Reusable Cups on Wish

[Kaertos]

So I'm sure this info is somewhere, but I couldn't for the life of me find it.

I keep reading advice to take a reusable mug or cup on the cruise to get the free soda / coffee, but I seem to remember reading that it was against the rules and they wouldn't let you use them, particularly at the soda fountains. Is this something that has changed recently or am I completely mis-remembering?

 

[Kwami]

There were rules against using your own cups when Covid-19 countermeasures were in place. On my last cruise, I saw plenty of people reusing their own cups, so if those rules are still in place, then they weren't being enforced on the Magic in November.

 

[Mommb]

In the past (even pre-COVID-19), there have been signs instructing guests to use a fresh cup when getting beverages to pour into personal cups. I don't know if these signs are still there -- I don't recall seeing one on the Fantasy in January, but I didn't explicitly look for one either.

 

[Lilsia]

No, there are no rules for this anymore. My last cruise was last October on the Wish and lots of people had their own cups. They were just hyper vigilant after covid. There is a sign to use the paper cups provided and use those to fill your cups but I think that is actually a bit more gross. The soda dispenser is not the push back type, it is the one where you use your finger to press the button so the cup never touches anything. And more than one cup that they want you to use tends to pop out when you grab one. And I have seen plenty of people take that dropped cup and pop it back in. Bring your own to use. I have a large Tervis with the handle that I take.

 

[Cruise]

The soda dispenser is not the push back type, it is the one where you use your finger to press the button so the cup never touches anything.

Thanks for this info! I always thought it was gross with the push-back type since someone would be putting the lip of the cup they've been drinking from against that then the next cup goes right in the same place.

 

[Lilsia]

Thanks for this info! I always thought it was gross with the push-back type since someone would be putting the lip of the cup they've been drinking from against that then the next cup goes right in the same place.

Yes, those type of dispensers it makes sense. That it is why it is so baffling why they want you to use their cups. The cups literally touch nothing. But everyone's gross finger has to press the button. LOL

 

[Dug720]

Yes, those type of dispensers it makes sense. That it is why it is so baffling why they want you to use their cups. The cups literally touch nothing. But everyone's gross finger has to press the button. LOL

Splash back.

Also some people put their containers right against the spout.

 

[DCLCruiseFan09]

I'll Refill my personal container by putting it on the ledge and using a paper cup to fil it via multiple fills being careful not to touch my cup while refilling.

Putting your own container in there is no Bueno. Its a great way to get sick. Similar to licking a water fountain spout in my opinion.

 

[RedHead0186]

When I was on the Fantasy last September, they had signs asking/telling you to use a new cup every time you filled. Some people did that, and some didn't. So it's encouraged to not use reusable cups, but it's not expressly forbidden (as in, nothing will happen to you if you do it).

 

[Ralph&Pam]

When I was on the Fantasy last September, they had signs asking/telling you to use a new cup every time you filled. Some people did that, and some didn't. So it's encouraged to not use reusable cups, but it's not expressly forbidden (as in, nothing will happen to you if you do it).

I don’t see that the signage implies not using your own reusable cup. Just don’t fill your reusable cup directly from the beverage dispenser.. Take a clean paper cup from the dispenser. Use it to add ice to your cup, being careful to avoid contact between the paper cup and your reusable cup. Then fill the paper cup from the dispenser and pour the contents into your reusable cup, again avoiding contact with the reusable cup. Repeat until your reusable cup is full. Discard the paper cup in the garbage bin provided on deck.

 

[RedHead0186]

I don’t see that the signage implies not using your own reusable cup. Just don’t fill your reusable cup directly from the beverage dispenser.. Take a clean paper cup from the dispenser. Use it to add ice to your cup, being careful to avoid contact between the paper cup and your reusable cup. Then fill the paper cup from the dispenser and pour the contents into your reusable cup, again avoiding contact with the reusable cup. Repeat until your reusable cup is full. Discard the paper cup in the garbage bin provided on deck.

Yes, sorry, I did not word that very well. You are correct, the signage isn't discouraging use of reusable cups, it's discouraging filling your reusable cup directly from the dispenser.

We did what you noted above, using a paper cup to then fill our reusable cups.

 

[Lilsia]

Splash back.

Also some people put their containers right against the spout.

But in all reality, people will reuse the cups they provide. How many times do we see someone fill it, take a sip, and then top it off? Not to mention that most people set the cup down, pretty far from the spout. I can't see "splash back" being an issue. What would help is to not let little kids get their own drinks.

 

[Kwami]

What would help is to not let little kids get their own drinks.

