Must have drinking water in stateroom

[chengkp75]

On some of the older ships I've sailed, the tap water occasionally turns murky or brown. I know that the discoloration is due to rust, but it's still off-putting. I now stick to bottled water in the cabin.

 

Actually, there should be very little rust in the system, as there is very little steel that isn't coated with epoxy. What you typically see is chlorine scale, that breaks off the piping when the system is shut down for repairs. It tends to collect in the pipes directly at your sink or shower, since that water isn't moving constantly, like the ring mains on each deck. Typically, running the water for a minute or two will clear this out.

[chengkp75]

Whatever..you talk a good talk, but after 40 cruises, some where you are only served bottled water, I have only had this issue when drinking the ships water. Additionally I know there was a lot of salt in the water because when I would wash my hair. It always felt dirty. Get off the ship and stay in a nice hotel, and my hair is clean.

 

And I've got 40 years of drinking ship's water, and never had an incidence of water retention, nor have I had any health problems related to too much sodium intake.

[Merriem]

And I've got 40 years of drinking ship's water, and never had an incidence of water retention, nor have I had any health problems related to too much sodium intake.

 

That's wonderful🤔

[barnacle_boy]

Actually, there should be very little rust in the system, as there is very little steel that isn't coated with epoxy. What you typically see is chlorine scale, that breaks off the piping when the system is shut down for repairs. It tends to collect in the pipes directly at your sink or shower, since that water isn't moving constantly, like the ring mains on each deck. Typically, running the water for a minute or two will clear this out.

 

I agree, there shouldn't be :D

 

Running the water for an extended period of time made no difference, which led me to conclude that the dark brown water contained iron oxide. The worst is the older ships that are near the end of their lifespan with owners that have put almost nothing into maintenance. The pipes might as well be wet cardboard :p

[thatjoeguy]

Ship's tap water is potable but the iced water seems to be extra filtered (same as a cold water cooler tap) and/or at least the ice cubes in it are made from filtered tap water making the iced water of different, imho better, taste.

 

The reason for that in most water is that the freezing gives the water time to de-gas, removing any excess chlorine that they use to purify the water. You can do the same at home by letting tap water sit out for several hours after taking it from the tap. I'm not sure if the ships use chlorine in their water filtration though. The other reason just could be the cold numbing your taste buds, so the water tastes "cleaner" when you can't taste as much. Either way, the melted ice water is fantastic when waking up.

[Fred Quimby]

just bring a case of water and slap your tags on it

[twopizz]

I would love to see a scientific paper that proves that ship's water causes water retention. If you mean that you have had water retention on one cruise, and then taken another and drank bottled water and didn't have swelling, that is hardly a proven fact. There are many factors involved in water retention, and ship's water does not have more sodium than many municipal water supplies. There is no national requirement for sodium levels in drinking water in the US, but the EPA regards 20mg/ltr to be a safe level for those on restricted sodium diets, and 30-50mg/ltr is the taste threshold.

 

Ship's water comes from three sources. Some is loaded in ports, and this is normal US drinking water, so no difference there, except for regional variations, but that is not unique to cruise ships. The second source is an evaporator, where the sea water is boiled and then condensed, producing distilled water, just like what comes in the bottles of distilled water in your grocery store. This water typically has 0-2mg/ltr of sodium. The third source is reverse osmosis, where the sea water is pressed through a membrane at very high pressures, and only the water molecules can travel through the membrane. This produces water with 10-20mg/ltr sodium, right where the EPA says that water for a restricted diet should be, and lower than many municipalities.

 

A funny thing, when folks claim that reverse osmosis watermakers on ships leave more sodium than normal, is that one recommendation for a household that has water with too high a sodium content, is to install a reverse osmosis filter to reduce the sodium.

 

Excellent post!

[Demonyte]

I would love to see a scientific paper that proves that ship's water causes water retention.

 

 

Not a scientific paper but you have stated that yourself. ;) :D

 

Chlorine is also an agent of water retention in humans.

 

I've stated in many posts here, chlorine in the ship's water is probably one culprit in water retention, not sodium.

[chengkp75]

Not a scientific paper but you have stated that yourself. ;) :D

 

True, but not because of sodium. And I don't believe that chlorine causes the majority of water retention issues, its just one factor. And in those posts you quote, I also recommend using the water from the buffet or bar guns over bottled water, or letting the tap water sit for an hour or two to let the chlorine dissipate. Does anyone remember when Perrier, the originator of the bottled water craze was found to have Benzene in the water?

Edited February 21, 2016 by chengkp75

[chengkp75]

The reason for that in most water is that the freezing gives the water time to de-gas, removing any excess chlorine that they use to purify the water. You can do the same at home by letting tap water sit out for several hours after taking it from the tap. I'm not sure if the ships use chlorine in their water filtration though. The other reason just could be the cold numbing your taste buds, so the water tastes "cleaner" when you can't taste as much. Either way, the melted ice water is fantastic when waking up.

 

Ships will actually use more chlorine to sanitize their water than municipal water supplies. I would be very surprised if there is much residual chlorine in municipal water once it reaches the consumer's house, as the water tends to sit in the pipes for a time before anyone opens a tap to use it. Water on the ships is continually being circulated, from the tank through the ship and back to the tank, so that chlorine monitoring equipment can continuously check and add chlorine to maintain a required minimum of residual chlorine.

 

As I've stated below, water that comes to you from a dining venue, water dispenser, bar gun, or ice maker has a charcoal filter on it to remove the chlorine, not for taste, but because it simplifies maintenance.

