Unbeliveable Aboard Westerdam

[HeatherInFlorida]

Didn't tell anybody not to swim--just said I wasn't.

 

:) Yup! Me, too. No scare tactics here. As if anybody would listen to me anyway:o ! LOL

[xpcdoojk]

:) Yup! Me, too. No scare tactics here. As if anybody would listen to me anyway:o ! LOL

 

I listen very carefully to you Heather! Your thoughts are important to me! :)

 

As far as fear mongering let's leave that to the professionals, the government and the press. :D

 

jc

[star453]

Maybe I'll just quit cruising! NOT:D

[kryos]

Well when the infant goes, poopy or peepee, the rest of the pool patrons get to share. O and BTW it is generally against the rules for infants to be in any of the pools, hmmm wonder why, O yeah, poopy diapers.....:rolleyes: PS I really hope you are joking.:eek:

That is exactly why I stay out of the pools. Too much chance of getting sick, especially if there are a lot of children using the pool ... not just infants. Do you honestly think little Johnny is gonna leave his friends and chance missing the fun if he has to go pee-pee. Why, he'll just let loose right where he is! After all, who is gonna know?

 

Nope, I'll wait until I get in port to swim. Somehow I think it's safer that way. At least you have a whole ocean there.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Oceanwench]

 

As far as fear mongering let's leave that to the professionals, the government and the press. :D

 

jc

 

As a member of the press, I object.

[meff]

I once heard a good quote that I think may fit in here. From Roy Blunt, Jr. on National Public Radio, "You can extend the length of your life, or you can live." Not to offend or criticize anyone for the choices you make in your own life, but for me it often puts issues such as this one in perspective. I think I'll go in the pools anyway.

[Cuttle]

We all can make our own choice. Being aware of the dangers of swimming in public pools is interesting. I swim three times a week in a public pool (I don't have the luxury of having a private one) and I have to trust the folks looking after the pool to keep it correctly maintained. I do swim during adult only times, so no children. Now that I am more aware I will be paying more attention to the pool, but I will still swim.

 

I am sure many have seen the items that circulate on the Web about how those born before the 50's or 60's survived doing all the things the younger generation are now warned against, you know the things: no fried foods, no sun bathing without sun screen, no this, no that. Obviously these warnings are warranted but... we survived and I am sure I will survive swimming in public pools.

[DFD1]

Same here.

[sail7seas]

Ditto.

 

I've been swimming in cruise ship pools for as long as we've been cruising. Haven't ever gotten sick yet. The irony is the one cruise I did not swim in the pool (our January cruise on Veendam) is the one time I DID get sick. :(

[dakrewser]

Nope, I'll wait until I get in port to swim. Somehow I think it's safer that way. At least you have a whole ocean there.

 

You do know what fish do in the ocean, don't you? :rolleyes:

[blackbird71]

There is an old saying about what fish do in the sea. The pools are tested, but outside the US the beaches are not. Myself I will take a pool anytime.

 

As my pool guy at my apartment would say every summer, "Summers here and so is the acid rain" :D

[bepsf]

So that's why they have showers right there next to the pool....:rolleyes:

[Renorita]

This is not by any means my review of the Westerdam cruise, b2b 3/6 thru 3/20

that will come soon but I thought I would get some blood flowing in everyones veins!:D

 

How about someone TALKING ON A WALKIE TALKIE IN THE PINNACLE GRILL!!:eek:

 

How about someone WITH AN INFANT IN A FLOATIE IN THE AFT POOL!:eek:

yes mommie took him out and changed his crappy swim suit right in front of me!

yes i reported it to the front desk on two different occasions.

yes they were back!

 

Thank you Front Office for calling me to tell me that it will be handled!

