Ncl Soda Cards Beware!

[clm101798]

What about tipping? If I pay as I go for soda I know they automatically include a 15% tip to the charge, but if I get a soda card ahead of time and they don't charge a gratuity to it then the staff gets rooked of a tip unless I carry the money around and tip in case. Since I don't think a single glass of soda that costs $1.50 should have a $1 tip per glass, I would need to carry change. That would stink.

[just4now]

What about tipping? If I pay as I go for soda I know they automatically include a 15% tip to the charge, but if I get a soda card ahead of time and they don't charge a gratuity to it then the staff gets rooked of a tip unless I carry the money around and tip in case. Since I don't think a single glass of soda that costs $1.50 should have a $1 tip per glass, I would need to carry change. That would stink.

 

The staff expects a tip for pouring a soda? Are you kidding? Wait staff, stewards, bartenders at the end of the night sure, but I'm not tipping anyone for pouring a soda. Besides, I'd imagine the card is really for fountain drinks anyway. I'll tip wait staff at dinner for the whole meal, including drinks!

[clm101798]

If you pay as you go they will add 15% to each drink order. No different really then going to a nightclub or bar at home. I alway tip each trip to the bar - either the bartender for pouring the drinks or the waitstaff for getting it for me. I imagine if I went up to a bar and got a soda that was $1.50 I'd probably throw a quarter in the tip jar....

[GeekyMom]

Call me cheap, but I think the cost to purchase a soda card is still to expensive. I bring my (sugar free) mixs from home and just make me a picture each day.:D

You can call me cheap too.

 

On our January cruise I got iced water + fresh lemons slices to make lemonade or tea and used Splendor. Those calories from regular soda's and sweetened punch can add up. I didn't even get the diet cokes, which are a treat for me. :p

[bookdoctor]

Lets see if I understand this all. If I buy my soda card before I get on the ship it is cheaper than buying it on the ship. Right?

Also they will only give you one small glass at a time. I can't use my own big cup and tell them to fill it up?

I also can not get more than one glass in the restruants?

I thought the idea was UNLIMITED? But from what you are all saying that is not true.

Anyone else think the whole thing is crazy?

Just my opinion. Vicki

[star7228]

Lets see if I understand this all. If I buy my soda card before I get on the ship it is cheaper than buying it on the ship. Right?

Also they will only give you one small glass at a time. I can't use my own big cup and tell them to fill it up?

I also can not get more than one glass in the restruants?

I thought the idea was UNLIMITED? But from what you are all saying that is not true.

Anyone else think the whole thing is crazy?

Just my opinion. Vicki

 

 

We've never had a problem with it and both my husband and I purchase them every time, because we're big soda drinkers. I've never been overcharged on the ship, but then I didn't realize you could pre-purchase them, and I much prefer that.

 

But I also haven't asked for multiple glasses at a time. We just get refills...besides, if we're sitting in the Stardust or something, the bar staff comes around and offers refills, so we've never had it be a hassle. Staff have always been more than accommodating with it. I think it's great! :D

[M&MCruisin]

Lets see if I understand this all. If I buy my soda card before I get on the ship it is cheaper than buying it on the ship. Right?

Also they will only give you one small glass at a time. I can't use my own big cup and tell them to fill it up?

I also can not get more than one glass in the restruants?

I thought the idea was UNLIMITED? But from what you are all saying that is not true.

Anyone else think the whole thing is crazy?

Just my opinion. Vicki

 

Hi Vicki...Im not sure what the poster meant exactly on the 3 sodas, but I usually drink about that many at each meal and the waiter had no problem refilling my glass over and over. Now....If I wanted to take me coke to my room...they WOULD NOT give me the rest of the can. I would have to come back down for a refill. No, you cannot use your own cup and yes the cups are small....about 1/2 can fits in the glass.

 

The portion about the charge...let me be clear on what I originally posted...basically...we got screwed. They advertised one price, most people have posted that they still got the 5.95 per day charge on their sailing, but we did not and we also got tacked on with gratuity. However buying it online comes in handy because you avoid the POSSIBILITY of being incorrectly charged by buying it online, but technically, you should be able to walk on board and buy the soda card at the advertised price and not have to pay autogratuity. But I just wanted people to be aware of the situation so they can confront it head on and decide how they want to handle it IF it should happen to them. Or at least that is what I was hoping to do.

