Is the water safe

[taxjam]

Is the tap water on the cruise ship drinkable, in both a health and taste sense?

[DavidNDC]

It is absolutely fine.

[K&RCurt]

The water on cruise ships is made from sea water via reverse osmosis filtration. The water is only produced while at sea and NOT in harbors.

The water is more pure than any bottled water you would buy.

The one problem is that PURE water has NO taste. The tase of water comes from the various minerals disolved in it. That's why "spring" water is generally the best tasting. Being nearly 100% pure, the water on the ship has very little taste.

[Ziggy7]

The one problem is that PURE water has NO taste.Very true but my Crystal Lite sure tasted better :) I take my powdered mix and add to ships water yummmmmmmmmmmmm :)

[Krazy Kruizers]

I'm prone to have stomach problems from time to time and so far I have never had a problem with the ship's distilled water.

[Cuttle]

And don't forget the ice is made out of the same water supply. Don't we all have our share of ice on board.

[jhannah]

Actually, shouldn't pure water not have any taste? Remove all the "earth" and it should be simply ... hydrating. That's why the Crystal Lite, coffee, tea, etc. will always be better with R/O water, since it adds nothing to the taste of the beverage.

[travelingmcmahans]

Maybe I'm the slightest water snob (kind of picky:p ) but I thought the tap water tasted like it came from the swimming pool... way too chlorinated.
On our Baltic cruise I became dehydrated from all the activity and not drinking enough water. I am a conscientious 8 glasses a day drinker, but I dislike Evian and couldn't bring myself to drink the tap water, and that was all that was available usually.
I'll never undestand how there can be so much difference in the taste of water. My favorite brand is Spa, found in Belgium.

[Philip217]

Actually the quality and taste of ship's water has much to do with the size and age of the ship - and sometimes the itinerary.

Big new ships make all their own water far out at sea. It is the purest water on earth. Their reverse osmosis and distilling machines make more water than the ship can consume, making it unnecessary to buy any water in port.The US Public Health Service requires all ships to add a certain amount of chemicals to this pure water to guarantee that any unforseen contamination in the system will not make us ill. In the past, the chemical of choice was Chlorine. In more recent times and on more modern ships it is Bromine. Bromine adds less flavor to water.

However, when smaller / older ships are involved, they cannot produce enough water to meet demand. They are forced to buy water at whatever ports offer it. Sometimes this water is not the best. In order to ensure that this water does not make us ill, extra chlorine must be added.

Note: Chlorine is a laxative when taken in larger doses. Many people who drink a lot of ships water on smaller ships experience stomach problems. They often think that it is the fault of the food, or some virus.
Most often, it is simply a result of an overdose of chlorine.