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Plastic Straws, Which RCL Ships Have Done Away With

nelblu

By nelblu,
in Royal Caribbean International

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time4u2go

time4u2go

Posted
Posted
I agree - what is the obsession with plastic straws?? Also didn't know that adults needed straws to the extend that it is traumatic that they are being replaced with paper ones. Buy one of the stainless steel ones if necessary.

How do you clean those things? I would never feel like it's completely clean.

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actuarian

actuarian

Posted
Posted

 

My wife is disabled and cannot drink liquids without a straw. As the article linked to above shows, it is not that unusual for older people to have that problem. She can drink cold drinks through paper straws but paper straws are not very useful for hot drinks. Fortunately, plastic straws are still available at supermarkets where we live and I know to carry some with us when we travel. There are many other plastic products that could disappear and nobody would miss them. For example, bottled water and soft drinks both actually taste better in a glass bottle than in a plastic bottle. I do not think anyone would miss plastic bottles of water and soda if they were replaced by glass. IMHO, if we need to reduce the use of plastics, we should get rid of the plastic bottles and boxes and leave the straws alone. For RCI's part, they could replace the plastic Coca Cola "souvenir cups" with ones made of glass or metal. Technically those cups may not be "single use" but I do not know anyone who really keeps them as souvenirs.

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dswallow

dswallow

Posted
Posted

If someone wants a straw with their drink, why are some of you so insistent they not be allowed to have one? Works both ways. If you don't want one, you certainly can get a drink without one. Personally I consider it partially a sanitary thing... I'd rather not put my mouth on the outside of glassware being used. Frozen drinks are very difficult to drink without a straw. I suppose you could use a spoon until it melts enough. Actually that just reminded me I did want to get larger diameter straws to bring with me. Those annoying bigger ice bits stop the free flow of frozen drinks when too small a diameter straw is used. :)

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Iamcruzin

Iamcruzin

Posted
Posted
No, we're just commenting because some of us believe it is a stupid knee-jerk idea by some liberal who works for RCI and wants to think this is going to save the planet.

 

 

If that were true I could live with it. But it’s just a positive spin on cutting cost. When the economy tanked in 2008 the company that I worked for started a campaign in an effort to go green we would no longer offer gift boxes. They started this in September so customers would be prepared before the holiday season. The holiday season started and we sold gift boxes.This is the perfect example of capitalism being born from a ban wagon cause. I’m sure the plastic straw makers will be coming up with a special sip lid that will cost more and use more plastic.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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Wine-O

Wine-O

Posted
Posted
If that were true I could live with it. But it’s just a positive spin on cutting cost. When the economy tanked in 2008 the company that I worked for started a campaign in an effort to go green we would no longer offer gift boxes. They started this in September so customers would be prepared before the holiday season. The holiday season started and we sold gift boxes.This is the perfect example of capitalism being born from a ban wagon cause. I’m sure the plastic straw makers will be coming up with a special sip lid that will cost more and use more plastic.

 

According to this report, paper straws cost 3-4 cents more than plastic straws.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/07/19/john-stossel-absurd-hysteria-around-plastic-straws.html

 

Here's an interesting article. Check out the 4 minute video.

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time4u2go

time4u2go

Posted
Posted
My wife is disabled and cannot drink liquids without a straw. As the article linked to above shows, it is not that unusual for older people to have that problem. She can drink cold drinks through paper straws but paper straws are not very useful for hot drinks. Fortunately, plastic straws are still available at supermarkets where we live and I know to carry some with us when we travel. There are many other plastic products that could disappear and nobody would miss them. For example, bottled water and soft drinks both actually taste better in a glass bottle than in a plastic bottle. I do not think anyone would miss plastic bottles of water and soda if they were replaced by glass. IMHO, if we need to reduce the use of plastics, we should get rid of the plastic bottles and boxes and leave the straws alone. For RCI's part, they could replace the plastic Coca Cola "souvenir cups" with ones made of glass or metal. Technically those cups may not be "single use" but I do not know anyone who really keeps them as souvenirs.

I'm guessing they'd have to be metal so there wouldn't be any broken glass issues with drinks by the pool.