Or ice cream, of anything from the buffet. I miss the post-Covid servers at those places.

 

[Lilsia]

Or ice cream, of anything from the buffet. I miss the post-Covid servers at those places.

On the Wish, no one gets their own ice cream. It is behind the counter. Same with most of the stuff on the buffet.

 

[anricat]

On the Fantasy last summer I was using a paper cup to refill my water bottle and the CM cleaning the area specifically told me I need NOT do that. At least for me, I don't drink out of the portion of my cup that I fill (it's a straw top) so I sort of grapple with the waste vs. sanitary portion of this. None of my bottle touches, it's far enough away that there's no splash back and there's nothing that my mouth touches even remotely near the nozzle (since I've unscrewed that and it's in my other hand). Plus they have those water bottle filling stations where you fill your bottle up directly and there are no cups provided for those. So what's the difference between the drinks station and the water bottle fill station?

 

[happycamper47]

Talking about refillable bottles, has anybody else seen the latest study about germs? It was addressed on the news yesterday. YUCK!!

From the NY Post:
7 days ago — A recent study from US-based waterfilterguru.com found reusable bottles can harbor 40,000 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat ...

From Treadmill reviews:
Based on the 12 water bottles we tested, we found that reusable drinking containers may be crawling with an alarming number of viable bacteria cells: more than 300,000 colony-forming units per square centimeter (CFU/sq cm).
What exactly does that mean?
To put it bluntly, drinking from the average refillable bottle can be many times worse than licking your dog’s toy.

 

[Kwami]

Well, OK, but:

1. What kind of bacteria? Not all bacteria are harmful.
2. Did they wash the bottles? Because you can wash bottles.
3. How much bacteria lives in water filters? Or on glass cups?
4. How much of the bacteria in the bottles came from the water that was in them before?

NY Post isn't exactly a trustworthy source, anyway.

 

[happycamper47]

Well, OK, but:

1. What kind of bacteria? Not all bacteria are harmful.
2. Did they wash the bottles? Because you can wash bottles.
3. How much bacteria lives in water filters? Or on glass cups?
4. How much of the bacteria in the bottles came from the water that was in them before?

NY Post isn't exactly a trustworthy source, anyway.

The second article was not from the Post, there are numerous that say exactly the same.

I'm ready to wager that at least 75% or more on the ship do not wash the bottles "DAILY" with soap and water.

From a third article:
How often should you wash your reusable water bottle?
You should wash your water bottle after each use. If you're using it and refilling it throughout the day, you should wash it at the end of the day. “After a week, that water bottle has more bacteria than a pet bowl,” says Ek.4 days ago

 

[Dailymeel]

The second article was not from the Post, there are numerous that say exactly the same.

I'm ready to wager that at least 75% or more on the ship do not wash the bottles "DAILY" with soap and water.

From a third article:
How often should you wash your reusable water bottle?
You should wash your water bottle after each use. If you're using it and refilling it throughout the day, you should wash it at the end of the day. “After a week, that water bottle has more bacteria than a pet bowl,” says Ek.4 days ago

It can sound so scary when studies put out a huge number for bacteria growth! But I wouldn’t worry about the “number” of bacteria. in comparison to a pet bowl, how much *harmful* bacteria does it actually contain?

I’m sure if you are using the bottle yourself without sharing and you didn’t wash it for a week, you’re not likely to get sick. but if you drank from a pet bowl, you’ll probably get sick.

In term of cleanliness… I do prefer a trained staff serving the food and drink rather than when it is a free for all… especially when there are kids involved! I used to work at a school and children are lovely, but they are also gross and full of nasty germs because they either don’t wash their hands at all or they don’t wash them well enough!

 

[mz-s]

I think I read somewhere that an outbreak of noro on a ship was traced back to guests refilling cups at the drink stations. Not on a Disney ship but on some ship. I could be dreaming that up though.

Saliva from the cup can splash back onto the nozzle. I think it's overall a low-risk thing as long as folks keep it clean. We assume Disney keeps their machines clean and I trust they do. Sugar + moisture + the heat of the Caribbean + not clean can be an absolute breeding ground for anything under the sun. Keep your mug rinsed out and it should be fine. I like not having to constantly trot back to the drink station for a refill, so my wife and I always cruise with a ~24oz refillable cup (the starbucks cup with lid and straw style). We keep it clean of course and always are careful to not just top off drink - we rinse it out between fills.

I'm not as big of a coffee drinker anymore so the coffee cups they supply are adequate for me, I don't travel with a coffee mug anymore. Just a cup for soda/water/etc.