Thoughts on personal cups/bottles onboard now....will they be allowed? -Calling all Yeti fans!

[DIS_MIKE]

Edit: I'm sure they will still be allowed onboard. The problem I am seeing is how will you be able to fill it up by yourself?

We all know that the drink stations will be manned by a CM for the foreseeable future. Now that Starbucks and so many other chains (and even my local gas station) no longer accept a refillable/personal cup....do you think DCL will do the same?

I cruised last May on the Fantasy and it was right after there was a major illness onboard. So for the next several weeks all self service locations were always manned by a CM. I actually preferred having someone fill my Yeti up because it meant I didn't need to use/waste several cups to transfer the contents. With the times we are living in now...I don't see them taking my mug at this point so I guess the only way it would work would be by having that CM hand you multiple cups and you'll just have to transfer the drink to your bottle. I can see this upsetting other people waiting in line though.

 

[cvjw]

I am actually ok with a cm manning the drink station after what we witnessed in October. A lady in front of us stuck the nozzle of the soft drink dispenser inside her refillable bottle, with the nozzle touching all sides of where she had been drinking. We were so grossed out, that we didn’t use those drink stations again. Not sure we would use them again, if people like her were still allowed free reign.

 

[BartmanLA]

If CM'S are going to be required to serve at the drink station, then will they actually fill drink bottles of guests? I for one bring a vacuum steel bottle with us on the cruises, will they fill the entire bottle or just give us those TINY cups they have at the station? That might be a deal breaker with me if I can't fill my bottle, I tend to drink 2-3 entire bottles of water a day (especially in warmer climates) and I like to use the bottle to keep what I drink cold for hours. Also will this mean that they'll have a Cast Member available 24 hours to service guests or will this mean a closure of the entire drink station every night?

 

[TiggerBouncy]

If CM'S are going to be required to serve at the drink station, then will they actually fill drink bottles of guests? I for one bring a vacuum steel bottle with us on the cruises, will they fill the entire bottle or just give us those TINY cups they have at the station? That might be a deal breaker with me if I can't fill my bottle, I tend to drink 2-3 entire bottles of water a day (especially in warmer climates) and I like to use the bottle to keep what I drink cold for hours. Also will this mean that they'll have a Cast Member available 24 hours to service guests or will this mean a closure of the entire drink station every night?

This is my only concern. I am more than happy to have a CM at the station, if I can hand them my Yeti and they fill it up all the way. I don't care HOW they fill it up. They can put my yeti under the nozzle. They can use little cups, fill those and pour them into my yeti. They can use a funnel. They can magically zap it in there. As long as they fill it all the way.

 

[lorimay]

I don't think they will allow CM's to handle personal cups, I'm not sure they ever did.
When I have cruised and the stations were manned, they had several cups filled already when you walked up they handed you what you wanted.
I don't see why they wouldn't give you 3 cups of water or what ever you are drinking and you can just pour it into your own cup.

 

[DisBNewB]

At theme parks and stadiums around here (as well as places like Starbucks) they'll fill personal cups/mugs/etc, BUT you have to hand them the receptacle and hold on to the lid. That way the part that touches your mouth isn't coming near their nozzles. I'd be fine with that. (I realize this doesn't work great for the water bottles where you drink directly out of the mouth of it, especially the narrower ones, but I'm not sure what a good workaround for that would be.)

 

[islandsnoopy]

On the Magic in March, CMs manned the drink stations about halfway through the cruise. The CM didn't touch our Tervis mugs just used the paper cups to fill our mugs.

 

[T & R]

with the nozzle touching all sides of where she had been drinking. We were so grossed out, that we didn’t use those drink stations again

Just add a little bourbon to your drink. Should sterilize it and you're good to go.

 

[Weedy]

Maybe ask for 3 or 4 drinks (bring a cup holder from Chick fil A or similar)
then move out of the line to fill your cup

 

[Sherrilatte]

I feel that self-service beverages will be a thing of the past--with the exception of specialty drinks. Everything will be bottled and you can pour it in your own containers. I have no problem with that and DCL would recoup some lost revenue.

 

[Minnie222]

I prefer CM to use the plastic cups to hand out the drinks, and then you pour it into your own bottle (away from the drink station).

