By the time Oceania Cruises operates her 2020 cruises from Cape Town in South Africa and Dubai in the Arabian Gulf, all ships in the fleet will be plastic water bottle free zones.

The two-phase project to eliminate plastic water bottles from the fleet will begin in April this year, with Riviera due to be retrofitted with a Vero Water still and sparkling water distillation system.

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The project is part of the cruise line’s Sail & Sustain environmental program, which began with an initiative by parent company Norwegian Cruise Line to reduce the use of plastic straws and other single-use plastics on-board.

“By introducing Vero Water to the Oceania Cruises experience, we are not only taking a quantum leap forward environmentally, we are providing our guests with the gold-standard of still and sparkling water,” said Bob Binder, President and CEO of Oceania Cruises.

The Vero Water still and sparkling water distillations system uses Nano-Filtration and five separate layers of filters to produce pure mineral water. By the end of the year, the system will be available on all Oceania ships.

Phase one, which will begin with Riviera on April 2, focuses on implementing the onboard water service in suites, staterooms, restaurants, lounges and bars.

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Passengers will receive a one-liter reusable glass bottle of still or sparkling Vero Water, and cabin stewards will replenish as needed.

By mid-June all Oceania’s ships will have completed this phase, with a roll-out as follows: Riviera, April 2; Marine, April 19; Regatta, May 1; Sirena, May 19; Nautica, May 30; and Insignia, June 19.

In phase two, the cruise line will enable passengers to take their Vero Water bottles ashore. Each passenger will be provided with their own re-usable Vero Water bottle, which will be theirs to keep and take home with them. This phase-in is expected to start in the second half of 2019.

The program is expected to eliminate an estimated three million plastic water bottles per year. Oceania ships will still carry certain mineral water brands for medical purposes.