Ship's Water

[shirleygallegos60]

I do not want to have to cart tons of water onto the ship. this is the sole reason I'm going to buy the package so that I can have all the bottle Evion I want!!

[Rosefloater]

I've sailed twice on Carnival Pride and the water also had "a taste" to it.

 

Take care,

Mike

 

When the Pride was in Long Beach back in 2008, the water tasted funny in the Dining Room, but the water up in the Lido tasted fine. We squeezed lemon slices into the Dining Room water to get rid of the funny taste. The water on the other ships we have been on haven't had a strange taste.

[Orison]

BINGO.

There have been times when that cruise-ship-sewage-odor was what I smelled in my water (also my iced tea)....therefore, I did not drink it.

I don't care how safe the water is deemed, sometimes it isn't palatable, so I will have no issue buying water.

My tap water at home wasn't drinkable when I lived in Maine...high levels of arsenic. We had to take care of it obviously, but I still didn't feel safe.

I moved to NC and lo and behold, I'm sitting practically on the Ash Pond that has made national news...so I still drink bottled or filtered water because I kinda value my life a bit. And to be honest, the 'clean' municipal water that is clean due to chlorine does not appeal to me. I'd rather not smell bleach when I chug back a glass of H2o.

To each his own, I guess.

 

Cruise ship water is likely safer that any other water I've lived with over the past 20 years but if it smells bad, I am not drinking it.

 

I had that once. The ship had a smell to it, not unpleasant, but a smell. And at dinner when I went to drink some water, the smell was in the water. It was a Fantasy class ship; either the Ecstasy or the Fascination.

[DGP1111]

Adding my own personal THANKS to member chengkp75 for (yet again) offering some great insights into something onboard that I learn more and more about.

 

My personal situation was probably a fluke, one-off, anomaly, but after letting the water in my bathroom sink run for a full minute (timed) . . . the "whatever" remained in the flow, and then when I stopped up the bowl I could see just how much remained after that length of time.

 

 

 

I was already doing it, but I fully realized my efforts were not in vain to add to the coffers of Carnival, as well as its stockholders, by purchasing bottled water for my own enjoyment while onboard.

 

Yes, I know someone shouldn't do this, but IF someone did . . . they'd find that by peeking inside the door directly below the water dispenser at the Lido buffet, an additional filtration device is on that thin pipe leading directly to the dispenser. I'm going to assume that's why I've never noticed discoloration when I get water on Lido in the early morning hours before it becomes continuously used.

.

[momof3cruisers]

I believe this to be one of the most persistent myths about cruising that I've heard. Distilled water from evaporators contains no salt, and the water from the reverse osmosis units will contain some. The membranes used in the RO units have pore sizes to allow water molecules to pass, but sodium ions are larger, and should not pass through. I say should, because nothing is perfect, and when you are talking molecular size holes, there will be some variation, so a little sodium will pass through. However, the RO water usually only makes up a portion of the sea water desalinized, so the sodium content is diluted by the distilled water.

 

Chlorine is the most likely reason for water retention from ship's water. While it is recognized as the sanitizing agent of choice for most water systems (though Bromine is also effective), it has been shown that chlorinated water will lead to weight gain through water retention. Your water at home, as I've said is chlorinated, but then sits in the pipes and the chlorine dissipates over time. The water onboard ship is constantly chlorinated. As a test, you could try just drinking water from the water dispensers, and not the sink taps to see if your ankles still swell.

 

Another problem of ship's water that can cause water retention is Ph. Distilled water is slightly acidic, and has a tendency to "leach" minerals from the body trying to neutralize itself, which can cause electrolyte imbalances (and more water retention). The ships combat this (mainly because the acidic water will corrode equipment, not for your ankles :o) by using a "rehardening" filter. This is what many describe in another water myth as "adding back minerals for taste". The rehardening filter uses sand to remove any particulates that may have gotten into the water tanks, and also uses calcium carbonate (the major ingredient in the antacid Tums) to neutralize the acidity of the water. This brings the distilled water back to the slightly alkaline condition your body wants, and reduces the tendency of distilled water to attract minerals from your body (or the valves, machinery, etc., in the water system, causing maintenance problems for us engineers).

That is absolutely fascinating! I am sort of a facts geek of a girl and I really appreciate your taking the time to answer. I have been wondering what causes this for me for years and many have insinuated that it's all in my head. As I said, the rest of my family is fine but I have issues with it.

 

Thanks, again!

[momof3cruisers]

I do not want to have to cart tons of water onto the ship. this is the sole reason I'm going to buy the package so that I can have all the bottle Evion I want!!

 

What package? I am considering have some delivered to our room through Bon Voyage, but it's not unlimited.

[CleveCruiser]

Reverse osmosis is one desalinization process. Distillation is the other. Most ships use both. Distillation can be nearly energy neutral as the heat source is the heat removed from the engines' cooling water.

chengkp75, Loved the information your provided.

Thanks for taking the time.

[Rottweiler Puppy]

The water on the Liberty and Breeze were very good, but on the Imagination, it was kind of gross. I didn't see any sediment but it smelled like a kitchen floor.

