Ship water sodium

According to my doctor, it's neither the food nor the water....in a sense. And it's a lack of salt and minerals...not an excess. He says that drinking purified/ distilled water with no minerals (such as that made by the ship's desalinization plant) causes the body's fluids to move away from the organs and into the tissues. Hence, the swollen ankles and elevated blood pressure. The organs are suffering from a form of dehydration....

I ended up passing out from that, despite the fact that I was drinking gallons of water and could not seem to quench my thirst onboard. My doctor said that, on future cruises, I am to avoid the ship's purified water and/or drink Gatorade in addition to the water, to replenish the minerals....especially in warm climates engaging in activities that result in sweating. I found that, after this episode, I would get a little woozy when working in the yard in the heat...Gatorade solved my problem.

Next cruise...bottled water and Gatorade for me!! Of course, I think each person should check with their own family doctor or sports medicine doctor before following this course.

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You just said that there is no salt in the ship's water. Then why will you be buying bottled water ?:confused:

I was wondering the same thing. :confused:

I was wondering the same thing. :confused:

Believe it or not, I drink way more water out of a bottle than in any other type of container. I have tried and tried to drink out of a cup, glass, or straw and never drink as much that way. I recently took an insulated cup to work. After a few weeks, I am back to a bottle. On our last cruise, I tried water in a glass but ended up back on the bottle.

According to my doctor, it's neither the food nor the water....in a sense. And it's a lack of salt and minerals...not an excess. He says that drinking purified/ distilled water with no minerals (such as that made by the ship's desalinization plant) causes the body's fluids to move away from the organs and into the tissues. Hence, the swollen ankles and elevated blood pressure. The organs are suffering from a form of dehydration....

 

I ended up passing out from that, despite the fact that I was drinking gallons of water and could not seem to quench my thirst onboard. My doctor said that, on future cruises, I am to avoid the ship's purified water and/or drink Gatorade in addition to the water, to replenish the minerals....especially in warm climates engaging in activities that result in sweating. I found that, after this episode, I would get a little woozy when working in the yard in the heat...Gatorade solved my problem.

 

Next cruise...bottled water and Gatorade for me!! Of course, I think each person should check with their own family doctor or sports medicine doctor before following this course.

 

 

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I would ask your doctor if he or she has ever seen how food is prepared in most restaurants, including those at sea? Granted the salt ***ADDED*** most in restaurants is Sodium Chloride and does contribute to your SODIUM levels which are only part of your bodily requirements. Other minerals and salts are supplied by many of the food themselves especially fruits and vegetables.

An example for simple Bolognese sauce.

Many start by rendering the fat from bacon (SALT)

Sweat carrots, celery and onion till tender (SALT)

Saute meats until browned.

Add canned tomatoes (SALT)

Add stock (SALT)

Add seasonings and add (SALT) and pepper to taste

Add aged pecorino cheese (SALT)

Serve with pasta that was cooked in well (SALT)ed water (do not rinse)

Shave Aged Italian Cheese (SALT) on top and serve.

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Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, homefries, smoked salmon, salted bagel, salted butter,cheeses, burgers, fries, hot dogs, ribs, soups , dressings...and on and on and on are all prepared with for the most part a lot more salt than almost any people use in their own kitchens.

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Lots of salt added throughout the cooking process and is one of the reasons food tastes better while dining out. When you look at eating on a ship you are eating almost all your meals prepared in the restaurant fashion. Not saying restaurants are trying to kill people but they do use much more salt much more frequently than most people ever would use at home.

Try to eat a well balanced diet, avoid a heaping plate of bacon each morning, a double order of salted fries with your burger no extra salt in your soup, add plenty of veggies and fruits and I think you will be fine (as far as your electrolytes are concerned) drinking totally desalinated water whether it is steam distilled of produced by reverse osmosis.

.

**********Of course if you have any sort of kidney problems, high blood pressure or other medical problems it is always best to ask your own physician and explain to him or her that you will be exposed to much higher levels of salt while on your cruise..************

Good cruising to all.

bosco

Believe it or not, I drink way more water out of a bottle than in any other type of container. I have tried and tried to drink out of a cup, glass, or straw and never drink as much that way. I recently took an insulated cup to work. After a few weeks, I am back to a bottle. On our last cruise, I tried water in a glass but ended up back on the bottle.

