Is water on ship ok to drink?

[bendecida]

We're going on RCI Navigator of the seas to the Caribbean. We're not alcoholic drinkers. Is the water on the ship ok to drink? from the water fountains? from the bathroom sink? from the restaurants? Thanks!

[chengkp75]

We're going on RCI Navigator of the seas to the Caribbean. We're not alcoholic drinkers. Is the water on the ship ok to drink? from the water fountains? from the bathroom sink? from the restaurants? Thanks!

 

All water onboard is the same water, all sinks, showers, galleys, laundry, etc. It comes from 3 sources: some is loaded from port, some is distilled from sea water, and some is processed from sea water by reverse osmosis. All of this water is chlorinated before it goes into the ship's tanks, and is continuously chlorinated while recirculating around the ship. The USPH has strict requirements for sanitizing and chlorinating water on cruise ships that call at US ports.

 

Due to the higher chlorination that USPH requires (above municipal requirements), some people do not like the taste of ship's water. The water from the drink dispensers, water fountains, bar guns (soft drinks), and ice makers have charcoal filters to remove the chlorine (more for maintenance issues in the machinery than taste), and those who don't like the taste of the water from the cabin sink don't mind the restaurant/bar water.

 

Short answer, the water onboard is generally safer to drink than most municipal water supplies in the US.

[bendecida]

thanks for the awesome answer!

[cb at sea]

Of course it is! Your food, ice and drinks will be made from the ship's water!!!

[GUT2407]

A friend of mine worked in water quality in the local water board and bought some water home off a cruise to test his only complain was it was purer than his company provided and some minerals were a bit lower than he thought was optimal.

[paul929207]

We always drink the tap water on the ship. We bring several empty water bottles to fill and take ashore

[sail7seas]

I drink a lot of water daily and always think ship's water tastes fine. :)

 

[OCruisers]

For the past 51 years I've been drinking tap water on a variety of ships and cruise lines and have never had a problem. :D

LuLu

[navybankerteacher]

Ships water does not taste as good to me as our municipal supply - but that has to be because I am used to our own tap water. Most different areas have different tasting water --- I do not like Florida or Texasc tap water, so when there I will drink bottled water - but ships water, while different, is fine.

[luddite]

We're going on RCI Navigator of the seas to the Caribbean. We're not alcoholic drinkers. Is the water on the ship ok to drink? from the water fountains? from the bathroom sink? from the restaurants? Thanks!

 

uhhhhhhhh.......... Yes.

[Talisker92]

The think that really amuses me is the cruisers who want to lug 50 pounds of "purified" water on to the ship, when the ship's water is probably purer.

In all the many cruises I have been on, I have never had a problem with the water

[4x4bob]

I kinda think that drinking the ship's water causes Gray Hair. Why, you ask?

Next time you are on a Ship look around. Most of the people on board are drinking the ship water and they have gray hair. ;)

 

Bob

[SteveH2508]

I kinda think that drinking the ship's water causes Gray Hair. Why, you ask?

Next time you are on a Ship look around. Most of the people on board are drinking the ship water and they have gray hair. ;)

 

Bob

 

It makes your clothes shrink as well...;)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Yes - the water on the ships is safe to drink.

In fact the water on the ships is better than what comes out of our taps at home.

[GeeDunk]

We're going on RCI Navigator of the seas to the Caribbean. We're not alcoholic drinkers. Is the water on the ship ok to drink? from the water fountains? from the bathroom sink? from the restaurants? Thanks!

 

Think about it.

 

Naval Ships, for many years, make their own water.

[chengkp75]

Think about it.

 

Naval Ships, for many years, make their own water.

 

Give a newbie a break. I've answered this question probably 2 dozen times in the couple years I've been here.

 

However, think about this. Most cruise ships do not have the capability to make ALL of the water required. When I was working them in 2004-2008, we had a 2200 passenger ship that used 700 metric tons of water per day. Our water generating capacity (combined of distillers and revers osmosis) was 1800 tons/day, but we were only "at sea" (you cannot make water within 20 miles of shore) 60 hours per week, or 35% of the time. So our water making was limited to 650 tons/day for the week, maximum. Many cruise ships have itineraries where they will need to load water from shore sources. Many do this from "third world" sources. However, this water must be certified, monthly, to meet WHO standards for drinking water, or the water must be segregated in a tank until an onboard bacterial test is complete (this takes 18-24 hours). All water, regardless of the source ashore, must be chlorinated before it reaches the ship's tanks as well.

