A common question first time cruisers have is if they should bring a case of their own bottled water or just buy the bottled water on board the cruise ship. The real answer is no to both questions. Yes, some cruise lines will allow you to pack your own case of bottled water in your luggage and have it delivered up to your room, but you really don’t need to drink bottled water.
In fact, the water in your cabin that comes out of the bathroom sink is probably just as clean if not cleaner than the bottled water you want to bring on board. Today’s cruise ships use a sophisticated water filtration system that allows you to have clean, fresh water anywhere on board without the need of buying bottled water. Some of them even have desalination systems that allow them to take out the salt from the ocean’s water and use it as much as they want on the ship. This process is akin to distillation and gives you about the purest water you can get on this planet without going to a scientist’s lab.
So what if you want to bring water with you when you are on the ship or want to take some water ashore when the boat stops at different ports? Just bring a couple empty bottles or even a fancier double walled bottle to keep you water cold. You can then fill it up in your sink and carry it around with you at the ports to save you some serious money.
Bottled water can cost $2 – $4 at the ports (depending which ones you are stopping at), so having your own free water can help you cruise on a budget.
Cruise ships actually use pretty much the same filtration process as water bottling companies use, so you don’t have to hesitate to drink the water. Bringing your own huge case of bottled water only shows either how paranoid you are about the ship’s water or just a lack of knowledge about how clean the water really is.
At some ports you will want to have your own water anyway, so bringing some empty bottles to fill up with the sink in your stateroom will be a huge benefit. In fact, you can get very sick if you drink the water at some ports if your body is not used to the contaminants and things that are in the water.
This is mine and my wife’s 7th cruise and the first time we take water with us. I do not agree that the water tastes all that great on board, I do agree though that bottled water can be quite pricey.