 

Okay I was eating when I starting reading this thread! :eek: Sure looking forward to your positive comments! :)

[Sillyjilly]

You do know what fish do in the ocean, don't you? :rolleyes:

 

Good point! :)

[HeatherInFlorida]

You do know what fish do in the ocean, don't you? :rolleyes:

 

That ocean is a whole lot bigger and the fish a whole lot smaller than a pool and a person. The fact is we're all probably perfectly safe in most well cared for public pools including cruiseship pools. But we all draw lines in different places. Some people won't shake hands, some don't get in hot tubs. It's whatever works for you and makes you comfortable. It's not like there's a right or wrong here.

 

Sail, I'm thinking the lesson learned is you should always swim in the pool!!!:D Probably the chemicals used in the pool have kept you healthy on all your other cruises. There might be something to this!!!

[bonnyweed]

I not a germophobe either and I do realize that fish poop in the sea. However, the thought of jumping into a small pool or smaller hottub on a cruiseship (or anywhere) is revolting to me. Just think of the scum you leave on your own bathtub when you are relatively clean.
My vision of the pool is a stew of sweat, urine, snot, feces & other bodily fluids .....and that's just from the healthy folks. Look out for floaters! Add to that the broth of sun tanning products, oozing from open sores, deodorant, ben gay, foot powder and other toiletries and I'm quite happy to take it all in from my chaise lounge.
They could fill that pool with 100% chlorine and it isn't going to be any more appealing to me. I'll take shark sh** over human sh** any day.

[pins5]

[quote name='bonnyweed']I not a germophobe either and I do realize that fish poop in the sea. However, the thought of jumping into a small pool or smaller hottub on a cruiseship (or anywhere) is revolting to me. Just think of the scum you leave on your own bathtub when you are relatively clean.
My vision of the pool is a stew of sweat, urine, snot, feces & other bodily fluids .....and that's just from the healthy folks. Look out for floaters! Add to that the broth of sun tanning products, oozing from open sores, deodorant, ben gay, foot powder and other toiletries and I'm quite happy to take it all in from my chaise lounge.
They could fill that pool with 100% chlorine and it isn't going to be any more appealing to me. I'll take shark sh** over human sh** any day.[/QUOTE]

:( :confused: :cool: :eek:

[the2ofus]

If you really are observant at the pools, you will note that very few people actually get into the pools, especially the aft pool, so there are not lots of people constantly shedding germs in there, in whatever form. The fact that the pool is chlorinated and that, especially in the Caribbean, it gets lots of sunshine and is rather cool would indicate that it is not a great medium for the growth or survival of lots of germs.

I would guess that it is at least as safe as the pool at our local YMCA where I swim at least 3 times a week most of the year.

I will continue to use the aft pool on HAL ships. The Lido pool is usually too warm for my liking, and much more likely to be used by kids.

[bepsf]

[quote name='bonnyweed']I not a germophobe either and I do realize that fish poop in the sea. However, the thought of jumping into a small pool or smaller hottub on a cruiseship (or anywhere) is revolting to me. Just think of the scum you leave on your own bathtub when you are relatively clean.
My vision of the pool is a stew of sweat, urine, snot, feces & other bodily fluids .....and that's just from the healthy folks. Look out for floaters! Add to that the broth of sun tanning products, oozing from open sores, deodorant, ben gay, foot powder and other toiletries and I'm quite happy to take it all in from my chaise lounge.
They could fill that pool with 100% chlorine and it isn't going to be any more appealing to me. I'll take shark sh** over human sh** any day.[/QUOTE]


[font=Arial Black]Ummm - that [i][color=red]really is[/color][/i] why they have showers next to the pools...[/font]

[CHRIS3169]

Okay, I have to add if everyone is afraid of the swimming pools, what about shopping carts, doors that you open to go into any store, the atm machine, the credit cards macines at check outs, and the worst---- the bathroom door (anywhere)!!!!

