bringing back water from ports

[robtulipe]

Curious about this, because my wife has the swelling issue on board. Are you saying that the reverse osmosis process results in higher sodium content than the distillation process?

Yes, that's what I've read and discussed with my son who has a PHD in chemical engineering and doesn't research in the purification of solvent and drug solution at the university he teaches at. Simply put a sodium ion, Molecular Weight 23, is only slightly larger than a H2O molecule, MW 18, so it's difficult to design a reverse osmosis semipermeable membrane that doesn't allow some of the approximately 1.6% sodium ions contained in typical sea water from going through to the other side of the membrane where the almost pure water is collected. Reverse osmosis is much more energy efficient than distillation but the trade off is the water is not completely sodium free as is sea water purified by distillation.

Edited March 16, 2014 by robtulipe

[SAS21]

Lower extremity edema has always been a huge problem for me on our cruises. I drink a lot of water each day and always used the ship's water. On our last two cruises, I drank only bottled water and had no problems with edema. And that was the only thing I did differently.

 

Sherri:)

 

Same here. Drink bottled water only. Sometimes a lemonade or tea.

 

Also, the only port we have ever had unsealed or sealed bottled water taken from us was in the port of Falmouth. It was port security not the ship's.

Edited March 16, 2014 by SAS21

[Clarea]

Yes, that's what I've read and discussed with my son who has PHD in chemical engineering and doesn't research in the purification of solvent and drug solution at the university he teaches at. Simply put a sodium ion, Molecular Weight 23, is only slightly larger than a H2O molecule, MW 18, so it's difficult to design a reverse osmosis semipermeable membrane that doesn't allow some of the approximately 1.6% sodium ions contained in typical sea water from going through to the other side of the membrane where the almost pure water is collected. Reverse osmosis is much more energy efficient than distillation but the trade off is the water is not completely sodium free as is sea water purified by distillation.

Thanks for the explanation. I've suspected that the ship's water had a higher level of sodium. The edema was particularly bad on Monarch, and an engineer friend theorized that the RO membrane may not have been as efficient on the older ship.

[robtulipe]

Thanks for the explanation. I've suspected that the ship's water had a higher level of sodium. The edema was particularly bad on Monarch, and an engineer friend theorized that the RO membrane may not have been as efficient on the older ship.

With time the RO technology has improved especially with the introduction of computerized control system for this operating pressure sensitve application so I'm not surprised by this.

[Clarea]

With time the RO technology has improved especially with the introduction of computerized control system for this operating pressure sensitve application so I'm not surprised by this.

Makes me wonder if the crew suffers any health issues from the long term exposure to higher sodium levels.

[Essexlass2]

Makes me wonder if the crew suffers any health issues from the long term exposure to higher sodium levels.

 

It may explain why I was poorly on a ship (P&O) once after drinking quite a lot of the ship's water because as soon as I stopped using it and went back to bottled water, I was absolutely fine. I need to drink 2L-3L daily.

 

Does anyone know if RCI will allow bottled water to be taken on board when boarding a ship at Harwich, UK? We were thinking of taking six 1L bottles on board with us.

[ping1]

Thanks for the explanation. I've suspected that the ship's water had a higher level of sodium. The edema was particularly bad on Monarch, and an engineer friend theorized that the RO membrane may not have been as efficient on the older ship.

 

I agree with all the comments about the ship's water and swelling. I used to have trouble fitting into my dress and gym shoes by the 2nd or 3rd cruise night. Since drinking only bottled water, I no longer have that problem.

 

Has anyone specifically been able to return from ports in the Northeast (Maine, New Brunswick, Novia Scotia, Halifax) with sealed bottled water?

 

Thank you.

[Host Jacquelyn]

We always have water in our backpack. I always buy more than I think we need "just in case" so I am sure there have been times I have returned to the ship with water. I don't recall ever being asked to hand it in, although of course I would have if asked. Never really thought about at all, to be honest!

Edited March 16, 2014 by Host Jacquelyn

[FLACRUISER99]

Actually most ships use reverse osmosis to supplement the high energy consuming distillation process for desalination of sea water. This happens if not enough waste heat is available from the engines so the ship's water likely has a high sodium content which is not good for those who have hypertension. That's the reason, along with high sodium containing food, that many swell up badly when onboard cruise ship.

 

We stuck to drinking bottled water which we brought onboard at embarkation and our port stops for our last two cruise and didn't have the swelling problem we've had on our cruises in the past.

 

 

Don't forget the ship takes on water from shore in many ports!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[robtulipe]

Don't forget the ship takes on water from shore in many ports!

Yes, the Century did that on our last cruise during our port stop in St. Croix but it's not done often as it is a more costly option than the distillation desalination of sea water using the waste heat from the engines. That happens typically in very close together ports intensive itineraries, like the eastern Caribbean one we were on, when there isn't a lot of sailing distance between ports so the engines are not all running or working as hard and for as long. If this happens the sodium content is definitely affected by the source water specification regarding this and of course how much of the total make of the water onboard it represents. I imagine the price and availability of the shore supplied water determines whether onboard RO desalination is used for onboard water or not.

Edited March 17, 2014 by robtulipe

[Havingfun2010]

Water is free - the packaging cost money - so when they throw out the water, ask for the empty bottle back!

