Questions about water

[sofienummer]

Hello,

 

I just booked my first HAL cruise on the Rotterdam to Norway! 

Usually I only drink water and tea which is why I didn't buy a drink package. But I have a few questions about drinking water on the ms Rotterdam.

 

First of all, I have to take medications each day, so I need to have water for that. 
Am I allowed to bring water (carton bottles) with me on the cruise? Do I need to pay for that? Or can I order large bottles of water for a specific price? I couldn't find it on the Navigator app. 

 

I want to take my reusable water bottle on board, is that okay? 

Is it safe to drink the water in your cabin?

Are there places on the ship where you can fill your bottle with (tap) water? And can you bring it back to your cabin?

I believe they serve water at the MDR, if I'm correct. But I assume they won't like it if I would ONLY drink the water?

 

I realize these are quite a few questions about water haha, but it's important for me because I drink a lot of it!

 

Thank you in advance for those answering! I really appreciate this forum and the information 🙂 

 

 

 

 

[Guest ldtr]

Never tried to bring water on board.

 

Water in your cabin is safe to drink.

 

You can also fill your re-useable bottle in the buffet.  Just do not fill it directly (not allowed).  Fill glasses then pour water into your bottle, then repeat.  That is allowed.

 

Why wouldn't they?  We usually only drink water in the MDR, no one has had an issue in over 50 cruises.

[crystalspin]

16 minutes ago, sofienummer said:

I just booked my first HAL cruise on the Rotterdam to Norway! 

Usually I only drink water and tea which is why I didn't buy a drink package. But I have a few questions about drinking water on the ms Rotterdam.

 

...

 

I believe they serve water at the MDR, if I'm correct. But I assume they won't like it if I would ONLY drink the water?

Hi Sofie!

 

You can bring 12, 12oz cans or cartons (no bottles) of water at embarcation. The water on the ship is either city water from the last port, or distilled on board. It is frequently tested and fine to drink. In the Lido, it may be additionally filtered, or maybe just tastes better because it is chilled?!! Fill your re-usable bottle or thermal cup as ldtr described above. The reason is: people will put their personal container too far up on the spout and potentially contaminate it, while a clean glass is known to have been sterilized by the dishwasher. 

 

Your dining stewards will be happy to bring you "tap" water, or fancy bottled water, whatever you like!

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[sandiego1]

I only drink water - now soda, coffee, tea, juice, or alcohol. I bring a refillable water bottle and fill it in the Lido or gym. When eating in the MDR or Lido, the wait staff is diligent about keeping my water glass full.

 

I have no issues drinking the water on the ship, including from the cabin bathroom faucet.

[Navybikermom]

The ice in my room bucket always melted enough by the next morning that I was able to fill my water bottle most of the way up with nice chilled water that had a few cubes left in it. Otherwise, the water from the tap is fine. 

[highscar]

I use the hot water in the bathroom for instant coffee early early am.  Quite acceptable.  

[RuthC]

I have my ice bucket filled at both morning and evening cabin service. By the time I need cold, icy water (and lots of it) for morning and evening meds, the ice has melted enough to provide more than enough water to wash down about 10 pills. 

The water from the bathroom sink is also fine to drink. Add a few ice cubes and you get a nice cold glass of water. 
Remember: the ice that chills all those drinks on board is made from the same water that comes from the tap, or is served in the dining venues. 

[Torquer]

On our cruise last month, the HAL policy of bringing water on board was not enforced at all.  It was a very hot cruise in Greece and Turkey so we needed lots of water for shore trips.  We had one refillable bottle per person but we quickly found that wasn't enough for a full day.  So we bought water in regular disposable bottles and when we returned to the ship, we emptied those the first time.  We refilled them from the tap in our room and put them in the refrigerator for the next day.  Subsequently we sometimes forgot to empty them and no one said anything.  By the end of the cruise we were walking through the metal detectors as we re-boarded with a full bottle of water in a disposable container in hand.  No one stopped us.

 

So I don't know how much this policy is enforced on other ships, but that was our experience.

[Crew News]

If you like a lot of ice, your Room Steward will be happy fill your collapsible cooler if you bring one.

[whogo]

Shore side security dumped out water bottles during our Boston embarkation a couple of weeks ago.

[sofienummer]

19 hours ago, crystalspin said:

Hi Sofie!

 

You can bring 12, 12oz cans or cartons (no bottles) of water at embarcation. The water on the ship is either city water from the last port, or distilled on board. It is frequently tested and fine to drink. In the Lido, it may be additionally filtered, or maybe just tastes better because it is chilled?!! Fill your re-usable bottle or thermal cup as ldtr described above. The reason is: people will put their personal container too far up on the spout and potentially contaminate it, while a clean glass is known to have been sterilized by the dishwasher. 

 

Your dining stewards will be happy to bring you "tap" water, or fancy bottled water, whatever you like!

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Thank you so much for your reply and help 🙂 

[sofienummer]

18 hours ago, Navybikermom said:

The ice in my room bucket always melted enough by the next morning that I was able to fill my water bottle most of the way up with nice chilled water that had a few cubes left in it. Otherwise, the water from the tap is fine. 

 

I love this idea!! Thank you 🙂 

[sofienummer]

1 hour ago, whogo said:

Shore side security dumped out water bottles during our Boston embarkation a couple of weeks ago.

 

First of all, thank you all for your response; great help!

