How strict are they on "sharing" soda card?

[lisas414]

:confused: Regarding the soda cards, I am not sure if my husband and myself both need one. How strict are they if we only buy one soda pass and the one with the sticker gets the soda. Keep in mind that I will be also buying soda passes for each of my 4 kids....just trying to save on one soda pass. Is it worth it or do I just dish out the extra money. Also is the soda pass workout for 9 nights or do they charge you for the 10th day, even though you are disembarking?

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Explorer of the Seas-Family Vacation

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[TKinAZ]

If you don't drink that much soda, forego the soda card and just purchase what you will use on the ship. We found it worked better for us to purchase the 20-ounce bottles in the ship's gift shop and keep them in our refrigerator than to use the soda card. Frankly, you could get away with both using the same card, but will you feel good about yourself if you do? If you have to justify it ("...Keep in mind that I will be also buying soda passes for each of my 4 kids..."), you probably already recognize that it isn't really the right thing to do. JMHO.

[critterchick]

There's nothing to stop you from getting a soda for yourself and then going back to get another soda for your husband, but it's not what they have in mind - the idea is one soda sticker per person. As an analogy, if you go into a buffet restaurant that's $14.95 for all you can eat, you aren't supposed to get one plate for yourself and seconds for your dinner companion.

 

If you share the sticker, you're stealing from the cruiseline. Whether or not that matters to you is between you & your conscience (where's Jiminy Cricket when you need him?).

[lisas414]

You are 100% right, I was not thinking of it that way at all. I think we will be buying 6 soda pass cards for all 6 of us.

[BearySweet2Cruise]

You are 100% right, I was not thinking of it that way at all. I think we will be buying 6 soda pass cards for all 6 of us.

 

I will probably catch the heat for this,(but it doesn't matter). I would not spend all that money for 6 cards, That will be very expensive. If it were us, I would be bringing soda on board. On our last cruise, people were handing over 12 packs of soda, and the porters were just putting luggage tags on them and away they went. You can easily bring soda with you especially if you bring a pepsi product, since all they have are coke products (yuck, IMO) and they do not have mountain dew either.

6 cards (at 4.00 a day, or is it more?? for 10 days is 40.00 per person times 6 of you.. YIKES! :eek: They are gonna cost you at least 240.00 and that will buy a lot of soda. You could bring some for probably around 20.00 !

 

Just MO's 0.02 worth! :)

[bplazo]

I always just bring soda in my luggage for the room. Otherwise I just drink ice tea, or water. I do let my daughter buy a soda card but on our last cruise I think that she only use the card a couple times a day. Was not worth what we paid for it.

[katiel53]

For adults, you need to drink at least 4 soda's a day. If you don't drink that, it's not worth buying the soda card. I also am one who would not bring drinks I brought from home out in public areas. I think that's rude.

 

I also feel that one shouldn't make drinks in the room, or have beer they brought onboard and drink that in public. Some things are ok for your room, but others are like a big slap in the face for the cruiseline, and you penalize the rest of us.

 

I also wouldn't share the card because I think it's teaching kids to steal. These are just MHO. I can't/won't judge others but I can see where things are being made more difficult for all the rest of us.

 

OP, I am glad you decided to buy your own card. Thanks.

[shrimp0]

I will admit that I am one who brings on a few fridge packs of pop for the week for DH and myself. But, I also bring a large insulated cup to put my drinks in .. so that know one has to know what I am drinking.

 

We also give any leftovers to crew and have saved cold ones to share with others in the luggage and taxi lines. I have never seen a bigger smile then the one I got from a crew member when I gave him a few mountain dews on our way out.

[Disneycrazymom]

Does anyone know if they serve Caffine-free diet soda? I like soda but really can't drink the caffinated stuff or I'll be up:eek:all week! Really not a pretty sight! I really like fountain soda the best, so I want the card, but if decaf is not offered can I carry on a few? Is there decaf tea? Thanks.

[beachrus4]

I read on another post that like at dinner - they bring you a can and a glass - it's not fountain type. Can anyone confirm this?

[TKinAZ]

I read on another post that like at dinner - they bring you a can and a glass - it's not fountain type. Can anyone confirm this?

 

Both of our RCCL cruises they've brought a glass of soda to the table, with refills as needed. We've never seen a can in the dining room.

[beachrus4]

So I wonder if I ordered a diet coke at dinner (without having the soda card) - am I going to pay for the refills or are they included as one drink as you eat your meal? Thanks so much.

[TKinAZ]

So I wonder if I ordered a diet coke at dinner (without having the soda card) - am I going to pay for the refills or are they included as one drink as you eat your meal? Thanks so much.

 

That I don't know. We didn't try it. Perhaps someone else will know.

[beachrus4]

When going out to dinner, I generally drink more than one glass with dinner. Might make a difference whether I should get the soda card or not for the week. :confused: Thanks!