Not a fan of CM touching everyone’s bottles to help refill.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

That might be a deal breaker with me if I can't fill my bottle, I tend to drink 2-3 entire bottles of water a day (especially in warmer climates) and I like to use the bottle to keep what I drink cold for hours.

You could fill your own bottle from the tap in your room. It's the same water.

 

[MomOTwins]

I prefer CM to use the plastic cups to hand out the drinks, and then you pour it into your own bottle (away from the drink station).

Not a fan of CM touching everyone’s bottles to help refill.

Yeah- I like how they do it at the quick service in the parks on hot days, where they set a bunch of filled cups of ice water on the counter and you can go grab as many as you like, and they replenish them on a rolling basis. We've used that to refill our water bottles on many occasions; it's quick and clean.

 

[BartmanLA]

You could fill your own bottle from the tap in your room. It's the same water.

If I wanted luke warm water I would, the primary reason I go to the drink station is the water there is ice cold, as I stated the vacuum bottle keeps it cold for hours which I prefer, not warm tap water. I did explain that in my post.

 

[BartmanLA]

Yeah- I like how they do it at the quick service in the parks on hot days, where they set a bunch of filled cups of ice water on the counter and you can go grab as many as you like, and they replenish them on a rolling basis. We've used that to refill our water bottles on many occasions; it's quick and clean.

The WASTE alone from all those used cups really defeats the purpose of bringing a resuable bottle on board in the first place, and wasn't DCL all about less waste when hey eliminated straws and lids for the drink cups??? There HAS to be a solution so that those that want to use a REUSABLE bottle on board the ships can be accommodated and still keep the waste to a minumum.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

If I wanted luke warm water I would, the primary reason I go to the drink station is the water there is ice cold, as I stated the vacuum bottle keeps it cold for hours which I prefer, not warm tap water. I did explain that in my post.

I've typically filled my bottle(s) in my room, at night, and put them in the fridge. That seems to make it cold.

 

[AquaDame]

If I wanted luke warm water I would, the primary reason I go to the drink station is the water there is ice cold, as I stated the vacuum bottle keeps it cold for hours which I prefer, not warm tap water. I did explain that in my post.

Fill with tap water then request a cup(s) of ice. I'm not happy with the waste at all which is why we use our own bottle, but I don't think we're going to have much choice for awhile.

For the rare times I didn't have a personal mug with me at coffee shops I'd just have them leave off the plastic lid at least and walk back to my desk without it, but that isn't going to fly with this virus swirling around in the air. I'll just keep making it at home - my husband is enjoying the $90/mo savings anyway.

 

[DIS_MIKE]

I don't think they will allow CM's to handle personal cups, I'm not sure they ever did.
When I have cruised and the stations were manned, they had several cups filled already when you walked up they handed you what you wanted.
I don't see why they wouldn't give you 3 cups of water or what ever you are drinking and you can just pour it into your own cup.

On the Magic in March, CMs manned the drink stations about halfway through the cruise. The CM didn't touch our Tervis mugs just used the paper cups to fill our mugs.

I didn't expect the CM on the Fantasy to take my mug but he did (along with many others) and always had a smile on his face.

Really liking the input and ideas that have been mentioned! I totally agree that the whole transferring the paper cups to your mug creates unnecessary waste and defeats the purpose of having the refillable mug in the first place (as mentioned by @BartmanLA ). By having the CM there to fill it, he or she eliminates the unnecessary waste of all of those extra transfer cups BUT I don't think DCL will allow future cruisers to have personal mugs be filled by the CM moving forward. The reason for this is the same reason that Starbucks, McDonald's and other businesses no longer accept personal mugs and cups: It's just not sanitary anymore.

I also feel that the self service drink stations will also be a thing of the past but who knows. Imagine if the Coke freestyle machines go away in WDW. We are living in a completely different world now.

 

[lorimay]

Maybe someone else will remember , but for some reason, I think one of the ships has a water bottle refill station now.
I

 

[Minnie222]

About water, I saw on different videos about DCL crew rooms that they have multiple bottled water in their tiny rooms. That makes me wonder if it’s even a good idea to directly drink tap water on the ship.