 

And wow really? Even sustainable water bottles? I totally get why people don't want plastic bottles and don't want cruisers to bring their own food and drinks, but I think water is essential! 

 

[*Miss G*]

12 minutes ago, sofienummer said:

 

First of all, thank you all for your response; great help!

 

And wow really? Even sustainable water bottles? I totally get why people don't want plastic bottles and don't want cruisers to bring their own food and drinks, but I think water is essential! 

 

 

Sustainable water bottles are fine.  They let me bring on an empty plastic water bottle, no problem.  They just won’t let you bring on a case of them, like people were doing in the past, as they need to comply with an environmental waste order.  The water in the room is perfectly fine.  If you want to order bottled or canned water they are available under “Cruise Activities” “Beverages”.

 

[whogo]

6 minutes ago, sofienummer said:

And wow really? Even sustainable water bottles?

I saw them pour water out of a bottle, the passenger kept the empty, saw another bottle just tossed, assumed it was the passenger's choice. I think it is mostly an attempt by Holland America to limit their plastic waste onboard. They save on the cost of recycling or disposal and make some money selling canned water, a waiter paraded through the dining room at breakfast offering it, I did not check the price.

 

I took an empty one use bottle onboard with no problem, used it throughout my two weeks aboard, brought it home, put it in the recycle bin. I try not to buy water in bottles, had to in Salem, no water fountain, bought a 16 ounce bottle for $2. That's $16 per gallon. People complain about the price of gasoline.

 

As others have pointed out, tap water is fine from your  cabin or in dining venues. Drinking glasses will be provided in your bathroom and with your ice bucket. Ice water will be offered in all dining venues. I have never seen any attitude from staff when I turned down a chance to buy a beverage.

[DrTee]

I’m squeamish about drinking out of bathroom sinks.  There are studies that show a lot of fecal particles flying around in there.  

[crystalspin]

7 hours ago, whogo said:

I saw them pour water out of a bottle, the passenger kept the empty, saw another bottle just tossed, assumed it was the passenger's choice. I think it is mostly an attempt by Holland America to limit their plastic waste onboard.

I agree, and with the pouring out of reusable bottles, they are also preventing people from bringing on a pint or quart of rum or vodka!

 

@DrTee My sister worked years as a Water Tech for the BLM. One of her tasks was periodic testing of campground water. She is very particular about what she drinks now, camping or home, and would probably agree with you!

[Wakepatrol]

I was watching Mighty Cruise ships and the narrator said they were loading on 14,000 bottles of water for a trip. No worries they’ll have water for all on the ship 

 

P.S. not sure if it was water from a stream in the Himalayan mountains . 
. I will get back to you

Edited September 14, 2022 by Wakepatrol

[sandiego1]

11 hours ago, DrTee said:

I’m squeamish about drinking out of bathroom sinks.  There are studies that show a lot of fecal particles flying around in there.  

We always close the lid before flushing for that reason!

[oakridger]

3 hours ago, sandiego1 said:

We always close the lid before flushing for that reason!

 

Especially on a ship with the vacuum toilet the lid should be shut when flushing!  That said, I have been drinking water from the tap in cruise ship bathrooms for 40 years and I'm still kickin' !!

😁

Edited September 14, 2022 by oakridger

[syesmar]

Agree that a bottle or two isn’t always enough in port. We have CamelBak backpacks and fill up the water reservoir before leaving for a port day. I believe on our last cruise on Nieuw Statendam, there was a station for water bottle, etc., refills. Previously, we asked for a pitcher of water in the Lido to fill the reservoir with cold ice water.

Edited September 14, 2022 by syesmar

[chengkp75]

23 hours ago, DrTee said:

I’m squeamish about drinking out of bathroom sinks.  There are studies that show a lot of fecal particles flying around in there.  

While this may be true of land toilets, with a vacuum toilet, there is an airflow that flows into the toilet, not a spray of water, and the water introduced into the toilet is at a much lower pressure than a land toilet.

8 hours ago, oakridger said:

 

Especially on a ship with the vacuum toilet the lid should be shut when flushing!  That said, I have been drinking water from the tap in cruise ship bathrooms for 40 years and I'm still kickin' !!

😁

Just to clarify, the lid does not need to be down for the toilet to work, any more than the end of your vacuum cleaner needs to be closed off to suck cheerios off the floor.  There is no "seal" when the toilet lid is down, you can witness this by closing the lid, flushing the toilet, and feeling the air flowing into the bathroom around the door jamb.  The only real reason to close the lid on a vacuum toilet is to keep anything you may drop from going down the drain with the "product".

[FlaMariner]

We drink the water out of the spigot in the bathroom.

We drink the water out of the ice bucket in the cabin.

We drink the water at the lido and the MDR (and the other drinks made with that same water.....OJ, coffee, tea)

 

We do not pay for water.

We do not haul around a bottle for water.

 

From our life and experience, you will be fine drinking the water on the 'dam ship.  Enjoy!

[whogo]

7 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

There is no "seal" when the toilet lid is down, you can witness this by closing the lid, flushing the toilet, and feeling the air flowing into the bathroom around the door jamb.

 

Or watch what the airflow does:

 

 

[Sallyandtex]

We drink the ships water all good, usually have more than 1 bottle so we can chill one for excursions in the fridge the night before.

 

If you were really concerned, you could get one of those bottles with the filter in the top from a camping store?