beverage policy???

[alwayslove2cruise]

Okay for everyone who will listen!!! I need to vent!!! GERRRR.... we are getting ready to sail in 5 days and i noticed people talking about bringing wine and stuff on with them....I understand that they don't want the booze coming on the ship....my problem is the bottled water....i am bringing my 7 month old and she requires sterile water for her formula. Never thought to ask because i have brought bottled water on for my oldest daughter when we cruised with her as an infant.

RCI has a no beverage policy and they told me i would have to buy hte water from them....8 bottles will cost me $25 plus 15% tip...i need about 28 to cover us for the cruise...that is over $100. She pays a regular price and does not include her food or drinks....they also offer baby food...40 little jars will cost over $90......am i crazy or is this out of this world crazy?????

Is it just me??

anyone travelled in the last little while that has "smuggled drinks on?"

[debby12464]

I would buy the prepared formula cans before paying them $100. for bottled water...

[Maraprince]

Okay for everyone who will listen!!! I need to vent!!! GERRRR.... we are getting ready to sail in 5 days and i noticed people talking about bringing wine and stuff on with them....I understand that they don't want the booze coming on the ship....my problem is the bottled water....i am bringing my 7 month old and she requires sterile water for her formula. Never thought to ask because i have brought bottled water on for my oldest daughter when we cruised with her as an infant.

RCI has a no beverage policy and they told me i would have to buy hte water from them....8 bottles will cost me $25 plus 15% tip...i need about 28 to cover us for the cruise...that is over $100. She pays a regular price and does not include her food or drinks....they also offer baby food...40 little jars will cost over $90......am i crazy or is this out of this world crazy?????

Is it just me??

anyone travelled in the last little while that has "smuggled drinks on?"

 

If it is for your baby, I would definitely bring my own water on board. If they have a problem, show them the child.

 

Same for the baby food. If you paid full fare for the baby and the baby only eats baby food and not food from the MDR, you are in reality being charged twice to feed her since meals are included in the cruise price with the exception of speciality restaurants, extra charge steak and other items.

 

Also, I doubt that the water you would purchase on the ship is sterile water. Another reason to bring your own water.

 

MARAPRINCE

[nancronin]

I would buy a case of water and put a luggage tag on it (when you get to cruise city if flying)our friends have done this many times and have also brought soda on. :)Why not do the same with baby food?

[Parkay]

You can most definitely bring your own water onboard, as well as soda and other non-alchoholic beverages. I do it all the time as do many many other people.

[alwayslove2cruise]

problem with that is it is still a beverage...when i said that the lady replied "a beverage is a beverage MS"

Last RCI cruise we were on we had a saftey issue that was not taken care of after we reported it and asked for it to be fixed. They did not and 3 days in our fears came to life and my 10 month old (at the time) got injured and lost her finger nail because they did not fix it. For a baby this is a HUGE DEAL!!!!

We said we would never sail with them again but thought we would give them another shot, because accidents happen....but i can now say I wish i hadn't!!!

[mgg42]

Why does your seven month old need sterile water for her formula? The water on board the ship is perfectly fine for making formula.

[Parkay]

Whoever told you that is wrong. Water/soda, etc. CAN be brough onboard. I'm sure you'll find many people here who will reassure you. Bring your water. Trust me.

[lisaf1]

I was on Adventure this past Nov and brought Juice Boxes for my 4yr old daughter. They had no problem with me bringing them the ship

 

Lisa

[alwayslove2cruise]

Thanks everyone...you made me feel better. We have always taken a couple of drinks on and never had an issue in the past but when i saw that some tried to bring water on and had it taken away i did a little digging aound and called RCI and was shocked to say the least!!

Thanks again everyone...i will let everyone know how it goes when i return.

 

Other ships have let me put a tag on the case of water and delivered it to my room!!

 

I have my fingers crossed.......

[mgg42]

Seriously, why sterile water???

[alwayslove2cruise]

Why does your seven month old need sterile water for her formula? The water on board the ship is perfectly fine for making formula.

 

Thank-you for your reply....

to answer you...I would not give her water straight from my tap at home and i have the UV filter, the ships water...yicks no way....Babies need sterile water for formula to keep them safe...you can never be to careful with an infant.

[Retired LEO]

Bringing water and soft drinks onboard is perfectly OK. The phone reps are nothing but sales people and they'll say what they have to to sell their product. The people at the port have no problem with it.

[History_Dork]

Throw it in a duffle bag with a room tag then pack a few bottles of water and jars of food in your carry-on. I doubt you will have an issue. Our cruise in January there were 13 of us and 4 cases of water and 1 case of soda made it on.

[mgg42]

Thank-you for your reply....

to answer you...I would not give her water straight from my tap at home and i have the UV filter, the ships water...yicks no way....Babies need sterile water for formula to keep them safe...you can never be to careful with an infant.

 

I will preface with acknowledging that it goes without saying that no one should take advice about something as important as the well being of their children from an anonymous poster in a chat room. So the real advice is call your child's doctor and ask his or her opinion.