[Demonyte]

True, but not because of sodium.

 

Your claim/request/question was about ship's water causing retention, not the reasons behind it. :)

 

With your vast knowledge and the willingness to share it here (really much appreciated btw), instead of making a claim like that you should have stated that there are other reasons behind the water retention caused by the water itself besides the incorrectly rumoured sodium.

Edited February 21, 2016 by Demonyte

[chengkp75]

Your claim/request/question was about ship's water causing retention, not the reasons behind it. :)

 

With your vast knowledge and the willingness to share it here (really much appreciated btw), instead of making a claim like that you should have stated that there are other reasons behind the water retention caused by the water itself besides the incorrectly rumoured sodium.

 

Apologies to the poster and the CC community, and I will edit my statement to be:

 

"I would love to see a scientific paper that proves that sodium content in ship's water causes water retention."

[chengkp75]

That's wonderful🤔

 

Ah, got it now. Your personal example makes it a proven fact, while mine is dismissed. Sorry, apologize again, that's my snarky comment for a while.

[boscobeans]

As I've stated below, water that comes to you from a dining venue, water dispenser, bar gun, or ice maker has a charcoal filter on it to remove the chlorine, not for taste, but because it simplifies maintenance.

 

In both of my restaurants the bars were equipped with bar guns that dispensed several items one of which was plain water. The entire system (that is all water entering it) had an excellent system of carbon filters that took out the mandatory chlorine that had to be added to the water supply since we used well water. This was done to remove the chlorine as well as cut down on system problems especially with the carbonation system.

 

bosco

[Minoushka]

Ask for a pitcher of water to be delivered ata specifictime twice a day ....I always do ..because of pills I take during the day and at night ...9 am and 5 pm

Easy peasy ...never drink water in toilet ....it s filtered but not purified Iwas told

[boscobeans]

Ask for a pitcher of water to be delivered ata specifictime twice a day ....I always do ..because of pills I take during the day and at night ...9 am and 5 pm

Easy peasy ...never drink water in toilet ....it s filtered but not purified Iwas told

 

It would be a very clear violation of any health laws whether it be on land or sea to deliver unclean water to any point where it could be consumed such as in a shower or sink. Think about tooth brushing or ingestion of water in a shower.

 

It may taste flat, stale or be a little off color but be assured it is safe to drink, bathe in, brush your teeth or get in your eyes or wherever.

 

bosco

[chengkp75]

Ask for a pitcher of water to be delivered ata specifictime twice a day ....I always do ..because of pills I take during the day and at night ...9 am and 5 pm

Easy peasy ...never drink water in toilet ....it s filtered but not purified Iwas told

 

The water in the toilet is the exact same water as what comes from your sink or shower, just like it does in your house. Tongue in cheek, perhaps?

Edited February 21, 2016 by chengkp75

[ColinIllinois]

Ask for a pitcher of water to be delivered ata specifictime twice a day ....I always do ..because of pills I take during the day and at night ...9 am and 5 pm

Easy peasy ...never drink water in toilet ....it s filtered but not purified Iwas told

 

 

I make it a point never to drink toilet water.

[SteveH2508]

I make it a point never to drink toilet water.

 

It does not seem to do dogs much harm!:eek:

[kenb]

Let's let this thread go to heaven. The water from the FAUCET in your cabin is safe to drink. If you want to take cases of "drinking" water on board the ship, GO FOR IT!

I bring a couple of bottles on board and refill them from the faucet in my cabin.

I save lots of money and have not had an issue with issues of excess sodium or any other issues that have been related in other posts.

DRINK UP PEOPLE AND ENJOY YOUR CRUISE!!!!!

[Love my butler]

Of course the water from your bathroom sink is safe to drink, but it tastes like crap. Have your butler bring you a pitcher as needed or you can fill your own pitcher at the buffet water dispenser. Last but not least you can bring your own case of bottled water.

[zqvol]

There is a very big difference in water from the tap and bottled water. It is a proven fact that ships water makes your legs and feet swell when you are cruising. The water that is taken in is salt water, they desalinize it, but all the salt is not removed. I need to drink bottled water and the problem is gone. Bring your own bottled water it is cheaper in the ports, and I stopped drinking water in the restaurants. The problem is solved.

 

 

It's really not. What is a proven fact that people eat more, drink more, walk more and don't drink enough water all of which leads to water retention. The only reason you think that the problem goes away with bottled water is because you realize how much you are drinking and therefore drink enough water.

[Mgetta1]

Of course the water from your bathroom sink is safe to drink, but it tastes like crap. Have your butler bring you a pitcher as needed or you can fill your own pitcher at the buffet water dispenser. Last but not least you can bring your own case of bottled water.

 

You do realize they fill that pitcher of water from the same system as you bathroom water faucet?:confused:

[triptolemus]

You do realize they fill that pitcher of water from the same system as you bathroom water faucet?:confused:

 

Not quite.

 

As has been stated ad nauseam, the water in beverage dispensers has an additional charcoal filter in place that the bathroom faucets do not have.

[Kingofwylietx]

Since we have water experts here, maybe they can comment about chlorine in the water. I read that you can reduce the chlorine in your drinking water by leaving it in a pitcher for a few hours. I don't know if it is true, I'm not really worried about....but I am curious about it. I'm mostly curious because I have a hard time thinking much chlorine would dissipate when you consider swimming pools don't require daily charging, and water systems frequently have storage tanks which have air space (so it can't dissipate that much).