Bottled Water

[star gazer]

On our last cruise out of Los Angeles (San Pedro), a porter/longshoreman would not accept our bottled water as luggage. He said they had been having a spillage issue. I have not had this p;roblem in past ten cruises with water out of LA. New rules?

[BratDet]

I would throw the water by itself in a smaller luggage by itself.. ;)

 

Bernadette

[-Lew-]

 

On our last cruise out of Los Angeles (San Pedro), a porter/longshoreman would not accept our bottled water as luggage. He said they had been having a spillage issue.

It's certainly understandable considering the flimsy way bottled water is packaged. Bottles are now thinner to reduce waste and the shrink wrap doesn't offer much protection.

 

We have always repacked our bottled water in a cardboard box along with cans of Pepsi and wine...seal it with clear packaging tape along with a luggage tag applied. Works every time...

 

Lew

[Stevesan]

My late wife would carry on one water bottle, then refill it from the ships taps. The ship's water is likly to be less tainted than any from a bottling factory.

 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1781431

The desalination process on a cruise ship uses either flash evaporators or osmosis. Flash evaporators boil sea water and re-condense the steam vapor, producing fresh drinking water. This method is similar to the natural water cycle, where sea water is heated by the sun, rises as steam to form clouds, and then falls back to earth as rain. The second method, osmosis, filters sea water through a fine membrane to separate pure water from salt and other minerals. Cruise ships do not desalinate water near ports or close to land, because coastal waters are the most contaminated.

After desalination, the water is passed through a mineralization plant, which adds minerals. This is necessary because the healthy minerals naturally found in drinking water have been removed by desalination. At this stage, the water is also checked for impurities, sanitized, and the pH is corrected. The water is then sent to massive storage tanks on board the cruise ship. On the Grand Princess, for example, these storage tanks hold up to 500,000 gallons of fresh water.

Next, the water is routed to hot and cold systems. Miles of distribution pipe move the water around the cruise ship.

After the water is delivered through a sink or shower, and used by cruise ship passengers or crew, it must be treated again before it can be discharged. All cruise ships must follow strict environmental laws in the treatment of waste water. Even after treatment, the water is not immediately released, but is held in special storage tanks when the ship is close to land, in port, or other sensitive environments.

It's a complex process, but necessary in order to ensure the health of cruise ship passengers and the natural environment.

[Pam in CA]

My late wife would carry on one water bottle, then refill it from the ships taps. The ship's water is likly to be less tainted than any from a bottling factory.

I agree. If you feel you must bring bottled water, check the source. Most come from municipal water supplies. :)

[highheel girl]

They are lazy.

They probably wanted a larger tip. :mad:

[caribill]

I agree. If you feel you must bring bottled water, check the source. Most come from municipal water supplies. :)

 

In our area:

 

In Walmart's case, the water is Niagara — not from Niagara Falls, or even company headquarters in California — but from a local plant in Grand Prairie.

 

Kroger's bottles don't say where their water is sourced, but it's Dallas City water from Irving.

 

Aquafina's bottle says their product comes from "public water sources." A company spokesman says it's Dallas water from Mesquite.

 

Tom Thumb's brand, Refreshe', doesn't reveal its source. It's bottled by Advanced H20 near Duncanville.

 

Dasani, a division of Coca-Cola doesn't give a clue where it comes from on the bottle. Headquarters says that its source is Dallas water mains.

 

Nestle Pure Life's label does say its source is public water supplies, Dallas, Texas.

[cb at sea]

Put it in a bag, with handles....they won't question it!

[pablo222]

and then falls back to earth as rain. The second method, osmosis, filters sea water through a fine membrane to separate pure water from salt and other minerals.

 

The second process is actually "reverse osmosis" -- which uses high

pressure to force water through a membrane.

 

Such an obvious error really would make me question the entire article.

[sjfrany]

Hi what we have always done is wrap the case with packing tape, wrap it very tight and put a luggage tag on it. This is more secure and the bottles cannot fall out the ends of the case. The water is tansfered with the luggage to are rooms, no problems.

[duck addict]

I find the onboard manufactured water fine. I carry a water bottle, with clip on in for my belt, for excursions.

[shepp]

Such an obvious error really would make me question the entire article.

 

And your point is? That ships serve up tainted water? On the basis of one sloppily written article? O-kay....

 

There's a lot of evidence out there that a number of brands of bottled water contain significant impurities, and in terms of the resources used to bottle, package, and transport bottled water, there's no question of the environmental cost. When I traveled through Cambodia, sure, I drank bottled water. But the Star Princess is hardly Pnomh Penh.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Any water we are bringing on, in addition to Mountain Dew, Sobe,etc., goes into a plastic bin. It's sealed up with a luggage tag pasted on and given to a porter with a tip. No problem.

[shepp]

In our area:

 

In Walmart's case, the water is Niagara — not from Niagara Falls, or even company headquarters in California — but from a local plant in Grand Prairie.

 

Kroger's bottles don't say where their water is sourced, but it's Dallas City water from Irving.

 

Aquafina's bottle says their product comes from "public water sources." A company spokesman says it's Dallas water from Mesquite.

 

Tom Thumb's brand, Refreshe', doesn't reveal its source. It's bottled by Advanced H20 near Duncanville.

 

Dasani, a division of Coca-Cola doesn't give a clue where it comes from on the bottle. Headquarters says that its source is Dallas water mains.

