Two Questions about being on onboard

[melodyesch]

Hi All.  DH and I will be on the Encore this Sunday (Yay!) and I have a couple of specific questions:

 

1.  We always take our large Tervis cups and fill them at the beverage station.  We get a clean ship cup and use that to fill our personal cup.  The personal cup does not ever touch the dispenser.  I’ve seen others do that, but of course the signs say don’t fill your personal cup.  I asked a crew member on our last trip pre-COVID and they said it was perfectly fine to do it that way.  But we ALWAYS seem to get the stink eye from a passenger or two, even though we try to do it when there is no beverage traffic.  Thoughts on this?

 

2.  There is a menu item (like the Fruits de Mer in Le Bistro) that contains shrimp, scallops and crab.  I cannot eat scallops but LOVE shrimp.  I haven’t made a complete study of all of the menus, but it’s common to see shrimp with scallops.  Would you ask for extra shrimp to be added and the scallops to be left off?  Obviously I know I can ASK for anything, but didn’t know if that might seem unreasonable?  
 

thanks!

melody

[BennyBrun]

They serve you at the buffet so at the drink station when I was on the EPIC they would hand me glasses of water and fill.  Alternatively they suggested that during the morning hours you can request a pitcher of water with your room service order.

 

The gladly make substitutions but they usually tell you that they have to discuss it with the chef first.  On the epic I was told the shrimp they serve is small so to pass it but if you really want it you should ask.  If it’s an allergy issue you need to tell them that you are allergic to scallop so they can make accommodations if possible.  
 

enjoy your cruise.

[DinaS]

You are not allowed to fill your personal cup directly from the beverage machines at the buffet.  If someone told you that you can, they are wrong.  There are signs on the beverage dispensers stating this.

 

Even pre-Covid, this was a rule.  This is one of those rules that really should be enforced more stringently.

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, melodyesch said:

Hi All.  DH and I will be on the Encore this Sunday (Yay!) and I have a couple of specific questions:

 

1.  We always take our large Tervis cups and fill them at the beverage station.  We get a clean ship cup and use that to fill our personal cup.  The personal cup does not ever touch the dispenser.  I’ve seen others do that, but of course the signs say don’t fill your personal cup.  I asked a crew member on our last trip pre-COVID and they said it was perfectly fine to do it that way.  But we ALWAYS seem to get the stink eye from a passenger or two, even though we try to do it when there is no beverage traffic.  Thoughts on this?

 

2.  There is a menu item (like the Fruits de Mer in Le Bistro) that contains shrimp, scallops and crab.  I cannot eat scallops but LOVE shrimp.  I haven’t made a complete study of all of the menus, but it’s common to see shrimp with scallops.  Would you ask for extra shrimp to be added and the scallops to be left off?  Obviously I know I can ASK for anything, but didn’t know if that might seem unreasonable?  
 

thanks!

melody

The beverage stations are all self-serve. Using a clean cup to fill them is fine.

 

It is not unreasonable to request a special preparation. BUT, should the galley consider that there is risk of cross contamination with an allergen, they reserve the right to refuse service. 

[Old & Retired]

1 hour ago, DinaS said:

You are not allowed to fill your personal cup directly from the beverage machines at the buffet.  If someone told you that you can, they are wrong.  There are signs on the beverage dispensers stating this.

 

Even pre-Covid, this was a rule.  This is one of those rules that really should be enforced more stringently.

Baloney.  I take my own personal large cup on every cruise and fill it myself with lemonade or iced tea from the beverage machine.  I have no idea where you got that crazy idea.

P.S.  Been doing it for many years on NCL.

[LGW59]

2 hours ago, DinaS said:

You are not allowed to fill your personal cup directly from the beverage machines at the buffet.  If someone told you that you can, they are wrong.  There are signs on the beverage dispensers stating this.

 

Even pre-Covid, this was a rule.  This is one of those rules that really should be enforced more stringently.

Why??

[KeithJenner]

3 hours ago, DinaS said:

You are not allowed to fill your personal cup directly from the beverage machines at the buffet.  If someone told you that you can, they are wrong.  There are signs on the beverage dispensers stating this.

 

Even pre-Covid, this was a rule.  This is one of those rules that really should be enforced more stringently.

