Purchase water package or bring our own?

[steveru621]

9 hours ago, wayne_trisha said:

I don't disagree. I definitely need to cruise more. 🙂

 

I did not know they bought water so I was incorrect. I thought I remembered seeing a show that explored all the parts of the ship we don't see as cruisers and them saying they had to desalinate all their water.

 

The great part is we are both correct. 

[LeeW]

Some ports require ships to buy local water and electricity.  If you take one of the ship tours they will tell you that all "fresh" water is held in a separate tank, treated and tested before distributing around the ship.

[taylorna]

WHY DOESN'T ROYAL OFFER STANDARD WATER BOTTLE PACKAGE ANYMORE?   Only Evian is available, and it tastes horrible.

[ONECRUISER]

50 minutes ago, taylorna said:

WHY DOESN'T ROYAL OFFER STANDARD WATER BOTTLE PACKAGE ANYMORE?   Only Evian is available, and it tastes horrible.

Isn't that all they had? Been getting Evian by bottle and case on Royal since 1988. Don't remember a just water bottle package but its included with other Drink Packages... You might been correct, cases of non-Evian were offered for purchase for a short time. If thats what you are talking about

Edited August 7 by ONECRUISER

[cruisenewb1]

On 4/9/2023 at 4:16 AM, alex_drew said:

Same with my husband...ankles swell a LOT when he drinks ship water, but mine don't. Have no idea why. So we do buy bottled water for him and I drink both bottled and ship water, and I'm fine.  Maybe it is some of the heart or other medications that he's on that cause the reaction to the ship water.  It's a mystery, but real.

It’s because the ship water is highly distilled and hence ‘purer’ than bottled water with a lower osmolarity.

[cruisenewb1]

As for why your husband gets it and you don’t, this is likely because you have a better circulation so less pooling of fluid at the lower extremities.

 

However obesity, genetics and diet can also affect propensity to ankle swelling.

[chengkp75]

On 4/9/2023 at 10:20 PM, steveru621 said:

The fact is it's costly to desalinate ocean water.

Since this thread has been resurrected, I'll clarify a few misconceptions.

 

Yes, desalination is expensive, unless you have a ready source of free heat, which cruise ships do.  The "waste heat" from the diesel engines (what your car dissipates through the radiator) that would otherwise be dissipated in warming the ocean, is used to boil the seawater, and then the cold sea water is used to condense the steam.  Desalination on a ship is almost free, requiring only the electricity to run two pumps.

 

Reverse Osmosis desalination is somewhat more costly, as it requires a bit more electricity to power the higher pressure pump, but is still less than the cost of municipal water in most ports.

 

The reason that ships buy water in ports is that the desalination equipment cannot be run when the ship is within 12 miles of land.  So, if the itinerary does not allow sufficient time outside of 12 miles from land, or the speed the ship travels when outside 12 miles is too low (low speed means fewer diesels running, meaning less "waste heat" for the evaporators), then the ship cannot produce enough water to match demand over the length of the cruise, so they will load water in port.

 

This is kept to a minimum for a few reasons.  First, it costs money.  Second, the shore water has to be kept segregated from all other water onboard (loaded to separate tanks, and not used) until a coliform bacteria test is found to be negative (and this takes 24 hours to complete).  Also, water at the hydrant on the dock has to be tested, the hoses have to be sanitized, and the water has to be chlorinated before it goes into the tanks.

[cruisenewb1]

To elaborate on my and chengkp75’s response:

 

Ship water goes through a process of distillation (i.e heating to become steam, then condensing).

 

This removes solutes and other impurities that might be found in bottled water from natural sources.

 

Therefore, given that it is ‘purer’ than bottled water it is more prone to leave the vascular compartment through the process of osmosis and pool in the ankles.

 

 

Edited August 8 by cruisenewb1

[Cruise a holic]

The water is safe to drink.  Some people who drink tons of water, order the non-alcoholic beverage package.  They get bottled water at every bar and venue, and might bring a few bottles back to their cabin.  