 

Star7228...good idea on buying it ahead of time. I will do this from now on. I just had no clue I would have any problems buying it on the ship and of course, the finance guy pretended he didnt understand my english :rolleyes: when I confronted him on the charge. Live and learn.

[star7228]

technically, you should be able to walk on board and buy the soda card at the advertised price and not have to pay autogratuity.

 

Star7228...good idea on buying it ahead of time. I will do this from now on. I just had no clue I would have any problems buying it on the ship

 

 

That's true...you should only be paying the price they advertise, and we've never been mischarged like that on the ship, which would have frustrated me as well. And while I possibly understand the autogratuity thing, it should be advertised and if they don't advertise, they shouldn't charge you.

 

I am sorry for this happening to you, but glad you posted it because you've helped me avoid a possible headache. :) Thanks M&M!

[M&MCruisin]

That's true...you should only be paying the price they advertise, and we've never been mischarged like that on the ship, which would have frustrated me as well. And while I possibly understand the autogratuity thing, it should be advertised and if they don't advertise, they shouldn't charge you.

 

I am sorry for this happening to you, but glad you posted it because you've helped me avoid a possible headache. :) Thanks M&M!

 

You are certainly welcome! It really was a great cruise. I seriously only had 2 complaints...the soda card and the photo gallery. Other than that, NCL is fantastic, I loved the Pearl and would gladly sail her again.

 

In case anyone is interested, I have done a member review on the Pearl. Check it out!

[aldewitt]

The soda cards are good deals if you drink a lot of soda. If you don't they are not a good deal.

 

We're not big alcohol drinkers, so we like the soda cards, even though you get hit with the service charge gratuity and stuff. NCL has to pay the help somehow. :D

[clm101798]

The reason they only let you get one soda at a time is that they don't want a group of, say, 4 people to get just one soda card for the group. Then one would go up and get 4 soda and pass them out to their friends. Now if someone wanted to do that they would have to go up 4 times. Reduces the number of people who will share one card.

[Don Haynes]

If you went on a long road trip in your car for a week, you would most likely either eat three times a day at MCDonalds, cheap, or dine at Dennys, modest. You will also pull into a gas station to refill twice a day uf not three times.

 

At McDonalds you would probably pay a buck fifty for a soda, three times a buck fifty is four fifty a day. Add a dolllar soda two times a day at the gas stations, your total per day would be six fifty. This is at the cheap restaurant. Dennys would be more.

 

NCL prices reflect restaurant prices, not the price at a retail outlet.

[M&MCruisin]

If you went on a long road trip in your car for a week, you would most likely either eat three times a day at MCDonalds, cheap, or dine at Dennys, modest. You will also pull into a gas station to refill twice a day uf not three times.

 

At McDonalds you would probably pay a buck fifty for a soda, three times a buck fifty is four fifty a day. Add a dolllar soda two times a day at the gas stations, your total per day would be six fifty. This is at the cheap restaurant. Dennys would be more.

 

NCL prices reflect restaurant prices, not the price at a retail outlet.

 

As far as my original complaint...it wasnt that I didnt want to pay the $77.xx dollars because I did pay it...I just wanted to pay the advertised price and many other ships and other sailings got charged the correct amount with no gratuity. Our sailing was overcharged. Actually your analegy helps prove my point...If we went to Dennys or McDonalds and it said $1.50 for the soda on the board and you got up to pay and they said your total is $2.50, I think we would all question that.

 

Don...that is not an argument to you, I just wanted to clarify my issue as sometimes, the threads go down a different road. Truth is, I probably drank at least 8 or more glasses of soda each day and I do like the convenience of flashing the card, thats why after a couple attempts to correct the price with the financial wizzard on board, I gave up as I didnt want this to ruin my cruise by getting mad at him. It truly was a fantastic cruise, this and the photos aside.

[BearBear]

Well, I followed the lead of another poster, contacted my TA and asked her to buy 2 soda cards for me. She got them at $51.75 each for a 9 day cruise on the Pearl. She pointed out that the wordage on the NCL website was ". . . Prepaid @ $5.75 per day per person x Cruise days."

