Re-filling water bottles at Horizon Court on Royal Princess !!!

[Opua Kiwi]

No signs and didn't see anyone alerted from doing this.

What did the supervisor say when you brought this to their attention ?

[brian1]

The signs are always there,quoting US law blah blah blah,but I dont see how this can be enforced on a ship from Bermuda in the middle of the South China Sea.I think it is a ruse just to guilt trip us into buying the overpriced water at the gangway,cheers,Brian.

[chengkp75]

The signs are always there,quoting US law blah blah blah,but I dont see how this can be enforced on a ship from Bermuda in the middle of the South China Sea.I think it is a ruse just to guilt trip us into buying the overpriced water at the gangway,cheers,Brian.

 

If the ship is not calling at US ports, then the USPH/CDC regulations do not apply. If the ship is calling at EU ports, then the EU's ShipSan regulations apply. Some other nations have their own ship sanitation regulations, but most others will rely on the WHO's cruise ship sanitation regulations. Whatever flag state the ship belongs to will be almost assuredly signatory to the IMO and WHO treaties, and will have enabling legislation echoing the wording of the international codes, making them law on ships that fly their flag.

 

Both the USPH VSP and the EU ShipSan programs are designed to enforce the mandates of the various Public Health departments of the respective countries. These Public Health agencies are tasked with preventing the importation of infectious diseases into their country, not with protecting cruise passengers' health. To accomplish this mandate of stopping disease at the port of entry, national Public Health inspectors board every vessel (cargo or passenger) that arrives in port from a foreign port to ensure that there is no one sick onboard or that there are no unsanitary conditions that could breed disease. So, these Public Health agencies could board cruise ships at the end of every cruise (or even at each port of call), inspect the ship and interview all the crew and passengers as to their current health. How much of a logistical nightmare would that be? To avoid this, the VSP and ShipSan programs were developed so that if a ship meets the construction and operational requirements of the plan, the Public Health agencies feel that sufficient safeguards will be in place to prevent the importation of disease, and will only inspect the ships at random intervals.

 

Because these requirements affect nearly every aspect of shipboard operation (far more than just basic food safety), it must become a "way of life" onboard, so that meeting the requirements becomes unconscious and second nature. For this reason, many ships that move away from the US for a season will continue to adhere to, and train their crew to keep up the VSP and/or ShipSan procedures so that when the ship returns to the US or EU, the crew is ready.

[floridalover5623]

2 days? Please stop your exaggeration. Obviously you have never tried it. I did that on my last 3 cruises. Filled the water bottles at night, by morning they were ice cold.

They well may have been cool in 8 or 9 hours but certainly not even close to what ice + water in a bottle would be from the dispenser in the Horizon. I plan on filling by travel bottle from the Horizon as I have been doing for years in the morning before leaving the ship with at least 1/3 ice from the dispenser.

Germs or no germs. :D:D

[harfield]

I haven't read all the post on this subject but what does but what does annoy me on most US ships is that no drinking water is supplied in the cabins. I know most hotels etc in Australia, Asia and a lot of European countries all supply 2 bottles of fresh drinking water in rooms. I cant understand why the cruise ships don't supply the basic drinking water in the cabins instead of ripping off the passengers. They can supply Ice in the room why not drinking water. This may alleviate the refilling problem. :mad:

[Bill B]

They can supply Ice in the room why not drinking water.

 

I don't think many people would pay for ice. Many will buy water... so why give it away?

[floridalover5623]

I haven't read all the post on this subject but what does but what does annoy me on most US ships is that no drinking water is supplied in the cabins. I know most hotels etc in Australia, Asia and a lot of European countries all supply 2 bottles of fresh drinking water in rooms. I cant understand why the cruise ships don't supply the basic drinking water in the cabins instead of ripping off the passengers. They can supply Ice in the room why not drinking water. This may alleviate the refilling problem. :mad:

Why should they when they can sell water at inflated prices to a captive audience? ;)

[chengkp75]

I haven't read all the post on this subject but what does but what does annoy me on most US ships is that no drinking water is supplied in the cabins. I know most hotels etc in Australia, Asia and a lot of European countries all supply 2 bottles of fresh drinking water in rooms. I cant understand why the cruise ships don't supply the basic drinking water in the cabins instead of ripping off the passengers. They can supply Ice in the room why not drinking water. This may alleviate the refilling problem. :mad:

 

Probably because drinking water is provided in the cabin, via the sink, and they feel that the water provided to your cabin sink is safer than nearly all municipal water because of its close supervision by USPH/CDC. The ice and the water in the dispensers is the same water as in the cabin sink, or even the shower, if you have a mind to gulp a bit while cleaning up.

[JimmyVWine]

I've seen "splash back from water bottles & also enough idiots that hold the bottle right up against the water source. Just DON'T do it ok?

So are you suggesting that all of the water bottle refilling stations that are popping up all over the world should be taken out of service? Those are not part of buffets where clean glasses are available for use. They are specifically designed to be used with already used bottles. So due to the risk of "splash back" and jumping germs, these should all be decommissioned? Good luck with that crusade.

[keithm]

So are you suggesting that all of the water bottle refilling stations that are popping up all over the world should be taken out of service? Those are not part of buffets where clean glasses are available for use. They are specifically designed to be used with already used bottles. So due to the risk of "splash back" and jumping germs, these should all be decommissioned? Good luck with that crusade.

