Are the pools heated?

[chengkp75]

The small kiddy pool up forward on the Sky is fresh water, and is heated.

[crisp1]

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

 

Are you sailing on the 12/01/14 Gem? Come back over to the roll call and say Hi :D

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=44349272#post44349272

[Bruce CountyJay]

I was on the Jewel when it used to sail out of New York and the pool was very warm compared to the ships that sail out of southern ports.

[blindrid]

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

 

No way - regardless of whomever NCLSTAFF28 is, there is no way the water on my last two cruises were in the 70's much less 98 degrees. Even if she is talking hot tubs, the water was rarely warm enough.

[Am I Really Doing This?]

Thank you for all of your responses. It seems there is some debate on this issue!

[DaisyGoldberg]

I'm not a pool person, but on my Dawn Bermuda cruise in the beginning of September they announced each day the temperature of the pool. The captain would say something like "The pool temperature is 82.3 degrees, the same temperature as the ocean." I wondered why that was, but I guess I know now... because it WAS the ocean!

 

I remember being shocked that the ocean was actually that temperature, midway between Bermuda and Boston. Presumably surface water temps!

[mpk218]

Heated to 84.6 degrees . Alaska , Carib , Bahamas , Bermuda , Med ... ooh I wanna take ya to Kokomo ... ;)

 

Its on the little O'l tv every day , every port .. Of course it may take a bit to get there from refill...

[ClarkBHM]

I'm not a pool person, but on my Dawn Bermuda cruise in the beginning of September they announced each day the temperature of the pool. The captain would say something like "The pool temperature is 82.3 degrees, the same temperature as the ocean." I wondered why that was, but I guess I know now... because it WAS the ocean!

 

I remember being shocked that the ocean was actually that temperature, midway between Bermuda and Boston. Presumably surface water temps!

 

Exactly what I was saying. If they are operating in flow through mode, they jsut bring it in off the ocean surface, let you swim in it, and cycle it back off the ship. There isn't enough time for a heater to have much impact.

 

If they are operating in colder climes, or close to the shore, they operate it in a different mode, the heater kicks in, but they also have to monitor the chemical levels for the safety of the passengers.

[awaywego0000]

Apparently this has come up before. When I searched the topic this is what I found:

 

Over the past several years, the cost of desalinating sea water has skyrocketed with the high cost of fuel. In many ports it is now less expensive to bunker fresh water at the pier than it is to produce it ourselves at sea.

In the Caribbean today, most of the fresh water on a ship was purchased in port.

 

It is true that we do not have "standard chlorinated pools" on ships. We are required by USPH to use far more chlorine and bromine in our pools than most pools ashore.

And yes, we do often drain the pools during rough weather, and also to dump the pollution into the sea and re-fill the pools.

 

The ship I manage has this technology and equipment onboard. But we have a challenge with waste heat from the engines. There isn't enough of it.

 

Priorities for recycled engine heat are:

1. Steam for galleys and laundry.

2. Hot water for cabins and galleys.

3. Heat for swimming pools.

 

Whatever waste heat is left over is used to produce fresh water.

But we are in the Caribbean right now, meaning very few opportunities to produce large quantities of fresh water from Sea Water.

 

Last week my ship produced fresh water at an average cost of US$7 per ton.

We bunkered fresh water at several ports at an average cost of US$3.50 per ton.

We consume 2,500 tons of fresh water every day.

The costs - and savings - add up very quickly.

 

I am now on a newer ship that uses "waste heat" from the engines for flash evaporation. But none of that heat is wasted anymore. So if we use that heat for distilling water, we cannot use it to create steam for the laundry and galley, or to make hot water for showers.

 

We only have enough "waste heat" for distillation or steam and hot water production when we are running more than 3 engines. That means we can only distill water or heat your shower water on high speed runs. Our company - like the others - is making every effort to reduce high speed runs to an absolute minimum. On some itineraries we have only one or two of these opportunities, which will not allow us to produce enough fresh water - or steam or hot water - that we need.

 

When we make fresh water onboard with engine heat, we are forced to fire up the boilers to make steam and hot water - which requires expensive fuel. One way or another, we have to pay for it. With fuel prices still climbing, it is far less expensive in most ports to buy water rather than making it at sea.

 

Our fuel costs doubled between 2008 and 2011.

They nearly doubled again between 2011 and 2014.

 

We used to just fire up the boilers when we needed to produce fresh water, and steam and hot water for the Hotel, and we used electric heaters for the swimming pools.

No longer.

It is just too expensive.

 

Until 2012, we always had an extra engine online, just in case the hotel needed more power, or we had a chance to make water.

No longer.

We can't afford it.

 

Until 2013, we always put an extra engine online when arriving or departing a port, in case we needed extra maneuvering power.

No longer.

We can't afford it.

 

Since 2012 my company has shortened port times, giving us an extra hour of slow speed sailing before and after each port call. This slower speed saves plenty fuel, but rarely gives us enough power or heat to produce fresh water.

 

Since 2011, up to 40% of the salary of each senior officer is based on water and fuel savings.

The very last thing any of us is willing to do is arrange to produce more fresh water at sea.

[chengkp75]

While I won't dispute that person's claims based on his/her ship, I tend to discount this as a reason for not heating pools.

 

I agree that fuel prices have skyrocketed, and all shipping companies are looking for ways to reduce consumption.

