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Packing (Plastic) Bottles of Water

SantaAna,CA

By SantaAna,CA,
in Holland America Line

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zdude

zdude

Posted
Posted
Believe what you want, I'll believe the reports from the sanitation inspectors that the on-board tap water is better than 99% of bottled waters.

 

Reverse osmosis will remove impurities and large stuff, but it cannot avoid contamination after the process. Because of this the ship must add something, i.e. chlorine. I do not know of a bottled water that I have purchased that contains chorine. Therefore I would consider this a bad thing and in fact much less pure than bottled. I do not believe that the statements of these inspectors is accurate because of this. If course the inspectors might be jaded into thinking that chlorine makes water pure. It doesn't it kills bad suff, but definitely makes the water much more impure.

 

Add to this that the ship likely does not always make their own water, sometimes they get it elsewhere and then they rely on the sanitation of the locale, again they will likely do some purification and addition of chlorine.

 

I have read a bit here and a bit on other sites. I have not been able to find a place where you can get reports on the sanitation of ships, but I thought that that health services was supposed to supply these to the public. Any idea?

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Rosarymb

Rosarymb

Posted
Posted

The CDC has a report called VSIR-- Vessel Sanitation Inspection Report. They check 4 main areas of interest: water, food prep, food storage, and general maint/repair. A score of 86 is passing. The website is http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/default.htm; of particular interest is the variance reports, which are listed by cruise line; it's interesting what some lines don't want checked. Another good section is http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/GIlist.htm, which is the list of ships with confirmed GI illness (norovirus or otherwise). They give percentage illness, divided by crew and pax. For example, during the Veendam's Jan 15th cruise, 17.8% of the pax and 6% of the crew were sick.

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Himself

Himself

Posted
Posted

I drink a lot of bottled water. I do not bring it on ship but will buy a bottle or two if I am going ashore. I think it costs a couple of bucks a bottle. I have found the water on the ship to be very safe. I dirink a lot of the ship water.

I have found it to be the best water I have ever had.

 

Himself

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sail7seas

sail7seas

Posted
Posted

We have wonderful water in our community at home. Hugely expensive new water treatment plant/miles of new pipes etc. We are used to Good water.

 

We have never had any complaint at all with HAL's water. It's Good IMO

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dakrewser

dakrewser

Posted
Posted
Reverse osmosis will remove impurities and large stuff, but it cannot avoid contamination after the process.

 

I'm not sure how you envision the process (it's a closed system, more so than your municipal water supply), but it's no more open to contamination than any water bottling plant. Nor have you been able to cite any evidence for your suppositions (while others keep pointing you towards official reports). So, as I said, believe what you want.

 

-dave

"Thank you. We're all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view."

 

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ekerr19

ekerr19

Posted
Posted
I drink a lot of bottled water. I do not bring it on ship but will buy a bottle or two if I am going ashore. I think it costs a couple of bucks a bottle. I have found the water on the ship to be very safe. I dirink a lot of the ship water.

I have found it to be the best water I have ever had.

 

Himself

 

The voice of reason... thank you. Bottled water on board is a couple of bucks a bottle. Why in the world would anyone haul the stuff onto the ship?? We drink the ships tap water too - never had a problem.

 

This thread is pretty funny, IMO - oh, and by the way - San Pellegrino is sparkling mineral water, not even close to tap water - but it is also sold on board. If you are expecting San Pellegrino from your tap, you will be disappointed. :)

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zdude

zdude

Posted
Posted
I'm not sure how you envision the process (it's a closed system, more so than your municipal water supply), but it's no more open to contamination than any water bottling plant. Nor have you been able to cite any evidence for your suppositions (while others keep pointing you towards official reports). So, as I said, believe what you want.

 

-dave

"Thank you. We're all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view."

 

Thank you for the complement Dave. Too bad though that it is so unique.

 

The link below states very clearly that the water is chlorinated or brominate to "AT LEAST" 2 ppm.

 

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/Archives/checklis.htm

 

I am not saying it is unsafe. I said that in my very first post. in fact it is very likely safe for many people.

 

It is not however pure water. Pure water is... H2O. The water on a cruise ship is most definitely NOT pure H20.

 

Typically bottled water is H20, at least the ones I buy are, at the very most they are H20 and trrace minerals which are good for you in general. Sure there are the occasionally off brands that either have had issues or problems, but this is relatively uncommon. However it is COMMON, if not REQUIRED for cruise ships to chlorinate or brominate. Therefore it is a pretty easy argument that the water on board is not pure.

 

Safe? Sure, but not pure. Frankly chlorine also makes be sick so argueably to me it is not safe.