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ostrich710

ostrich710

Posted
Posted

Our experience on Anthem (from April) was that plastic straws were served as a normal land-based restaurant in almost all venues. We only frequented one establishment (Boleros, where our favorite bartenders were!), where they discouraged the use of plastic straws and did not hand them out unless asked. This was not a problem for us, but it was something that we were not used to, and so noteworthy. I imagine that RCCL will become progressively tighter on discouraging plastic, but I also imagine that plastic straws will be served, and at least, available upon request for quite some time.

 

Not to worry and enjoy your cruise!

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KnightsFan

KnightsFan

Posted
Posted
If someone wants a straw with their drink, why are some of you so insistent they not be allowed to have one? Works both ways. If you don't want one, you certainly can get a drink without one. Personally I consider it partially a sanitary thing... I'd rather not put my mouth on the outside of glassware being used.

 

If the use of straws didn't have a broader impact you would be right. But it does have a larger impact beyond that one person. And the glass is as sanitary as the forks and knives. Do you drink coffee out of a straw?

 

And for those who think trash doesn't end up in the ocean; go and walk along the side of any major American highway and you'll see the shoulder is full of trash. Plastic straws, burger wrappers, cigarette buds, bags, clothing, vehicle debris. All of that trash doesn't just sit there, if it's near a water way it'll likely get pushed into it over time and then flow into the ocean or seas from there. Go to a public beach in much of the US and you'll find straws and trash in the sand.

 

It's not just about your straws and trash, it's about everybody's straws and trash. It adds up.

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boscobeans

boscobeans

Posted
Posted
Most towns and cities have been asking people to "blue bag" plastic containers etc etc for at least 10 years! The blue bag program is part of garbage pickup. Also so is the recovery of "organic waste" - food scraps if you don;t compost at home. Separate green biodegradable bag.

 

 

"Blue Bags", sound like a great idea to me.

 

bosco

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Wine-O

Wine-O

Posted
Posted
If the use of straws didn't have a broader impact you would be right. But it does have a larger impact beyond that one person. And the glass is as sanitary as the forks and knives. Do you drink coffee out of a straw?

 

And for those who think trash doesn't end up in the ocean; go and walk along the side of any major American highway and you'll see the shoulder is full of trash. Plastic straws, burger wrappers, cigarette buds, bags, clothing, vehicle debris. All of that trash doesn't just sit there, if it's near a water way it'll likely get pushed into it over time and then flow into the ocean or seas from there. Go to a public beach in much of the US and you'll find straws and trash in the sand.

 

It's not just about your straws and trash, it's about everybody's straws and trash. It adds up.

 

That's all well and fine. I certainly don't condone trash and littering of the highways.

 

Question: How many plastic straws on a cruise ship end up in the ocean? Answer: Probably NONE!!!

 

As Billy Shakespeare would say, it's all "much ado about nothing."

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Davebhoy

Davebhoy

Posted
Posted
That's all well and fine. I certainly don't condone trash and littering of the highways.

 

Question: How many plastic straws on a cruise ship end up in the ocean? Answer: Probably NONE!!!

 

As Billy Shakespeare would say, it's all "much ado about nothing."

You really think that on a cruise ship with thousands of passengers drinking several drinks a day, in the open air, that not a single straw is ever blown overboard ? I'd bet that a significant number end up in the sea.

 

There's absolutely no need for these single use plastic straws, so even if it's a minimal improvement, why wouldn't they be banned?

 

Sent from my SM-G955F using Forums mobile app

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JAMESCC

JAMESCC

Posted
Posted
You really think that on a cruise ship with thousands of passengers drinking several drinks a day, in the open air, that not a single straw is ever blown overboard ? I'd bet that a significant number end up in the sea.

 

There's absolutely no need for these single use plastic straws, so even if it's a minimal improvement, why wouldn't they be banned?

 

Sent from my SM-G955F using Forums mobile app

That is what these fools keep saying. They keep saying have you ever seen one go into the ocean? To that I say, well if I close my eyes I won't see anything bad therefore it's not happening. I mean come on, of course straws end up in the ocean.

 

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

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Wine-O

Wine-O

Posted
Posted
All one needs to do is google “sea turtle + straw”. There is no place for a plastic at sea.

 

The dramatization of the left. Find a victim and capitalize on it. One turtle out of 100,000,000 and act like it's common place. I wouldn't put it past some wacko to plant that straw to make a statement.

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