The OP has specifically stated that they are not filling their cup directly from the dispensers. They are filling a clean cup and then pouring that into theirs. It isn’t clear whether they then keep using the same cup to fill it.

[DinaS]

1 hour ago, Old & Retired said:

Baloney.  I take my own personal large cup on every cruise and fill it myself with lemonade or iced tea from the beverage machine.  I have no idea where you got that crazy idea.

P.S.  Been doing it for many years on NCL.

You are supposed to be using a clean cup to fill your personal cup.  If you are using your own cup you are likely spreading your germs to the dispenser.  It's selfish, and disgusting.

 

There are signs on the dispensers stating not to do it, and to use a clean cup each time. 

Edited December 7, 2021 by DinaS

[DinaS]

16 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

Why??

If you touch the dispenser with the cup you used to drink from, you are spreading your germs to the dispenser.

[KeithJenner]

1 hour ago, Old & Retired said:

Baloney.  I take my own personal large cup on every cruise and fill it myself with lemonade or iced tea from the beverage machine.  I have no idea where you got that crazy idea.

P.S.  Been doing it for many years on NCL.

There are signs around the machines saying not to directly fill your own cup from the dispensers.

[DinaS]

1 minute ago, KeithJenner said:

The OP has specifically stated that they are not filling their cup directly from the dispensers. They are filling a clean cup and then pouring that into theirs. It isn’t clear whether they then keep using the same cup to fill it.

The OP stated that they asked an NCL staff person and they said it was fine to fill directly.  I was simply correcting that incorrect piece of information.

[LGW59]

5 minutes ago, DinaS said:

The OP stated that they asked an NCL staff person and they said it was fine to fill directly.  I was simply correcting that incorrect piece of information.

Well if I asked an actual NCL employee, I’d of done as the OP did.  

[don't-use-real-name]

View it this way:

The Beverage dispensing machine is sterile (I would certainly hope so)

The cups and glasses provided by NCL are also sterile (fresh from the dishwasher)

So dispense a beverage from the machine into a NCL provided glass -

OK sterile to sterile

 

Any other glass bottle vessel cup round-to-it is deemed to be not-sterile

 

Proper protocol - fill a sterile unit from the sterile machine - - -

AND THEN FILL YOUR non-sterile unit from the sterile unit - - -

You need more - USE A 2ND sterile unit to fill the large non-sterile unit - - -

discarding each sterile unit used 

 

In other words don't permit your glass (Trevis cup) to touch the sterile dispensing equipment

 

Sterile does not mean medically sterile - just free from human contact transmission.

 

AND to operate the sterile beverage dispenser - show your VAX-3 covid card and wear a

mask to hide your identity - LOL ! This could be more difficult then it is ! LOL !

Water water everywhere and all I want is glass of it to drink - - - - -

[LGW59]

10 minutes ago, don't-use-real-name said:

View it this way:

The Beverage dispensing machine is sterile (I would certainly hope so)

The cups and glasses provided by NCL are also sterile (fresh from the dishwasher)

So dispense a beverage from the machine into a NCL provided glass -

OK sterile to sterile

 

Any other glass bottle vessel cup round-to-it is deemed to be not-sterile

 

Proper protocol - fill a sterile unit from the sterile machine - - -

AND THEN FILL YOUR non-sterile unit from the sterile unit - - -

You need more - USE A 2ND sterile unit to fill the large non-sterile unit - - -

discarding each sterile unit used 

 

In other words don't permit your glass (Trevis cup) to touch the sterile dispensing equipment

 

Sterile does not mean medically sterile - just free from human contact transmission.

 

AND to operate the sterile beverage dispenser - show your VAX-3 covid card and wear a

mask to hide your identity - LOL ! This could be more difficult then it is ! LOL !

Water water everywhere and all I want is glass of it to drink - - - - -

Like a hospital operating room, except it’s the NCL buffet 

[KeithJenner]

34 minutes ago, DinaS said:

The OP stated that they asked an NCL staff person and they said it was fine to fill directly.  I was simply correcting that incorrect piece of information.

At no point did the OP mention filling it directly. Their post seems quite clear to me that they asked the NCL staff if it was ok to fill their cup the way they were previously talking about (via a clean cup).