 

However, there are two main sources of "waste" heat from diesel engines. One is the exhaust gas, and a well designed ship will have boilers installed in the exhausts to boil water for the cabin heat, hot water, galley and laundry steam required. The other is the heat passed to the cooling water in the engine, which used to be transferred to sea water, and the hot sea water sent over the side. Now, a well designed ship will use the hot cooling water to provide the heat for evaporation of sea water to make fresh water.

 

While neither of these sources of heat are available in port, since there will normally be only one engine running at somewhat reduced load (less heat generated), the fuel consumption is also down, and the boilers (fueled by heavy fuel like the engines) can generate enough steam for heat, hot water, etc. You are not allowed to make water within 12 miles of shore anyway.

 

Both of these sources of heat, when underway, are essentially free of fuel cost, since they are using heat that would normally be rejected to the atmosphere or sea. Now, if you don't have exhaust gas boilers, then yes, you may have to use some fuel to make water.

 

The statements about having extra engines online, just in case, shows a poor design of ship's automation. I have been on ships from the 80's where when the power demand reaches 80% of online capacity, the automation will start another generator, and when the demand falls, it will remove the generator. Keeping the engines loaded as close to 80% as possible both improves the fuel efficiency and maximizes the waste heat available.

 

I do agree that with slower steaming speeds, the ability to produce water is reduced, so this leads to more shore water bunkering.

 

If the ship in question uses 2500 tons of water a day, it must be one of the Oasis class ships, or they have a problem with their systems. A 2200 passenger cruise ship uses about 700-800 tons per day.

 

All that being said, most of this concerns making fresh water, which is a major source of heat demand on the ship's power plant. Heating the swimming pools, whether electrically or by steam is a very small percentage of total power onboard, and this person even states that heating the pool is a priority over making water (which I dispute).

[reveur15]

I do agree that with slower steaming speeds, the ability to produce water is reduced, so this leads to more shore water bunkering.

 

I'm wondering how safe is fresh water from shore water bunkering ? Is it what we drink onboard without any purification ? Do they have any quality control ? :confused:

[chengkp75]

I'm wondering how safe is fresh water from shore water bunkering ? Is it what we drink onboard without any purification ? Do they have any quality control ? :confused:

 

Hokay,

 

The water taken in port must be from a source that is tested and meets either WHO or USPH standards on a monthly basis. You can't just hook up to any fire hydrant you see, it must be labeled as "potable water", and the port must have certificates of purity on file.

 

Before the water is connected to the ship, the water is let flow from the hydrant, and is then sampled and this sample goes to medical for testing for bacteria (this takes 18-24 hours to test). The hoses are kept separate, and are marked for use with potable water only, and are stored with caps on the ends. The hose ends and all fittings are sanitized in a bleach solution before use.

 

Once the water is flowing onto the ship, it is dosed with chlorine to 2ppm before it goes into the ship's tanks (the same level of chlorination that is done for water produced onboard from desalinization before it enters the tanks). When the tank is full, another sample is drawn and sent to medical for testing for bacteria. Since the bacteria test takes 18-24 hours for results, the tank that received water in port must be kept segregated from the rest of the water tanks until the test comes back negative.

 

Once the tank comes back negative for bacteria, it may be used normally for ship's use. All water onboard (with very few exceptions) is the same water, whether it is for drinking, showering, toilets, galleys, etc. The couple of exceptions are that the ship's laundry will frequently use condensate from the A/C system in the washing machines, and the engine room uses "technical" water which is not sanitized in the machinery.

 

All ship's potable water is circulated around the ship, not just pressured up like your water mains at home. The water is taken from the tanks, and pumped to each deck, and there is a ring main around the deck, that each cabin or public space taps off of. This ring main returns the water to the storage tanks. This recirculation allows for constant monitoring of the water's residual chlorine content, which must be maintained at 0.5ppm at the farthest point from the engine room. Your water board chlorinates at source and then the chlorine will dissipate over time as the water travels or sits in the mains. Ship's water is constantly monitored, and constantly dosed with chlorine so that there is always some in the water to kill anything. This is why ship's water is safer than 99% of water supplies ashore.

[TheManitoban]

I just did a back to back cruise in September on the Dawn: Boston - Bermuda - Boston - Quebec.

 

The pool water was the exact same temperature every day. When travelling to Canada, it got quite cold. I have video of people sitting poolside in winter jackets while people swim. The water was warm and I guarantee that wasnt unheated sea water.

 

They also emptied and cleaned the hot tubs and pool every day.

 

One thing I suggested they do in the cooler climates is to have some sort of east hot tub cover. I love getting in the hot tub at night but the last few nights it was really cool and the heat escaped too quickly. If the air is cool, its great to get into a really hot hot tub. A cover that guests can pull back would keep the water hot and be more efficient for the ship.

[blindrid]

Exactly what I was saying. If they are operating in flow through mode, they jsut bring it in off the ocean surface, let you swim in it, and cycle it back off the ship. There isn't enough time for a heater to have much impact.

 

If they are operating in colder climes, or close to the shore, they operate it in a different mode, the heater kicks in, but they also have to monitor the chemical levels for the safety of the passengers.

 

That makes perfect sense. I didn't realize there various options. I know there were times in the northern caribbean / Atlantic, the pool was pretty cold.