Ship tap drinking water

[gmac123]

Hi everyone,

Did a quick search but could not see an answer.

Is the water on board OK to drink form the taps in your cabin?

Thanks.

[1025cruise]

Of course it is.

[lisiamc]

Modern ships desalinate sea water by reverse osmosis, and use this as their drinking water. It normally tastes better than our water at home. Sometimes it can be a bit warm out of the tap, though.

[dorisis]

I have been drinking the water on cruise ships for over 45 years with no bad effects.

[Keith1010]

Ship water is fine.

 

Keith

[Bonnie J.]

Our son told us he always made his morning coffee when in a hotel from the melted ice in his ice bucket. (he traveled a lot for his job.) The water used to make ice has to be something or other from regular water. So, we drink this water from our ice bucket in our cabin.

We cruise a lot on a ship leaving from Charleston, SC and hate the water the ship gets there. For about $18 we got a water filter from Lowes and put that on the faucet in our bathroom. This is the only ship we've had to do this with.

[paul929207]

As a pre-caution, I mix in some scotch to kill any germs.

[cruzeluver]

Perfectly fine. Although from reading these boards seems a lot of folks prefer to shlub their own bottled water. Probably a good workout!

[Nitemare]

Our son told us he always made his morning coffee when in a hotel from the melted ice in his ice bucket. (he traveled a lot for his job.) The water used to make ice has to be something or other from regular water. So, we drink this water from our ice bucket in our cabin.

We cruise a lot on a ship leaving from Charleston, SC and hate the water the ship gets there. For about $18 we got a water filter from Lowes and put that on the faucet in our bathroom. This is the only ship we've had to do this with.

 

They make the ice on the ships with the same water that comes out of your tap. Most likely the same thing with your son's hotel water.

[John Bull]

Yes, ship's tap water is perfectly safe, but as lisiamc noted it's not as cold as your water at home since it comes from tanks rather than underground, so keep a stock in the cabin fridge. Tap water from the drinks stations is the same stuff, but usually with an ice-machine.

 

On many ships the toilet-flushing water is a separate system & uses recycled water. So best not to drink from the toilet bowl :D

 

JB :)

[Ship's Wake]

Hi everyone,

Did a quick search but could not see an answer.

Is the water on board OK to drink form the taps in your cabin?

Thanks.

 

Is it safe to drink the water in your cabin?

Yes.

 

Should you bring bottled water?

Most people don't. I do.

 

Scan through this thread link to see why:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1365900&highlight=swollen+ankles

[cb at sea]

Of course the water's fine....the ice, food and drink on the ship is made with ship's water!

 

We will simply refill a bottle or two if we're going ashore where the water is "iffy".....most places, the water is fine.

 

We don't feel the need to carry water around with us 24/7....on the ship, you can get ice water any time you want/need it!

[Daisyloo]

As a pre-caution, I mix in some scotch to kill any germs.

 

Lol ! You are a very smart man. :D

[boogs]

Drinking water on modern cruise ships is prepared in two ways - reverse osmosis, which is normally done while in port when the engines are not working as hard, and distillation which is done with the heat generated from the engines when underway. Both are further refined by adding minerals for taste and health reasons, as well as to soften the water to prevent damage to piping and storage equipment.

 

I once watched a Smithsonian Channel television program about the Queen Mary 2. They discussed the water used on board, and described how it is processed. Sea water is pumped in from three openings in the hull. It is sprayed into a vessel that is heated from waste heat from the engines and begins to boil. The water evaporates and condenses, is collected, and is treated to add necessary minerals. They showed the sheets of salt that had been extracted as they opened up the filters and bagged the salt for disposal.

 

This water is used throughout the ship for drinking water, sink and shower water, in the bars, in the kitchens, and in the pools. Gray Water, from toilets and from sinks in the kitchen, is collected and treated, then discharged back into the ocean. The drain water from sinks and showers, called Technical Water, is collected, treated and used to wash down the decks, and for firefighting.

[caribsun]

I do a quick visual test. I place a white face cloth under the stream of water in the bathroom sink. Let water run slowly for a few minutes. Sometime the cloth remains white and other times it is stained and filled with debris. Most times we carry on one six pack of water and pick up some more in port.

