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Can I drink the tap water on a cruise ship?

Cruise ship tap water is safe to drink unless you are told otherwise by the ship's authorities. The water throughout the ship has been treated, filtered and frequently tested to meet the standards of the World Health Organization and the U.S. Public Health Service on ships sailing into and out of U.S. ports of call.



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Yes. All drinking water is either distilled from seawater or loaded onboard while the ship is in port.

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Cruise ship tap water is safe to drink unless you are told otherwise by the ship's authorities. The water throughout the ship has been treated, filtered and frequently tested to meet the standards of the World Health Organization and the U.S. Public Health Service on ships sailing into and out of U.S. ports of call.

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Water is always free of charge on most cruise ships. You may be asked to pay a fee for some versions of bottled water. However, you can likely ask for a jug of iced water in any restaurant or bar for no added cost. There are several water dispensers present on a cruise ship so that you can help yourself.

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There is no drinking age in international waters as this is not codified in the law of the sea. However the Owners of the Ship and the Captain have complete authority to set whatever policy they want for alcohol consumption aboard their ships and most cruise lines departing from the US set it to 21.

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All passengers must be 18 years old to drink beer and wine, and 21 to drink the hard stuff; however when the ship is docked or anchored in an American port, or within the 3-mile limit, the drinking age is 21 for all alcoholic beverages.

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Can you bring snacks, like candy, on a cruise? Shelf-stable snacks like chips, pretzels, protein bars or any other items packaged in sealed wrappers are permitted on every major cruise line.

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However, if purchasing a drink without the package, then you will be charged an additional gratuity on the menu price. As just mentioned, this amount varies by cruise line but is normally 18-20%. So a $10 drink on the menu will actually end up being about $12.

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Drinks That Cost Extra on Cruises: Beverages that cost you extra onboard usually include the following: bottled or sparkling water; specialty coffees and teas at bars, cafes and dining venues; smoothies and specialty blended fruit drinks, fresh-squeezed orange juice and juice ordered at onboard bars.

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Do Cruise Ships Dump Sewage? Yes. To get into a few more specifics than above, the U.S. allows cruise ships to dump treated waste into the ocean if they are within three and a half miles from shore. Beyond that point, there are no restrictions for dumping untreated, raw sewage in U.S. ocean waters.

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When a toilet is flushed on a cruise ship, the sewage travels to the onboard treatment plant. Here the waste is filtered before it enters an aeration chamber. The aeration chamber cleans the waste. It is then sterilized using UV light and released into the ocean when clean enough to do so.

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Usually, this involves your cabin steward cleaning and sanitizing the bathroom, emptying trash bins, replacing towels, making the bed/beds, vacuuming as needed, refilling ice bins, washing and replacing glassware and a general tidying of the room.

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Onboard, bottled water can start at $3.25, and this package is worth it if you plan on enjoying a few of those throughout your cruise—plus a coffee and OJ each morning.

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In many cases, no. Several of the biggest cruise lines, including Carnival, Holland America and MSC Cruises, have a rule that if one adult in a cabin orders a drinks package, all adults in the cabin must order the package. This is to prevent two or more people in a cabin from sharing a single drinks package.

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Fine or surcharge: On many cruise lines, you may be subject to a fine or a surcharge if they catch you sneaking alcohol onto the ship. Confiscation of alcohol: No matter what other disciplinary action the cruise line takes, you can expect them to confiscate your alcohol as soon as they find it.

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Food and drinking are usually complimentary on the cruises. You are also allowed to bring your own snack on the cruise so that you can have what you love. A certain time is fixed for every meal - breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can either have it with everybody in the dining room or bring it to your room.

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If it's homemade, not in a sealed package or needs refrigeration or to be cooked, it's prohibited. The only food allowed on cruise ships is store-bought items in sealed, shelf-stable packaging. If you're tempted to try to smuggle something on board, it's not recommended.

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Guests may also bring non-alcoholic beverages as carry-on items on boarding day. Non-alcoholic beverages may not exceed 12 standard (17 oz.) cans, bottles or cartons per stateroom.

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These stations offer a variety of sodas, lemonade, hot cocoa, tea, coffee, milk, and water. All of these beverages are included in your cruise fare. Please fill a fresh cup with water and then pour it into your personal water bottle when using the beverage stations to refill a water bottle.

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You are allowed to bring a quart-size, zip-lock bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes though the checkpoint in carryon luggage. These combined items need to be less than 3 ounces. More information from the TSA. So the 3-1-1 rule is the TSA's quick reminder: 3 ounces, 1 quart bag and 1 bag per traveler.

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Carnival Cruise Line: Carnival has one of the loosest beverage policies of all cruise lines, allowing each guest to carry on a maximum of 12 sealed 12 oz. cans or cartons of a non-alcoholic beverage (e.g., sodas, juices, milk, or sparkling water) – a policy that most cruise lines have eliminated.

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