[ShakyBeef]

A couple days ago, taking a shower on the Pride, I noticed the water was the same rusty colour as in the pics posted by PPs. The colour lasted for the entire length of my shower. I tried not to think about what it might be and just hoped it was rust or minerals.:( I have had this happen occasionally with the water from our sink and from our bathtub on previous Pride cruises, as well. Usually just once or twice on a cruise, then it clears up. But never pleasant to see.:(

[pamrose228]

Last cruise I came on board with a filtered Britta bottle. For $10 I had filtered water and no heavy bottles to carry on.

 

As for the swelling I always get very swollen ankles, and only the ankles. I used cherry pills, compression toeless stocking, a sodium free diet and it still happens. Doc told me it has to do with the atmospheric pressure. Only happens when I travel South. Canada cruise nothing swells.

[AEPi71]

@pamrose. Thats my plan on our next cruise. Did that work out well for you?

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Forums mobile app

[pamrose228]

@pamrose. Thats my plan on our next cruise. Did that work out well for you?

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Forums mobile app

 

Yep, pretty much so, until the last couple of days when I couldn't stand the itching I decided to not wear the stocking and boy was I sorry. Doc gave me a small script of Lasic and took one a day for three days and that helped a bit but on my cruise next week the hose stay on for the entire cruise. :eek:

[Kokopelli2]

A couple days ago, taking a shower on the Pride, I noticed the water was the same rusty colour as in the pics posted by PPs. The colour lasted for the entire length of my shower. I tried not to think about what it might be and just hoped it was rust or minerals.:( I have had this happen occasionally with the water from our sink and from our bathtub on previous Pride cruises, as well. Usually just once or twice on a cruise, then it clears up. But never pleasant to see.:(

 

It took about 45 minutes for my water to clear up. I was told that the cause was due to the fact that they "switched tanks". I felt that the timing was bad since it was right before elegant night when everyone is getting ready.

[scooterpopsnana]

I was reading John Heald's post about Carnival selling bottled water by the case, and I read that some people drink the ship's water from the tap. I just wanted you to see the water that came out of our tap a couple weeks ago on the Imagination.

 

I was told by several staff that it was no problem because it was "just sediment".

 

Drink up!

 

QUOTE]

 

Okay, here we go again, I will try to address everyone's concerns, in order, in one post, so bear with me.

 

The yellowish discoloration in the photo is caused by chlorine scale. Most ships do not use metallic piping for drinking water, they use plastic pipes. The residual chlorine that is required to be in the water tends to form a scale layer on the inside of the plastic pipes. When a section of the piping is shut off for repairs, this scale will dry out and fall off the pipe walls. It will then circulate around the ship, and will tend to settle out in the dead end branches at each cabin. When you turn on the tap, the water with the sediment will come out first, but if you let it run, it will clear up.

 

MMastell - there is very little "stuff" to build up in the pipes, other than the above mentioned chlorine scale, since most of the water has very little "hardness" or minerals in it, unlike your pipes at home. The taste you mention is the residual chlorine, and it will be everywhere around the ship, with the exception of ice makers, bar and soda guns, and the water dispensers in the dining venues or galleys, because this equipment has a charcoal filter to remove the chlorine, not for your taste, but because the chlorine scale causes maintenance problems with the machinery.

 

limoguy - the tanks must be maintained to USPH standards, using special epoxy coatings that are specifically made for potable water tanks. USPH also has requirements for periodic inspection of the tanks, to check on tank coatings, and how to repair coatings, and how to sanitize the tank after work is done before it goes back into service.

 

CruzinScotty - see above about why the water in those areas may taste different than your cabin.

 

Ncovert - the water everywhere on the ship is the same water. There are large main pipes that rise from the engine room, and then every deck has a "ring main" pipe that runs up one side the full length and then goes back down the other side the full length. Every location, whether galley, restaurant, or cabin, picks off of the ring main for that deck.

 

Beyond2k - depending on how close your cabin is to the main riser coming from the engine room, you may have more or less chlorine in the water, and hence the taste. The chlorine is required to be maintained at 0.5ppm at the farthest point from where it is injected in the engine room, typically the sensor and recorder are on the bridge, so since chlorine dissipates in water naturally, those areas closer to the engine room will have more than 0.5ppm chlorine, while those closer to the bridge will be at 0.5.

 

Orison - the reason the water in your cabin is never cold is that it is not buried in underground pipes like at home. Nor is it sitting stationary in the pipe waiting for you to turn on a tap like at home. The water is constantly being recirculated, to keep the chlorine level up, and the pipes run in the ceilings of the passageways, and in machinery spaces, so they never get cooled. Plus the pumping add heat to the water.

 

Okay, that takes care of the specific concerns. Now a little about ship's water. Some is made from sea water by distillers, that actually boil the water and what you get is distilled water. Some is made from sea water by reverse osmosis, which presses sea water through a porous membrane at very high pressure, and the pores are sized so only water molecules (or smaller) can pass. This gives water that is potable, but is not distilled. Some is taken on at the various ports. This water must be certified to meet WHO or USPH standards before it is taken on, and a sample is taken first for testing in the medical center for bacteria. This shore water must be segregated from the rest of the ship's water until the test is complete (18-24 hours) and it is negative for bacteria.

