Straws

[ninjacat123]

1 minute ago, MistyRo76 said:

I am just off the Valor and I packed a travel silicon straw after reading all of the negative comments about the sugar straws on here. That travel straw didn't leave my backpack once! The sugar straws honestly never even bothered me! And I didn't realize that they had different flavored ones. When I got a Mocha Choclate Getaway, I was given a chocolate straw! And when I got a fruity drink, it was a fruity flavored straw. I did have to ask for straws occasionally. But the sugar straws were not nearly as bad as I had heard. And I almost always drank my drink fast enough that I never had to worry about melting. 

That's the key, drink fast! 🙂 Glad it worked out for you!

[MistyRo76]

1 minute ago, ninjacat123 said:

That's the key, drink fast! 🙂 Glad it worked out for you!

I mean, I wasn't guzzling my drinks by any means! 😁 But I've found any drinks with ice in them, get watered down pretty fast in that humid sea air, so I don't let them just sit around! 

[ninjacat123]

10 minutes ago, MistyRo76 said:

I mean, I wasn't guzzling my drinks by any means! 😁 But I've found any drinks with ice in them, get watered down pretty fast in that humid sea air, so I don't let them just sit around! 

Totally agree!! 👍

[ShakyBeef]

15 hours ago, mojavetex said:

Has anyone tried bamboo straws? 

 

I have not because I'm kinda turned off by them.  Bamboo, although an amazing, cheap, sustainable source is very fibrous /porous.  Although I use my multi-tier bamboo steamer very frequently, I am always a little "icked out" by the idea of what it could be absorbing (even though I usually only use it for clean veg).  It's just a hang-up of mine.  I still can't get into the idea of bamboo straws (for myself) even though the internet has apparently proven my fears unfounded with info such as this:

 

"They're antibacterial and easy to clean.  Bamboo Straws are not only safer for the environment - they're safer for you. In addition to being chemical-free, bamboo is also less likely than single-use plastic to harbour harmful bacteria."

 

But on the other hand, there is also this:

 

"Unfortunately, there is one major disadvantage to bamboo straws. You must hand wash them and make sure that they are thoroughly dry. If they do not dry, they are susceptible to growing mold on the interior of the straw, which can be damaging to your health."

 

So, all that (guess I'm rambling again😂) to say "No, I've not tried them and probably won't."🙂

[Gamecock_Cruiser]

I brought some black market plastic straws. We even gave some out to other fellow passengers.

[ShakyBeef]

Even though I won't use reusable straws on a cruise, at home I use stainless steel straws and plastic boba straws. The boba straws are meant as single-use, but I reuse them over and over for years, mostly in the old style Carnival DOD hurricane cups for smoothies that I make for my DDs.  In fact, I store them inside those DOD cups in my cupboard:

 

 

I just keep reusing them and running them through the dishwasher until they start to crack and then I throw them away.  The bonus is, I've never bought any boba straws - each one of these came in a boba.

[mz-s]

If you buy a pitcher from Red Frog Pub, they give you a rather nice silicone straw. It's a big straw but I imagine it would work well for one of those icy cocktails like the Miami Vice or what have you.

[teknoge3k]

Another vote here to take your own plastic straws. We have a bag of straws in our suitcase we use for all inclusive resorts we go to and cruises we go to. The sugar straws are horrible and you're not going to ever catch me with a reusable straw. 

[ninjacat123]

Are paper straws a choice?  Decomposable?  Better than plastic, right?  I hope I'm not grasping at straws (sorry, not sorry) 😉

[ShakyBeef]

1 minute ago, ninjacat123 said:

Are paper straws a choice?  Decomposable?  Better than plastic, right?  I hope I'm not grasping at straws (sorry, not sorry) 😉

 

I know back in 2020 on Elation, I was given a paper straw sometimes, instead of the sugar straw.  But it was a low quality (thin and not waxed) paper straw and it got soggy and fell apart faster than the gross sugar straws.  I really like high quality paper straws and would stop bringing my own plastic straws onboard if Carnival offered them.

[ray98]

We just take our own plastic straws.  After being totally disappointed in the sugar straws one cruise we brought the reusable ones next time.  It was just too much of a hassle because they were always a sticky mess.  

 

It is amusing....people are on a cruise ship which is one of the most polluting form of vacationing in existence after most flew on a plane to get there.  They are surrounded by nothing but excess all week but have decided eliminating straws is saving the world.

[Island Dog]

50 minutes ago, ray98 said:

We just take our own plastic straws.  After being totally disappointed in the sugar straws one cruise we brought the reusable ones next time.  It was just too much of a hassle because they were always a sticky mess.  

 

It is amusing....people are on a cruise ship which is one of the most polluting form of vacationing in existence after most flew on a plane to get there.  They are surrounded by nothing but excess all week but have decided eliminating straws is saving the world.

While I agree cruising definitely has a long way to go to "clean up their act" environmentally, it was Carnival themselves, not cruisers, that decided to eliminate plastic straws and opt for costlier sugar straws. I assume they did this because plastic straws are the most likely item to blow overboard that's not biodegradable. I don't think repeat cruisers who bring their straw of choice onboard with them are the irresponsible ones letting their trash blow into the sea. (Don't get me started on smokers who throw butts overboard, though).

 

While eliminating straws will definitely not "save the world", it was an easy way of keeping the most likeliest of plastic trash from the finding its way into the ocean. The industry has a terrible record in regards to the environment, but this is a small step in the right direction (like LNG powered vessels) IMHO. 