 

Now that i have said that, I will, at the risk of being flamed, give you my professional (albeit anonymous, and therefore of limited utility) opinion.

 

A seven month old is more than capable of having formula made from tap water from just about any faucet in the industrialized world. And particularly that on a cruise ship. There is nothing about the immune system of a seven month old that makes him or her more susceptible to a potential impurity in the water supply that you or I are.

 

The only theoretical concern I might ever have about a young child would be microscopic impurities that can accumulate over time. But none of these would ever be present in high enough amounts to be an issue on a week long cruise. The only time such impurities have ever been identified as problematic is when chronic exposure to extremely elevated amounts takes place (i.e. bad pipes in an old home).

 

I completely respect the piece of mind that comes from this practice. But I know that the potential infectious contacts your daughter encounters in her daily life (especially with any form of travel) represent a far, far greater potential for illness.

 

Please don't take this as me being critical. It is something I encounter in my practice on a daily basis, and I have struggled (with very limited success unfortunately) to change the popular perception that infants need sterile or bottled water. Perhaps there is some merit in the first few months, but by six months of age, I have no reservation about using and source that is deemed suitable for consumption.

 

Check with your doctor and give it some thought. Have a wonderful cruise!;)

[gerif]

A couple of cruises ago, my bag came through the security scanner and right behind it was a case of water that the next guy in line scooped up and carried on board. No one batted an eyelash. I pack bottled water and Diet Pepsi bottles in an extra bag and check it - never had an issue.

[cb at sea]

Once you pour that "sterile" water into a bottle, it's no longer sterile...

A baby, even one younger than 7 months, should be able to encounter MANY germs, dirt, etc... and come out "on top"...that's what the immune system is for! You can't live in a bubble. I'd have to think that your child never touches anything, doesn't breath in air that others have exhaled, doesn't eat food that isn't in a sterile, protected state....

 

Yes, you can bring the water....there's really no need to, tho!

[BND]

I didn't use "sterile" water or boiled after my boys were about 2 months old and they're 24 and 26 now. People overreact. Babies need the same water as adults do, treated, but not "sterile" from bottles. In fact, babies don't get the flouride they need because too many people give their kids bottled water and they have cavities way too young. Tap water is perfectly fine for a 7 month old. Actually, babies who are exposed to germs have better immune systems than kids who are given bottled water. A 7 month old who can't drink tap water has bigger issues. But the reality is, a 7 month old who needs "sterile" water has a paranoid, uninformed parent.

 

Your bigger issue is cleaning the bottles and nipples than the water itself. A rinse of hot water under the tap will kill most bacteria, but the fact is, what's on most bottles comes from the baby themselves.

 

Kids need to be exposed to germs to build immunity. My boys are rarely sick and only got the normal kid illnesses passed from other kids while growing up. They NEVER got sick from drinking tap water.

 

What makes you think the tap water is a problem? BTW, most bottled water is TAP WATER.

 

The "tap" water on a ship is very clean and pure.

[cruzingduo]

buy the water and tape it to secure it and put a luggage tag on it. dropnit with your luggage. We always do it, just did it in Jan on the Oasis, and again in Feb on the Explorer.

[willysgrandma]

I will preface with acknowledging that it goes without saying that no one should take advice about something as important as the well being of their children from an anonymous poster in a chat room. So the real advice is call your child's doctor and ask his or her opinion.

 

Now that i have said that, I will, at the risk of being flamed, give you my professional (albeit anonymous, and therefore of limited utility) opinion.

 

A seven month old is more than capable of having formula made from tap water from just about any faucet in the industrialized world. And particularly that on a cruise ship. There is nothing about the immune system of a seven month old that makes him or her more susceptible to a potential impurity in the water supply that you or I are.

 

The only theoretical concern I might ever have about a young child would be microscopic impurities that can accumulate over time. But none of these would ever be present in high enough amounts to be an issue on a week long cruise. The only time such impurities have ever been identified as problematic is when chronic exposure to extremely elevated amounts takes place (i.e. bad pipes in an old home).

 

I completely respect the piece of mind that comes from this practice. But I know that the potential infectious contacts your daughter encounters in her daily life (especially with any form of travel) represent a far, far greater potential for illness.

 

Please don't take this as me being critical. It is something I encounter in my practice on a daily basis, and I have struggled (with very limited success unfortunately) to change the popular perception that infants need sterile or bottled water. Perhaps there is some merit in the first few months, but by six months of age, I have no reservation about using and source that is deemed suitable for consumption.

 

Check with your doctor and give it some thought. Have a wonderful cruise!;)

 

Nicely said. I would worry more about issues with the plastic in the water bottles than using tap water.

 

OP, is this your first baby? I only ask because with my first, I followed all the "rules" - boiling glass baby bottles and nipples, etc. (I am dating myself with the glas bottle thing) I found with the second one that being less vigilant sure didn't hurt the baby - she didn't get sick if I simply washed her bottles and nipples thoroughly instead of boiling.

