QM2 - Soda Package, Splenda

Preparing for an August cruise, our first with Cunard. Is a soda package available? At what cost? Coke or Pepsi? Is Splenda available on board, or do I need to bring my own? Thanks.

Cunard has Pepsi products. The cost is about $7 a day each day of your cruise. Can't remember if there was Equal and/or Splenda but some days only the (nasty) pink stuff was put out in the Lido.

There is two very nice Ginger Beers/ales as well.:D

We just did a TA on QM2. I could find a generic version of Splenda in the buffet area (only in the dispensers on the tables, not in the ones at the coffee/tea stations), but it was not evident in the main dining room. Perhaps the waiter would have brought it if I asked, but I did not bother to put in a special request.

For what it's worth, the pink packets (Sweet n Low) in the UK (and aboard Cunard) don't have the same stuff as in the US.

In the UK Sweet n Low is a mix of aspartame and acesulfame-K while in the US it's sodium saccharine.

http://eshop.dietaryfoods.co.uk/acatalog/Sweet_N_Low_2__Aspartame_and_Acesulfame_K_blend_.html

Splenda (US) is sucralose.

Appreciate your responses. Glad to know about the pink packets as well.

You may be best to bring your own if you do not want sugar or the sweet n low.

Pepsi products? Oh oh - my mother with whom I am doing a crossing in July is a strict coke loyalist. Would we be allowed to bring a couple of cases onboard?

Yes.

Pepsi another good reason to try Cunard.

Pepsi products? Oh oh - my mother with whom I am doing a crossing in July is a strict coke loyalist. Would we be allowed to bring a couple of cases onboard?

Certainly although for how much longer is anyone guess. Carnival cruises have moved to stopping people from bringing sodas and water. Do not know if it will end up going Carnival corp wide.

Certainly although for how much longer is anyone guess. Carnival cruises have moved to stopping people from bringing sodas and water. Do not know if it will end up going Carnival corp wide.

It is only bottles they have stopped isn't it?

It is only bottles they have stopped isn't it?

I am not sure, but they have certainly stopped water which is normally in bottles, perhaps to be safe bring your sodas in cans (if you are going on carnival).:D

I am not sure, but they have certainly stopped water which is normally in bottles, perhaps to be safe bring your sodas in cans (if you are going on carnival).:D

Pretty sure it was only bottles as there was too much smuggling and cans are too hard to re-seal.

Pretty sure it was only bottles as there was too much smuggling and cans are too hard to re-seal.

It doesn't affect Cunard (as yet anyway).:D

It doesn't affect Cunard (as yet anyway).:D

YET

Wonder if smuggling is a big problem on Cunard?

I wouldn't think so.:D

Thank you to everyone. I think we'll grab a couple of cases of cans and take our chances.

Thank you to everyone. I think we'll grab a couple of cases of cans and take our chances.

Enjoy your cruise.:D

Thank you to everyone. I think we'll grab a couple of cases of cans and take our chances.

Good luck and enjoy.

A couple of things

1. You can always pick up an extra carton in Port as you go.

2. If Mum is a coke lady, it may not be the same in Europe as in USA. I know that it is different in Australia than the USA, I drink a lot of Diet Coke, last cruise every now and then I'd be handed a USA can and I knew the difference straight away.

On some cruiselines e.g. Celebrity all passengers sharing a stateroom must purchase the drinks package (even if only one passenger desires it)..I imagine to prevent sharing !Is this the case with the soda package on Cunard...We have sailed with Cunard many times and have bought the wine selections but never the soda package

On some cruiselines e.g. Celebrity all passengers sharing a stateroom must purchase the drinks package (even if only one passenger desires it)..I imagine to prevent sharing !Is this the case with the soda package on Cunard...We have sailed with Cunard many times and have bought the wine selections but never the soda package

I don't believe that this is the case on Cunard ships. An individual can purchase the package without the necessity for cabin mates to do so. I think it is one drink, one card.

Preparing for an August cruise, our first with Cunard. Is a soda package available? At what cost? Coke or Pepsi?

$ 6.50 + 15% service charge / day (June 15)

Pepsi products

They should call it "fountain package" or "soda gun package." As soon as the soft drink comes from a bottle (Todd English had small glass Coke bottles! If you pay extra that is.) or a can you need to pay for it. If it comes from a soda gun it's free of charge. How I learned that? Tonic water is foc pretty much anywhere (pool bar, Britannia restaurant, Chart room, Commodore) BUT in the Casino bar (where they would happily have provided ginger ale foc, which the pool bar wanted to charge for, but not tonic water). He even showed me his screen, there was no option to chose tonic water foc.

We also got told off by a waitress in Todd English for ordering tonic water which, or so she said, was not part of the soda package and she'd have to charge us for... but didn't (neither did she ask for a card or if we had a stiker / soda package when we ordered).

I have to admit that we found the whole soda package somewhat confusing.

To be fair, it is officially called a Soft Drinks package and it is quite clear that it includes soda from the gun only and certain fruit juices.

To be fair, it is officially called a Soft Drinks package and it is quite clear that it includes soda from the gun only and certain fruit juices.

Yes, but if they offered the same soft drinks from the gun OR at least had a way for people to know which bar served what from the gun that would make things a bit simpler. We just found it strange that obviously what they were able to serve as part of the package (ie. what they could provide from the gun) differed from bar to bar. Maybe it's me, but if I buy a soda sticker in bar A and they tell me that x, y & z is available as part of the package it just doesn't come to my mind that this might actually not be true for the whole ship. It probably makes sense but just not that instant.

(Also, we would happily have paid for the tonic water in Todd English as that was what we had wanted to drink and thus ordered... we just didn't appreciate her tone of voice, but as Todd English was one of the two instances of less than excellent service we received on board, we didn't mind that much. It just stuck out.)