm talking about the Atrium bar on the Pride of Aloha -- just returned on 3/18 and they gave me a can everytime :)

[just4now]

Try the bonvoyage gift area.....

 

 

http://freestylecruising.com/more/bon_voyage_list.htm

 

No link to order, and when you click on the order form link you get "page not found" :confused:

[immargaret]

No link to order, and when you click on the order form link you get "page not found" :confused:

 

 

Try this one, the Adobe order form is 1/2 way down on the right.

 

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/cruiser/staticPages.html;jsessionid=GJX20lpvkT5dd1S22kgHPxnRqTKcvNgB!2051216410?pageId=bon_voyage_gifts

 

I just tried it and this one is working.

[jerseyjk]

The math is really simple ...

 

1.25 + 15% tip = $1.44 per soda

$5.75 per day / $1.44 per soda = 3.99 sodas per day.

 

If you drink more than four per day you're better off with the card. Personally, I can drink four with dinner, so it's a deal for me. Do I really care if I don't make the four a day though? Not really because it's simply more convenient to flash the card and get a soda than to have them run the card, add the tip and sign. To each his own though.

[LasseKjus]

We'll probably bring soda on board for the room and buy the cards in addition. It will probably be the only expense we have on board, sans a trip to Le Bistro. We've done a cruise where our only charges were tips. We don't drink. We typically don't do shore excursions or we might take one city tour that doesn't cost a lot (being on the ship is vacation enough). For us, it's about convenience. It's nice to have some in the room and it's nice to have access to some wherever we are in the public areas.

 

We did the Disney Magic this summer and I will say the soda fountain on the pool deck and in the Lido restauraunt is very convenient. There is a certain amount of waste I think, but not much more than one who buys a soda on board. A self serve fountain and having it whenever you want seemed to make it very popular at first, but by the second day, it wasn't a big deal to all the kids and they took what they were going to drink.

 

The first time we did Disney Magic (Sept. 00), there was no soda fountain. Sodas from the bar were charged and sodas in restaurants were free. The double standard seemed odd. Our upcoming NCL cruise will be our seventh total cruise and just the second to have soda card availability on board. Personally, it is nice just to not have to worry about paying everytime. It's a big cost comparatively, but pretty much anytime you buy a soda from anywhere nowadays that isn't from a grocery or discount store, you massively overpay.

[just4now]

I am definitly getting the card for my son (17) who practically breathes soda. I think I'll get the teen passport for the daughter (13) since she's not much of a soda drinker so that should be plenty of refreshment for her. It says 20 "nonalcoholic" drinks, and as I understand it that is mainly for smoothies. She could use the coupons for soda at meals though, couldn't she?

Not that it matters, there's no way she'd drink 4 sodas a day so it would still be cheaper to buy hers a la carte.

[immargaret]

I am definitly getting the card for my son (17) who practically breathes soda. I think I'll get the teen passport for the daughter (13) since she's not much of a soda drinker so that should be plenty of refreshment for her. It says 20 "nonalcoholic" drinks, and as I understand it that is mainly for smoothies. She could use the coupons for soda at meals though, couldn't she?

Not that it matters, there's no way she'd drink 4 sodas a day so it would still be cheaper to buy hers a la carte.

 

The teen passport coupons can be used for cans of soda, or even bottles of water.......or even root beer floats. If she wants to let your son try the teen passport coupons for smoothies there isn't a problem with teens sharing the coupons.

[just4now]

The teen passport coupons can be used for cans of soda, or even bottles of water.......or even root beer floats. If she wants to let your son try the teen passport coupons for smoothies there isn't a problem with teens sharing the coupons.

 

That'll be perfect for her then! And...since I know he'll want to go to the party even though he says now there's NO WAY he's going to do all that "group stuff" he can be her guest.

 

If he's extra nice to her. :D

 

And she doesn't meet someone she'd rather invite. ;)

[immargaret]

That'll be perfect for her then! And...since I know he'll want to go to the party even though he says now there's NO WAY he's going to do all that "group stuff" he can be her guest.

 

If he's extra nice to her. :D

 

And she doesn't meet someone she'd rather invite. ;)

 

I've bought the teen passports for my daughter for the last 5 -6 cruises and I don't think I've ever heard about the party they are supposed to have......the coupons are a good bargain even without the party, and are excellent.....I've used a coupon or two for myself.

 

Have them both go to the teen meeting/orientation the first evening...they will at least get to know/see the other teens on the ship at that time. Normally they give out a list of the teen activities for the length of the cruise and they can decide which activities they want to attend. It's really not structured/supervised the way the younger groups are at all...so it might appeal to your son as well.

[kath1210]

Try taking your own soda into any other restaurant, or bringing your own beer into any other bar, and you'll probably will get tossed out.

 

Sure, you can buy sodas for much less at any 7-11 or grocery store and bring it aboard. Chill it, add your own ice, even frost your own glass. But you are doing all the WORK. You are serving yourself.

 

The soda cards are for those who wish to have many sodas SERVED to them, where they happpen to be at that time: the Stardust Theatre, Dazzles Nightclub, any Restaurant, Swimming Pool, etc.