 

I hope everyone enjoys their adult beverages on their next voyage no matter what you may choose to sip from, while taking in the beautiful vistas of the sea.

Edited November 7, 2022 by Island Dog
Comma Chameleon

[Elaine5715]

4 hours ago, Gamecock_Cruiser said:

I brought some black market plastic straws. We even gave some out to other fellow passengers.

I handed a boba straw to a mom whose kid was trying to drink a milkshake.  I thought she was going to cry when she gave it to the boy and he actually could drink his shake.  I earned my hero cape that day.  

[tomo0862]

I've been bringing these with me...

 

Webake 100% Compostable Jimbo Straws, 9 Inch Long Drinking Straw Eco Friendly Plant-based PLA, Plastic Alternative Straws for Drinks Smoothie Shake Slushie Pack of 100 Individually Wrapped

 

...from Amazon.  They're made of corn starch - have a very slight, not annoying, texture to them - almost as smooth as a plastic straw.  I've never had one get soggy on me but they are biodegradable.

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

4 hours ago, Island Dog said:

 

 

While eliminating straws will definitely not "save the world", it was an easy way of keeping the most likeliest of plastic trash from the finding its way into the ocean. The industry has a terrible record in regards to the environment, but this is a small step in the right direction (like LNG powered vessels) IMHO. 

 

 

 

Per this post, I would take LNG off that list

 

 

[ShakyBeef]

47 minutes ago, tomo0862 said:

I've been bringing these with me...

 

Webake 100% Compostable Jimbo Straws, 9 Inch Long Drinking Straw Eco Friendly Plant-based PLA, Plastic Alternative Straws for Drinks Smoothie Shake Slushie Pack of 100 Individually Wrapped

 

...from Amazon.  They're made of corn starch - have a very slight, not annoying, texture to them - almost as smooth as a plastic straw.  I've never had one get soggy on me but they are biodegradable.

 

Thanks for this suggestion.  I was very interested and thinking that when I finally (about 3 to 5 years from now) use up my box of plastic straws from 2019, I'd switch to these.  But then I started reading the reviews.🙁  So many one star reviews saying they are horrible - that many show up broken and then those that aren't break really fast.  A lot of complaints about them, calling them useless.  I hope you have much better luck with them than those reviewers did.  After all,  there were more five star reviews for them than there were one star. Maybe by the time I've used up my plastic straws they will have improved these cornstarch ones.  Thanks!

[Island Dog]

9 minutes ago, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

 

 

Per this post, I would take LNG off that list

 

 

TLDR

[Island Dog]

I could not find what you were referring to with out scouring the entire thread. I did find this though:

 

According to CLIA, LNG fuel is one of the best options available for cruise ships to reduce the industry's carbon footprint. By using LNG fuel, sulfur emissions are reduced by nearly 99% and nitrogen oxide emissions are reduced by 85%. This is a huge step toward a greener future for the cruise industry.

[Island Dog]

1 hour ago, ShakyBeef said:

.......So many one star reviews saying they are horrible - that many show up broken and then those that aren't break really fast.  A lot of complaints about them, calling them useless..... Maybe by the time I've used up my plastic straws they will have improved these cornstarch ones......

Maybe they can use the broken ones for a roux to make a decent Sausage Gravy! 🤣

[Island Dog]

I'm thinking princessarlena'sdad meant this:

 

" I don't know that California has any specific concerns with LNG, but studies have shown that in the "well to wake" analysis of CO2 emissions (all effects of the fuel from the well, through processing, transportation, and distribution, to the burning in the ship's engines, that LNG, while cleaner in "hull to wake" (the actual burning of the fuel on the ship) is cleaner in both short term and long term (20 and 100 year analysis), in the "well to wake" it is significantly worse for CO2 emissions in the long term (20 and 100 year analysis), when burned in the types of engines used in cruise ships.  "Methane slip" or the amount of unburned natural gas lost from "well to wake" is significantly more damaging than an equivalent amount of CO2, I've seen reports of 200 times as harmful over 100 years."

 

There's a lot to unpack there and verify but it sounds convincing. If LNG is not a cheaper and more efficient fuel for cruise ships, the switch makes no sense. If it is, CLIA cherry-picking environmental impacts makes sense.

Somewhere out there is the truth. 

[Island Dog]

https://theicct.org/publication/the-climate-implications-of-using-lng-as-a-marine-fuel/

 

This explains what is being mentioned above, if anyone is interested. 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

5 hours ago, Island Dog said:

I'm thinking princessarlena'sdad meant this:

 

" I don't know that California has any specific concerns with LNG, but studies have shown that in the "well to wake" analysis of CO2 emissions (all effects of the fuel from the well, through processing, transportation, and distribution, to the burning in the ship's engines, that LNG, while cleaner in "hull to wake" (the actual burning of the fuel on the ship) is cleaner in both short term and long term (20 and 100 year analysis), in the "well to wake" it is significantly worse for CO2 emissions in the long term (20 and 100 year analysis), when burned in the types of engines used in cruise ships.  "Methane slip" or the amount of unburned natural gas lost from "well to wake" is significantly more damaging than an equivalent amount of CO2, I've seen reports of 200 times as harmful over 100 years."

 

There's a lot to unpack there and verify but it sounds convincing. If LNG is not a cheaper and more efficient fuel for cruise ships, the switch makes no sense. If it is, CLIA cherry-picking environmental impacts makes sense.

Somewhere out there is the truth. 

Yes, that is the post by chengkp75 that I had tried to paste.