Plastic Bottles Reusable

[arzz]

Closing the cabinet doors did not turn the lights off. Small slivers of light peeked out in our suite overnight.  I remember it being the same way on the Quest in January and wondering why the lights did not go off.

 

The water did not taste of chemicals, nor did it taste musty like the tap water tasted.  But it was oddly flat and almost sweet.

[Tillylovesseabourn]

We travelled on Ody in August and had the new water bottles in cabin, which I was ok with.... until I noticed a rather pungent and unpleasant odour, ie unwashed/bacterial smell pervaded from one of the bottles. I found this most offputtting and promptly removed said bottle for our use. I too drink alot of water and am not impressed by the taste, I was very concerned with the smell as too how effective the cleaning of these bottles was. Really not sure this particular system is going to work out.

[alwaysonaship]

 Agree with you. The bottles were replaced in our room this morning even though we do not use them. We have the two liter sealed bottles, and they taste much better. In a nutshell, there needs to be a better system than what is  used currently. Our trip has been excellent, and I have had other people mention they didn’t like these, and this would be my only issue. Hopefully they will change this, or just ask for the 2ltr bottles to be put in your room. 

[Catlover54]

The big bottles now in the rooms appear too big for excursions. 

Glass options like VOSS suggested are too heavy, though I love Voss sparkling, as I already have enough trouble dealing with weight, and glass is a hazard if I fall.

 

For years we routinely bring a few of our own empty small plastic bottles designed for carbonated beverages from home that we then refill on the ship  or at hotels from larger screwtops, be they glass or plastic, still or sparkling, or from coke or other soda cans if we want soda, depending on what we want, which can be washed in our rooms by us on our own terms. The screwtops are strong and reusable many many times. The light bottles fit in the elastic sections of purse and waist or backpack.

 

Of course if plastic bottles are totally outlawed by the world everywhere (including China and India, but good luck with enforcement there) only those who have a stash like the one below will be able to use this suggested option of simply minimizing rather than eliminating use of plastic. Given recent trends we will hoard a few more in the right size and shape.

 

Here are my last few trip’s plastic 330 cc Badoit bottle and plastic 500cc Pelligrino bottles, they will accompany me on my next trip too.

 

 

Edited September 29, 2019 by Catlover54

[cruiseej]

All cruise ship lines are in various stages of reducing or eliminating plastic bottles. Norwegian this week became the latest and largest line to state that they will completely eliminate single-use bottles by the end of the year, using the Just system. Earlier this year, Oceania announced they'd do the same, using the Vero system. Sister company Regent also announced a transition to the Vero system earlier this year.

 

This press release from Seabourn (PDF) about their sustainability efforts mentions the expansion of Nordaq water systems, although it stops short of saying if/when they will completely eliminate single-use bottles. 

 

Nordaq began as a water purification system to produce water food enough to replace bottled water, landing some of the top hotels and restaurants (Thomas Keller's among them) as early customers. Their "Grab & Go" bottle seems to be a response to Vero's bottle system. 

 

Regent gives you a Vero bottle to use during your cruise and take home at the end. I think I like Seabourns' approach better, where bottles are more frequently cleaned, and there's less consumption of bottles (assuming many passengers will not take one as a souvenir). That said, I carry a Hydro Flask insulated water bottle with me all the time, because I like cold water, and I definitely don't purify it daily!  (@Catlover54, there's been lots written about the pitfalls of reusing single-use plastic bottles due to micro-cracks which harbor harmful bacteria, and because once used, they can leach a carcinogenic chemical called DEHP, so you may want to re-think your strategy. 😉 )

 

[Isklaar]

6 hours ago, Tillylovesseabourn said:

We travelled on Ody in August and had the new water bottles in cabin, which I was ok with.... until I noticed a rather pungent and unpleasant odour, ie unwashed/bacterial smell pervaded from one of the bottles. I found this most offputtting and promptly removed said bottle for our use. I too drink alot of water and am not impressed by the taste, I was very concerned with the smell as too how effective the cleaning of these bottles was. Really not sure this particular system is going to work out.