Hopefully the infant at least had a swim diaper on. So what's in the ocean????
Very amusing thread!
Christy

[xpcdoojk]

Don't forget the germs on your money. Think how many people touch it. They go to the bathroom at the ballpark and then they go buy a hotdog and a beer then the lady who takes his money hands him a hot dog. The process is neverending.

Anyone else see George Carlin's germ schtick? :D

jc

[Time2sail]

Chlorine will not destroy a protozoan. The pool has to have very special, specific treatment to be rid of it. This goes for public or private pools.

The whole point of my first post was that a comment was made that proper chlorine levels will keep the water clean. Not true.

As for the comments about germs, surely you are not putting your mouth on the grocery cart, bathroom door or money. Don't you wash your hands before you eat? But still, you are talking about germs and not a protozoan. Do a little reading and just be smarter about going into a public pool or hot tub.

It is wonderful to hear testimonies of how many swim and will continue swimming. No one has told you in any of these posts not to do this. It reminds me of teenage peer pressure when posters try to convince everyone that you have to do what I do.

I water ski in our lakes that have gators but you don't have to.:)

[bonnyweed]

If people use the poolside shower (and I see many folks using it after their swim rather than before) that might rinse off some of the sweat and toiletries. However, a pre-pool shower does nothing for those nasty little things folks do once they get in the pool. I love to swim in the ocean and lakes.
A small cruiseship pool or hottub presents a concentration of objectionable stuff in parts per hundred rather than parts per million. Other than fecal contamination in pools, I'm not worried about disease and urine is usually sterile. However, aesthetically, it is unappealing for me to swim in what is basically a group bath for vacationers who feel entitled to do whatever they (and their children) want because they're "on vacation." It's not a germ phobia...maybe a toe jam phobia. If I meet someone on the cruise who I want to have a bath with, I'll take him back to my cabin.

[sail7seas]

[quote][i]Reason: too sick from e-coli to type. [/quote] Bonneyweed :) :D [/i]


[i]My favorite is that 'if the pool looks clean and sparkling, it's clean!!!???" Huh.....I don't think I'll depend upon that measure . I'd like to see that the water is tested regularly and chemicals added as indicated by those tests.[/i]


Brian.......Thanks for the common sense suggestion that there is a shower right beside the pool for good reason.

[xpcdoojk]

[quote name='Time2sail']Chlorine will not destroy a protozoan. The pool has to have very special, specific treatment to be rid of it. This goes for public or private pools.

The whole point of my first post was that a comment was made that proper chlorine levels will keep the water clean. Not true.

As for the comments about germs, surely you are not putting your mouth on the grocery cart, bathroom door or money. Don't you wash your hands before you eat? But still, you are talking about germs and not a protozoan. Do a little reading and just be smarter about going into a public pool or hot tub.

It is wonderful to hear testimonies of how many swim and will continue swimming. No one has told you in any of these posts not to do this. It reminds me of teenage peer pressure when posters try to convince everyone that you have to do what I do.

I water ski in our lakes that have gators but you don't have to.[/QUOTE]

Basically, this is a fun thread, but some people don't enjoy fun... they have to demonstrate their superiority, and this makes me sigh.....:rolleyes:

When you say things like .... [i]Do a little reading and just be smarter about going into a public pool or hot tub. [/i]This implies that the rest of us are not as smart as the poster and that pretty much destroys my interest in having fun... :mad:

Then this statement ... [i]It reminds me of teenage peer pressure when posters try to convince everyone that you have to do what I do. [/i]Makes me realize that unless we have this posters point of view and share their state of fear that we are just stupid children trying to get the smart person to do the wrong thing. We are talking about getting into a swimming pool, we are not talking about taking LSD... gimme a freaking break already. :rolleyes:

Seriously, the world is full of dangers, but until the poster shows me a statistical analysis showing deaths from swimming in pools on cruise ships, I will blissfully ignore this big danger sign.... :p

Again, I would like for everyone to consider reading Chrichton's new book "State of Fear". It should be required reading.

jc