The company has pledged that all ships belonging to its brands - Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara Club Cruises, Tui Cruises, and Pullmantur Cruises – will implement the policy.

Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean International’s chief executive and president, revealed the plan to TTG in February.

RCCL ships have adopted a “straws upon request” policy over the last year and, as of January 2019, all straws handed out to guests will be made of paper.

Passengers will start to see wooden coffee stirrers and bamboo garnish picks, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, being used as part of RCCL’s plastic reduction strategy.

Following straws, stirrers and picks, the company’s efforts will focus on other single-use plastics such as condiment packets, cups, and bags.

RCCL said a full audit of its plastic use was underway with an overall plan to be completed in phases by 2020.

The initiative follows RCCL’s own Save the Waves programme, which it has operated since 1992 to offer a best practice guide for sustainability onboard cruise ships.

Chairman Richard Fain said: “Healthy oceans are vital to the success of our company. For over 25 years, our Save the Waves programme has guided us to reduce, reuse, and recycle everything we can. Eliminating single-use plastics is another step in that programme.”