Are the pools heated?

[Am I Really Doing This?]

This may be a really dumb question, but are the pools on the ships heated? We're taking the Dawn to Bermuda on the 10/24th sailing and I know it will be chilly those first two days. Although I know people won't really want to go swimming if it's too cold, if the pool water is warm it would be nice. Obviously there are also the hot tubs!

 

Thanks.

[cruiser1955a]

I don't believe so, but the sun will get hotter as you head south. The pool should be a reasonable temperature while you're in Bermuda.

[mpk218]

84.6 degrees , even in Alaska ;)

[shealea]

This past summer dh and I were on the Jewel to Alaska. I was so surprised that the pool water was so warm. I could jump right on it without getting shocked cuz the water was so cold. And I could stay in the pool, floating around, for a long time since the water was so warm. It was really relaxing!

 

The water IS salt water, so that can be a bit of a surprise! Not sure if it is on all ships, though.

[ClarkBHM]

My understanding is that when they fill the pool each day, they pull the sea water from the location they are at, and run it in "flow through" mode when more than 12 miles from shore. In that mode, sea water is constantly taken from the sea, pumped into the pool, and the overflow is drained right overboard again, with no chemicals added. Thus, the pool water will warm up the further south you go, and cool down the further north you go.

 

In Alaska, you are typically less than twelve miles from shore, so the water must be recirculated and chemicals added. This gives the line the opportunity to heat the water if they want to do so.

 

So, if I had to guess, your Bermuda cruise will typically use the flow through method except for the time it's actually docked in Bermuda when it will revert to the recirculated method. Only the recirculated method gives the opportunity to heat the water.

[cb at sea]

If the sun's hot, the water will warm up as the day goes along!

[ColinIllinois]

If the sun's hot, the water will warm up as the day goes along!

 

 

Thank you Captain Obvious. :D

[mattR]

My understanding is that when they fill the pool each day, they pull the sea water from the location they are at, and run it in "flow through" mode when more than 12 miles from shore. In that mode, sea water is constantly taken from the sea, pumped into the pool, and the overflow is drained right overboard again, with no chemicals added. Thus, the pool water will warm up the further south you go, and cool down the further north you go.

 

In Alaska, you are typically less than twelve miles from shore, so the water must be recirculated and chemicals added. This gives the line the opportunity to heat the water if they want to do so.

 

So, if I had to guess, your Bermuda cruise will typically use the flow through method except for the time it's actually docked in Bermuda when it will revert to the recirculated method. Only the recirculated method gives the opportunity to heat the water.

 

 

Sure hope this isn't the case for our cruise out of NYC on Dec 1st the kids will be blue.

[blindrid]

I don't believe they fill it every day but the water will be on the cooler side when they do. The good thing about kids, there is no such thing as too cold:).

[ClarkBHM]

Sure hope this isn't the case for our cruise out of NYC on Dec 1st the kids will be blue.

 

When we cruised out of NYC, the water was noticeably warmer as we headed south to the Bahamas each day, and noticeably colder as we headed back north. Granted, it was a September cruise...

[david_sobe]

If the sun's hot, the water will warm up as the day goes along!

Over 50,000 posts :eek:

Captain obvious is amazing!

[darkprayer]

Over 50,000 posts :eek:

Captain obvious is amazing!

 

AND now you know how he's gotten over 50,000 posts!!

[blindrid]

Over 50,000 posts :eek:

Captain obvious is amazing!

 

Isn't that a sign of not having a life :)?

[Barb Nahoumi]

I don't believe they fill it every day but the water will be on the cooler side when they do. The good thing about kids, there is no such thing as too cold:).

 

Someone once said that the pool deck was snowy when they boarded during a New York winter. As the ship headed south, it was warm enough for swimming two days later.

 

I boarded in New Jersey last March------BRRRRR COLD. Two days later, we were in the pool. Kids were in the day before.

