Using Your Own Cup on Cruise

I sure do love these "I know the rules say I shouldn't, but I have reasons not to agree with the rules so will everyone back me up on not following them?" threads.
OP was asking if something is against rules, not seeking validation to circumvent. A couple of trailing posts, not so much.
 
On our very first cruises 16 or so years ago the drink stations had the tabs that you pushed the cup on so using a paper cup was obvious for germ reasons with the cup touching the dispenser. It has been a while, 4 years since we cruised, and I remember the signs about using a cup to fill your own cup but did not remember it was a push button system. I am now beyond grossed out thinking about the germs on the buttons. :crazy2: I will be using some sort of barrier between the buttons and my hand as stated above by another poster and teaching the kids to do it as well. Just YUK!
 
The issue would be others, seeing you use your cup, will think it's OK for them to use theirs. There are signs clearly posted (several places) asking people to please use a "fresh" cup for refills.

Even using a lid and straw, the back wash from the liquid in the straw returning to your cup will contaminate it. Then the splash of the spigot filling your cup could lodge on the spigot, contaminating other's cups. Yes, minimal chance, but still a chance.

In theory that works. But how many times have we seen people fill their cup take a sip and then top it off. It's the same thing.
 
My family brought our own cups on our first cruise (because it was recommended on every blog I read) but I found we never used them. We don’t drink cup after cup of soda so it wasn’t necessary to have to carry around an extra item like a cup all day.

You can use it for water or tea. We bring one of our older WDW resort cups and use that for water all day. Also we are big tea drinkers and they have tea bags. We make our own ice tea out of them. We are not big soda drinkers either.
 


I seem to recall on a cruise during "sicky season" a CM being stationed at the drink machine getting drinks for everyone. I personally prefer to seek the antiviral properties of the Drink of the Day. Having it brought to me on a tray seems safer too.
 
In theory that works. But how many times have we seen people fill their cup take a sip and then top it off. It's the same thing.
Whoops! I’ve done this before (not on a cruise though) and never given it a second thought. Thanks for giving me a jolt of realization.
 
I seem to recall on a cruise during "sicky season" a CM being stationed at the drink machine getting drinks for everyone. I personally prefer to seek the antiviral properties of the Drink of the Day. Having it brought to me on a tray seems safer too.

The CM being stationed there had nothing to do with it “being ‘sicky season’” and everything to do with a certain percentage on board having noro. That is what happens on any line - if it is really bad the “buffet” goes cafeteria style and the salt and pepper shakers (and other condiment dispensers) go away in favor of individual packets. Could happen ANY time there is an outbreak.
 


I certainly abide by the request to use the paper cups to refill my personal cup - I think it makes others around you feel more comfortable, so health reasons aside, I do it out of respect for fellow travelers. But I have to admit that personally it does seem the same to me as refilling cups at the parks or any restaurant, so I figure there is always a risk and I'm not going to spend time worrying about it. That said, I truly do understand and respect that others may be more concerned than I, so I'll keep following the rule.
 
But I have to admit that personally it does seem the same to me as refilling cups at the parks or any restaurant, so I figure there is always a risk
The risk is the spreading of germs. It's much more of a problem out in the middle of the ocean (far from advanced medical care) than it is in a land-based scenario.

You get sick from some germ while at WDW - there's lots of doctors/urgent care/hospitals within minutes. Out at sea, you get sick - there's one doctor and maybe 2 or 3 nurses. And you could be hours, if not days from a hospital or clinic that can actually diagnose you and treat you.
 
The risk is the spreading of germs. It's much more of a problem out in the middle of the ocean (far from advanced medical care) than it is in a land-based scenario.

You get sick from some germ while at WDW - there's lots of doctors/urgent care/hospitals within minutes. Out at sea, you get sick - there's one doctor and maybe 2 or 3 nurses. And you could be hours, if not days from a hospital or clinic that can actually diagnose you and treat you.
I understand that completely and absolutely appreciate why many are concerned about it. I take reasonable precautions while on board (frequent hand washing/sanitizing) and abide by the new paper cup policy for refills/filling my personal cup. I do my part to ensure I don't spread any germs and hope others do the same. But I do it out of respect for others, not because I personally have concerns. That's all I mean. I mean no offense to anyone, in fact just the opposite.
 