 

I wouldn't want to bring as not great savings and bad for my back- it is your vacation.  

Edited August 8 by Cruise a holic

[chengkp75]

14 minutes ago, cruisenewb1 said:

To elaborate on my and chengkp75’s response:

 

Ship water goes through a process of distillation (i.e heating to become steam, then condensing).

 

This removes solutes and other impurities that might be found in bottled water from natural sources.

 

Therefore, given that it is ‘purer’ than bottled water it is more prone to leave the vascular compartment through the process of osmosis and pool in the ankles.

 

 

Ship's water will also have lower levels of magnesium and potassium, lack of either can also cause water retention.  The slightly acidic nature of distilled water will also cause it to leach minerals from wherever it can, like your bones and teeth.

[neverbeenhere]

Most of the excess sodium that cruise passengers are ingesting is coming from 24 hours a day "Restaurant" meals. Them cooks love to add salt to everything.

[puggylicious]

On 4/8/2023 at 7:44 PM, Cherful59 said:

The ship water tastes just fine, however I found my ankles started swelling by the end of each of my cruises.  I started drinking bottled water to see if it made a difference and it did, so I do buy now.  If you do not have the same issue I have I would not think you would have an issue with it.  

The same thing happened to me when drinking the ships water. I bring a bottle of water to the dining room.

[TeeRick]

On 8/7/2024 at 5:25 AM, chengkp75 said:

Since this thread has been resurrected, I'll clarify a few misconceptions.

 

Yes, desalination is expensive, unless you have a ready source of free heat, which cruise ships do.  The "waste heat" from the diesel engines (what your car dissipates through the radiator) that would otherwise be dissipated in warming the ocean, is used to boil the seawater, and then the cold sea water is used to condense the steam.  Desalination on a ship is almost free, requiring only the electricity to run two pumps.

 

Reverse Osmosis desalination is somewhat more costly, as it requires a bit more electricity to power the higher pressure pump, but is still less than the cost of municipal water in most ports.

 

The reason that ships buy water in ports is that the desalination equipment cannot be run when the ship is within 12 miles of land.  So, if the itinerary does not allow sufficient time outside of 12 miles from land, or the speed the ship travels when outside 12 miles is too low (low speed means fewer diesels running, meaning less "waste heat" for the evaporators), then the ship cannot produce enough water to match demand over the length of the cruise, so they will load water in port.

 

This is kept to a minimum for a few reasons.  First, it costs money.  Second, the shore water has to be kept segregated from all other water onboard (loaded to separate tanks, and not used) until a coliform bacteria test is found to be negative (and this takes 24 hours to complete).  Also, water at the hydrant on the dock has to be tested, the hoses have to be sanitized, and the water has to be chlorinated before it goes into the tanks.

I have read that when the cruise ships of Celebrity and RCCL buy extra water from ports and segregate it, they then mostly use it for non-drinking purposes like laundry, cleaning, etc.  There was a cruise critic article on this a couple of years ago.

 

I have always found the purified tap water on board to be fine.

However it does have some residual salts added so I do not use it in my CPAP machine.  I ask for distilled and they easily accommodate that request.

[chengkp75]

57 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

I have read that when the cruise ships of Celebrity and RCCL buy extra water from ports and segregate it, they then mostly use it for non-drinking purposes like laundry, cleaning, etc.  There was a cruise critic article on this a couple of years ago.

I somewhat doubt this, especially for "cleaning", as this would require a whole separate piping system from the potable water, with the expense of adding this piping.  Now, the main laundry typically uses different water from the potable system, but this is most commonly condensate from the AC system.  Again, this is free water, so why would they buy water from ports when there is free water by the tons.  Sometimes this condensate water is also used in the garbage disposal system, but again why buy water for this reason.  If you could find the article, I'd like to see it.

 

1 hour ago, TeeRick said:

However it does have some residual salts added so I do not use it in my CPAP machine.

