A weird question for cruisers who make use of the Bars...

[adSimba]

My family recently got home from our first cruise. I had been warned that all of the sodium in the food would make me swell up like Baymax. It did.

My question is this, for those of you who enjoy adult beverages, or more unlikely, have cruised with both a lot of adult beverages at least one time and without any (or few) on a separate trip, Do you find that alcohol reduces puffiness experienced by non drinkers? and/or because of the sharp rise in body water and sodium, do you suffer less from hangovers?

 

[cruiser21]

My family recently got home from our first cruise. I had been warned that all of the sodium in the food would make me swell up like Baymax. It did.

My question is this, for those of you who enjoy adult beverages, or more unlikely, have cruised with both a lot of adult beverages at least one time and without any (or few) on a separate trip, Do you find that alcohol reduces puffiness experienced by non drinkers? and/or because of the sharp rise in body water and sodium, do you suffer less from hangovers?

I drink a moderate amount each cruise.Ive never had trouble with swelling. I don't know your overall health issues there's a lot of factors that can contribute to swelling. If your a normal weight healthy person with no heart or kidney failure I would just try to drink more water. A glass of water for every alcoholic drink is a good rule for avoiding a hangover. I honestly don't think water retention is going to offset the ill affects of over drinking.

 

[mmouse37]

I never drink to excess onboard so can't comment on hangovers but I do indulge in adult beverages by the pool and usually some wine with dinner. I have been on 39 DCL cruises and my ankles swelled on every one of them (they don't swell at any other time). Walking seems to help a bit and drinking lots of water which is almost contrary to what you would think.

MJ

 

[NZMUM]

I don't drink at all and I have never experienced puffiness. But I do drink a lot of water.

 

[cruiser21]

I never drink to excess onboard so can't comment on hangovers but I do indulge in adult beverages by the pool and usually some wine with dinner. I have been on 39 DCL cruises and my ankles swelled on every one of them (they don't swell at any other time). Walking seems to help a bit and drinking lots of water which is almost contrary to what you would think.

MJ

Drinking lots of water is exactly what you want to do as long as swelling isn't related to some other underlying health issues. People that just swell on ships its likely the salt. I would assume the salt in the air from the ocean would contribute. When you have to much sodium in your body you'll retain fluid so you need to dilute it.

 

[DWillowBay]

Swell up like Baymax!!!! Gosh, I do that in my real life! I don't need a cruise to help with that monster life issue! Though swelling on a cruise is a far more fun reason!

 

[Bonnie1222]

Last year my ankles and lower legs swelled up really bad, which had never happened before. We had a couple drinks a day, nothing super crazy. But I also normally drink a lot of water when I am home and drink diet soda as a treat. With free flowing Coke Zero (my favorite) I only drank water on occasion. It took 2 months for my ankles to get back to normal.

This year I vowed not to drink soda except at dinner, and made sure I drank plenty of water. My ankles were fine and only swelled on the last day, and not that bad.

I think the water drinking did the trick. But also the food it much richer and heavier than I am used to, and my sugar intake is so much higher when I cruise. I think it all adds up and our body reacts in different ways. I also find that as I am getting older, what never affected me in my 30s and early 40s does now.

As for the hangovers, I haven't had one since college, and normally don't drink enough to warrant one. However, last year our last night of the cruise was our anniversary and we were given a bottle of Proscecco. DH doesn't drink it. Before dinner our favorite bartender made me 2 cocktails that were not on the menu and they were pretty potent. I then proceeded to drink the entire bottle of bubbly. By all rights I should have been paying dearly the next morning as we debarked, but I was fine. Not sure if your theory was the reason or I was just lucky.

 

[xavier2001]

Never had any swelling, I drink lots of water, on our recent 14 night cruise had at least one (if not 2 or 3) drinks of the day every day. I am normally not a big drinker at home. No hangovers and surprisingly only a 2 pound weight gain after 14 days.

 

[MelSpees]

I don't drink alcohol. (I generally don't like it.) I do drink a lot of diet soda and never had a swelling problem. I'm not sure why some people seem to have this problem on a ship and others don't.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Cruise swelling is an often discussed topic. Happens to me every time I cruise no matter what I do to try to avoid it. I’ve been on cruises where I drank like a fish. I’ve gone without drinking at all. I’ve tried avoiding cooked foods most of the time opting for mostly fresh veggies & fruit. Still swelled up like a balloon. I’ve been on cruises where I took it easy. I’ve been on a few where I worked out more than half my days onboard. I normally drink a minimum of a gallon of water a day. I never drink sodas because it gives me instant Fred Flinstone feet & it makes all my joints tighten. It’s like no matter what I do, don’t do, or try I will swell. On my next 7-night cruise I plan to ask my doctor for water pills. That’s my last resort. I am perfectly healthy with no underlying health issues. Just had my annual check-up, full labs, and even some extra baseline imaging here & there due to family history. I’m healthy. Cruises just make me swell.

