I've heard that it isn't worth buying the drink cards because they don't include much...What type of drinks are included on the card? Thanks!

from what i understand, they don't include any alcohol......I would only purchase it if you are going to drink Alot of pop! not even sure how much the drink cards are, but we payed 2.50 on carnival for a pop which also included the tip to the server., so figure out if it will be beneficial for you.

Um...from what I understood there were alcohol drink cards you can buy...Is this true or did I misunderstand?

They do offer drink cards for soda, alcohol, and non-alcoholic beverages. I've heard not to buy a card with the intention of purchasing beer because it's priced very reasonable. I pulled this info. from RCCL's site. Hope it answers your questions.

Royal Caribbean offers several beverage programs, for both adults
and children.

Adult's Beverage Programs:

Adult Non-Alcoholic Card
This program is available to all guests nineteen (19) years of age
and up and may be purchased at all bars and lounges. This entitles
the holder to twelve (12) non-alcoholic drinks; fountain sodas, juice,
mineral water and mocktails only.

Charge per card is $29.95 inclusive of service charge.

Royal Cocktail Card
The program is available to all guests twenty-one (21) years of age
and up and may be purchased at all bars and lounges. This entitles
the holder to twelve (12) house/call brand cocktails, domestic beer
and house wine by-the-glass.

Exclusions: Premium brand and super premium brand liquors, full
bottles of water, liquor and wine, cabin sales. Non applicable to
mini bar consumption, room service and Champagne bar.

Charge per card is $39.00 plus a 15% service charge.

So you are saying a soda ... a diet coke or pepsi is $2.50! I have no problem with the alcohol card, but a soda for $2.50 and no refills. That seems a bit high to say the least.

Can we buy soda's off the ship and bring them on? My husband will go through $100 a day just on soda! And a bottle of water is $2.50?

Someone said you get 12 soft drinks for $30.
Alcohol is $3.40 a drink plus you have to pay a service charge on top of that, but that is reasonable and what you pay at a bar for bottom shelf liquor. I can't get over the price of soft drinks!

Here is RCCL's soda card prices.
Adult Fountain Soda Package
This program is available to all guests nineteen (19) years of age
and up and may be purchased at all bars and lounges.
3 days $15.00
4 days $19.00
5 days $24.00
7 days $33.00
10 days $46.00
11 days $50.00
12 days $55.00
14 days $65.00

15% gratuity is automatically added to the total price of the soda
package.

Soda packages are accepted at all food and beverage outlets,
including the diningroom and private destinations

They also have drink card prices for children.

Pennie

What beverages are complimentary in the diningroom?


Iced water, iced tea, lemonade, brewed coffee and hot tea.

Fountain soda is offered at $1.25 per glass, with complimentary refills
during the meal.

Can soda is offered at $1.50 per can.

I have to comment on this. First of all, I wish I had read pennie's responses BEFORE I went on my cruise. In that case, I wouldn't have purchased these Royal coctail cards. I read somewhere that someone was told by a security agent that bringing alcohol in your bags is perfectly fine as no laws are being broken. Now if you buy your liquor on board, then it becomes a problem since they will hold it until the end of the cruise, plus you have a custom's declaration amount you are limited to for purchases ($800.00/person $1600.00/couple) And I know for sure some people have even brought cases of their own soda on board. I was however very disappointed to find out after the fact that these drink cards offered on the ship are in fact a bargain of $40.00 (including gratuity) for 12 alcoholic drinks but like Pennie said, they are restricted to non-premium brand's. Was it worth it? I had to settle for drinks I didn't really care for. I personally feel that $6.00 (for a premium brand drink) coctail is not all that bad if you end up getting what you really want. I ended up paying for drink cards AND individual drinks. I really can't complain, I spent $200.00 on drinks (bottles of wine, soda and drink cards) for the entire 7 day cruise, this is including the 3 kids we brought with us. Figure out what you like, do your homework on cost's, and budget yourself....

Also, take advantage of what the snack bars offer for drinks. On enchantment of the seas, they had coffee, tea and water offered almost all the time (with all the fixing's, sugar, lemons etc). You can pour yourself a glass and bring it to your room. By the way, the water on the ship is the best I've ever tasted, even better than bottled water.

Amy

I travelled on Explorer in the past and am leaving on Sat. ( april 19, 2003) on the Grandeur.

One of the ladies in our cabin brought a mixer that worked off betteries, very lite weight and very convenient. We all brought sports bottles and we were able to mix our own drinks. You can pack the mixes and they will not be confiscated since they do not contain alcohol. Be aware that they will probably check your carry on more closely for alcohol. We also used these bottles to put ice tea, water with lemon, etc. at no cost. We also brought "shooter tubes" which can be purchased at Sams and can be used to make drinks. 5 per 4 drinks.

These are easy to pack.

Also, at breakfast, we got extra dry cerealin the individual boxes and used these when we went snorkeling and for snacks. You can also used these as trades for shopping on the private island such a Labadee since these are hard to come by for the natives.

just some information.

have a great trip.

Are the drink cards for children on rcci unlimited drinks?I have two teenagers, their good for 5 aday if I let them. Also my travel agent told me she filled avian bottles with clearvodka,rum anything clear.

mary-ellen

If you are willing to drink bottom shelf liquor then the drink card is a good purchase, unless of course you drink beer - then it isn't because you can buy a beer pretty reasonably.

I'm going to tell you to drink as much as you can off the ship and limit your intake on the ship. When I took my cruise I did bring a bottle on the ship so I could have a drink in my room before dinner. Some say you can't do this, but I had no problems getting a bottle on the ship.

My husband is a soda drinker and I will tell you his soda card was a smart buy! We also brought on soda. They don't say you can't. They only say no alcohol, but I've been told this is illegal of them. Not sure that it is, but you are paying some good money (us $6,000) so I think they made enough off of us!

Let me clarify the drink card delema. There are non alcoholic drink stickers which include soda's, all you can drink....they cost $40.00 for the week approximately per person, they put a coke sticker on the back of your sail and sign card and all you do is show it. Then there are alcoholic drink cards available as well. They are 12 drinks on a punch card and you get it punched for each drink. Royal Caribbean has a policy of being able to purchase booze in their duty free and for a $10.00 surcharge you can take it to your room. Better off to bring a very large glass with you, purchase the soda card and mix your own. We did this on the Navigator in Jan and it was well worth the savings per drink in the bar. Hope this helps! :0)

We recently went on the Adventure to the Southern Caribbean. Royal Caribbean no longer offers the alcoholic beverage drink card. They still offer the Coke Card and a non-achoholic beverage card, but all alcoholic beverages must be purchased individually. Sorry.

My husband & I went on our first cruise Majesty Of The Seas 10/02. I purchased the soda card. I thought it was well worth it. The only thing is, if your a big soda drinker like me is you make a lot of trips to the bar. They give you small glasses that only hold about 6oz after they put in all of the ice. My husband & I both used my one card. They really don't keep track. I also brought one of the Coco Loco glasses back on board from Coco Cay and had no problem getting it filled the rest of the cruise. It was bigger than the glasses they give you.