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pboedeker

pboedeker

Posted
Posted

We're pretty confident that our Dasani bottles were taken out of the packaging by someone (between the porters at the pier and the cabin stewart who delivered the remains to our cabin), not an unfortunate accident. Seems upon investigating the damage to the package...the torn wrapper was punctured just enough for someone to squeeze their hand in and pull a bottle out of the package. The bottles were too big to just fall out of a hole that size. Thus the verdict that they were taken out, not fell out. Just MHO!

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DDawson

DDawson

Posted
Posted

I never knew that the ships water was suppose to be so pure. This is great news.

 

But then why do I have problems with the taste? And it seems that the longer the cruise goes on, the worse the water tastes. I can start out a cruise with only one lemon in my water at dinner. By the end of the cruise I'm using much more lemon.

 

I dont' drink the tap water at home. Some local restaurants have horrible water and some have great water.

 

I've been on at least 7 different ships on 4 different cruise lines. Is it just me?

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dakrewser

dakrewser

Posted
Posted
I never knew that the ships water was suppose to be so pure. This is great news.

 

But then why do I have problems with the taste? And it seems that the longer the cruise goes on, the worse the water tastes. I can start out a cruise with only one lemon in my water at dinner. By the end of the cruise I'm using much more lemon.

 

I dont' drink the tap water at home. Some local restaurants have horrible water and some have great water.

 

I've been on at least 7 different ships on 4 different cruise lines. Is it just me?

 

The ship is constantly "making" new water - it's not loaded in a tank on the first day, or anything like that. (disclaimer: this does happen in certain itineraries where the water is really bad, such as the Amazon). So I'm not sure why you seem to notice a difference along the way.

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ekerr19

ekerr19

Posted
Posted
We're pretty confident that our Dasani bottles were taken out of the packaging by someone (between the porters at the pier and the cabin stewart who delivered the remains to our cabin), not an unfortunate accident. Seems upon investigating the damage to the package...the torn wrapper was punctured just enough for someone to squeeze their hand in and pull a bottle out of the package. The bottles were too big to just fall out of a hole that size. Thus the verdict that they were taken out, not fell out. Just MHO!

 

OMG! Now I'm really LOTFLOL!!! Were you awarded "damages" along with your "verdict"???? This is too funny.

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HeatherInFlorida

HeatherInFlorida

Posted
Posted

I don't know how I've gotten this far into my life alive. It's really amazing. In the U.S. I drink tap water everywhere I go. I drink the water out of the tap on all ships I've been on. I drink the iced tea and the lemonade. I use many many ice cubes to chill my drinks.

 

I must be healthy as a horse ... "strong like bull" as my father used to say. Either that or putting myself in the face of danger all these many years may have built up an immune system that is simply impenetrable.

 

Why anyone would haul all that water on any trip/cruise/airline is absolutely beyond my comprehension. Careful is one thing. Obsessive cumpulsive is quite another.

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ekerr19

ekerr19

Posted
Posted
Maybe the stevadores thought it was vodka that was being smuggled aboard!

 

No wait - It might be the glued back together with Elmer's glue mouthwash bottles! LOL!!! Oh, no - on second thought... no food coloring! Drat! :eek:

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RuthC

RuthC

Posted
Posted
But then why do I have problems with the taste? And it seems that the longer the cruise goes on, the worse the water tastes. I can start out a cruise with only one lemon in my water at dinner. By the end of the cruise I'm using much more lemon.

Maybe the lemons are going bad? :confused:

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dakrewser

dakrewser

Posted
Posted
Maybe the lemons are going bad? :confused:

 

Darn, Ruth - I'd just put in the new keyboard and you do this. Poof! Coffee all over another one! I'm gonna have to get one of those plastic covers for it.....:rolleyes:

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pboedeker

pboedeker

Posted
Posted
OMG! Now I'm really LOTFLOL!!! Were you awarded "damages" along with your "verdict"???? This is too funny.

 

 

What does LOTFLOL mean? No damages awarded. Were we supposed to report this so someone? We just figured...they needed a drink?

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GA girl

GA girl

Posted
Posted

This has been a great thread - never knew so many could be so particular about water! I have wonderful water at home from our own deep well, but when away will drink whatever is offered as long as it's wet. And have drunk water throughout the Abacos, Exumas and Caribbean - from small RO units, cisterns, whatever. I'm with you Heather - we have to let our immune systems do their job.

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Ziggy7

Ziggy7

Posted
Posted
Ziggy! I'll bet you're right! Never thought of that. I usually think "rolling on the floor..." but I guess you could just lay there and laugh:D
hahaha that was the first hing that poped into my mind when I read it but we wont know for sure till she answers hehehehe :)
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