Recycle Vero Water System

[Sharle]

recently returned from a UniWorld River Cruise in France. They use a similar system with a glass water bottle in the room. Can get 2 if you need. Also were given a refillable bottle to use for excursions. Everything worked fine and no one complained or got sick. Additional water was brought on the buses on the excursions and these were in the refillable bottles as well.

[SWFLAOK]

2 hours ago, GrJ Berkshire said:

 We have just returned from the Navigator using the Vero water system. This is a brilliant move to save all those small water bottles, there is no health risk at all, this suggestion is ludicrous!!! You can have more than 1 bottle, sparkling or flats, they do fit in the fridge as well. The sooner guests either bring or a reusable bottle is provided to replace the bottles on excursions the better, as the waste and  environmental damage of single use plastic has to stop.

As to the concern over straws, why not drink out of the glass as it's designed for and cut out straws all together.

Ice in drinks is much more of an issue.

A great move by Regent, roll out the next stage !!!!

Sparkling or flats? We weren't offered any sparkling Vero water. There's just one machine in the galley, and there's no "fizzy" button. Did you request bottled water for your mini-fridge? That would be prebottled water that's brought onboard by Regent, and those bottles would not be reused. In the US, they would be recycled, but we didn't see much in the way of recycling on our recent Med cruise. 

We did bring rollable refillable bottles with us on our last cruise, but the only place to refill them is the bathroom faucet. If a refill station was offered, there is no chance I would use it. Refill stations are always contaminated by those who stick the opening they drank from onto the filling mechanism. It's a great way to spread norovirus.

[cruiseluv]

I hope Regent is still stocking S. Pellegrino water, that's what I'll be drinking. Does anybody know if they carry Seltzer water? Ive never done this , but could somebody remind me how is that you can request Regent in advance what you want to have in your refrigerator? 

[Floridiana]

1 hour ago, SWFLAOK said:

If a refill station was offered, there is no chance I would use it.

 

Mein Schiff has built-in water refill stations on each deck whose refill nozzle is "untouchable". If you forgot your own bottle, you can buy one on the ship. It's all doable in a safe and healthy way.

[Travelcat2]

1 hour ago, cruiseluv said:

I hope Regent is still stocking S. Pellegrino water, that's what I'll be drinking. Does anybody know if they carry Seltzer water? Ive never done this , but could somebody remind me how is that you can request Regent in advance what you want to have in your refrigerator? 

 

Agree with you - I would like Perrier and my DH drinks S. Pellegrino.  I can live with Vero water in the suite (just to take vitamins and rinse my mouth when I wash my teeth as I will not drink tap water on cruise ships).

 

Floridiana:  It is nice that Mein Schiff has some kind of water system (so does Crystal) but this is about Regent.   In general, they do not care what other cruise lines are doing - they concentrate on Regent, Oceania and NCL.  In fact, as of a very few years ago, the CEO of NCLH had never stepped foot on a ship that was not part of the company that he worked for (or headed up).  At first I thought it was strange but then realized that this is one reason why Regent is generally at the forefront of change and the other luxury lines eventually follow suit (things like smoking policy, relaxed code, etc.).  If all Regent did was copy other cruise lines, it would not be as unique.

Edited August 15, 2019 by Travelcat2

[cAPS lOCK oN]

2 hours ago, SWFLAOK said:

Sparkling or flats? We weren't offered any sparkling Vero water. There's just one machine in the galley, and there's no "fizzy" button. Did you request bottled water for your mini-fridge? That would be prebottled water that's brought onboard by Regent, and those bottles would not be reused. In the US, they would be recycled, but we didn't see much in the way of recycling on our recent Med cruise. 

 

There is both sparkling and still available. Our cabin attendant provided plenty of both. The only problem we had is that the bottles took up a lot of room in the fridge and on the counter, but Explorer cabins have plenty of room.

 

The water tasted great, and I trust Regent to clean the bottles properly. Just like I trust them to clean glassware, utensils, dishes, etc.

[Hambagahle]

Many restaurants here in Switzerland have switched from selling bottled water or giving you tap water to their own "systems" which are like the Vero water one.   One we go to a lot has its own bottles (glass) with logo - nice touch.  The water is fine.  But then the tap water in our town is too.  It comes directly from an alpine spring so I don't see why we need the restaurant's system!  I have to think they make more money out of it than selling San Pelligrino etc.  Same with Regent - the disposal of all those plastic bottles must have cost a lot.  Now they don't have to pay for that.  And buying the water costs too.  With the "system" they essentially are making their own.  Have to amortise the cost of buying the system but then - that's it.   