So bring an insulated bottle and fill it with water from a glass. Honestly, I along with millions of other people have been sailing for over 25 years - long before anyone drank bottled water. We all survived just fine and did a lot less polluting of the environment with all that plastic. I drink a lot of water and have no problem at all with the ship water. If you feel there will be a problem. brita even makes water bottles with built-in filters.

I am SO glad for those people who don't have any problems while onboard.

I truly wish those people would stay off of threads where people who DO have problems are talking. We don't need your "my body works differently therefore it's all in your mind" smugness.

People who have problems with the water *have problems with the water*.

If I go on one cruise and eat the food and drink the shop water and swell terribly, then go on another cruise and eat the food and drinks Evian and do NOT swell, then it is very very very obvious that it's a problem with the ship water. Even if you don't react to the problem.

And it's even more evident when you have a limited diet (my family is vegetarian) where you're pretty much getting the same foods on each cruise. There's just not the variation that omnivores might get that could skew the results.

Not to mention that the ship water smells like a wet dog most of the time. Who wants to drink that? (Or bathe in it for that matter)

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Believe it or not, I drink way more water out of a bottle than in any other type of container. I have tried and tried to drink out of a cup, glass, or straw and never drink as much that way. I recently took an insulated cup to work. After a few weeks, I am back to a bottle. On our last cruise, I tried water in a glass but ended up back on the bottle.

I like a bike water bottle. I use it for biking, hiking, camping, in the gym, out for a run or any other place I want to hydrate. Quick and easy to refill anywhere.

The desalination process onboard ships leaves no salt in the water. TRACE amounts of sodium, maybe. If you're retaining water, check your diet.

Okay, ship's water 101 again.

Water on the ship comes from three sources:

One is water from ports, if the ship's itinerary is such that there is not sufficient time at sea to make enough water, they will load water from ports. As examples, Miami-Dade water quality tests show an average of 30-60ppm of sodium in their tap water. NYC water quality shows about 50-60ppm sodium.

A second source is the flash evaporators onboard, that literally boil the sea water and distill fresh water again. This is the definition of distilled water, and the evaporators will "reject" or send overboard any distillate found with more than 10ppm sodium, and typically the units produce water with less than 1ppm.

The third source is reverse osmosis filters. Here sea water is pressed through a membrane at very high pressures, and only water molecules can pass through the membrane pores. These units will reject "permeate" (the fresh water produced) when it exceeds 20ppm sodium.

So, the highest source of sodium in the water onboard a ship is the water from shore.

There are only two things added to potable water onboard: calcium carbonate (the main ingredient in Tums) to control Ph, and chlorine to sanitize the water.

While everyone's anecdotal evidence is different, and many folks' bodies react differently, the culprits of water retention are: chlorine (there is evidence that it acts to suppress the metabolism, hence water retention), distilled water (as noted above, lack of minerals in the water can cause retention), salty food, and actually more exercise than normal (walking the decks and climbing stairs).

Okay, ship's water 101 again.

 

Water on the ship comes from three sources:

 

One is water from ports, if the ship's itinerary is such that there is not sufficient time at sea to make enough water, they will load water from ports. As examples, Miami-Dade water quality tests show an average of 30-60ppm of sodium in their tap water. NYC water quality shows about 50-60ppm sodium.

 

A second source is the flash evaporators onboard, that literally boil the sea water and distill fresh water again. This is the definition of distilled water, and the evaporators will "reject" or send overboard any distillate found with more than 10ppm sodium, and typically the units produce water with less than 1ppm.

 

The third source is reverse osmosis filters. Here sea water is pressed through a membrane at very high pressures, and only water molecules can pass through the membrane pores. These units will reject "permeate" (the fresh water produced) when it exceeds 20ppm sodium.

 

So, the highest source of sodium in the water onboard a ship is the water from shore.

 

There are only two things added to potable water onboard: calcium carbonate (the main ingredient in Tums) to control Ph, and chlorine to sanitize the water.

 

While everyone's anecdotal evidence is different, and many folks' bodies react differently, the culprits of water retention are: chlorine (there is evidence that it acts to suppress the metabolism, hence water retention), distilled water (as noted above, lack of minerals in the water can cause retention), salty food, and actually more exercise than normal (walking the decks and climbing stairs).

As usual, thanks for posting the facts, not just personal opinions most feel everyone else should share.

