Didn't want to bring this up in the thread about the near-miss with the child yesterday. Kinda felt wrong. However, on the other fan forum, the one where the passenger/eye witness quote came from, there's all sorts of commenting (in the thread about the kid) about the safety of the pools, need for lifeguards (although apparently no cruise ships provide lifeguards), controlling pool capacity, etc. to address the overall pool safety. Wanted to maybe discuss this further. Here's what I'm thinking:
Lifeguards. Honestly, I don't personally see a need for lifeguards. If your children are smaller or you feel the pool environment is a bit on the wild side, accompany them into the pool with your full attention. That's what we used to do. But, you know, part of having children is that sometimes even with all the caution in the world bad things can and will happen. Even with lifeguards, even with the closest supervision nothing is impossible.
Limiting access/capacity enforcement. Sure limiting the capacity sounds nice but exactly how would you control it? And how many of those same people calling for this would be ranting about not being let into the pool one day because it was at capacity all day? Or their designated pool time wasn't convenient? Or the roped-off area reduces the usable deck space for non-pool-goers who have to walk longer routes to get to the other side of the ship? Even attempting this would be a can of worms that I certainly wouldn't open.
Pool/water safety. What gets me is reading several peoples' statements that towards the later afternoon the pool clarity is poor and the water is hazy. Some even say you can't clearly see the bottom of the pool anymore which blows my mind because I don't think the pools are very deep. I see these things stated about the kids/family pools, not the adult pool. I have no firsthand knowledge because we don't get in the pools on the ship nor do we get close enough to get a good look. Totally makes my head spin, tho. We don't get in the pools, especially the family pools, because they're crazy crowded. So if you walk up and kids are running/jumping all over and the pool looks unsafe, why would you proceed to get in or allow your kid to get in? And, holy smokes, I've often described these chaotic family pools as kiddie cesspools that you couldn't get another body in with a can of Crisco and a shoe horn for a reason. I shudder to think what that water quality is like. The fact that people say in the later afternoon the water is so murky you can't see the bottom turns my stomach. If that water is like that, what the heck would you allow your kid to get in it for??? I wouldn't let my dog get in water like that much less my kids! Then again, I was always a crazy clean freak when it comes to my kids coming into contact with dirt. Same with our dog. This is probably why, unlike the husband & me, we can't get them to swim in lakes or rivers even when we try. LOL!
In the end, I really think it's a situation that DCL cannot win so they leave the pools to the discretion of the parents who are, ultimately, accountable. If you get up on deck and pools are crowded or you see lots of kids running and jumping, go find something else to do. If the water looks questionable, don't get in it. If you decide to go ahead and allow your kids some pool time and you're concerned with their safety, get in with them. If adults want to lounge and relax in the sun, maybe checking the kids into the kids clubs for an hour or two while you do that in the adult area is a better option to just letting the kids go for it in the pools. The only way DCL can truly control the pool safety is to eliminate the pools altogether. Just imagine the uproar THAT would create.
I've often read that if you want a pool/resort vacation cruise ships aren't the best option for that. It's a ship. There can only be so many pools with limited deck space and they can't be big. If you have that many people vying for the pool space this is what you will have to deal with. Deal with it or go on a pool/resort vacation. Makes sense to me.
Lifeguards. Honestly, I don't personally see a need for lifeguards. If your children are smaller or you feel the pool environment is a bit on the wild side, accompany them into the pool with your full attention. That's what we used to do. But, you know, part of having children is that sometimes even with all the caution in the world bad things can and will happen. Even with lifeguards, even with the closest supervision nothing is impossible.
Limiting access/capacity enforcement. Sure limiting the capacity sounds nice but exactly how would you control it? And how many of those same people calling for this would be ranting about not being let into the pool one day because it was at capacity all day? Or their designated pool time wasn't convenient? Or the roped-off area reduces the usable deck space for non-pool-goers who have to walk longer routes to get to the other side of the ship? Even attempting this would be a can of worms that I certainly wouldn't open.
Pool/water safety. What gets me is reading several peoples' statements that towards the later afternoon the pool clarity is poor and the water is hazy. Some even say you can't clearly see the bottom of the pool anymore which blows my mind because I don't think the pools are very deep. I see these things stated about the kids/family pools, not the adult pool. I have no firsthand knowledge because we don't get in the pools on the ship nor do we get close enough to get a good look. Totally makes my head spin, tho. We don't get in the pools, especially the family pools, because they're crazy crowded. So if you walk up and kids are running/jumping all over and the pool looks unsafe, why would you proceed to get in or allow your kid to get in? And, holy smokes, I've often described these chaotic family pools as kiddie cesspools that you couldn't get another body in with a can of Crisco and a shoe horn for a reason. I shudder to think what that water quality is like. The fact that people say in the later afternoon the water is so murky you can't see the bottom turns my stomach. If that water is like that, what the heck would you allow your kid to get in it for??? I wouldn't let my dog get in water like that much less my kids! Then again, I was always a crazy clean freak when it comes to my kids coming into contact with dirt. Same with our dog. This is probably why, unlike the husband & me, we can't get them to swim in lakes or rivers even when we try. LOL!
In the end, I really think it's a situation that DCL cannot win so they leave the pools to the discretion of the parents who are, ultimately, accountable. If you get up on deck and pools are crowded or you see lots of kids running and jumping, go find something else to do. If the water looks questionable, don't get in it. If you decide to go ahead and allow your kids some pool time and you're concerned with their safety, get in with them. If adults want to lounge and relax in the sun, maybe checking the kids into the kids clubs for an hour or two while you do that in the adult area is a better option to just letting the kids go for it in the pools. The only way DCL can truly control the pool safety is to eliminate the pools altogether. Just imagine the uproar THAT would create.
I've often read that if you want a pool/resort vacation cruise ships aren't the best option for that. It's a ship. There can only be so many pools with limited deck space and they can't be big. If you have that many people vying for the pool space this is what you will have to deal with. Deal with it or go on a pool/resort vacation. Makes sense to me.