 

I believe the OP was worried that ships would take on local water (some do, some don't) and this would not be safe, and/or that the water in the cabin bathrooms would be from a different supply than drinking water. Never having cruised before, maybe they thought it was like an airplane's bathroom.

 

I once worked on a pushboat on the Mississippi River. Each cabin sink had 3 faucets: hot water, cold water, and drinking water. The hot and cold water was straight from the river. Our drinking water tankage onboard was limited.

[bendecida]

Thank you all for your replies. (very informative, funny, condescending, useful, etc). I know now where on the ship to get the water to drink and not to bring cases of water on the boat.

[chengkp75]

Thank you all for your replies. (very informative, funny, condescending, useful, etc). I know now where on the ship to get the water to drink and not to bring cases of water on the boat.

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic, where you will get all those types of responses. Don't take it personally.

[GeeDunk]

Think about it.

 

Naval Ships, for many years, make their own water.

 

Give a newbie a break.

 

You are correct.

My apology to the OP:o

 

The only time that I got into trouble, when travelling, was on a Nile River Cruise.

I brushed my teeth, with the boat water, and the Pharoh got his revenge.:(

[chengkp75]

You are correct.

My apology to the OP:o

 

The only time that I got into trouble, when travelling, was on a Nile River Cruise.

I brushed my teeth, with the boat water, and the Pharoh got his revenge.:(

 

I've spent more time than I wanted to in Cairo hotels. If you ask for bottled water, they bring it out, making a big show of screwing off the top as they come. That's because they just filled it from the tap. There is also a pretty good industry in third world countries making the tops for water bottles, so they can be refilled and a new "sealed" top put on. :eek:

[Grandma Dazzles]

Another vote for the ship's water. Never had a problem and I'm a water drinker - not a fan of soda, iced tea, etc.

 

One thing, in your cabin, make sure your steward brings you ice. Often the tap water is not as cold as it should be to enjoy for drinking.

[NMLady]

We're going on RCI Navigator of the seas to the Caribbean. We're not alcoholic drinkers. Is the water on the ship ok to drink? from the water fountains? from the bathroom sink? from the restaurants? Thanks!

 

YES! I have a sensitive stomach and do fine on ship's water.

[navybankerteacher]

I've spent more time than I wanted to in Cairo hotels. If you ask for bottled water, they bring it out, making a big show of screwing off the top as they come. That's because they just filled it from the tap. There is also a pretty good industry in third world countries making the tops for water bottles, so they can be refilled and a new "sealed" top put on. :eek:

 

Also happens at a number of low-price "tourist" restaurants in Rome - as they bring you your bottle of San Pelegrino.

[LHARTWICK]

Any other ladies out there ever notice how much easier it is to fix your hair when cruising? There seems to be something magical about the ship's water - wish my water at home was as magical! It makes my hair so much softer and fuller!

[CanadianDee]

Give a newbie a break. I've answered this question probably 2 dozen times in the couple years I've been here.

 

However, think about this. Most cruise ships do not have the capability to make ALL of the water required. When I was working them in 2004-2008, we had a 2200 passenger ship that used 700 metric tons of water per day. Our water generating capacity (combined of distillers and revers osmosis) was 1800 tons/day, but we were only "at sea" (you cannot make water within 20 miles of shore) 60 hours per week, or 35% of the time. So our water making was limited to 650 tons/day for the week, maximum. Many cruise ships have itineraries where they will need to load water from shore sources. Many do this from "third world" sources. However, this water must be certified, monthly, to meet WHO standards for drinking water, or the water must be segregated in a tank until an onboard bacterial test is complete (this takes 18-24 hours). All water, regardless of the source ashore, must be chlorinated before it reaches the ship's tanks as well.

 

I believe the OP was worried that ships would take on local water (some do, some don't) and this would not be safe, and/or that the water in the cabin bathrooms would be from a different supply than drinking water. Never having cruised before, maybe they thought it was like an airplane's bathroom.

 

I once worked on a pushboat on the Mississippi River. Each cabin sink had 3 faucets: hot water, cold water, and drinking water. The hot and cold water was straight from the river. Our drinking water tankage onboard was limited.

 

Thanks for this - very interesting!!