included beverages

[whitman]

if i don't buy my kids the soda card, what beverages will be available for them. they're big water drinkers, would they be able to get bottled water or just water in a cup. i heard juice is included with brkfst but can they get juice at other times without paying. what about room service. what beverage will they be charged for.

is the tap water any good if they bring their own sports bottles and refill them.

[Nliedel]

The water on board is so filtered it is more pure than bottled water and no bottled water is not available. Juice at breakfast is included and lemaide and tea all day. You are not charged for coffee and tea in room service but other beverages will be a charge.

 

The tap water is good. I really liked the taste.

[hoogie]

They can always get tap water in the room and it's good. Other than juice/milk with breakfast there's free lemonade, coffee, iced tea, ice and water available at the windjammer. Not sure about room service delivering the free stuff but they'll definitely deliver you the charge stuff.

 

Hoog

[Cats' slave]

We drink the tap water. I read somewhere that ship water is purer than bottled water but I can't remember where.

 

Juice is only free at breakfast. The rest of the time there's free coffee, lemonade, tea and water. I know we paid for it, so I should be saying "included" instead of free.

 

On the Mariner, the canned cokes were only $1.72, including gratuity, so they weren't too bad. I bought bottles of coke whenever we stopped in a port and my friend bought bottled water. We had no problems taking them on the ship.

[ckrobyn]

There was a red fruit punch that was available and free at all meals on the AOS. I tried it once and it was sickly sweet - had to dillute with water to make it drinkable :( I stuck with soda after that......

[smrn]

I was never charged for ordering milk from room service

[bettylou5]

I keep reading about the gratuity that's added on for a beverage. So, if one buys the soda card does that mean that you still pay 15% of app. $1.75 for the soda? I'm just trying to figure out if we really need it. Water and iced tea are sounding fine.

Is there a problem bringing your own bottle of juice onboard? I usually just drink half juice/half water during the day anyway.

[Merion_Mom]

The soda card is $6 per day for 18 and older, so if you are on a 7 day cruise, it's 7 x $6 + 15% gratuity = $48.30.

 

7 x $4 + 15% gratuity = $32.20 for under 18.

 

(the cans of soda, if you buy by the can instead of buying the soda card, is $1.50 + 15% gratuity = $1.73)

[beachchick]

bettylou5: I'm not sure if I'm reading your post correctly, but here goes. It sounds like you are interpreting the soda sticker to be for canned sodas. Is that correct? You ask about paying "15% of $1.75 for the soda," so that's where I made that assumption. If that's not what you were thinking, then never mind; if it was, then you need to know that the soda sticker covers only fountain sodas, not cans. What's included is any fountain beverage, including club soda (which has been consistently excellent on the ships), as well as juice any time. It doesn't include canned soda or bottled water.

 

I hope that helps clarify it for you. The flat fee you are charged for the soda card covers the gratuity, so you don't have to sign for (pay any extra) when using the sticker.

 

beachchick

[phoenixlady]

I just received a memo from RCCI about free drinks. The lemonade and iced tea are complimentary with each meal. The orange juice at breakfast is also free. Regarding water, I bring a couple of bottles of my own packed in my suitcase.:D

[gerif]

I'd definitely bring the sports bottles. Bring a couple for each child - they can fill up with juice in the morning and also with lemonade or iced tea later in the day, then have plenty of beverages to carry around. You can also get insulated sports bottle carriers to make it easy to carry them around for excursions/pool, etc. I also bring a few water bottles (the sports-top kind) and then refill them with the ship's water. If anyone desperately needs a soda (we bring our own diet Pepsi as the ship doesn't carry it), you could always buy a can or two as needed.

[trixie54]

Does anyone know whether there's local tax added on to the soda card if purchased while the ship's still at anchor in Miami?

[gerif]

Does anyone know whether there's local tax added on to the soda card if purchased while the ship's still at anchor in Miami?

 

Yes, definitely.

[bettylou5]

bettylou5: I'm not sure if I'm reading your post correctly, but here goes. It sounds like you are interpreting the soda sticker to be for canned sodas. Is that correct? You ask about paying "15% of $1.75 for the soda," so that's where I made that assumption. If that's not what you were thinking, then never mind; if it was, then you need to know that the soda sticker covers only fountain sodas, not cans. What's included is any fountain beverage, including club soda (which has been consistently excellent on the ships), as well as juice any time. It doesn't include canned soda or bottled water.

 

I hope that helps clarify it for you. The flat fee you are charged for the soda card covers the gratuity, so you don't have to sign for (pay any extra) when using the sticker.

 

beachchick

 

Thanks, beachchick! You hit it for me. I wasn't really differentiating between canned or fountain, I just thought that each time I wanted to get a beverage from a bar or server that I'd be paying them a gratuity to boot. Knowing that the gratuity is included in the flat fee covers my question. ;)

[beachchick]

bettylou5: Happy to help. It is convenient not to have to sign anything when you want a soft drink, club soda, or juice. Have a wonderful time.

 

beachchick