Price of soda on Norwegian Jewel?

We are taking our first trip on NCL in March on the Norwegian Jewel. Unlike other cruise lined, NCL no longer allows you to bring soda pop in factory sealed cans on board. Their ridiculous explanation for this is that people try to sneak alcohol on board in factory sealed cans (neat trick, how do they do it?) and it takes too much time to have specialized personnel examine the cans at embarkation. They will permit you, however, to bring a bottle of wine on board for which they charge a corkage fee. I wonder how much training the specialized personnel have to go through to properly examine a soda can. A week of classes, maybe, in soda can examination? Do they get certified?

Be that as it may, I called NCL in anticipation of our upcoming cruise to ask what the price of a can of diet Pepsi was on board the ship and whether the price at the bar on the ship was different from the price if taken from the minibar in the room. The customer service rep I spoke with, who kept trying to upsell me the unlimited soda package posted all over the NCL website, told me they did not have the information I requested and I would have to wait until I got on the ship to find out, as the price will vary depending on the itinerary. I asked her what that meant. She said prices are subject to change up until the day of sailing so she could not give me the price but apparently the unlimited soda package, which she tried for the umpteenth time to sell me, remains static and she could therefore tell me how much it is, even though that information is already readily available on the website. Not a good start. This may be our first and last cruise on NCL.

Can anybody tell me how much a can of soda is onboard and if there is a difference between the price if taken from the minibar instead of purchased at the bar or in the dining room? I know there is an 18% gratuity added to the cost regardless.

We are taking our first trip on NCL in March on the Norwegian Jewel. Unlike other cruise lined, NCL no longer allows you to bring soda pop in factory sealed cans on board. Their ridiculous explanation for this is that people try to sneak alcohol on board in factory sealed cans (neat trick, how do they do it?) and it takes too much time to have specialized personnel examine the cans at embarkation. They will permit you, however, to bring a bottle of wine on board for which they charge a corkage fee. I wonder how much training the specialized personnel have to go through to properly examine a soda can. A week of classes, maybe, in soda can examination? Do they get certified?

Be that as it may, I called NCL in anticipation of our upcoming cruise to ask what the price of a can of diet Pepsi was on board the ship and whether the price at the bar on the ship was different from the price if taken from the minibar in the room. The customer service rep I spoke with, who kept trying to upsell me the unlimited soda package posted all over the NCL website, told me they did not have the information I requested and I would have to wait until I got on the ship to find out, as the price will vary depending on the itinerary. I asked her what that meant. She said prices are subject to change up until the day of sailing so she could not give me the price but apparently the unlimited soda package, which she tried for the umpteenth time to sell me, remains static and she could therefore tell me how much it is, even though that information is already readily available on the website. Not a good start. This may be our first and last cruise on NCL.

Can anybody tell me how much a can of soda is onboard and if there is a difference between the price if taken from the minibar instead of purchased at the bar or in the dining room? I know there is an 18% gratuity added to the cost regardless.

We don't buy the soda pkg because its the fountain stuff. When we want a canned soda we go to the arcade and there is usually a pop machine in that area, just use your card and no 18% grat is added.

Can't remember price but i know it was cheaper than the bars.

Thanks so much. That info is very helpful.

Believe price is usually around $2.50 + 18%

Last April on the Escape, a can of Pepsi at the Garden Cafe bar was $2.95, $3.48 with the 18% gratuity.

When we left on the Jade from Tampa we stocked up on Diet Coke at the port after security in the waiting area. I think it was $2 a bottle, but they were the bigger bottles.

While on board it was mostly fountain Soda, but the buffet had cans. I don't know the price though.

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OP: we were on the Jewel last month. Cans of soda were $2.95 (not including a gratuity).

There's really no need to lecture people on the NCL forum here about NCL's policy about not bringing soda on board; the topic has been beaten to death. If NCL is not the cruise line for you, then it's not.

The staff and crew of the Jewel are excellent; I do hope you have a good trip.

Thank you for the info. I was not trying to lecture anyone about anything. I was only expressing my opinion (and shocked reaction) to this policy, and the information provided by NCL. As I said, I have not traveled NCL before though I have traveled all the other mass market cruise lines. I will not know whether NCL is a cruise line for me or not until after this trip.

In any case, I do appreciate you providing me with the info as it helps me to be prepared and plan. Again, thank you.

Last September on the Jewel, the minibar soda was $3.95 + 18%. I purchased cans at the bar near the Azura MDR, usually two at a time, for $2.95 +18%.

Also very helpful! Thank you so much.

Well informed is well prepared.

We don't buy the soda pkg because its the fountain stuff. When we want a canned soda we go to the arcade and there is usually a pop machine in that area, just use your card and no 18% grat is added.

Can't remember price but i know it was cheaper than the bars.

Nice! Thanks for that tip, FranknBeans! The better half prefers canned soda and goes through two a day. :cool:

We don't buy the soda pkg because its the fountain stuff. When we want a canned soda we go to the arcade and there is usually a pop machine in that area, just use your card and no 18% grat is added.

Can't remember price but i know it was cheaper than the bars.

When we were on the Jewel last September, the arcade did not have a pop machine. We asked HD about and they said it was taken out.

Is the soda package on the ncl just fountain soda? Or are there places where you can get cans of soda with the plan? I ask because the soda package is 7.50 per day, so I'd be worth it if you get 3+ sodas/day. You can purchase the package prior to your trip.

Is the soda package on the ncl just fountain soda? Or are there places where you can get cans of soda with the plan? I ask because the soda package is 7.50 per day, so I'd be worth it if you get 3+ sodas/day. You can purchase the package prior to your trip.

Any bar will sell you cans for $2.95+18%.

Is the soda package on the ncl just fountain soda? Or are there places where you can get cans of soda with the plan? I ask because the soda package is 7.50 per day, so I'd be worth it if you get 3+ sodas/day. You can purchase the package prior to your trip.

I just did the soda package on the Jewel. The only place that it came out of a can was the Bar in the center of the Garden Cafe. They poured from the can into a plastic glass. I asked for a can and they said it was not included in the soda plan. They won't give you the can but they pour it from the can. Everywhere else was fountain soda in a plastic glass.