 

And this experience that you had is precisely why I would like to hear from Seabourn about how those bottles are washed, and how often.

If other guests drink from them directly, and there is every possibility of that, then every bottle needs to be properly sanitised just like glassware and cutlery. That means washed thoroughly at high temperature, in a dishwasher.

 

 

[sfvoyage]

11 hours ago, arzz said:

Closing the cabinet doors did not turn the lights off. Small slivers of light peeked out in our suite overnight.  I remember it being the same way on the Quest in January and wondering why the lights did not go off.

Closing both cabinet doors (or one of them - not either one, but a specific side, for some reason) has always shut off the lights for me.  Now, I don't recall about "small slivers of light", but I do recall that the main light would go off.  Perhaps check with engineering.

[offtoalaska]

13 hours ago, islandchick said:

How does the water taste? I am very sensitive to odd/chemical flavors in water so I am a bit concerned about this.

 

You can contact Seabourn via their website and request sealed bottles of water for your cabin.  For our December cruise we have requested two liter sized bottles of spring water such as Dasani, Volvic or similar to be replenished daily.  My request has been acknowledged and is being sent to the Procurement Dept for our voyage.  I'm hoping we will not be charged for this;  still trying to figure out how we will deal with water for the fitness center and excursions.

I'm thinking I will bring small plastic bottles that I will fill from the large bottles in our cabin.  These of course will need to  be washed and sanitized after each use. We had a very bad experience with ship filtered water served in the carafes on Viking Ocean.

 

PS - to reach Seabourn go to their website and the Contact Us page

 

[alwaysonaship]

6 hours ago, Isklaar said:

 

And this experience that you had is precisely why I would like to hear from Seabourn about how those bottles are washed, and how often.

If other guests drink from them directly, and there is every possibility of that, then every bottle needs to be properly sanitised just like glassware and cutlery. That means washed thoroughly at high temperature, in a dishwasher.

 

 

Even in our home our glasses go in the dishwasher and are not reused and we are the only users. I am going to inquire more onboard about this. Thinking about it I have not seen any fresh bottles or dirty ones being removed or replaced as  we walk around on board when housekeeping is doing their morning routine.  

Edited September 29, 2019 by alwaysonaship

[alwaysonaship]

Not pleased..just took a picture of the bottom of the bottle.. made in PCR.    CHINA. I don’t think they have the highest standards of being green

[Mauzac]

We are in our place in Spain at the moment and we use these thermal bottles all the time, on the beach and travelling, I would be more than happy to use one on excursions as the water stays cold for up to 24 hours.

 

I just need to keep topped up with water in my suite and I do like it cold!  

 

 

[SLSD]

I too have read about the dangers of refilling plastic bottles (like Pelligrino, Dasani, etc etc.)  This water issue has me concerned too.  I'm all for cutting back on single use plastic (as we have at home), but we still find single use water sometimes necessary.  I would think safety and bacteria free water needs to be the #1 concern on ships.  

[frantic36]

26 minutes ago, Mauzac said:

We are in our place in Spain at the moment and we use these thermal bottles all the time, on the beach and travelling, I would be more than happy to use one on excursions as the water stays cold for up to 24 hours.

 

I just need to keep topped up with water in my suite and I do like it cold!  

 

 

 

This is what we used on our days in port on our cruise in July and I already have them packed for our next cruise. We used some of the melted ice water the stewardess supplied and some tap water. It was wonderful to have nice chilly water to drink as the Med was experiencing a heat wave. In fact it was better as usually the water in the plastic bottle can get quite warm.

I wasn't concerned by the water in the suite as I figured I have been drinking from glasses that have gone through the onboard dishwashers for years on Seabourn and had no ill effects. 