[JaniceW]

Not very strict at all. I have to confess that when on a cruise with my kids (Carnival) I polished off a few of their sodas. However, I usually bring a 12 pack on board for myself. I put the can on ice in the room and then I take it up to the buffet with me or drink it in my room. No problem.

[denred04]

My one child doesn't really like iced tea or water, so i will buy a card for him...the other three will drink water, but sometimes will like a soda... so they can share. (i think we'll get 2 again) when we were on carnival, we bought 2 soda cards, and if they "shared" the soda...well, so be it. we pay a lot of money to be on the cruise, I still can't believe that soda isn't included.... but I also don't like the idea of paying extra for ben and jerry's....or the specialty coffee shop. i think it should be included, or not be on the ship at all.

denise

[amusea]

Because of a enlarged heart condition, I am not allowed to drink any caffeinated drinks or alcohol. Since no ships that I am aware of dispense decaffeinated soft drinks or tea, I do not feel ashamed at bringing my own onboard and consuming it throughout the cruise. It does get a little difficult on long voyages since other countries seem to have only diet and regular soft drinks.

[janiebobanie]

One more reason why I am reconsidering.

[cage keeper]

If they don't have caffine free, then you should bring your own. We will be bringing Code Red for DS because he needs his shot of caffine in the morning, afternoon and night. We will also buy him a soda card so he doesn't have to keep going back to the cabin for a soda. Can't remember the last time I drank a whole soda. I just take a sip of DH's. And he mostly drinks Iced tea.

[Mikew0805]

My one child doesn't really like iced tea or water, so i will buy a card for him...the other three will drink water, but sometimes will like a soda... so they can share. (i think we'll get 2 again) when we were on carnival, we bought 2 soda cards, and if they "shared" the soda...well, so be it. we pay a lot of money to be on the cruise, I still can't believe that soda isn't included.... but I also don't like the idea of paying extra for ben and jerry's....or the specialty coffee shop. i think it should be included, or not be on the ship at all.

denise

 

There are those types of vacations around. They are AI. Cruises are not AI, and they don't pretend to be. Everything is laid out in the brochure as to what you will spend for "extra" items on the ship. I actually like that there are many things that are "extra" on a ship.... Reason why, I don't use them all, and if it was an AI, it would be built into my cruise price regardless of if I used it or not.

 

Back on topic, I think that using a soda card for anyone other than is listed on the card, is going to make you feel guilty. All it takes is to determine whether or not one would use the soda card to the extent where it would be a good deal. If not, buy them individually and save a little cash that way.

 

 

-Mike

[denred04]

good point, Mike-- it's just that the last cruise I was on, there were no extras (food wise, except the controversial soda) so I thought cruises were all AI. I am sure I will treat my kids to some ben and jerry's, but mostly they'll eat the soft serve-they like that too!

[lisas414]

Oh my god, I did not want to start any problems here, I am buying 6 individual soda pass cards, don't want to feel "guilty" here, or set a bad impression for my kids. I was just thinking out loud, that's all.

[KarinaGW]

Lisa -

 

Don't feel bad. Opinionation is a hobby here is all.

 

Here's another spin on your question. You're not actually getting soda cards. What you get is a sticker that goes on your sea pass, so it's kind of obvious if you are not using your own.

 

Personally, I get the sticker/card/whatever because I just don't want to bother worrying about it. (on that same logic, I get my kids the unlimted meal plan in college so that they don't have to worry about it even if ultimately it costs more). On the other hand, I, on purpose, always switched my soda brands at home so we would never have a favorite and don't care whether it's Coke products or Pepsi products (although I do marginally prefer DC to DP)..

[alexkrn46]

I don't like the soda fountain soda, we bring a 12 pack and buy the rest from the bar or the gift shop.

[Happy ks]

Oh my god, I did not want to start any problems here, I am buying 6 individual soda pass cards, don't want to feel "guilty" here, or set a bad impression for my kids. I was just thinking out loud, that's all.

 

 

Don't feel bad, this topic is a hot button and it would not have mattered how you asked the question. People like to come on here and rant, or treat others rudely. So don't take it personally, think of it like the people you see on the freeway every day. People are sometimes not very nice when they are anonymous.

 

Bottom line, I think you need to sit down and figure out just how much soda you drink. We buy ours individually, as between my DH and I, we probably drink maybe two per week. In the past we've gotten our kids the soda cards, but we may even fore-go those in the future. You have to buy more than 3 cans of soda a day to make it worth your while to purchase the soda card (or sticker). That would equate to 6 or even more glasses of soda from the bar or restaurant.

 

Do you really want your children drinking that much soda? Edited to add, we have our kids drink milk or water with lunch and dinner, juice with breakfast. Those beverages are included with the cost of the cruise. Why not set a daily limit of 2 soda cans per child, per day and save money overall for the week?

 

BTW, yes, we have seen cans of soda in the dining room. When you don't have the soda card, you get a whole can that will fill the glass twice.