Unlimited Soft Drink Card

[canadarocks]

From this thread it sounds like the system is muddled and open to interpretation.

 

Can my husband and I share a card for alcoholic beverages or must we have one each?

 

You've resurrected a thread from over two years ago, so the information will very likely be "muddled". ;)

 

But yes, you can share a beverage card with your husband.

[kakalina]

They have changed the way they do the cards now. HAL offers a soda card for $25 ( $50 worth given ) on some ships it is fountain soda on others it is cans.

They also offer a coffee card good for specialty coffee drinks. They also offer a beverage card good for any beverages. I believe this is $90 for a $100 worth drinks.

 

The cards are used like debit cards. When used for a purchase the cost is deducted from the total and you are given a receipt showing the amount to be used left on the card.

 

I am sure I left something out but if so it will be added by someone else I'm sure.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I don't drink "soft drinks" but do love mineral water/club soda and sometimes have Iced Tea. Does the Soda Card cover that on HAL?

If not, what is the appropriate card to get to cover mineral water?

 

From this thread it sounds like the system is muddled and open to interpretation.

 

Can my husband and I share a card for alcoholic beverages or must we have one each?

 

 

 

$50.00 Beverage Card cost $50.00 (No discount)

 

$50.00 Non-Alcoholic Beverage Card cost $50.00 (No Discount)

 

$100.00 Beverage Card cost $95.00 (Save $5)

$250 Beverage Card cost $225 (Save $25)

$50.00 Soda Card cost $25.00

The soda card costs $25 but has a face value of $50. Each time you buy a soda with it $2.24 ($1.95 + 15%) is deducted from the value. $50/$2.24 = 22 cans, with $0.72 left over. You can use that $0.72 with $1.52 on your room key card (or another soda card) to get another can. BUT -- on some ships they are only giving you fountain soda -- about 6 ounces per drink -- this is not a good deal.

[Typhoon1]

The soda card costs $25 but has a face value of $50. Each time you buy a soda with it $2.24 ($1.95 + 15%) is deducted from the value. $50/$2.24 = 22 cans, with $0.72 left over. You can use that $0.72 with $1.52 on your room key card (or another soda card) to get another can. BUT -- on some ships they are only giving you fountain soda -- about 6 ounces per drink -- this is not a good deal.

 

Glad someone provided up to date information. Not info from two years ago.

[Mary Ellen]

Glad someone provided up to date information. Not info from two years ago.

Well, considering the thread is two years old, it isn't at all surprising that there is info from two years ago in it. ;)

[itzmered]

How do you know what ships give you fountain soda and what ones give cans?

[jackretired]

Do you always get the full can, on those ships that have cans?

[steeragelady]

I just got off the Maasdam on August 18. Every coke I purchased, except for the first one, was in a can. After the first one I requested a can and always received it without any problem. Also, I had a little bit remaining on my second card and was told it would be credited to my account by the front desk.

[Wakepatrol]

Since he set aside that glass of soda -- I wonder if someone got it later when the ice was half melted or he actually threw it away.

 

Yes it was Kakalina:)

[iriemon]

The only time I have received a fountain drink was when I was on the Zuiderdam and they ran out of diet coke cans :eek: They gave 2 glasses for the price of one can. When I was on the westerdam I still had credit left on my card which I could not get back since you are only paying 1/2 price, so we bought cans and gave them to the room steward. This was the week before Christmas so they could use them to party with. I hope they don't go to fountain, I will have to start lugging my cans on again!

[Typhoon1]

Well, considering the thread is two years old, it isn't at all surprising that there is info from two years ago in it. ;)

 

Another reason old threads should be read only.

[Charleyben]

If it's any help, we have just returned from the Ryndam. There were two different charges for sodas, 1.50 dollars for a glass or if you asked for the can it was 1.95 dollars, plus service of course.

 

Probably different on other ships - who knows?

[md1jw]

Does anyone know if the soda card applies to cans on the Rotterdam. Thanks

[CtheW0rld]

more irritating to me than an old thread is that the beverage card policy is standard across the fleet.

 

one main reason mc donalds is the largest restaurant chain in the world is continuity. i can get a big mac almost anywhere and it will still be a big mac. they may call it something different, but if you order a big mac that is what you will get.

[Typhoon1]

Does anyone know if the soda card applies to cans on the Rotterdam. Thanks

 

It would be nice to know if cans are still offered fleet wide.

[CtheW0rld]

more irritating to me than an old thread is that the beverage card policy is standard across the fleet.

 

one main reason mc donalds is the largest restaurant chain in the world is continuity. i can get a big mac almost anywhere and it will still be a big mac. they may call it something different, but if you order a big mac that is what you will get.

 

should have said isn't standard...

[Sunshine91]

$50.00 Beverage Card cost $50.00 (No discount)

 

$50.00 Non-Alcoholic Beverage Card cost $50.00 (No Discount)

 

$100.00 Beverage Card cost $95.00 (Save $5)

$250 Beverage Card cost $225 (Save $25)

$50.00 Soda Card cost $25.00

The soda card costs $25 but has a face value of $50.

 

KK - Thanks bunches for posting this info. :)

 

I'm wondering tho..... Any difference between pre-purchasing the cards or waiting to buy them on-board? If pre-purchased, does the card have name or cabin number on it? Can they still be shared?