[Isklaar]

26 minutes ago, frantic36 said:

 

This is what we used on our days in port on our cruise in July and I already have them packed for our next cruise. We used some of the melted ice water the stewardess supplied and some tap water. It was wonderful to have nice chilly water to drink as the Med was experiencing a heat wave. In fact it was better as usually the water in the plastic bottle can get quite warm.

I wasn't concerned by the water in the suite as I figured I have been drinking from glasses that have gone through the onboard dishwashers for years on Seabourn and had no ill effects. 

 

Julie, if the bottles go through the dishwashers that removes a lot of my anxiety around this. But there's not been any information provided to suggest that they do. Subject being discussed on two other social media sites, not just CC, with input from people currently on board. 

 

I'll say it again. SB needs to produce a leaflet or webpage for guests with full information about on board procedures with this system. 

[frantic36]

5 minutes ago, Isklaar said:

 

Julie, if the bottles go through the dishwashers that removes a lot of my anxiety around this. But there's not been any information provided to suggest that they do. Subject being discussed on two other social media sites, not just CC, with input from people currently on board. 

 

I'll say it again. SB needs to produce a leaflet or webpage for guests with full information about on board procedures with this system. 

 

That is a good idea for Seabourn to produce a webpage describing the how the bottles are sanitised. I can find information about the Nordaq system and Seabourn is changing to it but not how the bottles are is sanitised.

 

In July I vaguely remember getting fresh bottles most days as we drink a lot of water and our stewardess replaced them.

[arzz]

You can ask the stewardess to replace the bottles each day. We did - and we checked on it each day as the fresh bottle arrives cold and stay cold for a while. 

 

People do drink directly from the bottles. We saw that both on board and in port. 

 

They are sanitized somehow - just wish I knew how. Also worried about the plastic scratching and cracking over time - if that happens bacteria can hide.  How much heat can the plastic tolerate?  Enough to be properly sanitized?  There are studies of plastic cutting boards that have shown that they can harbor quite a bit of bacteria in cracks and scratches - wooden cutting boards sanitize much better as the wood shrinks when it dries and kills the bacteria that was not washed off.  

 

Our cabin stewardess referred to a chemical that they use to sanitize leaving water type spots on the bottles and “not to worry about them” - if they are using chemicals I would want to know what they are using and if there could be an issue with chemical residue.

 

I put my concerns on my on line comment sheet this morning. 

 

I hope that we all hear from Seabourn soon on this issue.

[SLSD]

3 hours ago, frantic36 said:

 

This is what we used on our days in port on our cruise in July and I already have them packed for our next cruise. We used some of the melted ice water the stewardess supplied and some tap water. It was wonderful to have nice chilly water to drink as the Med was experiencing a heat wave. In fact it was better as usually the water in the plastic bottle can get quite warm.

I wasn't concerned by the water in the suite as I figured I have been drinking from glasses that have gone through the onboard dishwashers for years on Seabourn and had no ill effects. 

Frantic36, How do you clean your bottles while on the ship?  

[frantic36]

SLSD I just washed them in the bathroom sink with some water and soap. It was only my husband and I using them. Luckily we are both quite healthy with a robust immune system, so from my nursing training, soap and hot water is good for cleaning.

 

Sorry I haven't got back to you re our Greek cruise but I had issues with both my dogs on my return, one needing surgery for a lump. Luckily all is good now. Now I just have to try and remember what we did. Most ports we just got off and walked around or went to the beach. Going to the beach is not usual for us but it was so hot it felt the right thing to do.

[saminina]

5 hours ago, offtoalaska said:

  For our December cruise we have requested two liter sized bottles of spring water such as Dasani, Volvic or similar to be replenished daily. 

 

One brand mentioned is spring water, the other purified tap water.   Probably 90% of plastic bottled water in USA is some variation of tap water from a municipal water supply and it is this product that really drives me up the wall for wasted plastic.   IMO, should be outlawed.  

