Cruise Talk: Salt Water Showers

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»	Cruise Talk » Ocean Liners and Classic Cruise Ships » Salt Water Showers

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Topic: Salt Water Showers

CGT
First Class Passenger
Member # 3531

posted 04-13-2003 02:08 AM

Okay I could be TOTALLY off base but I thought I read somewhere that showers on board ships long ago were salt water. HUH? WHAT? Yes, that's right and that there was special soap that was made to lather in salt water. I swear I read this (but it doesn't make any sense at ALL to me)! Someone tell me I was dreaming, misunderstood or just read wrong.

CGT

Posts: 2760 | From: New York, New York, USA | Registered: Dec 2002 | IP: Logged

cruiseny
First Class Passenger
Member # 2928

posted 04-13-2003 10:23 AM

Yes I've heard that too.

Before ships "made" their own water, they used salt water to soap, and then rinsed off the lather with fresh water... Or so I've read.

Posts: 4730 | From: New York, USA | Registered: Mar 2002 | IP: Logged

CGT
First Class Passenger
Member # 3531

posted 04-13-2003 10:34 AM

Okay I didn't ever read the part about rinsing off with fresh water. That makes more sense.

CGT

Posts: 2760 | From: New York, New York, USA | Registered: Dec 2002 | IP: Logged

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 04-13-2003 10:37 AM

In the days of the "Liners" very little fresh water was made on board so the quantity was quite limited. Few cabins were 'en suite' and if you wanted a bath you made a reservation with the steward. Salt water was commonly used for that and yes, there was a special salt water soap.

In fact, going back even further, there was no water piped into the cabins. There was a collapsible sink with a drain into a bucket and the water came in a jug. There is a name for that unit but I can't recall it.
...peter

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

joe at travelpage
Administrator
Member # 622

posted 04-13-2003 05:50 PM

In certain cabins on the Queen Mary Hotel in Long Beach, the bathtubs still have four sets of knobs - Hot and Cold Fresh Water and Hot and Cold Saltwater. Unfortunately, the Saltwater taps no longer work.

I went looking for a picture and who should I find has a perfect one but PamM.

Joe at TravelPage.com

Posts: 29976 | From: Great Falls, Virginia | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

CGT
First Class Passenger
Member # 3531

posted 04-13-2003 06:04 PM

You know, I stayed aboard the Queen Mary, First Class cabin on A deck, with original fixtures, and come to think of it, I can't remember if the salt water taps were there or not. However, I CAN tell you that the bathroom in the cabin I stayed in was in FAR better shape than the one in the picture!!!

CGT

Posts: 2760 | From: New York, New York, USA | Registered: Dec 2002 | IP: Logged

Cambodge
First Class Passenger
Member # 906

posted 04-28-2003 01:53 PM

Surely those participants on this page "of a certain age," will remember being transported to exotic climes in large gray vessels, as guests of a grateful government. They may also remember the stencils "S.W. Flushing" on the many mysterious pipes which ran throughout the ships. (I later signed many letters to the editor this way, but that is another story).

In the era before holding tanks and treatments, SW flushed directly from heads to the sea. Evaporators of limited capacity were then were introduced but SW showers and flushing were around for decades.

And when fresh water was available, the "navy shower" was practiced. 1. Water and soap; 2. turn off; 3. lather; 4. turn on; rinse.

And we did!

When I returned from Japan on Matson's "Monterey," we not only had fresh-water showers, but tubs!

Posts: 2149 | From: St. Michaels MD USA , the town that fooled the British! | Registered: Nov 1999 | IP: Logged

miami cruiser
First Class Passenger
Member # 3117

posted 04-28-2003 08:25 PM

I stayed on the Queen Mary in cabin A147 in Feb. 2002 and A149 in Feb. of this year and both bathrooms had the 4 taps on the wall by the tub (1 hot salt, 1 hot fresh, 1 cold salt, 1 cold fresh) and were labeled as such. Only the fresh water taps were operational and a small plastic card in the bathroom indicated that. The sink had new taps that matched the 4 bath taps but were only hot and cold (fresh water) taps. The bathroom was very nice and was the equal to what can be found in a nice modern hotel. The bathroom door, tub and toilet were original. The sink, wall tiles, floor tiles, wallpaper, art deco style light over the sink, glass shelf, mirror, shower curtain and hairdryer were new.

Posts: 158 | From: Miami | Registered: Jun 2002 | IP: Logged

nevadaflip
First Class Passenger
Member # 1682

posted 04-29-2003 01:05 AM

Right on Cambodge.

I recall my trip to Japan on the USNS JAMES OHARA, a C3P troop ship, as a buck private in 1957. Showers? I honestly can't remember even taking one during the entire passage!!

Later, from 1962 on, as a crewmember on the American President Lines passenger (and cargo) ships I recall that the showers and baths were fresh water. The swimming pools on the passenger ships were salt water though, and after a dip, the fresh shower was wonderful.

Jerry

Posts: 280 | From: Minden, NV, USA | Registered: Nov 2000 | IP: Logged

Green
First Class Passenger
Member # 171

posted 04-29-2003 09:39 PM

On my first trip to Canada in 1939 on the Duchess of Richmond, I recall my Mum making appointments with our Stewardess for us to have a bath - Mum went first and I was left in the care of the Stewardess, then it was my turn, under the care of a Stewardess, (remember the those ladies were Registered Nurses in those days). We did have a wash hand basin in the cabin and I believe a toilet. Gentlemen, I understand, made arrangements with the Steward.

Only First Class passengers had completely 'private facilities'.

Having a bath was 'an occasion' in those days!

Should say that I recall the bath being salt water with a fresh water spray before being dried off in a B I G warm, fluffy towel.

[ 04-29-2003: Message edited by: Green ]

Posts: 2913 | From: Markham, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

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