Edited December 7, 2021 by KeithJenner

[dd likes to cruise]

4 hours ago, Old & Retired said:

Baloney.  I take my own personal large cup on every cruise and fill it myself with lemonade or iced tea from the beverage machine.  I have no idea where you got that crazy idea.

P.S.  Been doing it for many years on NCL.

The signs say you should not. But I don’t see anyone policing that.

[mjkacmom]

9 hours ago, Old & Retired said:

Baloney.  I take my own personal large cup on every cruise and fill it myself with lemonade or iced tea from the beverage machine.  I have no idea where you got that crazy idea.

P.S.  Been doing it for many years on NCL.

 

4 hours ago, dd likes to cruise said:

The signs say you should not. But I don’t see anyone policing that.

The signs do say that and I’m a rule follower, so fill my giant yeti with those little cups. Once a staff member told me I shouldn’t do that, I pointed to the sign but he still insisted I had to drink out of those little cups instead of filling my yeti with them.

[coffeebean]

8 hours ago, don't-use-real-name said:

View it this way:

The Beverage dispensing machine is sterile (I would certainly hope so)

The cups and glasses provided by NCL are also sterile (fresh from the dishwasher)

So dispense a beverage from the machine into a NCL provided glass -

OK sterile to sterile

 

Any other glass bottle vessel cup round-to-it is deemed to be not-sterile

 

Proper protocol - fill a sterile unit from the sterile machine - - -

AND THEN FILL YOUR non-sterile unit from the sterile unit - - -

You need more - USE A 2ND sterile unit to fill the large non-sterile unit - - -

discarding each sterile unit used 

 

In other words don't permit your glass (Trevis cup) to touch the sterile dispensing equipment

 

Sterile does not mean medically sterile - just free from human contact transmission.

 

AND to operate the sterile beverage dispenser - show your VAX-3 covid card and wear a

mask to hide your identity - LOL ! This could be more difficult then it is ! LOL !

Water water everywhere and all I want is glass of it to drink - - - - -

There in s nothing STERILE about those drink machines. Clean - yes. Sterile - no. We are not talking about an operating room here. 

Edited December 7, 2021 by coffeebean

[sanger727]

This is getting crazy. Nothing that touched your mouth should also touch the drink dispenser without being washed first. And Preferably you will also not touch it with your hands. As long as you are following that, you filling your cup is no different than a filling a buffet cup.

[melodyesch]

10 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

At no point did the OP mention filling it directly. Their post seems quite clear to me that they asked the NCL staff if it was ok to fill their cup the way they were previously talking about (via a clean cup).

Thanks.  Geez, I thought I was as clear as I could be.  I use a clean cup from the NCL stack and pour that into my own cup. And the crew member said that was fine.  My own cup never, ever touches the dispenser.

[CarolinaMamma]

I use the little NCL cups, take them to the table, and fill my Yeti at rhe table. I think the way the OP is saying they fill their cup is allowed from a hygiene perspective, but other pax may not like the amount of time it takes or may not want to see that personal cup getting anywhere near the dispenser. 

[wacruiselover]

[Travelicious]

41 minutes ago, melodyesch said:

Thanks.  Geez, I thought I was as clear as I could be.  I use a clean cup from the NCL stack and pour that into my own cup. And the crew member said that was fine.  My own cup never, ever touches the dispenser.

You were totally clear to all who are able to comprehend what they are reading.

[PTC DAWG]

Yes, your fine doing it that way re your Tervis

 

You can ask for anything in the dining room, you may or may not get it.  I will say that not being able to eat scallops would stink..

 

 

[KeithJenner]

18 hours ago, melodyesch said:

2.  There is a menu item (like the Fruits de Mer in Le Bistro) that contains shrimp, scallops and crab.  I cannot eat scallops but LOVE shrimp.  I haven’t made a complete study of all of the menus, but it’s common to see shrimp with scallops.  Would you ask for extra shrimp to be added and the scallops to be left off?  Obviously I know I can ASK for anything, but didn’t know if that might seem unreasonable?  

I really like Shrimp, and eat lots of shrimp dishes when on a cruise. Many don't have scallops as well. It is quite easy to get shrimp without scallops in various restaurants.

 

If you also like Steak then the Asuka (Shrimp & Filet) in Teppanyaki is excellent.