 

The above advice about asking your Dr. is a great idea. But you will be able to bring bottled water on the ship. You must remember, many of the Reps. that answer calls for the cruise lines have never been on a cruise and may take what the website says a bit too literally.

[mgg42]

But the reality is, a 7 month old who needs "sterile" water has a paranoid, uninformed parent.

 

As the poster who opened this can of worms, I really think I need to call you out on that remark. This baby clearly has a very caring and loving parent who wants nothing but the best for the child. You make it sound like this individual is doing something uncommon and bizarre. When, in fact the opposite is true. Believing that bottled or sterile water is necessary is a very common position.

 

Heck, I can't convince my brother and his wife (a pediatric anesthesiologist no less) that it's okay to make my 9 month old niece's bottle with tap water.

 

To suggest that the OP is paranoid and uninformed is totally out of line.

[BND]

As the poster who opened this can of worms, I really think I need to call you out on that remark. This baby clearly has a very caring and loving parent who wants nothing but the best for the child. You make it sound like this individual is doing something uncommon and bizarre. When, in fact the opposite is true. Believing that bottled or sterile water is necessary is a very common position.

 

Heck, I can't convince my brother and his wife (a pediatric anesthesiologist no less) that it's okay to make my 9 month old niece's bottle with tap water.

 

To suggest that the OP is paranoid and uninformed is totally out of line.

 

And I need to call you out on that "remark". I adore my boys (which you insinuate I dont'), but I also realized they aren't breakable. I have raised two boys and no, it's not uncommon to use tap water to make bottles for 7month olds. Bottled water is NOT more sterile than tap water. The OP is uninformed if they think a 7 month old NEEDS bottled water. I guarantee they havent' asked their pediatrician. A 7 month old who doesn't have a immune problem doesn't need "sterile" water. Not to mention, bottled water isn't necessarily more sterile than tap. Children all over the world drink tap water every day and are perfectly fine.

 

I know too many parents who are having only one child who really think they are protecting their child from something bad when really they're overreacting to the real world. It's called paranoia, not base on fact. I guess experience counts for nothing. Just because an anesthesiologist doesnt' know better means nothing. Experience used to mean something. Not to mention, what a pediatrician says (you know, a specialist in babies and children, not someone who puts people to sleep for surgery).

 

 

Also, talk to most dentists and they will tell you that they see way more kids with cavities and much younger than they used to, due all to bottled water.

[Bosjoe]

What baffles me is why people are willing to pay $3 a bottle for water, when the water is perfectly fine on the ship. In fact its probably better then some cities and towns. :)

 

Only place I have bought water is in Mexico.. I think the water business has really brain washed some people that bottle water is the best water.

[reallyitsmema]

Thanks everyone...you made me feel better. We have always taken a couple of drinks on and never had an issue in the past but when i saw that some tried to bring water on and had it taken away i did a little digging aound and called RCI and was shocked to say the least!!

Thanks again everyone...i will let everyone know how it goes when i return.

 

Other ships have let me put a tag on the case of water and delivered it to my room!!

 

I have my fingers crossed.......

RCI has changed the wording on their website so that it now says that you can not bring any beverages onboard. The phone reps will also tell you that you can not bring on water but people have still been able to bring on cases of water and soda. Some ports seem to be requiring the water to be in a duffle bag or suitcase now instead of allowing flats of water but as everything RCI, there is little or no consistancy.

 

For the small price of the water, I would pack it and take my chances.

 

Ignore all the free medical advice being offered. People will claim to be just about anything on these boards.:rolleyes:

[mgg42]

And I need to call you out on that "remark". I adore my boys (which you insinuate I dont'), but I also realized they aren't breakable. I have raised two boys and no, it's not uncommon to use tap water to make bottles for 7month olds. Bottled water is NOT more sterile than tap water. The OP is uninformed if they think a 7 month old NEEDS bottled water. I guarantee they havent' asked their pediatrician. A 7 month old who doesn't have a immune problem doesn't need "sterile" water. Not to mention, bottled water isn't necessarily sterile.

 

Excuse me if you misinterpreted what I said. I was in no way insinuating anything about you and your children.

 

I just though you were coming down a little hard on the OP for a practice that is fairly harmless, albeit unnecessary.

 

Also, talk to most dentists and they will tell you that they see way more kids with cavities and much younger than they used to, due all to bottled water.

 

 

As for the bit about the dentists and cavities, this has been greatly exaggerated. With fluoride treatments at the dentist for young children, and fluoride vitamin supplementation for children who do not receive adequate fluoride in their water (which includes more than 40% of municipal water supplies nationwide, and all children on wells), the incidence of dental caries is below where it was a generation ago.

 

There are a lot of anecdotal accounts by dentists about dental caries, but no published literature has identified an increase.

 

I crafted my original comments very carefully so as not to try and sound accusatory or insulting to the OP. I just think you are being a little harsh.

 

And again, I in no way was inferring anything about you or your care for your children.