I am one that does react to the ship water. Not sure why but have found I do, now wonder if it is the chlorine or lack of minerals. Either way I stick to mainly bottled water while sailing which alleviates MY issues. For those who it does not impact, count yourselves lucky.

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Okay, ship's water 101 again.

Thanks as always for your factual approach.

Just to round things out, do you know how bottled water compares? I realize that it will vary, depending on the source, but can you make a general comment?

We always try to take a case of bottled water, and 2 steel drinking bottles, to refill. Wife and I have never had swelling of ankles and feet until recent Anthem sailing, I believe it's the salt and Oils in the food. The chef in the solarium bistro told me that, and said he tries to cook healthier and I ate there mostly.

My ankles started swelling day 2, and for remaining cruise I practiced my legs up wall Yoga pose, my legs drained and I felt better.

I feel for anyone going through this as this was our first time experience this.

Prior cruise was Celebrity Equionox and we ate in their solarium bistro that was very healthy, salads, salmon , tuna, etc. we felt great that whole trip.

For anyone who eats healthy low sodium I feel the cruise food can be a shock.

I would suggest, if possible try to learn a few yoga poses to release toxins, and drink lots of water with lemon on ship, green tea also available on ship can help.

I've been on 35 plus cruises and the Anthem was first case of constant swelling of feet,legs,etc. I feel it was the food, it tasted salty and oily.

I don't think the sodium is the problem... There are many other minerals, such as potassium, that are leached out of the cells by distilled water.

Each to their own, of course, but I'm going to follow the doctors directions on this one.

I would ask your doctor if he or she has ever seen how food is prepared in most restaurants, including those at sea? Granted the salt ***ADDED*** most in restaurants is Sodium Chloride and does contribute to your SODIUM levels which are only part of your bodily requirements. Other minerals and salts are supplied by many of the food themselves especially fruits and vegetables.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

bosco

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Thanks as always for your factual approach.

 

Just to round things out, do you know how bottled water compares? I realize that it will vary, depending on the source, but can you make a general comment?

Sources I've seen show that most low cost bottled water contains 9-15ppm of sodium, higher end waters may contain less.

Okay, ship's water 101 again.

A very happy New Year, Chief!

One question, a bit off topic, and I did ask before. Why don't you write a book? I've bought like 10 books on the cruising industry, some selling really well, while none of them had more information than some of your posts have. Of which there are 9,606.

There is simply no other source on the internet who knows and is willing to explain everything from crew salaries to law at sea to your AC being shared with other cabins to ship's water 101. And believe me, I've been Googling a LOT.

With the captive audience you already have, I'm convinced you'd sell enough books to be back on cruiseships in no time, this time sitting in your private hot tub thinking about what should be added to the 27th edition.

If there was a way (similar to crowdfunding, but I don't know any for books) to get a share in such a book I'd invest $10,000 where my mouth is immediately.

I don't think the sodium is the problem... There are many other minerals, such as potassium, that are leached out of the cells by distilled water.

 

Each to their own, of course, but I'm going to follow the doctors directions on this one.

 

 

Yes, true, however these beneficial minerals are not obtained from tap water or spring water as the labels will state, they are found in the foods we eat.

 

For most of us whether playing soccer or beachcombing, water remains the best source of hydration, and foods like fresh fruits and vegetables are the best source of carbohydrates and electrolyte replacement.

 

In Gatorade’s popular G2 Orange beverage, there is 115mg of sodium and only 30mg of potassium. A small box SunMaid raisins, by comparison, has only 5mg of Sodium and a healthy 220mg of Potassium. I'd rather eat a tablespoon or three of raisins and get the Potassium and eat a French fry for my sodium than drink a bottle of some drink made in a lab.. LOL.

 

Only me but I still think, unless under strict medical orders, a balanced diet is better than a pill or other lab made source of nourishment.

 

AS YOU SAID, To each his own and none of us are exactly the same. LOL

 

 

bosco

Sources I've seen show that most low cost bottled water contains 9-15ppm of sodium, higher end waters may contain less.

Thanks for the quick reply. Good to know where it fits in. :)

Although the food may not taste salty, its definitely well-seasoned. If the extra sodium is really a problem, I would arrange for salt-free meals, at least at dinner. Also, there are certain foods that work as a diruretic - asparagus is the number one. Stick to lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and stay away from most processed foods, salad dressings, soups, and believe it or not, some breakfast cereals have a huge amount of sodium.