[dongordon]

This may be a really dumb question, but are the pools on the ships heated? We're taking the Dawn to Bermuda on the 10/24th sailing and I know it will be chilly those first two days. Although I know people won't really want to go swimming if it's too cold, if the pool water is warm it would be nice. Obviously there are also the hot tubs!

 

Thanks.

 

I am not sure about the Dawn, since I cruised on the ship almost 10 years ago.

That being said, my last several cruises out of NYC on the Breakaway, Gem and Jewel, all the pools were heated and I enjoyed swimming in them during the cold days back and forth to the Carribbean from NYC.

 

I hope that is the case with all the NCL ships.

The only thing that kept me out of the pool was rough seas that cause the ship to create waves in the pool and they shut it down.

 

Enjoy your cruise! :)

 

Don

[AAAAmerican]

Dear mattR,

 

On our Voyage a.d. 12/01/2014 it should be well done and the multiple hot tubs are higher in temps both in f and c.:cool:

 

 

 

 

Sure hope this isn't the case for our cruise out of NYC on Dec 1st the kids will be blue.

[chengkp75]

When we cruised out of NYC, the water was noticeably warmer as we headed south to the Bahamas each day, and noticeably colder as we headed back north. Granted, it was a September cruise...

 

NCL generally drains and fills the pools once a week. However, you are correct that on the sea days, the pool will be drawing sea water in, and sending it directly over the side. I don't remember heaters in the pools, just the hot tubs. Given that the requirement for water turn over is that the entire pool volume must be either recirculated or changed out (flow through) every 4 hours, I don't think there would be much point to heating a flow through pool.

[ClarkBHM]

NCL generally drains and fills the pools once a week. However, you are correct that on the sea days, the pool will be drawing sea water in, and sending it directly over the side. I don't remember heaters in the pools, just the hot tubs. Given that the requirement for water turn over is that the entire pool volume must be either recirculated or changed out (flow through) every 4 hours, I don't think there would be much point to heating a flow through pool.

 

Agreed. Since the flow through pool generally requires less maintenance, that's probably the preferred method to operate. They are probably heating the water for the Alaska cruises. But the OP was cruising to Bermuda, so I'm thinking they are going to run in flow through mode unless docked.

[rvsullivan]

This question was posted to NCL and here is their response:

 

 

Answer:

Yes the pools are heated

All pools: from 77 F - 98 F degrees; 25 C - 37 C degree

1 month ago

by

NCLSTAFF28

- Miami

[lilly_and_hunter]

We were on the Sky and the water was freezing!! We got huge laughs every day watching as adults would walk down the pool steps, curse at the freezing water, turn around a get into the hot tub. No way was the pool heated.

 

 

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[lilly_and_hunter]

We were on the Sky and the water was freezing!! We got huge laughs every day watching as adults would walk down the pool steps, curse at the freezing water, turn around and get into the hot tub. No way was the pool heated.

 

 

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[lilly_and_hunter]

Or maybe if the Sky pool was heated it was only at the 77 degree mark.... Too cold! Hot tubs were plenty warm and nice.

 

 

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[chengkp75]

Or maybe if the Sky pool was heated it was only at the 77 degree mark.... Too cold! Hot tubs were plenty warm and nice.

 

 

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My time with NCL was on the Sky/Aloha. As I've said, I don't remember a pool heater (though it could have been there), but then again, we were in the Caribbean and Hawaii.

[awaywego0000]

We were just on the Dawn in August. Back in 2010 we were on the Spirit. That ship had salt water in the pools. I assumed the Dawn would too. We were happy to find that the kids pool was NOT salt water. Our daughter didn't like the salt water on the Spirit. So I don't think the water for kids pool comes from the ocean.

 

I don't know if the kids pool was heated. She said the water was warm and she thought it was heated, but it could have been from the sun. We didn't go to the main pool at all. Way too may people imho.

[ClarkBHM]

My guess is that the pools have the capability of being heated, but that doesn't mean that they turn them on.

 

It makes sense to have it heated in Alaska or a Canada/New England cruise, but not so much for a Caribbean cruise.