Early in my cruising, I discovered that one of my biggest disappointments on a cruise was the lack of coffee. That is not to say cruise ships do not have coffee, but they only provide coffee in a few locations and the mugs are way to small. So, I began traveling with my 16 ounce coffee mug. A secondary problem is water, especially when the weather was hot. I solved both problems with relative ease, but am surprised how may of my fellow passengers are surprised that they did not bring something.
Coffee Mug
I am not a fan of Starbucks coffee, but I seem to get a lot of gift cards for Starbucks. I have found, however, that they make some of the best coffee mugs. Their travel mugs seal well, keep the coffee hot for at least 4 hours, hold 16 ounces, and are easy to drink. More important for me, as I have bad hands, is that they have a handle that prevents me from dropping the mug. I particularly like the way the lids seal and are easy to sip, unlike many mugs that leak or drip. I have found that the best selection is available around Christmas. Unfortunately, Starbucks does not sell their mugs online although you may find some from other vendors – search for “Starbucks traveler tumbler with handle”. I know there are other products that look the same and I have tried many other mugs, both purchased and received as gifts. None of them keeps the coffee hot or is as easy to drink from as the Starbucks mug. It is worth going into a Starbucks to get one. Now, when I cruise, I can fill my mug in the morning (or my wife’s tea) and carry it around for a few hours while I sip my beverage. Here are a few tips for using your own mug:- Use a cruise mug to fill your mug. For sanitary reasons, the cruise lines request that you do not fill your personal mug directly from the dispenser. Simply fill one of their mugs and pour it into your mug.
- Label your mug. I use those free return address labels I receive in the mail. I make sure there is one on the bottom of each mug. Generally, I apply a new one for each trip to keep it from falling off. This will make it easier for someone to return my mug should it get misplaced.
- Keep track of your mug. It is easy to set your mug down somewhere on the ship and walk off without it, so a little extra attention is required to not lose the mug.
- Make sure your mug is empty before packing it. While this may seem like a no-brainer, it is easy to leave a little coffee in the mug. Most of the time, I clean and dry the mug before packing and can use it to store items, if I need the space. Note that I generally pack the mug in my checked bag.
Water Bottle
Many cruise lines are prohibiting passengers from bringing their own bottled water, stating that passengers try to bring alcoholic fluids in them. I don’t see any reason to go through the effort to bring a case of bottled water on board – yes, I have seen this at many embarkations. The water on a cruise ship is as good, if not better, than most bottled waters. It is distilled and purified on the ship. Some ships will provide complementary bottled water in your cabin, but that is not a sure thing. Of course, you could buy bottled water from the ship, but their prices are somewhat elevated. I find it better to bring my own container.
- Size. You want something that holds enough for the trip, but is not too big. I find 16-24 ounces (but definitely no more than 1 liter) to be sufficient, but you need to look at the diameter of the bottle as well, as you will want it to fit in the bottle pocket of your bag or backpack.
- Wide mouth. This is especially important if you want to put ice into the bottle to keep the water cold, which is my preference.
- Rigid construction. Select something that is not flimsy. Both rigid plastic and metal bottles work. I prefer my plastic one since I can see how much water is left. Do not get a glass bottle since they are prohibited at most pools and beaches.
- Low cost. Don’t buy something expensive since it is easy to misplace your water bottle on an excursion or somewhere in the ship. I use ones that I have received as promotional items, so I am not upset when I happen to lose one. If you do not have one already, consider going to one of the dollar stores, Target, or Walmart to see what you can find on the inexpensive side. You can easily find a suitable bottle for under $5.
- Use the cups provided by the ship to fill your bottle. Just like with the coffee mug, the cruise lines do not like you to fill your bottle directly, both for sanitary reasons and so that they can sell you bottled water.
- Add ice to the water if you wish. I like my water cold, so will fill the bottle with a lot of ice before adding water. This keeps the water cold for a good portion of my excursion.
- Label your bottle. Make sure you have a label on your bottle in case you leave it somewhere. If lost on a ship, there is a good chance it will find its way back to you. If lost on an excursion, you can probably kiss it goodbye.
- Pack in carry-on. This allows you to fill the bottle before getting on a plane. I drink a lot of water when flying and find it inconvenient to pester the flight crew for water. Fill the bottle after passing through security at the airport.
Other beverage cups
I hope these tips help. Please comment below if you have some other suggestions.