 

As to paper straws - when I was a child that's all we had.  Plastic straws are a relatively recent invention.  And I do not believe drinking through a paper straw vs a plastic one makes the drink taste any different.  If it is better for the planet it is fine with me.  (Only problem for me is that I have about 90 plastic straws in my cupboard left over from 100 I bought when my grandchildren were tiny...what do I do with them?  bring them on my next cruise and give them to someone who wants them ??)

[flossie009]

Like @GrJ Berkshire, we have just experienced the new Vero water system on SS Navigator. These are our comments:

 

Positives

• Both still & sparkling Vero water is available, both chilled
• The water tastes great (or rather does not taste!) - no more taint of chlorine that used to be the case on occasion with the jugged iced water in the restaurants
• Convenient plastic bottled water is available when on excursion (and presumably could be requested in your suite?)
• Plastic bottles can simply be refilled from the Vero bottles
• Branded bottled water (e.g. San Pellegrino) is available 

Negatives

• The Vero bottles are heavy and can be difficult to pour when full
• Although the Vero bottles did fit in the door of the fridge during our cruise, I am not sure that this was the case for the replacement fridges which were being fitted on our last day on board (The new fridges are apparently more efficient and eco-friendly)
• The Vero system has not addressed the issue of single use plastic bottles for excursions, apart from those who take the trouble to refill a bottle before leaving their suite

Our opinions

• Did the Vero system impact the enjoyment of our cruise positively or negatively? No
• Did we miss the plastic straws? No
• Are Regent's 'environmental' efforts simply a marketing ploy or a cost cutting measure? Maybe
• Do small changes make any difference globally? Every little helps. If everyone just cynically makes no effort, and gives no support to individuals, organisations & companies that try to become more environmentally aware then no progress will ever be made.
• Do we support Regent's efforts? Yes

Edited August 16, 2019 by flossie009

[Floridiana]

12 hours ago, Travelcat2 said:

Floridiana:  It is nice that Mein Schiff has some kind of water system (so does Crystal) but this is about Regent.   In general, they do not care what other cruise lines are doing - they concentrate on Regent, Oceania and NCL.

 

 

It would be good if companies looked beyond their own horizon.

[Floridiana]

My point is that it is possible to construct a water refill system where the top of the bottle never touches the water outlet nozzle. New builds can integrate this design. After all, reducing plastic is important to many passengers of all lines. 

[GrJ Berkshire]

3 hours ago, flossie009 said:

Like @GrJ Berkshire, we have just experienced the new Vero water system on SS Navigator. These are our comments:

 

Positives

• Both still & sparkling Vero water is available, both chilled
• The water tastes great (or rather does not taste!) - no more taint of chlorine that used to be the case on occasion with the jugged iced water in the restaurants
• Convenient plastic bottled water is available when on excursion (and presumably could be requested in your suite?)
• Plastic bottles can simply be refilled from the Vero bottles
• Branded bottled water (e.g. San Pellegrino) is available 

Negatives

• The Vero bottles are heavy and can be difficult to pour when full
• Although the Vero bottles did fit in the door of the fridge during our cruise, I am not sure that this was the case for the replacement fridges which were being fitted on our last day on board (The new fridges are apparently more efficient and eco-friendly)
• The Vero system has not addressed the issue of single use plastic bottles for excursions, apart from those who take the trouble to refill a bottle before leaving their suite

Our opinions

• Did the Vero system impact the enjoyment of our cruise positively or negatively? No
• Did we miss the plastic straws? No
• Are Regent's 'environmental' efforts simply a marketing ploy or a cost cutting measure? Maybe
• Do small changes make any difference globally? Every little helps. If everyone just cynically makes no effort, and gives no support to individuals, organisations & companies that try to become more environmentally aware then no progress will ever be made.
• Do we support Regent's efforts? Yes

"We took along our own refillable water bottles, bought in UK. We then simply filled from the Vero bottles every day. If its warm our refillable bottles fitted in the fridge ready for next excursion, no need for the disposable single use plastic bottles at all. Regent could brand these and give to all as a 'freebie' which would remove enormous plastic use and save shipping space (suggestion more wine / beer can be added) .

