Many travelers know that drinking tap water when vacationing aboard isn’t a good idea if you don’t know the water quality of the destination. You don’t want to risk ruining your vacation by getting sick from drinking contaminated water.
But is it safe to drink tap water on a cruise ship? That’s a question that many cruise passengers have pondered as they considered the best way to stay hydrated during a vacation at sea.
Bottled water isn’t complimentary on most cruise ships, so unless you’re purchasing a beverage package that includes it, you’ll probably be drinking the ship’s tap water during a cruise. But is cruise ship water really safe to drink?
Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador, John Heald, often receives questions like this on his popular Facebook page that’s followed by more than 650,000 cruisers. Heald recently discussed cruise ship drinking water safety in a post on his page after receiving an inquiry from a concerned cruise vacationer.
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Staying hydrated is essential on a cruise vacation. Photo credit: Ajith Achuthann / Shutterstock.com
Carnival cruiser asks brand ambassador about drinking water safety
In a Nov. 25 Facebook post, Heald shared a message that he received from a cruiser who began to worry about cruise ship drinking water safety after a coworker got sick on a land-based resort vacation.
“I have a work colleague who just returned from a land-based, all-inclusive, resort vacation. She was sick for the last two days of her trip. Came home with what she thought was a stomach virus. Her partner and their sons came down with it, too,” the unidentified cruise vacationer wrote to Heald.
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The unfortunate situation made the cruiser wonder about the quality of the water that may be brought onto cruise ships in some island destinations.
“This made me think about all the ship water I drink when I cruise with you guys. I know some of the water is taken onto the ship in the islands. How is this safe for your passengers,” the concerned cruiser asked the brand ambassador.
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Carnival ambassador explains where cruise ship drinking water comes from
Heald shared the cruiser’s message in post on his Facebook page in order to clarify where Carnival cruise ships get their tap water for all who may have wondered about the safety of cruise ship drinking water.
“Most of the drinking water that we put on the ship is taken in the United States at our home ports,” the brand ambassador explained.
If a Carnival cruise ship needs to replenish its water supply in a port outside of the U.S., crew must make sure that water meets U.S. public health standards. Cruise lines adhere to public health requirements set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vessel Sanitation Program.
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“If we do bring on water in other ports, it is checked and double checked to the highest of standards as required by United States public health,” Heald noted.
Of course, cruise lines can’t guarantee the safety of drinking water in all the ports their ships visit, so drinking bottled water is generally recommended when you’re off the ship exploring various ports of call on a cruise.
“In the different places we visit, obviously drinking bottled water might be the suggestion I would give but there is absolutely nothing wrong with the ship water,” Heald assured.
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This story was originally published by TravelHost on Nov 26, 2025, where it first appeared in the Come Cruise With Me section. Add TravelHost as a Preferred Source by clicking here.