I certainly abide by the request to use the paper cups to refill my personal cup - I think it makes others around you feel more comfortable, so health reasons aside, I do it out of respect for fellow travelers. But I have to admit that personally it does seem the same to me as refilling cups at the parks or any restaurant, so I figure there is always a risk and I'm not going to spend time worrying about it. That said, I truly do understand and respect that others may be more concerned than I, so I'll keep following the rule.

Thank you.

One afternoon, I was waiting for my daughter to get her drink and I noticed a mother and daughter beside the drink area. The girl (possibly around 7 or 8yrs old) was very upset and repeatedly told her Mom not to use their cup because of the sign. The mother told her not to worry because that's for people who have dirty cups. The girls tells her mother that that was not what the sign says. Her mother told her to be quiet and they left. I walked over to a CM (who was only a few feet from them) and before I can ask her to clean the area, she was went directly to it to wipe it down. However, I doubt that was sufficient.

Although it may likely not make someone ill, why even take the chance? Why would it be so difficult to take the paper cup and use it to fill your cup as the sign says? We all have to stay in the ship together, we need to be considerate of others. I'm not lecturing. I just don't understand why an 8yr old would be more socially responsible than an adult.
 
Thank you.

One afternoon, I was waiting for my daughter to get her drink and I noticed a mother and daughter beside the drink area. The girl (possibly around 7 or 8yrs old) was very upset and repeatedly told her Mom not to use their cup because of the sign. The mother told her not to worry because that's for people who have dirty cups. The girls tells her mother that that was not what the sign says. Her mother told her to be quiet and they left. I walked over to a CM (who was only a few feet from them) and before I can ask her to clean the area, she was went directly to it to wipe it down. However, I doubt that was sufficient.

Although it may likely not make someone ill, why even take the chance? Why would it be so difficult to take the paper cup and use it to fill your cup as the sign says? We all have to stay in the ship together, we need to be considerate of others. I'm not lecturing. I just don't understand why an 8yr old would be more socially responsible than an adult.
My opinion, based on your story: 8 year olds are used to following the rules, because that's how a classroom works best. However, the mom has "graduated" from just following rules and has put her own evaluations on the possible reason for the sign and decided she was complying with the spirit (if her cup was clean) even though she wasn't complying with the rule. She decided wasting a paper cup needlessly was a worse offense, as she believed her cup to be clean. In reality, it was an excuse to not bother with the extra step that often leaves pop with a lot less carbonation.
 
I think the bottom line is follow the rule and use a Disney disposable cup. However, I advise you to throw away at least 5 of them from the top before getting your cup, because the top cups have likely been handled or dropped on the ground. I wouldn't recommend you use a lid at all. If you do, you are exposing yourself to germs that a sign about following rules can't protect you from.

I wish all of the rule followers were passionate about all the rules. You know, like saving seats in the theater. I'll risk germs, but can't understand why 5 minutes after the theater opens, every row in the lower middle of the theater is empty but reserved for someone who had to go to the bathroom. That bathroom must be packed.
 
I think the bottom line is follow the rule and use a Disney disposable cup. However, I advise you to throw away at least 5 of them from the top before getting your cup, because the top cups have likely been handled or dropped on the ground. I wouldn't recommend you use a lid at all. If you do, you are exposing yourself to germs that a sign about following rules can't protect you from.

I wish all of the rule followers were passionate about all the rules. You know, like saving seats in the theater. I'll risk germs, but can't understand why 5 minutes after the theater opens, every row in the lower middle of the theater is empty but reserved for someone who had to go to the bathroom. That bathroom must be packed.