The only "residual salts" added are calcium carbonate, and if you get the water for your CPAP from a water dispenser in the buffet, bar or dining room, or even from melted ice, that water has had that mineral removed by the carbon filter on the machine.

[TeeRick]

16 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

I somewhat doubt this, especially for "cleaning", as this would require a whole separate piping system from the potable water, with the expense of adding this piping.  Now, the main laundry typically uses different water from the potable system, but this is most commonly condensate from the AC system.  Again, this is free water, so why would they buy water from ports when there is free water by the tons.  Sometimes this condensate water is also used in the garbage disposal system, but again why buy water for this reason.  If you could find the article, I'd like to see it.

 

The only "residual salts" added are calcium carbonate, and if you get the water for your CPAP from a water dispenser in the buffet, bar or dining room, or even from melted ice, that water has had that mineral removed by the carbon filter on the machine.

Here is the article.

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles/cruise-ship-drinking-water-what-to-expect

[dragontrainer]

After chengkp75's previous insightful posts on water it got me looking around and I came across this article which may be of interest for those wanting a slightly more technical discussion.  It also gives some ranges of temperature/pressure for thermal vs. RO systems.

 

They discuss "mineralizers" which match the above comment about addition of calcite (CaCO3) for alkalinity/hardness.  They go into a good deal of discussion of meeting requirements for residual (chlorine) and can give you an idea of some of the tasks the crew are doing that as passengers we'll never see.

 

How Do Cruise Ships Get Fresh Water? (marineinsight.com)

[ParisHilton]

I'm tempted now to spend the £200ish for the ship tour. Just to find out.

[ajtaylor29]

Our first 1 or 2 cruises, i carried water and soda's on with us.....and had to drag them around waiting for our cabin to be ready. I decided then that it wasn't worth it, and i'd spend a few dollars more to buy water or pop onboard! Now, we get some free bottled water on boarding because we're diamond, AND i don't mind drinking the ship water!

It is also an option to order water and/or soda to be delivered to your room so you can stock your refrigerator.

[dragontrainer]

1 hour ago, ParisHilton said:

I'm tempted now to spend the £200ish for the ship tour. Just to find out.

I really enjoyed my behind-the-scenes tour (I did it on Allure) in the past.  I don't specifically recall discussions about the water systems, but even just seeing the laundry room is impressive, as is the whole I-95 (I may have the wrong number) central throughway (as well as everything else).  The galley tour and cooktops with the recognition they can't have flames for cooking may also change your view of the whole food production process.

 

If you like that sort of thing, while expensive, the tour is eye opening.  

[crewsweeper]

On 4/8/2023 at 6:29 PM, Ret MP said:

I haven't done this, yet.  But, I wouldn't hesitate to bring my 12-cup Zero Water system.  Stuff the water container with T-Shirts or whatever to keep it from cracking, put it in the middle (between all clothing) of the suitcase, bring a new filter in its original plastic bag, and enjoy life. 

 

I've been a happy camper with Zero Water (not the new EcoFilter, though) for many many years.  Water tastes like water.  No, I have no affiliation with the company.  

Wait. You'd filter already filtered ship water?  Waste of filters if you ask me.  I drink ship water all the time. Not out of the bathroom spigots, but off the fountains and dispensers in the Windjammer and in the restaurants.  Very easy. 

But bringing water on board is an unnecessary hassle.

[chengkp75]

3 hours ago, TeeRick said:

Here is the article.