 

It's not the answer for everyone. For heavy soda drinkers, the soda card saves money compared to ordering them individually.

 

I see your point, but for $140 I will happily serve myself.

 

We did not take cans of soda into the restaurants, though, just drank the water, which was quite good, and better for us! :)

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

My DH & I usually drink tea at meals. Is there a charge for this? how much? My DH is a soda-holic but he doesn't like Coke products so we are going to get his Pepsi-One & bottled water for me from Walmart and bring onboard. At meals is the only thing we need something to drink without having to haul from our cabin. I would like to get tea but I don't see any mention anywhere about iced tea. Can anybody answer?

[cinnam0n]

No charge for iced tea with meals in the dining room. There is water, coffee, orange juice, iced tea, cranberry juice, and apple juice available at all times from the Garden Cafe, too. Just returned from 9 days on the Pearl and LOVED it!

[sewcarve]

Hubby and I are huge water drinkers - as in purified or distilled. Will we be charged for bottles of this on the Star? If so, how much? We will have ample time to buy a case before boarding, but would rather not have that additional chore.

Thanks!

Becky and Sandy

[M&MCruisin]

I didnt get bottled water on my cruise, but I am pretty sure that on the Pearl they charged you for bottled water because I saw them at the gangway selling them to those getting off the boat.

 

I hate diet coke too, but I cant live without soda and want the convenience so diet coke it was all 9 nights for me. On St. Lucia, I found a place that sold cans of diet pepsi and I just couldnt wait....$2.00 for one can! Robbery...but worth every drop. That was the best $2.00 diet pepsi I ever had! LOL!

[jerhardt]

Hubby and I are huge water drinkers - as in purified or distilled. Will we be charged for bottles of this on the Star? If so, how much? We will have ample time to buy a case before boarding, but would rather not have that additional chore.

Thanks!

Becky and Sandy

 

Yes, they sell bottled water on the Star, it's pricey though, if I recall about $2.00 per bottle.

[SHINEMAN]

Hubby and I are huge water drinkers - as in purified or distilled. Will we be charged for bottles of this on the Star? If so, how much? We will have ample time to buy a case before boarding, but would rather not have that additional chore.

Thanks!

Becky and Sandy

 

 

Forget the term for the process, it is something like double osmosis, but whatever it is the water you get in the restaurants is superior to any bottled water you can find.

Not sure about the tap water in cabins. Maybe that depends on ship.

[drewdie]

:eek: OK...I know its a topic discussed over and over, BUT...there is something that you should know before buying.

 

1. Soda cards are NOT $5.75 per day as their webside says.

2. They charge AUTHOGRATUITY in addition to the fee.

 

From the NCL website:

Unlimited Fountain Soda

Includes: Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Ginger Ale, Tonic Water, Soda Water

The entire cruise must be purchased. Non-Refundable.

Prepaid @ $5.75 per day per person x Cruise days

 

From the Cruiser: (me)

Ok math majors...lets do the math $5.75 times a 9 day cruise is $51.75, which is what I expected to pay, however, it was $60 some odd dollars plus autogratuity added in for a total of approximately $78 per person for the 9 day cruise. I cant remember the exact numbers as i am at work and all my luggage and junk is in the middle of my living room floor since I just got back late last night.

 

Now, for me, it was no big deal as I drink diet soda like water and I would have paid MUCH more doing it ala cart, plus I like the convenience of just flashing my card. Now my dh, on the other hand, did not get anywhere near his use of the card, but we did it for convenience only. I believe this is the highest soda card of all cruise lines...does anyone know that for sure????

 

Now, when I went to the financial desk regarding the discrepency...he looked at me as thought I was talking foreign to him and I got tired of discussing the difference in the soda card and didnt think it was worth the fight, so I gave up. Just thought I would bring you all in the loop so you arent surprised like I was.

We too had to hassle with the front desk concerning our soda cards- we were charged for 2 extra cards at $77.00 apiece. I had to go back twice as they credited us for one, and then added a childs card on to the bill- $38.00. But, they did resolve the problem. Always get a copy of your bill the day before the disembarking- easier to work with reception if something is wrong rather than wait till the disembarking morning.

[lbrandon]

We just got back from the Pearl 9 day and found the soda card a total waste of money. They did cost $77.65 per person including gratuity. Also, while it says fountain soda, there was no fountain soda on this ship - they poured the solda from a can into your glass. Our biggest problem with it was that the glasses were small and they would only give you one at a time. My husband usually drinks a 32 oz coke in the morning and he had to fight the server to get 3 glasses at breakfast. They told him he had only one card so they could only give him one drink. And even though they were pouring the soda from cans into a glass they still wouldn't give you the remainder of the can. Next time we'll just pay as we go for ther soda.

[star7228]

My husband and I both get the soda card every time we sail, as we're big soda (or pop, as we call it here in Michigan!) drinkers. This thread had me a bit concerned about surprises on the ship, so I emailed my TA yesterday and she pre-ordered the cards for me. Sure enough, my credit card was charged $40.25 for each card ($5.75/day) for each of us. So no surprises for me! :)

 

Plus, that's less money on my onboard account to shock me at the end. hahaha :p