Be careful who you get your advice from!

[Markanddonna]

Rick Steves would have screamed "Noooooo!" if he was around this conversation I overheard while in Rome: 

 

A woman was standing by a huge fountain with statues in a piazza and told her fellow travelers: "Rick Steves said it was safe to drink the water from these fountains." 

 

He was referring to the occasional small water fountain you find occasionally in Italy. I imagine that if her friends followed her advice, they might be complaining that some restaurant in Italy gave them food poisoning. The fountains he refers to  look something like this: 

[Ferry_Watcher]

Speaking of advice, please make sure that as a cruise passenger that you have the correct (and necessary) travel documents that indicate your citizenship (or permanent resident card (Green Card) for US permanent residents).  This is especially true for the Alaska Cruises leaving Seattle. All cruises to Alaska stop in Canada. Just about every week of the cruise season someone is denied boarding due to document issues. 

If you are traveling with a friend or family member with a passport that is not from the US or Canada,  please, please check to see if they need a Canadian Visa.   It doesn't matter if the individual isn't planning to get off the ship in Canada.  Foreign passengers who need a Canadian Visa to enter Canada will be denied boarding the ship in Seattle.  Just because a foreign passenger has a US visa, it does not mean that it can get them into Canada.  (Largest group of foreign  passengers who get turned away are passengers traveling with Indian passports without  Canadian visa).

US citizens and US Permanent Resident card holders (Green Cards) do not need a Canadian Visa.

Edited December 23, 2019 by Ferry_Watcher

[angie7911922]

Haha, who would even want to drink from a fountain with statues? Always use your common sense. 

[John Bull]

7 hours ago, angie7911922 said:

Haha, who would even want to drink from a fountain with statues? Always use your common sense. 

 

 

Yep. pretty obvious that you shouldn't drink the water in the big fountains..

But consider snorkelling  - there's tons of coins in most. 

 

JB 

[pacruise804]

What is the purpose of a fountain like that?  Is it for hand washing or wetting a cloth to help keep cool?

[John Bull]

1 hour ago, pacruise804 said:

What is the purpose of a fountain like that?  Is it for hand washing or wetting a cloth to help keep cool?

 

The one in the OP?

It's the type that the Rick Steves book mentioned.

It's drinking water, possibly first installed for horses.

 

OP's concern (or should that be merriment ) was that the person quoting Rick Steves was at an ornamental fountain like the Trevi Fountain

 

Good luck drinking from that one 

 

JB 

[GUT2407]

Unbelievable how gullible some people are.

[pacruise804]

Thanks @John Bull.  I was skimming the posts this morning and totally missed they wanted to drink from a large, decorative fountain 🙄

 

I thought the smaller, pictured fountain looked like it was intended to drink from and thought I was misunderstanding something since I haven't traveled to Europe.  It makes so much more sense now.😳

[flyingron]

Certainly not this one....

 

[bonsai3s]

Just reminded me of our trip to Brussels, Belgium many years ago....walking among a massive crowd, a gal came up to us and offered us a cup of what appeared to be yellow water......we thought "Huh?"...she then said in broken english, "From little statue".....we thought again "Huh?".....we then saw the statue of the little boy peeing in the water....the day we were there, he was peeing beer....cups of beer were being consumed by thousands of locals and tourist...coming down from the little boy statue....Manneken Pis. 😄🤣😊

 

Disclosure: I had 3 cups.

[Markanddonna]

On 12/23/2019 at 9:38 AM, John Bull said:

 

The one in the OP?

It's the type that the Rick Steves book mentioned.

It's drinking water, possibly first installed for horses.

 

OP's concern (or should that be merriment ) was that the person quoting Rick Steves was at an ornamental fountain like the Trevi Fountain

 

Good luck drinking from that one 

 

JB 

Thanks for clarifying my original post. The overheard comment from the self appointed expert was at a fountain like this one. 

When I look for good advice, I count on several very well traveled and knowledgeable posters like John Bull.  Thanks, John. 

[Canuker]

On 12/24/2019 at 2:37 PM, bonsai3s said:

Just reminded me of our trip to Brussels, Belgium many years ago....walking among a massive crowd, a gal came up to us and offered us a cup of what appeared to be yellow water......we thought "Huh?"...she then said in broken english, "From little statue".....we thought again "Huh?".....we then saw the statue of the little boy peeing in the water....the day we were there, he was peeing beer....cups of beer were being consumed by thousands of locals and tourist...coming down from the little boy statue....Manneken Pis. 😄🤣😊

 

Disclosure: I had 3 cups.

So, did you get pissed?

[bonsai3s]

2 hours ago, Canuker said:

So, did you get pissed?

 

😀🤣😍...laughing.

[Toofarfromthesea]

A modicum of Common Sense is helpful.  If elusive.

[SbbquilterUT]

I think the same when I read advise like “no white tennis shoes in Europe” or never wear a back pack” - both of which are used by locals every day.

[ldubs]

On 12/23/2019 at 6:38 AM, John Bull said:

 

The one in the OP?

It's the type that the Rick Steves book mentioned.

It's drinking water, possibly first installed for horses.

 

OP's concern (or should that be merriment ) was that the person quoting Rick Steves was at an ornamental fountain like the Trevi Fountain

 

Good luck drinking from that one 

 

JB 

 

Water source for the Trevi fountain is probably as pure if not the same as for the nasoni.  But I sure wouldn't drink from that pool of water.  Same for many other larger decorative fountains. Ick!  

[SRF]

On 12/22/2019 at 10:44 PM, angie7911922 said:

Haha, who would even want to drink from a fountain with statues? Always use your common sense. 

 

Especially on a hot day with people taking off their shoes and dangling their feet in them, or wading in them. 😄

 

[donaldsc]

On 12/26/2019 at 12:35 PM, Toofarfromthesea said:

A modicum of Common Sense is helpful.  If elusive.

 

That presupposes that common sense is a general human trait.

 

DON

[Toofarfromthesea]

1 hour ago, donaldsc said:

 

That presupposes that common sense is a general human trait.

 

DON

 

Increasingly it is becoming an oxymoron.