 

 

5 hours ago, offtoalaska said:

 

 

[SLSD]

1 hour ago, frantic36 said:

SLSD I just washed them in the bathroom sink with some water and soap. It was only my husband and I using them. Luckily we are both quite healthy with a robust immune system, so from my nursing training, soap and hot water is good for cleaning.

 

Did you bring dish soap on the ship?  Just wondering what kind of soap (liquid?) that you used.  Thinking ahead.  

 

I would love to hear about your Greek cruise, even though we are leaning toward either a Copenhagen to Dover or a Dover to Lisbon(?) or somewhere now.  I absolutely do not want to do a hot weather cruise, if at all possible.  As we live in Dallas, and it is STILL hotter than hell here, we would like to have some respite from the endless summer.  I will probably be wearing summer clothing until Christmas.  

[SLSD]

1 hour ago, saminina said:

 

One brand mentioned is spring water, the other purified tap water.   Probably 90% of plastic bottled water in USA is some variation of tap water from a municipal water supply and it is this product that really drives me up the wall for wasted plastic.   IMO, should be outlawed.  

 

 

 

At home we use a Brita pitcher.  They would be a bit bulky to bring on a cruise, but I'm tempted.  

[frantic36]

SLSD I just used a tiny drop of shampoo and rinsed well afterwards. It needs to be hot water though.

 

Friends are on the Ovation at the moment having just done the British Isles cruise and  are now doing the next segment. Like you they live in a hot climate and are enjoying the cooler weather. It sounds like it is a very interesting itinerary. 

 

My husband and I, though we live in a hot climate still prefer to have hot weather on holiday. We can only manage cold weather cruises every few years on a really good itinerary.

[SLSD]

1 hour ago, frantic36 said:

SLSD I just used a tiny drop of shampoo and rinsed well afterwards. It needs to be hot water though.

 

Friends are on the Ovation at the moment having just done the British Isles cruise and  are now doing the next segment. Like you they live in a hot climate and are enjoying the cooler weather. It sounds like it is a very interesting itinerary. 

 

My husband and I, though we live in a hot climate still prefer to have hot weather on holiday. We can only manage cold weather cruises every few years on a really good itinerary.

OK, I'll try the drop of shampoo with hot water if we bring our own water bottles.  

 

We have friends who embarked at  Dublin on Ovation yesterday.  I lobbied my husband for us to join them, but he is strictly a one cruise a year kind of guy.  We do have a lot on our plates at home.  

[SLSD]

On 9/28/2019 at 3:54 PM, arzz said:

 

 

 

This water may work well in restaurants, but in restaurants folks don’t drink directly from the water carafe.  On board they do.  We saw it.  

 

 

 

 

I'm rereading this entire thread to try to better understand the current drinking water situation.  I would say of course people drink directly from the bottles when they leave the ship at a port.  Otherwise, they would also have to take a drinking glass or cup (paper?) and getting a drink of water would be more time consuming and awkward when on the go.  I DO see the issue---very clearly.  And it concerns me that no one has been assured that the bottles go through a dishwasher.  Or perhaps they are not dishwasher proof?  And a chemical sanitizer concerns me as well.  

 

Can you clarify if the large two liter bottles are still provided in the suites?

[cece50]

I think this should all come down to personal choices.   If the on board water system & refillable plastic bottles work for you, you have it easy.  However, I hope they consider an alternative for those who don’t care for that situation, such as providing  bottled water, such as Voss, in glass bottles in our suite which we can use to refill our lightweight reusable bottles.  Voss & other bottled water in glass bottles is more expensive, but if someone is willing to pay.....it would be a good alternative.  I would hate to think we will be captive to what the cruise line thinks is best.  I imagine keeping healthy conditions on a self contained cruise ship is a delicate balancing act.  Safe drinking water is essential and like it or not, scam or no scam, a good quality factory sealed bottled water is a safe & better tasting choice when traveling.  We mostly drink tap water in restaurants near home & in better hotels in the US & have no issues, but cruising is a whole different ball game IMHO.