We'll see how often those dispensers are actually kept clean. Some of the ones I've seen, were getting that nasty slime, like you see in drinking fountains.(not on ships, but around town) I'll just stick to bottled water, thank you.

[nimiq]

How does this present a problem?

 

 

 

 

 

Thats exactly what we do. We bring our own bottle and refill it and it doesn't touch anything. It a bit more complicated if you try with a water bottle.

 

If someone would say something to me about this I would not be very happy as there is so many other areas of ships that have more germs than that.

 

How about all you people with cell phones and tablets Hello !!!

 

 

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[Posaune]

At the refill stations on the college campus where I work the bottle is placed on a sensor well below the dispenser nozzle. It does not touch the nozzle and will not function unless the bottle is seated on the sensor.. In Horizon Court people hold the bottle against the nozzle and press the button. The cross contamination happens touching the bottle to the nozzle.

[floridalover5623]

At the refill stations on the college campus where I work the bottle is placed on a sensor well below the dispenser nozzle. It does not touch the nozzle and will not function unless the bottle is seated on the sensor.. In Horizon Court people hold the bottle against the nozzle and press the button. The cross contamination happens touching the bottle to the nozzle.

It doesn't appear that anyone is concerned about that button. ;) It must clean itself after each use.:D

[richsea]

I have to wonder how I'm still alive after drinking from public water fountains all these years.

[brian1]

I have to wonder how I'm still alive after drinking from public water fountains all these years.

LOL,exactly my point earlier,some people put their lips over these things,but do they die,nope,cheers,Brian.

[Thrak]

It doesn't appear that anyone is concerned about that button. ;) It must clean itself after each use.:D

 

Exactly the reason I always use a knuckle to press the buttons in the elevator. Even so, I still wash my hands a lot.

[floridalover5623]

Exactly the reason I always use a knuckle to press the buttons in the elevator. Even so, I still wash my hands a lot.

No that I get paranoid about germs but I do the same & if I can avoid touching any surface unnecessarily, I will. (like the backs & seats of any chairs). I doubt if they're cleaned at all.

[cruisequeen4ever]

Cheers to that! Its a huge pet peeve for this germaphobe. I was thrilled to see a warning sign on the Royal last summer in Europe prohibiting that. Unfortunately per your experience, it's no longer there. I have to say, on that ship and the ones I've been on since with the signs, it doesn't seem to actually prevent people from doing it. [emoji57]

 

 

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[CruisingBruising2017]

Absolutely agree. I see this at my home gym too--an expensive club where I'd expect people to understand cross-contamination. On a cruise, many people seem to lose all sensibilities. I see people placing the water nozzle deep into their bottle, making clear contact with the inside of their bottle. Then, they proceed to fill their bottle with the nozzle submerged. No question they've just created a potential for the spread of viruses.

 

And if you dare call them out, they yell at you like you're the problem. No one will ever own their transgression no matter how shamed they are. You're the bad person for calling them out. Sadly, I usually wash the surface with whatever sanitizer I can find as I'd rather have a little rubbing alcohol in my water than someone else's nastiness.

 

I don't know if these pigs are completely clueless or are just pigs. Same thing in the restroom, where you hear the flush inside the stall and the person walks right out the door without washing their hands. Hence my constant hand washing.

[Potstech]

Absolutely agree. I see this at my home gym too--an expensive club where I'd expect people to understand cross-contamination. On a cruise, many people seem to lose all sensibilities. I see people placing the water nozzle deep into their bottle, making clear contact with the inside of their bottle. Then, they proceed to fill their bottle with the nozzle submerged. No question they've just created a potential for the spread of viruses.

 

And if you dare call them out, they yell at you like you're the problem. No one will ever own their transgression no matter how shamed they are. You're the bad person for calling them out. Sadly, I usually wash the surface with whatever sanitizer I can find as I'd rather have a little rubbing alcohol in my water than someone else's nastiness.

 

I don't know if these pigs are completely clueless or are just pigs. Same thing in the restroom, where you hear the flush inside the stall and the person walks right out the door without washing their hands. Hence my constant hand washing.

 

After reading this especially the last paragraph I think I can see why they yell back at you. That would be the least response I would provide.

[floridalover5623]

I always refill my old soda bottle with mostly ice at the dispensers (it takes a while to get the ice in it) & you would be surprised at the number of people refilling their bottles directly from the spouts even though there is a sign. The crew never tells them not to & just look the other way.

[IDsailor]

Any germaphobe worth their salt probably have nightmares about setting foot in the Horizon Court at all.

[floridalover5623]

Any germaphobe worth their salt probably have nightmares about setting foot in the Horizon Court at all.

It's not all that bad in the Horizon from what I can see.

What about the things you can't see that go on in the galley. ;p

[DrivesLikeMario]

Just returned from a cruise on Royal Princess.

 

Rather concerned to find passengers re filling water bottles directly from water fountains at Horizon Court.

 

Happy to drink ship's water and for those who wish to re fill bottles to do so, but really think there should be signs instructing passengers to fill a clean cup and decant water to their own bottle, instead of this unhygienic practice !!!! :evilsmile::evilsmile::evilsmile:

 

No signs and didn't see anyone alerted from doing this.

 

What do you think ????

 

Totally agree with you. This practice should be stopped or amended so it's more safe.

[DrivesLikeMario]

...Same thing in the restroom, where you hear the flush inside the stall and the person walks right out the door without washing their hands. Hence my constant hand washing.

 

Some people use antibacterial hand wipes instead of the ship's soap.