To me, the food on board always taste very salty. Maybe because I don't add salt to anything at home I notice it more than some people who enjoy more salt.

I am SO glad for those people who don't have any problems while onboard.

 

I truly wish those people would stay off of threads where people who DO have problems are talking. We don't need your "my body works differently therefore it's all in your mind" smugness.

 

People who have problems with the water *have problems with the water*.

 

If I go on one cruise and eat the food and drink the shop water and swell terribly, then go on another cruise and eat the food and drinks Evian and do NOT swell, then it is very very very obvious that it's a problem with the ship water. Even if you don't react to the problem.

 

And it's even more evident when you have a limited diet (my family is vegetarian) where you're pretty much getting the same foods on each cruise. There's just not the variation that omnivores might get that could skew the results.

 

 

Not to mention that the ship water smells like a wet dog most of the time. Who wants to drink that? (Or bathe in it for that matter)

 

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You do actually bathe in it, right? Or do you order lots and lots of extra Evian?

I think a lot of people blame the water, but I think the bigger culprit is that the food on cruise ships is likely much higher in sodium than people's regular diets and people tend to eat larger quantities than when not cruising.

 

Other factors such as heat and humidity, being more sedentary than usual, and/or consuming more alcohol than usual can all contribute as well.

Exactly this. The water is likely the least of your concern considering how terrible the food is for you (not to mention all the alcohol people are drinking).

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I ended up passing out from that, despite the fact that I was drinking gallons of water and could not seem to quench my thirst onboard. My doctor said that, on future cruises, I am to avoid the ship's purified water and/or drink Gatorade in addition to the water, to replenish the minerals....especially in warm climates engaging in activities that result in sweating. I found that, after this episode, I would get a little woozy when working in the yard in the heat...Gatorade solved my problem.

 

Next cruise...bottled water and Gatorade for me!! Of course, I think each person should check with their own family doctor or sports medicine doctor before following this course.

 

 

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You might do well checking with your doctor on whether some type of oral rehydration solution (ORS, hydralyte, etc) might be better for you - Gatorade, Powerade, etc tend to contain a scary amount of sugar - and far fewer electrolytes than proper rehydration stuff. Amongst other things I've got a form of dysautonomia (affects my ability to maintain a respectable blood pressure, can't regulate my heart rate properly, etc.) and I carry hydralyte sachets or tablets when I travel (much easier than carrying Gatorade bottles too!).

I think a lot of people blame the water, but I think the bigger culprit is that the food on cruise ships is likely much higher in sodium than people's regular diets and people tend to eat larger quantities than when not cruising.

 

Other factors such as heat and humidity, being more sedentary than usual, and/or consuming more alcohol than usual can all contribute as well.

Congrats on the only lucid post I've read in a long time.

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We use R O water all the time as our well water has enough sulfur in it really not be pleasing to the palate.

If you think it is the ships water, just order an entree with sauce and then one with out any sauce or gravy etc. You will have a real eye opening at how much sodium is in the sauce gravy etc in your food.

My mom had congestive heart failure. It was a real eye awaking moment when I went with her to the dietician. Even fresh tomatoes have salt in them. Anything canned etc has lots of salt, add a sauce and you have swollen feet after several days. Eat lots of salad, fresh fruit etc. Drink water, yes you can drink it out of the sink, but then just think if you have that coffee or tea or lemonade it is the same water as your sink.

Enjoy your cruise.

We have been cruising so long that I lost count. On every cruise my feet swell so badly that there are times I have to wear flip flop sandals....nice ones...to dinner. I don't even pack heels anymore as they never fit.

Yes, I think it is the food. We were on the Anthem in March and the soups were inedible. The waiter brought a piece of bread, broke it up and soaked it in my soup. It helped a little, but I still could not eat it.

Elevating my tree trunk legs and an ice bag help.

This IS a real problem for many of us!!

Just got back from a cruise, and we did our own experiment on this topic. DD ALWAYS bloats on cruises. This time, she didn't drink any of the ships water (excluding things like ice and coffee), but loaded up on bottled water. Didn't bloat. Period. Didn't change any of the rest of her diet. So we're going with the ships water having a higher salt content.