 

Nestle Pure Life's label does say its source is public water supplies, Dallas, Texas.

 

Truly one of the most successful industrial scams of the last 100 years....

[Matcodixon]

Truly one of the most successful industrial scams of the last 100 years....

Absolutely! Who would have ever believed it was possible 20 years ago?

Most people don't realize that the bottle costs way more than it's contents.

 

I purchased a couple of the Brita water bottles for our trip. Not because we need them, but because it will help satisfy my DW and keep her from wasting money on bottled water. If the quality is bad here in the US what is it like in Europe?

[shepp]

Most people don't realize that the bottle costs way more than it's contents.

 

Not to beat this to death, but...

 

"In terms of price versus production cost, bottled water puts Big Oil to shame."

 

http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/5-reasons-not-to-drink-bottled-water

 

and... "While noting that most bottled water is safe, the organization found that at least one sample of a third of the brands contained bacterial or chemical contaminants, including carcinogens, in levels exceeding state or industry standards."

 

http://www.rd.com/health/rethink-what-you-drink/

[Iamcruzin]

Absolutely! Most people don't realize that the bottle costs way more than it's contents.

 

I am well aware and it's the reason I buy the water. I buy whichever brand is the least expensive or on sale. I bring a water bottle to work and keep refilling it with tap water. At the end of the day I can toss the bottle in the recycle bin. At home I refill the bottle and put it in the refrigerator and will use it until the bottle starts to lose its shape and won’t stand on its own. On a cruise since I am not washing dishes I just drink it out of the glass and the staff will remove it when I'm done. What they charge for one bottle of water on the ship I can buy a case at home for just about the same price.

[Grammyluvs]

I find the onboard manufactured water fine. I carry a water bottle, with clip on in for my belt, for excursions.

 

Agreed. At home I do drink spring water, mainly for the convenience. However, on cruises we fill our water bottle with ice from our ice bucket. By the time we are ready, we have a really cold drink of water. Lasts longer and taste great! It is much better than our tap water at home.

[sherryf]

I am well aware and it's the reason I buy the water. I buy whichever brand is the least expensive or on sale. I bring a water bottle to work and keep refilling it with tap water. At the end of the day I can toss the bottle in the recycle bin. At home I refill the bottle and put it in the refrigerator and will use it until the bottle starts to lose its shape and won’t stand on its own. On a cruise since I am not washing dishes I just drink it out of the glass and the staff will remove it when I'm done. What they charge for one bottle of water on the ship I can buy a case at home for just about the same price.

 

I have read that you shouldn't reuse those bottles because chemicals leach out of the plastic over time. Not sure how true that is.

 

Why not just buy a reusable bottle? You can get a cheap one for the cost of one case of water.

[Iamcruzin]

I have read that you shouldn't reuse those bottles because chemicals leach out of the plastic over time. Not sure how true that is.

 

Why not just buy a reusable bottle? You can get a cheap one for the cost of one case of water.

 

 

I saw a news report that claimed that your statement was a myth. It was sent out on the internet probably created by the distributors of bottled water. There is no difference in the chemicals that they use to create a reusable water bottle and the one that the water comes in. However I have seen recalls for cheap plastic items made in china due to lead content. I have a closet full of reusable water bottles but only use them for flavored beverages like iced tea or lemonade. Even after running them in the dishwasher the smell of the flavor is still present. Also I just don’t want to bring an empty water bottle back and forth to work each day. The most I have spent on a case of water was $3.99. I usually stock up on the store brand when it’s on sale for $2.00.

[paddingtonbear]

Truly one of the most successful industrial scams of the last 100 years....

 

If I am out and want a drink I will buy water as I don't drink soda. I think in 10-20 years time we will hear about the effects of drinking from plastic bottles. I use a reusable stainless steel bottle but it is heavier than plastic.

[Putterdude]

We might bring a couple of bottles of water aboard and then just refill them and keep them in the fridge. However for the most part we use Thermos double walled s/s bottles, put a few ice cubes in it, add water and its good for hours on the hottest day.

http://www.thermos.com/products/vacuum-insulated-18-oz-stainless-steel-hydration-bottle.aspx

[FLACRUISER99]

Just remember folks the tap water aboard ship is a mixture of city water and RO water, just look a the large blue hoses attached to the ship in port. It's good water but not 100% RO water.

[Redwood10D]

Yes, the ships water is OK, BUT, it is chlorinated which has a taste and one I don't care for. So I bought a couple of activated charcoal filter bottles along with us on the last trip. Worked great, cost is minimal, taste is as good as any expensive bottled water, and up to taste par with our reverse osmosis unit at home. Plus, I can reuse them for something like 300 refills ( the little filters that go inside of the larger bottle that is). When a filter has worn out, you just pop in another.

[shepp]

There is no difference in the chemicals that they use to create a reusable water bottle and the one that the water comes in.

 

Indeed, refilling plastic bottles is a bad idea. http://environment.about.com/od/healthenvironment/a/plastic_bottles.htm

 

AFAIK, the best choice for a refillable is one of the food-grade stainless steel jobbies made by Kleen Kanteen. No plastic, no residual odors, leakproof, and for the price of five bottles of water bought onboard, you can have a bottle to use a skillion times.

 

(Just BTW, those blue plastic water bottles given by Princess as trivia prizes are #7 plastic, potentially toxic. After we won one, my partner made me put it back.)