As to hangovers, I don’t really think I’ve noticed any difference for better or worse when cruising. A few times I’ve been preeeeetty sloshy. The hangover was inevitable. I earned it. I didn’t notice it being less or more. That part stayed about the same.

One thing I have learned is drinking when out in the sun a lengthy amount of time really magnifies the alcohol effects on me. That’s usually how I end up sloshy. I drink volume like I normally would but out in the sun just does me in. I try to be way more cautious on days I’ll be outside a good bit.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I don't drink alcohol. (I generally don't like it.) I do drink a lot of diet soda and never had a swelling problem. I'm not sure why some people seem to have this problem on a ship and others don't.

I have read and searched and read so much about cruise swelling because it’s a real problem for me no matter what I do. What I gather is just everyone’s chemistry is different. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason. Some swell. Me. Some don’t. Lucky ducks.

A few times I tried dressing up in pretty strappy heels. Ha! When I get the solid Fred Flintstones going there’s simply no way, no how. I give up. I spend formal nights in the pool now. LOL!

 

[xavier2001]

I also wonder if it’s not just the cruise but the plane ride too, with the change in pressure/prolonged sitting. Maybe the plane ride contributed to the swelling abs just doesn’t show up right away??

 

[g_ppetto]

Anyone know the sodium content of the water on the ship? (I'm not joking...)

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Anyone know the sodium content of the water on the ship? (I'm not joking...)

I don’t. I tried not drinking ANY water from the ship one cruise. Stuck with only bottled water. Made zero difference for me.

My understanding is the fresh drinking water onboard is produced by condensation. I don’t know if there’s any sodium in it or not.

**edit**
I asked my son who’s taken a lot of chemistry classes (& aced them!). He explained how the desalinization process works and said he does not believe there would be any sodium remaining in the water at the end of the process.

 

[g_ppetto]

I don’t. I tried not drinking ANY water from the ship one cruise. Stuck with only bottled water. Made zero difference for me.

My understanding is the fresh drinking water onboard is produced by condensation. I don’t know if there’s any sodium in it or not.

**edit**
I asked my son who’s taken a lot of chemistry classes (& aced them!). He explained how the desalinization process works and said he does not believe there would be any sodium remaining in the water at the end of the process.

Thanks for your reply. The amount of sodium depends on the desalination process - reverse osmosis or distillation. Reverse osmosis leaves some salt in the water. Both systems may be in use. Not knowing what Disney uses has me wondering. My initial concerns were related to the food but after reading this, iced tea and coffee could be a problem too. My carry-on could contain a case of water, instant coffee, PB&J, and a loaf of bread.

 

[xavier2001]

Thanks for your reply. The amount of sodium depends on the desalination process - reverse osmosis or distillation. Reverse osmosis leaves some salt in the water. Both systems may be in use. Not knowing what Disney uses has me wondering. My initial concerns were related to the food but after reading this, iced tea and coffee could be a problem too. My carry-on could contain a case of water, instant coffee, PB&J, and a loaf of bread.

I'd be tempted to just ask the doc for a water pill before bringing my own food LOL!

 

[g_ppetto]

I'd be tempted to just ask the doc for a water pill before bringing my own food LOL!

Would be nice if it were as easy as a water pill, LOL. I don't retain water. Sodium irritates the linings of your arteries. It's not my feet swelling that is the issue.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Thanks for your reply. The amount of sodium depends on the desalination process - reverse osmosis or distillation. Reverse osmosis leaves some salt in the water. Both systems may be in use. Not knowing what Disney uses has me wondering. My initial concerns were related to the food but after reading this, iced tea and coffee could be a problem too. My carry-on could contain a case of water, instant coffee, PB&J, and a loaf of bread.

Well, maybe someone here knows what process Disney uses to desalinize onboard their ships. That’s bound to be called out somewhere. @truck1, do you have an answer for this one? Maybe know where the answer would be found?

 

[truck1]

Well, maybe someone here knows what process Disney uses to desalinize onboard their ships. That’s bound to be called out somewhere. @truck1, do you have an answer for this one? Maybe know where the answer would be found?

Let me do some looking and see what I can find. I do know that typically ships have multiple systems for fresh water. I have seen all 4 of the ships in different ports taking on fresh water from a hydrant next to the ship. Depending on what the water is used for, determines where it comes from. For example grey water which is toilet water, waste water from sinks,showers etc is cleaned to dws and reused to wash the ship or flushing the toilets etc. Condensate from the air conditioning evaporator is used also. Now that I think of it, let me look at my DCL cookbook and see what some of the ingredients that are used. That may explain where at least some of the salt comes from.

 

[Mobbane]

If I had to guess, DCL water is probably better than your local city water.

Higher sodium is probably in the food as it is a natural preservative and flavor enhancer. Drinking any fluids will help flush it out, as well as excersice and sweating, as long as you replace that water with more.

For hangovers, eating while drinking alcohol is key (although this may add to the sodium problem). It's less the dehydration and more alcohols ability to expand your capillaries that give you the headache the next morning. Eating food, or drinking water, helps dilute the alcohol as well.