Soft Drinks on NCL

[Jack1980]

 

If you don't have a drinks package, what drinks are included, either at mealtimes or from bars during the day?

 

Otherwise, how much does a soda cost ?

 

(I assume you get hot drinks and juice at breakfast).

 

thanks,

[Asawi]

A soda is around 3.50 + 20% making it 4.20. So very expensive!

Water (flavoured and natural), tea and coffee are available for free pretty much always. Hot chocolate powder is available at least at breakfast. Possibly all day (haven't looked for it so I don't know). Milk is also available.

And yes, juice (typically orange, apple cranberry or similar) is availble for free at breakfast.

Edited May 10 by Asawi

[Jack1980]

Thanks Asawi; where do you get the 'free' stuf - at bars or only restaurants when open ?

[Asawi]

Just now, Jack1980 said:

Thanks Asawi; where do you get the 'free' stuf - at bars or only restaurants when open ?

I mostly get it in the buffet(s). That suits me very well, so I haven't really looked for it elsewhere. There has usually been self serve drinks stations (coffee, water) in the outdoor bars as well on the ships I have sailed.

[DorothyB]

Soft drinks are normally available at some (maybe all??) of the bars.  I don't like the soft drinks offered by NCL except root beer which I was able to get at a bar on one sailing.  I'm not sure if you can get root beer at bars on most ship??  If they offered Dr Pepper or even Mr Pibb, I might get a drink package.

[1bighund]

When they were a Pepsi ship, they had vending machines (at least when I was on the Star )

[jrt.mom]

I can't believe they have milk for free and charge for pop. Strange economics...

[complawyer]

usually, if i wanted a soft drink (pepsi  prior to the change, coke afterwards) i would get it at any bar in a plastic cup, no charge, and as many as i wanted. our last cruise on the ncl star. which ended in lisbon on 4/27/2024, anytime i wanted a soft drink, i got a can with no problem, no questions asked and no charge.  and it was a 17 day cruise. usually, there is a bar set up in the buffet area also

[zqvol]

2 hours ago, DorothyB said:

Soft drinks are normally available at some (maybe all??) of the bars.  I don't like the soft drinks offered by NCL except root beer which I was able to get at a bar on one sailing.  I'm not sure if you can get root beer at bars on most ship??  If they offered Dr Pepper or even Mr Pibb, I might get a drink package.

You realize that they switched from Pepsi products to Coke products a few months ago. 

[david_sobe]

50 minutes ago, jrt.mom said:

I can't believe they have milk for free and charge for pop. Strange economics...

Not really.  While milk is more expensive to make than soda, soda is in demand on a cruise.  I've never heard of a milk package 😁

Look at the drink packages.  I can get a martini that would cost $15 with my drink package but water will cost you and is not included.   Soda is pure profit.  A little bit of sugar syrup and some soda water. 

Cruise lines know how to make money 🤑

 

On another note I want an investigation into these people that claim they can get a can of soda at a restaurant on NCL.  Every time I have asked for a can they say they dont have it or not allowed.  But I keep seeing youtube videos and reports that say "Save money, tell them you want a can" because the glass of soda is half ice and half of the can.  I am to the point that I need to see it to believe it 😄

Edited May 10 by david_sobe

[DorothyB]

30 minutes ago, zqvol said:

You realize that they switched from Pepsi products to Coke products a few months ago. 

Yes, that is why I said "even Mr Pibb" since that is a Coke product.

[graphicguy]

46 minutes ago, david_sobe said:

Not really.  While milk is more expensive to make than soda, soda is in demand on a cruise.  I've never heard of a milk package 😁

Look at the drink packages.  I can get a martini that would cost $15 with my drink package but water will cost you and is not included.   Soda is pure profit.  A little bit of sugar syrup and some soda water. 

Cruise lines know how to make money 🤑

 

On another note I want an investigation into these people that claim they can get a can of soda at a restaurant on NCL.  Every time I have asked for a can they say they dont have it or not allowed.  But I keep seeing youtube videos and reports that say "Save money, tell them you want a can" because the glass of soda is half ice and half of the can.  I am to the point that I need to see it to believe it 😄

I think it depends on how well the bar is stocked.  I've ordered a soda at some bars and they regularly give me a can.  But, at O'Sheehans/Local, they always seem to give me the fountain variety.

 

Just an unscientific observation, I also note that if they're really busy, they'll pull a can out of the cooler vs getting ice and pouring me a fountain drink.

[MeHeartCruising]

4 hours ago, Jack1980 said:

Thanks Asawi; where do you get the 'free' stuf - at bars or only restaurants when open ?

For Free:

The buffet provides coffee, water, flavored water (usually strawberry or mango), milk, and lemonade out of dispensers all day long.  There is also hot water for tea.  In the mornings, orange juice and maybe another juice is available.