We never ran out of water as in a PH C suite , our butler topped up our 2 bottles twice a day. I found the sparkling water in dinner just as good as the bottled San Pellegrino, after all it's H2O after all. Many of the bottles given out were Russian - After our close escape from the White sea where the rocket blew up , who knows what glowing reports these will give? For the British readers of this could be as good as Peckham Spring Water from Del Boy - lovely jubbly !!!

[Sharle]

15 hours ago, cruiseluv said:

I hope Regent is still stocking S. Pellegrino water, that's what I'll be drinking. Does anybody know if they carry Seltzer water? Ive never done this , but could somebody remind me how is that you can request Regent in advance what you want to have in your refrigerator? 

seltzer is available in cans. We always request that for our fridge. I think if you are in pH or above you can request on line in advance. If not we just ask our steward/stewardess when we board and the fridge is stocked with what we want for the rest of the cruise.

[Travelcat2]

6 hours ago, Floridiana said:

 

 

It would be good if companies looked beyond their own horizon.

 

For better or worse - Regent is a leader - not a follower.  When I went to their website after first learning about Vero water, they had a huge photo of a Regent ship.  They may be the first luxury cruise line to sign with them.

 

And, from reading the posts, Regent passengers do not want to go someplace to refill their water bottles (whether the top is not touching the dispenser or not).  I cannot see myself going out for more water when I'm ready for bed (nor would I bother my butler with such a request).

[JMARINER]

1 hour ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

For better or worse - Regent is a leader - not a follower.  When I went to their website after first learning about Vero water, they had a huge photo of a Regent ship.  They may be the first luxury cruise line to sign with them.

 

Crystal has had an almost identical system since at least 2 years. Crystal's Natura Water system is what Regents has seem to copied in concept, using glass bottles with either flat or sparkling water  for the rooms and restaurants.

 

Both systems look almost identical are being used in some top end restaurants.

 

I personally like the system on Crystal and hope the Regent's is as good. I like the idea of using glass bottle because of the concerns about the chemical BPa found in many plastics, including can liners. Additionally Regent as well as other lines often source their plastic bottled water from non US/EU counties and I don't trust their water quality. Even in the US many bottled waters are nothing more than domestic supplied with possible dubious origin.

 

J

(699/50)

[Dolebludger]

When I was a little boy, long ago, my parents would take me to a soda shop, and they all used paper straws. I don’t know how they did it but they never disintegrated while using them. Plastic straws hadn’t invented yet. If we are going to be rid of plastic straws. We need old tech on paper ones. 

 

And if Regent is failing to provide something to carry water in on excursions, this is disconcerting to me at Regent’s price point. (Indeed that price point alone is disconcerting to me!). But what concerns me the most is the source of the water Regent “recycles” if it is desalinated sea water, fine. If it is recycled waste water from the ship, I’m not going!

[Travelcat2]

7 minutes ago, Dolebludger said:

When I was a little boy, long ago, my parents would take me to a soda shop, and they all used paper straws. I don’t know how they did it but they never disintegrated while using them. Plastic straws hadn’t invented yet. If we are going to be rid of plastic straws. We need old tech on paper ones. 

 

 

 

Paper straws are replacing plastic straws in most places that we frequent.  However, we prefer "new" paper straws vs. the old ones.

[Dolebludger]

TC2, 

 

If paper straws are used  in places you frequent and they don’t disintegrate during use, maybe somebody has discovered the old tech, and that is good because they worked without producing waste that is difficult to recycle. And around here, most of us carry insulated camping water bottles with water (or maybe something stronger?). So I have only a little concern about water for excursions.

 

But my concern is the source of the “water” Regent recycles. If it is waste water from the ship, I’m out! There are cities in the desert SW US that get much of their municipal water from recycled sewer water. As I’m not a scientist or doctor, I don’t know about the health safety of this. All I know is that I want no part of it.

[Las Vegas Sailing]

28 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

Paper straws are replacing plastic straws in most places that we frequent.  However, we prefer "new" paper straws vs. the old ones.

Vero Water Inc is a small privately held company out of Miami, Florida.  What accreditation or certifications has their filtration system received from independent testing agencies? Has any industry or governmental agencies given them their "seal of approval?" 

[Dolebludger]

Well, again, where do they get the “water?” They recycle? That makes more of a difference to me than straws and water containers.