[Joelocal]

Thanks for the explanation. I've suspected that the ship's water had a higher level of sodium. The edema was particularly bad on Monarch, and an engineer friend theorized that the RO membrane may not have been as efficient on the older ship.

So that means that fountain drinks that do not come out of a can have the sodium too.

[Clarea]

So that means that fountain drinks that do not come out of a can have the sodium too.

The hot soups seem to be an issue too.

[smoosh21]

I have had to throw away water on 2 occasions and it was only water. It was on RCI. No one shook the bottles. They said the seal has been broken and you can't take it aboard.

 

 

That is the way it has been for me recently too. They allow unopened bottles, but if the seal is broke, you need to throw it away. I have brought back soda this way too. Again, no problem as long as the seal is intact

[sjb317]

The hot soups seem to be an issue too.

 

My guess is they do not make their own stock for their soups and packaged stocks always contain a lot of sodium, even the ones that say they are reduced sodium.

 

Sherri:)

[sjb317]

[quote name='smoosh21']That is the way it has been for me recently too. They allow unopened bottles, but if the seal is broke, you need to throw it away. I have brought back soda this way too. Again, no problem as long as the seal is intact[/QUOTE]

I've always been stopped with any open bottles and told to throw it away, but never a problem with sealed bottles.

Sherri:)

[BillOh]

[quote name='Ocean Boy']I have had to throw away water on 2 occasions and it was only water. It was on RCI. No one shook the bottles. They said the seal has been broken and you can't take it aboard.[/QUOTE]

That has been my experience as well on multiple occasions.

[TM38Rob]

Recently I purchased 4 bottles of Aquafina or Dasani from a T-Shirt store across the street from the pier in Nassau and another 4 from a CVS in Key West. I put the shopping bags with the unopened bottles through the X-Ray and had no problem bringing them up to my stateroom either time.

Never realized the problem with drinking the ships water until now. Have to figure out a way to bring more bottled water with me. I used to purchase bottled water on the ship. Then they switched to the nasty Evian water. If they started selling Poland Spring or Dasani, the latter a Coke product, then I would buy some of it on the ship. I've mentioned it in the comment cards before and on surveys, but to no avail. Edited March 17, 2014 by TM38Rob

[robtulipe]

[quote name='smoosh21']That is the way it has been for me recently too. They allow unopened bottles, but if the seal is broke, you need to throw it away. I have brought back soda this way too. Again, no problem as long as the seal is intact[/quote]

[quote name='sjb317']I've always been stopped with any open bottles and told to throw it away, but never a problem with sealed bottles.

Sherri:)[/quote]
Simple solution then is to have your open water bottle in a bag and not carry it on in your hand. That's advertising it is an open bottle. We've never had security request to see water nor soda bottles in our bag and most times the water bottles were opened thus not sealed. Don't recall even having carried open water bottles taken from us but then most time we've had these in our beach bag, a grocery bag or a knapsack when reboarding.;) Edited March 17, 2014 by robtulipe

[sjb317]

[quote name='robtulipe']Simple solution then is to have your open water bottle in a bag and not carry it on in your hand. That's advertising it is an open bottle. We've never had security request to see water nor soda bottles in our bag and most times the water bottles were opened thus not sealed. Don't recall even having carried open water bottles taken from us but then most time we've had these in our beach bag or a knapsack when reboarding.;)[/QUOTE]

My opened bottles have been in my bag, so I don't think that is a guarantee. If they catch them, they are probably going to tell you to throw them away.

Sherri:)

[robtulipe]

[quote name='sjb317']My opened bottles have been in my bag, so I don't think that is a guarantee. If they catch them, they are probably going to tell you to throw them away.

Sherri:)[/QUOTE]

We've never have lost even one open bottle of water in 43 cruises of boarding and re-boarding. How's that for odds for being lucky? Too bad that hasn't carried over to the ship's casino.:D

It may not be a guaranty but like I mentioned ship's security is far less likely to question a water bottle in your bag than one in hand. Edited March 17, 2014 by robtulipe

[ping1]

[quote name='TM38Rob']Recently I purchased 4 bottles of Aquafina or Dasani from a T-Shirt store across the street from the pier in Nassau and another 4 from a CVS in Key West. I put the shopping bags with the unopened bottles through the X-Ray and had no problem bringing them up to my stateroom either time.

Never realized the problem with drinking the ships water until now. Have to figure out a way to bring more bottled water with me. I used to purchase bottled water on the ship. Then they switched to the nasty Evian water. If they started selling Poland Spring or Dasani, the latter a Coke product, then I would buy some of it on the ship. I've mentioned it in the comment cards before and on surveys, but to no avail.[/QUOTE]

I agree! Evian doesn't taste as good as Crystal Geyser. I think ships like the high price (more profit). I understand that the new Replenish package has non-Evian bottled water. The package is expensive, though.

[AandBmom]

Be careful about believing every comment on here. According to most websites that I just checked the sodium content is not higher in the ships tap water and the tap water is actually more pure than bottled water. Bottled water doesn't have very high standards but people seem to think that because it comes from a bottle it must be cleaner, more pure, etc.

A lot of the swelling that people experience is from being at sea level, from the flight and from the increased salt in the food.

I don't understand how so many people will pay more for bottled water than gasoline. In fact some States are moving towards banning bottled water.