 

If you go to a bar, I think the only free drink you can get is water out of their dispenser.  I don't believe they even have lemonade.

 

I don't know what restaurants can get you for free other than water and coffee.  Probably milk. Probably tea.

[BirdTravels]

5 hours ago, Jack1980 said:

 

If you don't have a drinks package, what drinks are included, either at mealtimes or from bars during the day?

 

Otherwise, how much does a soda cost ?

 

(I assume you get hot drinks and juice at breakfast).

 

thanks,

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

If you stand in line at a bar, you can get a glass of water. That's about it. 

 

You can get water, tea, coffee at restaurants. You can get juices for breakfast at restaurants. 

 

The buffet, when it is open (and Observation Lounge on selected ships), you can get water, coffee, tea, milk, and flavored waters. 

 

Sodas, energy drinks, bottled water are come with a charge. Add 20% gratuities to the prices below: 

 

Or there is specialty coffees

 

Edited May 10 by BirdTravels

[jrt.mom]

I always carry an insulated water bottle and the bars will fill it full of soda if I ask. I get the soda package but they don't usually ask to see my keycard.

Edited May 10 by jrt.mom

[PartyPlannerLady]

6 hours ago, Jack1980 said:

 

If you don't have a drinks package, what drinks are included, either at mealtimes or from bars during the day?

 

Otherwise, how much does a soda cost ?

 

(I assume you get hot drinks and juice at breakfast).

 

thanks,

 

If you drink more than 2 sodas a day then the soda package saves you money.  

[PartyPlannerLady]

2 hours ago, david_sobe said:

Not really.  While milk is more expensive to make than soda, soda is in demand on a cruise.  I've never heard of a milk package 😁

Look at the drink packages.  I can get a martini that would cost $15 with my drink package but water will cost you and is not included.   Soda is pure profit.  A little bit of sugar syrup and some soda water. 

Cruise lines know how to make money 🤑

 

On another note I want an investigation into these people that claim they can get a can of soda at a restaurant on NCL.  Every time I have asked for a can they say they dont have it or not allowed.  But I keep seeing youtube videos and reports that say "Save money, tell them you want a can" because the glass of soda is half ice and half of the can.  I am to the point that I need to see it to believe it 😄

 

Water is 1--% free, unless one falls for the pure marketing hype that somehow bottled water is better.  Just grab a cup/glass and go fil it up!

Evian spelled backwards is naive!  Not a coincidnece...

[dmwnc1959]

2 hours ago, MeHeartCruising said:

For Free:

The buffet provides coffee, water, flavored water (usually strawberry or mango), milk, and lemonade out of dispensers all day long.  There is also hot water for tea.  In the mornings, orange juice and maybe another juice is available.

 

I don't know what restaurants can get you for free other than water and coffee.  Probably milk. Probably tea.

Do you think that the main dining rooms offer for iced tea for lunch and dinner? 

[zqvol]

14 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Do you think that the main dining rooms offer for iced tea for lunch and dinner? 

Of course they do . . . Getting a refill might take forever. 

[dmwnc1959]

Just now, zqvol said:

Of course they do . . . Getting a refill might take forever. 

😂  This is going to be my first NCL cruise, and my first time venturing back into the MDR for dinner on a cruise ship in quite some time. Still contemplating the Starbucks package, but I'm thinking as many of those that I would have in a day the caloric intake would kill me! 

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, PartyPlannerLady said:

 

Water is 1--% free, unless one falls for the pure marketing hype that somehow bottled water is better.  Just grab a cup/glass and go fil it up!

Evian spelled backwards is naive!  Not a coincidence...

 

I drink bottled water on the ship because of our encounter with what is really in a ship's water system. Naive. 

 

[Jordan61]

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

 

I drink bottled water on the ship because of our encounter with what is really in a ship's water system. Naive. 

 

 

Oh, eww!

[gizfish]

3 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

 

I drink bottled water on the ship because of our encounter with what is really in a ship's water system. Naive. 

 

Do you really have to post these photos every single time someone mentions tap water?  You are the only only who has posted anything like this, and frankly whatever you are showing us is just not a thing that happens with any frequency.  I am sure you raised holy heck if this actually happened to you, and I am sure cruise staff gave you an explanation for this exceedingly rare problem.  So how about instead of drama, you just tell us what they told you caused this instead of misleading people?  The water in the cabins, restaurant, bars etc has always and continues to be purer, cleaner, safe as if not safer than many people's water in their homes.

[roddy good boy]

Does anyone know whether the hatsu white tea is included in the drink package? I don’t/can’t drink alcohol, but my husband does. He has a fit when I try to cancel the drink package. I’m trying to see what I can drink that will help make the package make sense for me… 

[Grumpella]

I am currently on the Escape. $4.55 with the gratuity for a can of soda. I bring 2 small bottles back in every port in my bag, 2 or 2.5 euros each. They don’t have time to bother with the small stuff, usually.