 

Secondly, on the lower face value $$ cards, what is the incentive to get one? I mean, unless you buy the $50/$25 soda card (great deal on a longer cruise or for a family!) or a $100 alcoholic card or higher, you might as well just use your room keycard. Or am I missing something?

 

And anyone know......suppose you buy the $250 alcoholic card. You only pay $225. At the end of the cruise say you have $100 balance. Do you get all of that back? Or is the $25 "free" part pro-rated? Am I making any sense? :confused:

[aussiedisneyfan]

KK - Thanks bunches for posting this info. :)

 

I'm wondering tho..... Any difference between pre-purchasing the cards or waiting to buy them on-board? If pre-purchased, does the card have name or cabin number on it? Can they still be shared?

 

Secondly, on the lower face value $$ cards, what is the incentive to get one? I mean, unless you buy the $50/$25 soda card (great deal on a longer cruise or for a family!) or a $100 alcoholic card or higher, you might as well just use your room keycard. Or am I missing something?

 

And anyone know......suppose you buy the $250 alcoholic card. You only pay $225. At the end of the cruise say you have $100 balance. Do you get all of that back? Or is the $25 "free" part pro-rated? Am I making any sense? :confused:

 

If you do pre purchase the cards they will have your name printed on them. We were still able to share the cards.

 

I guess there is no financial incentive in the small value cards, maybe convenience. If you have kids you could give them a card and not enable their cruise card to have cash on it. Then they could still buy drinks but not go crazy in the shops.

 

If you have a balance left on your card you will only receive back up to what your paid. So in the example you gave with the $100 left over you would only recieve $75 back and effectively remove any discount received.

[RuthC]

Secondly, on the lower face value $$ cards, what is the incentive to get one? I mean, unless you buy the $50/$25 soda card (great deal on a longer cruise or for a family!) or a $100 alcoholic card or higher, you might as well just use your room keycard. Or am I missing something?

It's absolutely the convenience mentioned by Aussiedisneyfan. You have one sales slip to keep to proof out against your final bill. Each time you purchase something with the card, you get a sales slip showing your starting balance, amount of sale, and amount left. You keep this to compare to the slip with the next drink (I've never found a mistake), then toss the old slip.

[Krazy Kruizers]

It would be nice to know if cans are still offered fleet wide.

 

On the Amsterdam June/July (2012) -- you only got fountain soda when you used the soda card -- no cans.

[Krazy Kruizers]

KK - Thanks bunches for posting this info. :)

 

I'm wondering tho..... Any difference between pre-purchasing the cards or waiting to buy them on-board? If pre-purchased, does the card have name or cabin number on it? Can they still be shared? Your name is on the card -- and yes you can share the card.

 

Secondly, on the lower face value $$ cards, what is the incentive to get one? I mean, unless you buy the $50/$25 soda card (great deal on a longer cruise or for a family!) or a $100 alcoholic card or higher, you might as well just use your room keycard. Or am I missing something? Since most of the ships are now giving you only 6 ounces of soda instead of the cans when you use the soda cards, it is not really a good deal any more -- especially if you have a family.

 

And anyone know......suppose you buy the $250 alcoholic card. You only pay $225. At the end of the cruise say you have $100 balance. Do you get all of that back? Or is the $25 "free" part pro-rated? Am I making any sense? :confused: If you use only $100, you will only get back $125. There is no pro-rated adjustments made.

 

We love the idea of using the Beverage Cards -- makes it much easier to check our bill at the end of the cruise.

On our last cruise, we didn't pre-order the Beverage Cards. Once we got on the ship, we bought a couple. When we bought our first cocktails, our server wrote our cabin number on the card so that it wouldn't get mixed up with another person's card.

[karatemom2]

Being used to the Unlimited Beverage cards on Princess, we found the HAL system very confusing during our recent cruise on the Amsterdam. Even the crew seemed confused by what I guess was a recent change in providing only fountain sodas with the standard soda card. We ended up purchasing one of the $25 soda cards for fountain drinks and one $225 card for canned sodas and other alchoholic and non-alcoholic mixed drinks. We made it work, but an unlimited card is so much eaiser.

[Typhoon1]

On the Amsterdam June/July (2012) -- you only got fountain soda when you used the soda card -- no cans.

 

That certainly diminishes the value of the soda card. You're getting a glass full of ice.

[RuthC]

We made it work, but an unlimited card is so much eaiser.

Unfortuantely, an unlimited card is also more easily abused.

HAL had an unlimited card three versions ago, but it was discontinued. Families were buying one card, then everyone in the family was using it. It was too easy to buy sodas for others when it was supposed to be one card for one person.

Leave it to a few to ruin it for everyone.

[Typhoon1]

I

Unfortuantely, an unlimited card is also more easily abused.

HAL had an unlimited card three versions ago, but it was discontinued. Families were buying one card, then everyone in the family was using it. It was too easy to buy sodas for others when it was supposed to be one card for one person.

Leave it to a few to ruin it for everyone.

 

I wll admit, I do not miss the old unlimited card. The current card is an excellent alternative providing you are given the entire can. Not a glass full of ice.