Water On a Cruise Ship: Can I drink it?
Yes. Post over đ¤Ł
The slightly longer answer is that all tap water onboard, from the tap in your stateroom bathroom to the tap in the restaurants onboard, is extensively treated and monitored.
Having said that, I understand why someone wouldnât want to drink from the tap on a cruise ship. I grew up in an area where the tap water was not safe to drink, so I was always taught to only drink bottled water and never from any sort of tap. Even though I now live in an area with very good tap water quality thatâs perfectly safe to drink, old habits die hard - at home I have a water filter, and elsewhere I still cringe a little if I have to fill a glass straight from the kitchen sink.
In the post, I shed some light on how tap water on a cruise ship is made safe to drink, as well as tip and advice for those (like me) that still feel a little weird drinking tap water regardless.
How is the water made safe to drink?
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) runs the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), and the VSP Operations Manual [PDF] details how it water must be treated and monitored.
To start, cruise ships can source potable water in a couple of ways:
Loaded in at a port. Water must be from a potable source which meets World Health Organization standards for potable water.
From sea water through desalination, either by evaporation or by Reverse Osomis (RO)
Regardless of how the potable water is sourced, the VSP Operations Manual [PDF] details how it must be treated and monitored. For example:
Potable water must be halogenated (e.g. chlorinated) to a certain minimum level within a certain amount of time. Chlorine is a highly effective method of disinfection.
A minimum of four water samples per month must be collected and analyzed for the presence of E. coli. Samples must be collected from the forward, aft, upper, and lower decks of the vessel, and sample sites must be changed each month [1].
For potable water sourced from sea water, the evaporation or RO process itself is highly effective at removing bacteria, viruses, and chemical contaminants like lead.
Is the water from my bathroom tap safe to drink?
All potable water on the ship is treated the same way and is part of the same water system, and this includes all water supplied to bathrooms. The water coming out of your bathroom sink is the same as the water filling the glasses at the restaurants.
But why does it taste so weird?
While all the extensive processing and filtering of the water is great from a safety standpoint, it doesnât taste like Voss đ
Chlorine just plain doesnât taste good (surprise!)
Desalination removes the âgoodâ minerals in water than makes it taste good, such as calcium and magnesium. While the water is remineralized for taste after being desalination, it might not be to everyoneâs liking.
pH is kept pretty strictly around 7-ish, whereas bottled water has a pretty wide pH range depending on brand, from 5 to 8. High pH water can taste bitter, low pH water can taste metallic.
Taste is also quite subjective - some people are used to a certain combination of minerals and pH in their water, just like some people may prefer Dasani over Aquafina.
What are all my options for drinking water on a cruise?
Potable water from any tap, like the one in your stateroom bathroom. I bring a small water filter pitcher - it makes the water taste a bit better and it tricks my mind into thinking Iâm not drinking tap water when Iâm pouring it out from a Brita đ
Self-service water stations at some cafes and restaurants, usually the ones that are take-out or buffet style. Thereâll either be a water machine/dispenser there, or there will be lots of pre-filled cups of water. I usually take a couple cups of water on my way back to my room. You can also bring your own water bottle to these locations to fill up - if there are pre-filled cups of water there, just pour them into your water bottle. A wide-mouth water bottle (like a Nalgene) works best for this.
Bring bottled water on boarding day. Most cruise lines allow you to bring a limited amount of non-alcoholic drinks on boarding day. For example, Royal Caribbean allows up to 12 drinks of 500 ml each per stateroom. Check with the particular cruise line youâre sailing with for their latest policies before doing a Costco haul.
Buy a water package. Most sailings offer water packages to buy bottled water that will be delivered to your stateroom.