Soft Drinks on ship

[StampedersFans]

Not buying a drink package but does anyone know how much a glass of soda costs on the ship? 

Does anyone know how much the pop in the vending machine at the cruise terminal is?

Thank you in advance.

I searched on this site and could not find an answer.

[lax19]

It's usually in the $2.50 to 3.00 range for a can of pop which includes the automatic 18% gratuity...(Pepsi products on NCL.)  

 

I would guess each terminal would be different. At the Julia Street Terminal in New Orleans, there was a stand selling pop for $2.00 a bottle (Coke and Pepsi products)

 

[FLAHAM]

42 minutes ago, lax19 said:

It's usually in the $2.50 to 3.00 range for a can of pop which includes the automatic 18% gratuity...(Pepsi products on NCL.)  

 

I would guess each terminal would be different. At the Julia Street Terminal in New Orleans, there was a stand selling pop for $2.00 a bottle (Coke and Pepsi products)

 

 

I thought on board it ran about $4 with the gratuity.

[Two Wheels Only]

IIRC, it's $2.95USD plus 20% = $3.54USD for a can but since I didn't pay it, I don't really remember. 

Edited December 4, 2018 by Two Wheels Only

[StampedersFans]

Thank you all so much!

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, StampedersFans said:

Not buying a drink package but does anyone know how much a glass of soda costs on the ship? 

Does anyone know how much the pop in the vending machine at the cruise terminal is?

Thank you in advance.

I searched on this site and could not find an answer.

The real price for a glass of soda at the bar is $3.45 + 20% gratuity = $4.14. 

 

At Miami, soda in the terminal vending machine costs $2. 

 

[Two Wheels Only]

42 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

The real price for a glass of soda at the bar is $3.45 + 20% gratuity = $4.14. 

 

Thanks for the update. 

[Sand and Seas]

I find it easiest to just purchase an adult soda package onboard with my OBC.  Cost  $66.78 last month on the Breakaway.  Seven day cruise and that cost included the gratuities.  Very easy to get a diet soda with my meals in any restaurant or at any bar.   They issued me a new boarding card with the word SODA on it and all the bartenders did was glance at it and get me my diet sodas.

[StampedersFans]

When we've cruised in the past my husband always got a soda package.  He doesn't drink much anymore so it's not worth it for us to buy him the package.  Will buy a couple at the vending machine in the terminal.

[Sand and Seas]

4 minutes ago, StampedersFans said:

When we've cruised in the past my husband always got a soda package.  He doesn't drink much anymore so it's not worth it for us to buy him the package.  Will buy a couple at the vending machine in the terminal.

I've bought my drink of choice (Coke Zero) at the terminal before too.  It can depend on what time you arrive at the port.    Our last visit to the Miami terminal the entire row of Coke Zero was empty!  Had to make due with another type.  Have a great cruise!

[saintsfan777]

We will be staying in the Haven. Would we be able to request Coca Cola or they have none on board? Also, could we bring a 12 pack onboard?

[GUT2407]

3 minutes ago, saintsfan777 said:

We will be staying in the Haven. Would we be able to request Coca Cola or they have none on board? Also, could we bring a 12 pack onboard?

No coke, Pepsi only.

 

my understanding is you can’t take any drinks on.

[BirdTravels]

3 minutes ago, saintsfan777 said:

We will be staying in the Haven. Would we be able to request Coca Cola or they have none on board? Also, could we bring a 12 pack onboard?

 NO beverages can be brought onboard. 

 

NO coke onboard. NCL has a Pepsi contract

 

The terminal vending machine is your only friend. And you need a wad of dollar bills. 

[saintsfan777]

I sure hope they have a vending machine at the San Pedro port. My wife is going to be furious when she finds out she is stuck with Pepsi. Are they the only cruise line that serves Pepsi?

[GUT2407]

1 minute ago, saintsfan777 said:

I sure hope they have a vending machine at the San Pedro port. My wife is going to be furious when she finds out she is stuck with Pepsi. Are they the only cruise line that serves Pepsi?

It sure, I prefer Pepsi Max but can settle for Diet Coke.

 

even if they have vending machines in the terminal my understanding is you won’t be able to take it on, not even a half drunk bottle, according to reports elsewhere on CC.

[timf2001]

1 minute ago, GUT2407 said:

It sure, I prefer Pepsi Max but can settle for Diet Coke.

 

even if they have vending machines in the terminal my understanding is you won’t be able to take it on, not even a half drunk bottle, according to reports elsewhere on CC.

You are allowed to take it on as long as it's purchased after you've gone through security.  Most ports of call only do security on the ship, so your originating port is the best chance to buy post-security and carry on.

[saintsfan777]

Oh boy. My wife does not drink coffee in the morning, she gets her caffeine from an iced cold can of Coke or Coke Zero in the morning. I am really surprised that they would not let someone bring their own soda on board if they are not a fan of Pepsi. 

[GUT2407]

3 minutes ago, saintsfan777 said:

Oh boy. My wife does not drink coffee in the morning, she gets her caffeine from an iced cold can of Coke or Coke Zero in the morning. I am really surprised that they would not let someone bring their own soda on board if they are not a fan of Pepsi. 

I’m the same in that I take my caffeine Cold, but if I’m on a ship and they don’t let me take Soda on, I have to drink what that line stocks.