Interesting, though I do question the statement:  "On some ships, water from ports is used strictly for non-drinking purposes like laundry, engine cooling or ballast.".  As I've said, laundry water is typically from the AC system condensation, and if you don't think that amounts to much, on a 2200 passenger cruise ship in Hawaii, we produced over 300 tons of condensate a day.  We frequently had to pump it overboard, as it exceeded the laundry's usage.  No ship will ever use municipal water for engine cooling.  This is what is known as "technical water", and is always distilled water, from the evaporators.  Reverse Osmosis units do not make water pure enough to be used as cooling water.  And, to think of spending money to buy ballast water is ridiculous.  Ballast water is only carried to offset usage of other liquids like fuel and potable water, so it is put onboard, and pumped overboard as needed.  To do this with fresh water, especially water that has been paid for, is not economically sound.  Ballast water is sea water.  It comes from the sea when needed, and goes back to the sea when not needed, and doesn't cost a thing.  Now, I will qualify that with this, most ships will have a "roll stabilizing" tank, where the water in it sloshing back and forth, controlled by sensors, helps reduce the roll speed of the ship (like the stabilizers).  The water in this tank is usually fresh water, because it remains in the tank all the time, it is not pumped in and out like ballast water.  But, this water is usually only changed out during dry dock, when the inside of the tank is inspected, so using shore water for this would be an every 3-5 year happening.

 

I don't know the qualifications of the writer of the article, nor do I know the source of her information, but from 46 years at sea, I can say that I've never heard of what she claims.

[seychelle]

On 8/8/2024 at 9:01 AM, neverbeenhere said:

Most of the excess sodium that cruise passengers are ingesting is coming from 24 hours a day "Restaurant" meals. Them cooks love to add salt to everything.

Totally agree with this. At least for me the culprit is the very high salt content of meals on the ship. I’m accustomed to a very low salt diet and usually eat fresh veggies and fruit on a cruise. If I have a regular hot meal for lunch and dinner I wake up the next morning puffy with water retention every time. Much of the water retention passengers experience has to be secondary to added salt. I drink lots of water both ship’s water and bottled and have not noticed water retention using either. 

[TeeRick]

18 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Interesting, though I do question the statement:  "On some ships, water from ports is used strictly for non-drinking purposes like laundry, engine cooling or ballast.".  As I've said, laundry water is typically from the AC system condensation, and if you don't think that amounts to much, on a 2200 passenger cruise ship in Hawaii, we produced over 300 tons of condensate a day.  We frequently had to pump it overboard, as it exceeded the laundry's usage.  No ship will ever use municipal water for engine cooling.  This is what is known as "technical water", and is always distilled water, from the evaporators.  Reverse Osmosis units do not make water pure enough to be used as cooling water.  And, to think of spending money to buy ballast water is ridiculous.  Ballast water is only carried to offset usage of other liquids like fuel and potable water, so it is put onboard, and pumped overboard as needed.  To do this with fresh water, especially water that has been paid for, is not economically sound.  Ballast water is sea water.  It comes from the sea when needed, and goes back to the sea when not needed, and doesn't cost a thing.  Now, I will qualify that with this, most ships will have a "roll stabilizing" tank, where the water in it sloshing back and forth, controlled by sensors, helps reduce the roll speed of the ship (like the stabilizers).  The water in this tank is usually fresh water, because it remains in the tank all the time, it is not pumped in and out like ballast water.  But, this water is usually only changed out during dry dock, when the inside of the tank is inspected, so using shore water for this would be an every 3-5 year happening.

 

I don't know the qualifications of the writer of the article, nor do I know the source of her information, but from 46 years at sea, I can say that I've never heard of what she claims.

Thanks for all of the insight as always.  I would assume that the writer has no ship engineering qualifications but assume that CC would check with experts before publishing.  At least I hope so.   But I have learned a lot from this discussion.  Thank you.

[smokeybandit]

19 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

As I've said, laundry water is typically from the AC system condensation,

Aha! That explains why my clean clothes smell the way they do.

[chengkp75]

5 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Aha! That explains why my clean clothes smell the way they do.

Well, typically they add more chemicals to the washers then just detergent to take care of problems caused by using condensate.  For instance, condensate water tends to be high in copper (having leached it off the AC cooling coils), and when whites are washed in this water, they tend to come out green.  So, a small amount of acid is added to the wash water to neutralize this.  Instead of detergent, bleach, and softener, the ship's commercial machines have 5-6 dosing units to add chemicals to the machines, based on the cycle chosen.