Have heard that some form of *card* can be purchased to cover the cost of all non alcoholic drinks ie colas on the Princess Caribbean ship. Can someone tell me how I would go about getting this looked after.
Cruising on Jan 14/2006 & getting really excited !! http://cruise-chat.com/groupee_commo...icon_smile.gif

Usually something is mentioned in the daily bulletin. Sometimes they might even have a table set up in the atrium on the first day where you can sign up for it. Just ask a bartender at any of the bars.

Congratulations on your upcoming cruise.

The soda sticker is a set cost for the cruise.
It can run from $22-27 based on the length of your cruise.
The day you embark you will see loads of crew/bar staff selling the stickers. If you plan on getting it do get it straight away.
They will place a small sticker on your cruise card & when you go to the bar to get your soda show them the card. It is good for unlimited fountain sodas.
They do also try to sell you a coke tumbler/thermas type cup - it is small.
I usually do not get this.
I also ask for the extra large/jumbo plastic glass.
Have a great cruise.

Cathy

Does the soda card cover bottled water? Does it cover milk? My family does not drink soda. I've heard that a bottle of water costs $3.50! I've also heard that cruisers can bring on board cases of bottled water with them to economize. I've also read that one can refill one's own thermal jug with iced tea and lemonade. Has anyone done this, and is it permitted?

You can bring your own beverages within reason. Bottled water is pricey but I didn't think it was $3.50. The only thing about packing drinks is think of the weight of lugging them around until you unpack.

As to your own thermos, yes you can fill it with iced water/ice tea from dispensers around the ship. Princess doesn't have lemonade available unfortunately.

Milk is included in the price of the cruise and you don't need a soda card to get it. However, it is not a bar item and is usually only available at meal hours or from room service.

To my knowledge the soda card only covers soda. Also, consider that you will most likely be off the ship for the three or four port days. We figured you had to be drinking at least three sodas per day on average to make it pay. If you are only going to drink one or two a day during sea days, it is cheaper to pay by the glass.

There are ice/water dispensers in the buffet area. The bottled water on the ship was quite expensive--$3.50 sounds about right. We have found it much cheaper just to purchase bottled water in the ports when we need it.

Milk is available in the buffet area during breakfast. During the rest of the day you can still get milk in the buffet area by asking one of the employees and they will get it for you. We asked for milk all during the day and never had any trouble getting it.

Is the soft drink card for a 10 day cruise on Sun Princess still in the $22-$27 range, or will it be more for the 10 days?

Might be up to $30. If you are a soda drinker, though, it is worth it.

I think it will be alot more than $30 for a 10day cruise. That would only be $3 a day. I could not find anything on the Princess website. But Royal Caribbean charges $6 a day for adults, $4 for children. I would think Princess would be comparable to that. Plus don't forget the 15% gratuity.