 

I don't know if the emphasis on "prepaid' was from her or was pointed out by NCL - either way you would expect that this would be the onboard price, but it isn't explicitly stated, so I guess NCL needs to improve their description of the Soda Card.

 

I must say, in my previous cruises with NCL (Jewel and Spirit), I didn't experience any discrepancy between the price on the web site and the onboard price.

[lbrandon]

It was at the Garden Cafe we had the problem getting 3 sodas. There's a station you go to for drinks. They do not serve you at your table there. There was a long line for the drink station and they would only give one glass per drink card. The way my husband drinks coke he'd barely have sat down at the table before he'd need to get up and go get a refill.

[donaldquackers]

I noticed on the Star that if you wanted a soda with your card it took about 15 minutes to arrive. If you ordered a drink or soda a la carte, they arrived in less tha 5 minutes.

[kimc0486]

Is there a card that is similar to the 20 non-alcoholic drink card for adults as well as teens? I am 21, but am not a big drinker and this sounds like a great deal. Do they card when they present the card? If ordered ahead of time is there anyway I could get away with using it? Or is there an alternative for adults? Thanks!

[Too blessed to be stressed]

When I was on princess this year they gave my husband and myself special coke thermos. They would fill it up each time with a fountain coke. Very nice to carry to room or around the ship. Loved the fountain coke better then a can. You could use cups also, but preferred using the thermos for convenience. Do you get something similar on NCL?

[Don Haynes]

Yes, and the cup is useful at home too. On one of my cruises though, the ship did not have any.

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

It was at the Garden Cafe we had the problem getting 3 sodas. There's a station you go to for drinks. They do not serve you at your table there. There was a long line for the drink station and they would only give one glass per drink card. The way my husband drinks coke he'd barely have sat down at the table before he'd need to get up and go get a refill.

I can relate to this too. My husband drinks a ton of soda and if he holds one of those 64 oz mugs from Circle K longer than 5 minutes, there won't be anything but ice for me to sip so having a half a can would be a major problem. Especially if there is a line at the soda fountain.

 

Is there a card that is similar to the 20 non-alcoholic drink card for adults as well as teens? I am 21, but am not a big drinker and this sounds like a great deal. Do they card when they present the card? If ordered ahead of time is there anyway I could get away with using it? Or is there an alternative for adults? Thanks!

I've read on another thread somewhere that adults have used the teen card for smoothies. I think NCL might not like it but don't say no. You might do a search to find the thread about it. I think they said you get coupons for smoothies and when the kids wouldn't drink as many smoothies as they had coupons for, they ordered them for the adults. Its paid for so I don't know what the difference would be.

[CloudyinAz]

I have a question about the teen passport program. The teens get 20 sodas, but NCL says and "a smoothie" type drink. Does this mean they get 19 soda's and 1 smoothie? Or is it any type drink (soda or smoothie) to equal 20 in number? Thanks

[johnql]

I have a question about the teen passport program. The teens get 20 sodas, but NCL says and "a smoothie" type drink. Does this mean they get 19 soda's and 1 smoothie? Or is it any type drink (soda or smoothie) to equal 20 in number? Thanks

Any drink combination totaling 20.

[CloudyinAz]

Thanks John. If you look at how NCL wrote what comes with the teen drink program, it's rather vague. Leads you to think they get only one smoothie with thier card (or coupons) or what ever they give them. Sure hope its a sticker for thier SS card. Coupons would be a pain to carry around all day.

[quest2best]

When we were on the Star in June '06 my teens got a coupon book with a total of 20 coupons which could be used for any non-alcoholic drink. They were able to order any drink offered minus the alcohol. They would often order three or more at a time and treat some of the adults in our group. The passport itself could only be bought for a teen, though some of the adults in our group would have liked to purchase one also.

[mderaba]

I called and ordered two "adult soda packages" at $5.75 per person per day, so that should have been $40.25 each, right? When I got the e-mail confirmation it was $60.38 per person x 2 or $120!!!!! What the ?? So I tried to call them today, and initially was told the $5.75 was for a five-day cruise, and I disagreed, saying the NCL website says "per day", period. Then the guy put me on hold for more than 10 minutes and I had to hang up. I am going to have to call back when I have more time and ask for a supervisor.....:mad: