Iced tea and sweetener

[Vict0riann]

That is so silly about paper products.  They are recyclable and compostable.

 

Now plastic straws and containers are another subject.  On Koningsdam in November I sat by a man in one of the wine tastings who fussed, non-stop, about the butter, which is now available in dishes, in the form of (frozen) rosettes.  He wanted those little metal dishes with the plastic tops back.  I can't remember what they are doing with the jams.

[kwb101]

1 hour ago, Vict0riann said:

<snip>On Koningsdam in November I sat by a man in one of the wine tastings who fussed, non-stop, about the butter, which is now available in dishes, in the form of (frozen) rosettes.

On Voledam now, the lovely butter rosettes seem to be another fond memory (farewell,  flowers on MDR and Lido tables), replaced by squares cut from a sheet of butter. They work fine, but someone's working very hard to make HAL a few more cents per passenger by squeezing every nickle, in the process of grinding HAL's elegance into the ocean mud. 

Maybe they're trying to get their financials looking good for a prospective buyer.

Note also the new title on the Our Ships page: ""Our Elegant Fleet Of Cruise Ships", which is all about the fleet as a whole, not the ships. <shakes head>

[aliaschief]

20 hours ago, Bostonjetset said:

Thanks for confirming they are at least available upon request.  I would have been quite shocked if they didn't provide them at all.

Just a note that what we experienced in October/November may not be true in this first month of 2020. We will find out in a few days on the Koningsdam.

 

 

[Chinook Wind]

I don't post very often but this thread has got me shaking my head. 

First of all, would you seriously actually not book a cruise with a company that does not provide you with a particular brand of individually packaged sugar substitute?!

Secondly, paper/compostable materials are fast becoming the new reality that we all need to embrace.  On another thread pax were saying that they would just bring their own plastic straws! Plastic straws are being replaced not just at sea but on land as well and if there ever was a more appropriate venue to use paper straws it is on a ship.  Just ask that infamous sea turtle how much he enjoyed having plastic straws embedded into his nostrils.

Celebrity introduced a "Save the Seas" initiative many years ago.  I haven't sailed with them for a few years so don't know if they have carried it any further.  Other will probably chime in.

I'll finish my soap box rant by saying that I think we cruisers forget sometimes that we are travelling on water...at sea...on the ocean and that anything that blows overboard has to end up somewhere...probably on a beach or in the digestive tract of a sea creature.  We are all blessed to be able to travel but in doing so we need to be respectful and try to "only leave footprints". 🐾 

 

[Bostonjetset]

10 minutes ago, Chinook Wind said:

I don't post very often but this thread has got me shaking my head. 

First of all, would you seriously actually not book a cruise with a company that does not provide you with a particular brand of individually packaged sugar substitute?!

Secondly, paper/compostable materials are fast becoming the new reality that we all need to embrace.  On another thread pax were saying that they would just bring their own plastic straws! Plastic straws are being replaced not just at sea but on land as well and if there ever was a more appropriate venue to use paper straws it is on a ship.  Just ask that infamous sea turtle how much he enjoyed having plastic straws embedded into his nostrils.

Celebrity introduced a "Save the Seas" initiative many years ago.  I haven't sailed with them for a few years so don't know if they have carried it any further.  Other will probably chime in.

I'll finish my soap box rant by saying that I think we cruisers forget sometimes that we are travelling on water...at sea...on the ocean and that anything that blows overboard has to end up somewhere...probably on a beach or in the digestive tract of a sea creature.  We are all blessed to be able to travel but in doing so we need to be respectful and try to "only leave footprints". 🐾 

 

I feel like this was directed at me and my previous statement of it making me "think twice" in the future so I will respond.  Of course I would not completely boycott a line over something as trivial as sweeteners; however, I would take this one extra thing into consideration when weighing out what trip would suit my needs at any given time.  And I am just a person who prefers no-cal beverages but what about those that cannot have sugared drinks for medical reasons?  HAL leaves them with very little options; the fact is, Stevia is not a direct substitute for the others as the taste is vastly different.  Everyone has their right to voice their opinions on their soap box but I will refrain from going into a diatribe about the nanny-state culture that western society is fast heading towards.  Many people have had enough of the PC police telling them every single thing they should or should not be allowed to do.  I am all for being environmentally conscious and am happy to get behind a system of "ask to receive" in order to cull waste but to outright ban something so commonplace and insignificant in the grand scheme of the environment is, in my opinion, penny wise and pound foolish.  

[RuthC]

If HAL can have diner style containers for sugar and the one artificial sweetener (which is not good tasting), then they could offer several containers for all the artificial sweeteners. 
I want Equal, not Stevia. At home I have the jar, which I can pour easily on my cereal, or even in coffee. When I go out I have the tablets, in case the restaurant doesn't have Equal.

If HAL's reason of reducing paper is true, then just expand the solution offered. 

[Crazy For Cats]

Last month on the Veendam the artificial sweetener was not labeled as Stevia in the lido, it was in the Neptune lounge.  They used a generic label.  There was no ingredient listing for the product.  This could pose a risk for someone not familiar with Stevia.  Passengers should be able to see the ingredients to make informed decisions.

[fatcat04]

At Tamarind tonight we were brought the little holder with the different color sweeteners plus the sugar dispenser with our coffee. 

 

Butter pats have all been individual pats either self serve or in tiny serving size ramakins. 

 

The strawberry jam on our breakfast room service tray came in the cutest little reusable lidded glass jar. 

 

The metal resealable "cans" of water work just fine though there is no really portable larger option as the larger water is in a glass bottle. 

 

The paper straws may get a bit soggy but my tropical drinks for some reason never seem to last long enough for me to find out. 😁

 

[AV8rix]

11 hours ago, Seasick Sailor said:

Perhaps the brown sugar is for oatmeal or cream of wheat?

No, it's not brown sugar -- in the sense of the stuff you cook with.  It is raw sugar (either turbinado or demerara) -- sugar that still has its molasses.  It's all I use at home and all I use(d) on the ships until my October cruise on Volendam, when I found that it was gone.  Luckily our first stop on the day after embarkation was in a North American port where I knew the location of a grocery, so I bought a box there.  It is very difficult to use from the dispensers provided on the ships because the molasses makes it sticky.  I will continue packing my own for future cruises.

[Scrapnana]

Packets still readily available on Amsterdam as of today.  Also, paper straws were available in the Explorations Café and I would guess at the bars upon request (although I have not asked).

[Seasick Sailor]

1 hour ago, Av8rix said:

No, it's not brown sugar -- in the sense of the stuff you cook with.  It is raw sugar (either turbinado or demerara) -- sugar that still has its molasses.  It's all I use at home and all I use(d) on the ships until my October cruise on Volendam, when I found that it was gone.  Luckily our first stop on the day after embarkation was in a North American port where I knew the location of a grocery, so I bought a box there.  It is very difficult to use from the dispensers provided on the ships because the molasses makes it sticky.  I will continue packing my own for future cruises.

 

Well, I sure hope they still carry actual brown sugar for my oatmeal! That is my morning staple. 

[avian777]

5 hours ago, Bostonjetset said:

I feel like this was directed at me and my previous statement of it making me "think twice" in the future so I will respond.  Of course I would not completely boycott a line over something as trivial as sweeteners; however, I would take this one extra thing into consideration when weighing out what trip would suit my needs at any given time.  And I am just a person who prefers no-cal beverages but what about those that cannot have sugared drinks for medical reasons?  HAL leaves them with very little options; the fact is, Stevia is not a direct substitute for the others as the taste is vastly different.  Everyone has their right to voice their opinions on their soap box but I will refrain from going into a diatribe about the nanny-state culture that western society is fast heading towards.  Many people have had enough of the PC police telling them every single thing they should or should not be allowed to do.  I am all for being environmentally conscious and am happy to get behind a system of "ask to receive" in order to cull waste but to outright ban something so commonplace and insignificant in the grand scheme of the environment is, in my opinion, penny wise and pound foolish.  

 

Hear, hear, Bostonjetset, well said!!! 👍👍👍

[Crusinsusan2]

46 minutes ago, avian777 said:

 

Hear, hear, Bostonjetset, well said!!! 👍👍👍

 

Double Ditto Bostonjetset!! 

 

[mightycruisequeen]

HAL is cutting out the paper packets of equal to reduce paper waste?  Sorry, but if that's really the motive, then why the glut of paper ads in our on board mailboxes?  

[fatcat04]

4 hours ago, mightycruisequeen said:

HAL is cutting out the paper packets of equal to reduce paper waste?  Sorry, but if that's really the motive, then why the glut of paper ads in our on board mailboxes?  

I will say, this present cruise my mailbox has been notably less cluttered with junk mail. Hooray!! Still a few ads but most of the info has to be sought out on the tv, through onboard announcements, at tables set up on the lido deck, or via the spa or excursion desk itself.  

[AV8rix]

10 hours ago, Seasick Sailor said:

 

Well, I sure hope they still carry actual brown sugar for my oatmeal! That is my morning staple. 

No, no -- not to worry!  I didn't mean that they didn't still have the real brown sugar for oatmeal.  I'm also an oatmeal fan.  And yes, the server who hands you your bowl of oatmeal still has the brown sugar alongside the raisins, almonds, etc that you specify to top your bowl.

[*Miss G*]

On 1/7/2020 at 10:16 AM, Seasick Sailor said:

 

I believe Mr. Copper noted the 2nd picture was in the Lido?

I'm sorry if I misunderstood the caption.

 

Oh, sorry!  You are correct.  (Speed reading has its down side. lol)