 

Okay, so now we have 3 sources of water. Before any of this water gets to the storage tanks, it must be chlorinated to 2ppm, continually. Then, because it sits in the tanks, the chlorine dissipates, and when the tank is pumped around the ship, additional chlorine is added to maintain the 0.5ppm. Your local water board probably chlorinates once at the source (lake, well, river), and that is it. USPH requires continual monitoring, and continual dosing to keep the water safe to drink.

 

USPH also requires that each water tank, and 4 random locations around the ship (not to include ice makers) are tested for bacteria. What local water board comes to your house every few months to test your water?

 

Cruise ship water is probably the safest water you can find, and that includes bottled water (does anyone remember the Perrier benzene problem?). Most bottled water is merely municipal water that is passed through a reverse osmosis machine. It may not always taste great (and water taste is one of the most subjective topics around), but it is always safe.

 

One last hint for those who don't like the taste of the water from the sink. Fill a pitcher or water bottle, leave it uncapped for an hour or so, and the chlorine will have dissipated and with it the taste.

 

 

Does the water, on the ships, have more sodium than the water we drink at home? I tend to return from my cruise with swollen legs and ankles and my physician suggested this may be the cause.

Edited September 30, 2014 by scooterpopsnana

[scooterpopsnana]

I hope the "quick fire" question JH asked this week, concerning water, is not a move to begin limiting the amounts we can bring aboard. Especially since they are now "selling it at a reasonable rate" (per JH). I do not feel that $21.50 is reasonable. We bought the same brand and amount yesterday for $2.47. Thoughts?

Edited September 30, 2014 by scooterpopsnana

[asalligo]

When I lived in Florida, my city tap water always looked like the OP's pic.

[sparks1093]

I hope the "quick fire" question JH asked this week, concerning water, is not a move to begin limiting the amounts we can bring aboard. Especially since they are now "selling it at a reasonable rate" (per JH). I do not feel that $21.50 is reasonable. We bought the same brand and amount yesterday for $2.47. Thoughts?

 

They could sell it for $2.47 onboard and I'd still drink the free water from the lido:).

[bplazo]

I have brushed my teeth using that water.

[momof3cruisers]

 

 

Does the water, on the ships, have more sodium than the water we drink at home? I tend to return from my cruise with swollen legs and ankles and my physician suggested this may be the cause.

 

Read his other responses. He has a very good explanation.

[chengkp75]

 

 

Does the water, on the ships, have more sodium than the water we drink at home? I tend to return from my cruise with swollen legs and ankles and my physician suggested this may be the cause.

 

See post #39 above for various factors that can lead to water retention. For most, though, the main cause is the higher salt content in the food.

[Buffettfan 225]

Thank you for the information. Wonder if you can address the sodium content of the cruise ship's water a bit more. I ask because my ankles swell when I am on a cruise (and at no other time). I had a suspicion that it was due to higher sodium in the cruise ship's water supply. Any insight on this? Thanks!

Thanks for asking about sodium content.

Blue ribbon- do you know if all water is tested for cryptosporidium?

[chengkp75]

Thanks for asking about sodium content.

Blue ribbon- do you know if all water is tested for cryptosporidium?

 

I'm not sure about testing for cryptosporidium, whether it is detected by the tests for fecal coliform bacteria or not. Water produced by evaporation is free of spores, so that is not a worry. Water produced by reverse osmosis undergoes UV sterilization before going into the water tanks, so this will kill crypto. Water taken onboard in ports must be from sources that are tested monthly for all sources of contamination, and must meet WHO or USPH standards. So, the ship cannot just hook up to a fire hydrant in Miami, it must be a potable water hydrant that the port authority has tested, with water directly from the hydrant, on a monthly basis.

 

The main source of possible crypto contamination would be from shore water, since the ship is not allowed to make water from sea water unless it is 12 miles from shore.

 

Now, when you start talking about pools, etc, that is a different story, but this is dealt with through super-chlorination of the hot tubs, and frequent draining of the pools.

[GUT2407]

This was about 5 years ago, but a mate of mine who was an industrial chemist with the Hunter District Water Board, in Newcastle, bought a sample of waqter back off the Pacific Princess [ know this is the Carnival thread, but I imagine not much different] and had it tested and found less impurities than in a top brand bottle water.

[halos]

I had that once. The ship had a smell to it, not unpleasant, but a smell. And at dinner when I went to drink some water, the smell was in the water. It was a Fantasy class ship; either the Ecstasy or the Fascination.

 

Yup! It was the Fantasy that had this issue when I sailed it (11/2008). Would not sail that ship again.

Edited October 7, 2014 by halos

[Gamecock_Cruiser]

I drank the w ater on the Fantasy and Freedom with no problem. I thought hte Fascination had some nasty tasting water when we were on it.