[JMARINER]

1 hour ago, Dolebludger said:

But my concern is the source of the “water” Regent recycles. If it is waste water from the ship, I’m out! There are cities in the desert SW US that get much of their municipal water from recycled sewer water. As I’m not a scientist or doctor, I don’t know about the health safety of this. All I know is that I want no part of it.

Ships do not use recycle the water.

 

All grey and black water are highly treated and  then dumped back into the sea;  the same as is done on land. AFAIK, no USA municipal water uses recycled water for drinking, but it is used for landscaping. (Some places in Australia do drink  recycled water.)

 

Drinking "clear" water on the ship comes from only two sources. Either from shore side water that is piped aboard. (The blue fire hoses you see in port.) Or the water is made from sea water, usually by vacuum steam distillation (vacuum evaporators) or sometime by high pressure reverse osmosis.  All ship water is tested far more frequently than your domestic home water and is usually much cleaner than anything that comes from your tap.

 

From what I understand and based on what I have experience on Crystal and river cruise, the new "Vero bottled water system" will only be used to provide you water in the dining venues and in your room or at self filling stations. There will still be plastic bottled water at the gangway for shore excursion.

 

J

[JMARINER]

2 hours ago, Las Vegas Sailing said:

Vero Water Inc is a small privately held company out of Miami, Florida.  What accreditation or certifications has their filtration system received from independent testing agencies? Has any industry or governmental agencies given them their "seal of approval?" 

It appears that they have a NSF certification which is the industry standard of water purification products.

 

J

[GrJ Berkshire]

Some rubbish talked here, many cities water is re-using existing water. London it is often cited that the water you drink has been through 7 people already !! Don't see how this is less pure than Russian sourced bottled water being given out on the Navigator, I would trust UK scientific standards anytime over Russian ones.

Bottled water in many cases is the biggest 'con' going with massive mark ups for a product scientifically proven to be no better than tap water, in many cases except real springs tap water has more mineral content. The environmental cost as well of all the 500ml single use plastic bottles both carbon footprint of transporting them and then their plastic disposal is a real issue.

 

[JMARINER]

Yes Technically I suppose all water on earth has been "recycled" through people/animals. Kind of like "Caesar’s last breath."

 

J

[Travelcat2]

Although this has been fixed recently, Navigator had brown water (rust) coming out of the taps (shower and sink) periodically.  Was this the same water that we were drinking in restaurants on Navigator?  Somehow, I don't think so.

 

GrJ Berkshire - not sure that recycling in the U.S. is the same as the U.K.  Agree with what you said about bottled water sometimes being a rip-off but the water in our home is not recycled (we live in a state that rains quite a bit and our water is fresh, delicious and contains no fluoride).  

 

 

 

 

[SWFLAOK]

14 hours ago, GrJ Berkshire said:

Some rubbish talked here, many cities water is re-using existing water. London it is often cited that the water you drink has been through 7 people already !! Don't see how this is less pure than Russian sourced bottled water being given out on the Navigator, I would trust UK scientific standards anytime over Russian ones.

Bottled water in many cases is the biggest 'con' going with massive mark ups for a product scientifically proven to be no better than tap water, in many cases except real springs tap water has more mineral content. The environmental cost as well of all the 500ml single use plastic bottles both carbon footprint of transporting them and then their plastic disposal is a real issue.

 

There's no "con" with bottled water in the US. The bottle indicates it's source, whether or not it's been treated, and lists it contents, including minerals. It never comes directly from the water produced by a sewage treatment plant. Its either 100 percent purified with reverse osmosis, or from a spring. I look for purified reverse osmosis in bottled water since mineral content from springs gives me intestinal disturbances. And plastic bottles are recycled in Florida. At home, we can refill a plastic bottle from our faucet to take it with us when we leave home, and that's what we do. We can't do that while on a cruise ship, unless we feel safe with the water from our cabin's faucet.

In Florida, treated water from sewage is either used to water lawns, or is pushed deep underground, allowing it to be filtered naturally as it goes through the soil. After that, it's again treated (normally by reverse osmosis, and then with some chlorine) and it's sent to our faucet. It's tested regularly by people well qualified to do that testing. I hope the water put into the ship's tanks is also purified before coming to our cabin's faucet, but I trust it less. So far I haven't become ill from brushing my teeth and swallowing it now and then.

I think the carbon footprint of a cruise ship is much bigger than the use of plastic bottles by passengers for excursions, especially if they're being reused by refilling them ourselves in our cabin, and are recycled at the end of the cruise, which I hope the ship does.