 

To a large degree blame booze smugglers, followed by the bottom line for that rule.

 

someone recently reported that they took a bottle of water off the ship, on return it was still half full, they were, they said, made discard the remainder.

[Sand and Seas]

43 minutes ago, timf2001 said:

You are allowed to take it on as long as it's purchased after you've gone through security.  Most ports of call only do security on the ship, so your originating port is the best chance to buy post-security and carry on.

Yes, never had a problem at the port of Miami as the vending machines are after the security screening.

[Outerdog]

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

 NO beverages can be brought onboard. 

 

NO coke onboard. NCL has a Pepsi contract

 

The terminal vending machine is your only friend. And you need a wad of dollar bills. 

 

https://content.invisioncic.com/j283755/monthly_2018_12/0C4D50F1-F696-4B4F-8B8C-FEAEC405CCA5.jpeg.bd3bcf0d5e1dc9847d74a9652e88188b.jpeg

 

That vending machine has a credit card reader and appears to accept Apple Pay as well. Wad of bills may not be required.

 

[don't-use-real-name]

NCL has an exclusive contract with Pepsi - therefore no Coke will be available on board any NCL ship.

 

NCL does not have a say in what the Pier terminal operators have for vending machines and since these

are after the hired private security check-points and there is not a secondary check while boarding at the

embarking port clean out the non-Pepsi machines at a cost (making sure you have a wad of ones ($) or

whatever is legal tender for the machine).

 

Beverages can/may/if be brought on board after the security check - although they may be confiscated if

not concealed well or obviously flaunted.

Edited December 6, 2018 by don't-use-real-name

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, GUT2407 said:

someone recently reported that they took a bottle of water off the ship, on return it was still half full, they were, they said, made discard the remainder.

 

 

They will absolutely make you throw out a half drunk bottle of water or any beverage when boarding at ports of call. I have a refillable water bottle that I bring with me on excursions and such and always make sure to dump out the remaining water before re-boarding so they don't confiscate the whole bottle.

[don't-use-real-name]

Solution to the water issue - dump*** the water before passing "GO" the security machine.

*** You can drink the water all gone before passing security - chug a lug !!!

 

You can bring on "*EMPTY*"  - bottles - containers - vessels - freely.

Water that is prescribed for medicinal purposes needs a waiver.

[Two Wheels Only]

4 hours ago, saintsfan777 said:

Oh boy. My wife does not drink coffee in the morning, she gets her caffeine from an iced cold can of Coke or Coke Zero in the morning. I am really surprised that they would not let someone bring their own soda on board if they are not a fan of Pepsi. 

 

It changed in July 2016. Before that, you could bring on soda, water, etc. of any brand (non-alcoholic drinks). 

Edited December 6, 2018 by Two Wheels Only

[kathy884]

A diet coke/diet dr. peppers soda lovers experience on my last NCL cruise (the Escape two years ago)

 

I like Diet Coke  and drink way too much of it (don't drink coffee or tea) and brought an empty wheel bag to hold soda to purchase at vending machines at Miami after security and lots of $1 bills, but alas Diet Coke at the vending machines was gone  (others had gotten there first).  If I didn't have an excursion and had extra time at the ports I looked for Diet Coke or Diet Dr. Pepper to buy and drink off ship (Yes as another poster alluded too you can't even bring a 1/2 drunk bottle of Diet Coke on board and enjoy a Diet Coke on your balcony).  I tried with a 16 once bottle of Diet Coke and had to dump the soda or not board.  At some of the ports too, they just sold a product called Coca Cola Light that IMHO didn't have the same taste as Diet Coke and that I didn't care for and wouldn't buy again (don't count on getting Diet Coke at all the ports).  Maybe I should just consider NCL cruises a place where I can't participate in my worst vice (drinking Diet Coke and Diet Dr. Pepper).  I don't drink alcohol or Pepsi products.

 

I tried Diet Pepsi twice on the ship, but did not like it (That fact saved me dollars on the cruise -- under $6 in extra drink charges for the duration of the trip).  I just ended up for the most part drinking their tap water on this cruise (the lemonade that I tried was typically either too weak or too strong) and I actually survived and am even doing an NCL cruise again.  But -- I must be a true addict (I would much prefer a land based vacation where I can get what I want to drink (I prefer land based vacations over cruises even discounting the soda issue).  Also, if doing a cruise I would prefer a cruise that sold Coke products and all other things being equal would chose a different line.  I would not if it was just my choice do an NCL cruise again, but my family wanted to go (extended family were keen on joining too) and we got too good a deal on this next cruise -- DH Casino discount, so about 1K off what we would have otherwise paid for our mini suite and large balcony for three of us -- so two years since my last  NCL cruise it appears I will be doing another week of for the most part just drinking water (coming up this January).  Maybe I should take this next cruise as an opportunity to go clean and kick my soda habit (I am by agreeing to go on this cruise being forced to for the most part go cold turkey for a week).

 

When I posted something similar on another soda thread sometime back, I got posts from several people who said I had real issues if I like Diet Coke that much and didn't like the idea of cruising NCL because of their soda policy.  I wondered what some of those posters would have thought, though, if it was an alcohol free cruise, which would not bother me in the least.

Edited December 6, 2018 by kathy884