[boogs]

I do a quick visual test. I place a white face cloth under the stream of water in the bathroom sink. Let water run slowly for a few minutes. Sometime the cloth remains white and other times it is stained and filled with debris. Most times we carry on one six pack of water and pick up some more in port.

 

What cruise line and what ship? I have never had a single problem even remotely like yours on all my cruises.

[smeyer418]

Drinking water on modern cruise ships is prepared in two ways - reverse osmosis, which is normally done while in port when the engines are not working as hard, and distillation which is done with the heat generated from the engines when underway. Both are further refined by adding minerals for taste and health reasons, as well as to soften the water to prevent damage to piping and storage equipment.

 

I once watched a Smithsonian Channel television program about the Queen Mary 2. They discussed the water used on board, and described how it is processed. Sea water is pumped in from three openings in the hull. It is sprayed into a vessel that is heated from waste heat from the engines and begins to boil. The water evaporates and condenses, is collected, and is treated to add necessary minerals. They showed the sheets of salt that had been extracted as they opened up the filters and bagged the salt for disposal.

 

This water is used throughout the ship for drinking water, sink and shower water, in the bars, in the kitchens, and in the pools. Gray Water, from toilets and from sinks in the kitchen, is collected and treated, then discharged back into the ocean. The drain water from sinks and showers, called Technical Water, is collected, treated and used to wash down the decks, and for firefighting.

 

Its illegal to make water for drinking by osmosis while in Port. They must do it while at least 12 miles out to sea.

The water on the ship is made either through reverse osmosis(water under pressure is pushed through a screen with small holes that leaves the salt and other minerals on one side.) or through distillation- heated evaporated and re-condensed as pure water. They also purchase water in some harbors from a certified source.

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_osmosis

 

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/

the rules about the reverse osmosis are in the VSP documents.

 

After distillation or osmosis, minerals are added back into the water to make it taste normal. I personally think that there is always some residual salt in the reverse osmosis systems.

[boogs]

Its illegal to make water for drinking by osmosis while in Port. They must do it while at least 12 miles out to sea.

 

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/

the rules about the reverse osmosis are in the VSP documents.

 

Thanks! I've made a note of that for future discussions.

[gmac123]

Cheers guys, I guessed it would be ok, daft question but i thought i would ask it, cheers :)

[donaldsc]

Our son told us he always made his morning coffee when in a hotel from the melted ice in his ice bucket. (he traveled a lot for his job.) The water used to make ice has to be something or other from regular water. So, we drink this water from our ice bucket in our cabin.

We cruise a lot on a ship leaving from Charleston, SC and hate the water the ship gets there. For about $18 we got a water filter from Lowes and put that on the faucet in our bathroom. This is the only ship we've had to do this with.

 

What water do you think they make the ice with?

 

DON

[sparks1093]

Perfectly fine. Although from reading these boards seems a lot of folks prefer to shlub their own bottled water. Probably a good workout!

 

I'd rather shlub my own water than pay $3-5 a bottle while walking around the islands;).

[NMLady]

I'd rather shlub my own water than pay $3-5 a bottle while walking around the islands;).

 

The shlub reference was to people who bring a case of water onboard, not to people who take water off the ship.

[paul929207]

We bring several empty water bottles with us and fill them up before heading ashore. In warm areas, we fill them first with all the ice we can cram in, Then add water.

[NoWhiners]

Our son told us he always made his morning coffee when in a hotel from the melted ice in his ice bucket. (he traveled a lot for his job.) The water used to make ice has to be something or other from regular water. So, we drink this water from our ice bucket in our cabin.

We cruise a lot on a ship leaving from Charleston, SC and hate the water the ship gets there. For about $18 we got a water filter from Lowes and put that on the faucet in our bathroom. This is the only ship we've had to do this with.

 

I think he is right. My hubby (an engineer and he knows the weirdest things!!) told me this once when we were in a hotel and I didn't like the way the water tasted (it was in the US). I don't remember all the details but either they filter the water some before they freeze it, or the way they freeze it (in a big sheet, laid out flat, that is broken into cubes) does remove some of the bad taste. I have tried it, letting ice melt in a plastic cup or glass in the evening or at night before I go to bed, and it does seem to work.

 

YMMV

ML

[Krazy Kruizers]

Hi everyone,

Did a quick search but could not see an answer.

Is the water on board OK to drink form the taps in your cabin?

Thanks.

 

Absolutely!!

Better than what comes out of taps at home.