On (1) oh my goodness, this is getting a little over the top now. There are just as likely to be germs on your stateroom door handle, on your in-room safe, on elevator buttons, on the stair hand rails, on the restaurant booth--all of which are "handled" just like the top cup. It is really getting far fetched to think someone would drop a cup on the floor and then replace it on top of the stack--if it falls on the floor, anyone would throw it away. Please don't throw away a handful of cups just to get one that you can be assured is pristine; it's so wasteful and you are not incrementally reducing your exposure to germs above and beyond all the other things that people are touching day after day.

On (2), I'm sure some people who improperly "save" seats when nobody is coming to claim them. But bathrooms are actually packed right before a movie, because nobody wants to have to leave in the middle of the movie to go. Not to mention that a lot of the saved seats are for people getting popcorn.
 
I seem to recall on a cruise during "sicky season" a CM being stationed at the drink machine getting drinks for everyone. I personally prefer to seek the antiviral properties of the Drink of the Day. Having it brought to me on a tray seems safer too.
And most of them have vitamin C!
 
On (1) oh my goodness, this is getting a little over the top now. There are just as likely to be germs on your stateroom door handle, on your in-room safe, on elevator buttons, on the stair hand rails, on the restaurant booth--all of which are "handled" just like the top cup. It is really getting far fetched to think someone would drop a cup on the floor and then replace it on top of the stack--if it falls on the floor, anyone would throw it away. Please don't throw away a handful of cups just to get one that you can be assured is pristine; it's so wasteful and you are not incrementally reducing your exposure to germs above and beyond all the other things that people are touching day after day.

On (2), I'm sure some people who improperly "save" seats when nobody is coming to claim them. But bathrooms are actually packed right before a movie, because nobody wants to have to leave in the middle of the movie to go. Not to mention that a lot of the saved seats are for people getting popcorn.
1. I think the poster was being sarcastic.
2. There are many people who save lots of seats simply because the rest of their party doesn't want to bother with being there early. Saving a seat for one or two people in the bathroom is entirely different from what he was talking about.
 
My opinion, based on your story: 8 year olds are used to following the rules, because that's how a classroom works best. However, the mom has "graduated" from just following rules and has put her own evaluations on the possible reason for the sign and decided she was complying with the spirit (if her cup was clean) even though she wasn't complying with the rule. She decided wasting a paper cup needlessly was a worse offense, as she believed her cup to be clean. In reality, it was an excuse to not bother with the extra step that often leaves pop with a lot less carbonation.

Perhaps then we should all strive to be 8 yr olds and follow the rules before we become adults and choose which rules we can follow. I agree that it was just an excuse to skip the extra step but for no other reason than the mother's choice to do as she pleases. It's unfortunate since children eventually behave like their parents.
 
We usually rec refillable cups as an FE gift or have some that we've just gotten from the parks with the meal plan. It's not that I always need a bigger cup but I've found, with the kids esp, that plastic won't spill as easily if knocked over on deck. What I do is take the paper cup and use one to fill all 4 of our cups. Still following the rules but also not wasting so much.
 
We usually rec refillable cups as an FE gift or have some that we've just gotten from the parks with the meal plan. It's not that I always need a bigger cup but I've found, with the kids esp, that plastic won't spill as easily if knocked over on deck. What I do is take the paper cup and use one to fill all 4 of our cups. Still following the rules but also not wasting so much.
Yes, you're using one cup to fill 4.

I don't get that using the supplied cups is "wasteful" as people are typically using it multiple times (at one time) to fill a larger cup. So, they're actually saving waste by not having to get a new cup every time they return to the drink station when that smaller, supplied cup is empty.
 
I am more concerned with the people who do not wash their hands after using the toilet. And those that refuse to wash their hands/wipe them down before going to the buffet. I have seen both plenty of times unfortunately. I would pay extra if there was someone in each bathroom making people wash their hands. Also I think it should be mandatory to wash your hands before going to the buffet, not just a nice reminder from cast members. One guy came in through the doors from the pool deck and the cast member reminded him to wash his hands and he refused saying he took a shower that morning. Gross
 

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