NCL adding lifeguards to family pools

[LMaxwell]

Starting this summer, schedule of rollout unknown, all family pools will have lifeguards.

[Gershep]

This is good news. Thanks for posting.

[Turtles06]

Agreed, good news. There's a sticky about this at the top of the forum, with a link to this article, which has more info, including the rollout schedule:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=7745

[coolcruiser777]

Only the Getaway, Breakaway, Epic, and Escape will have them this Summer. The rest will have them by early 2018.

[skeeter195]

Way to little, way to late.

[mjkacmom]

Way to little, way to late.

What is too little? What else would you like? Most ships do not have lifeguards. I do think they should, because I find the pools on ships dangerous even for good swimmers, being deep and crowded.

[CruisinHarvey]

Way to little, way to late.

 

Interesting. I don't understand why it's to little. You want them to put 2 life guards by the family pool? NCL is the third cruise line to implement life guards. Disney was the only line, as you would expect, until last year when Royal started too.

[BS Racing]

Firm believer in this> " parents are always the first line of supervision when it comes to water safety,".

[AliceIn]

Firm believer in this> " parents are always the first line of supervision when it comes to water safety,".

 

Very true - to keep children from doing dangerous things like swimming in too deep water, or making them get out if they are getting tired.

 

That said, it is not always obvious to someone without lifeguard training to recognize when a person is about to drown. It is not like the movies where there is yelling and a lot of splashing. It is far more likely to be a weak struggle, or simply slipping under the water.

 

Having a lifeguard watching is the second, important line of defense against accidental drowning.

[Sissaaaaaa]

Firm believer in this> " parents are always the first line of supervision when it comes to water safety,".

 

Of course they are, but it always makes sense to have a lifeguard at a public venue.

[BostonGal35]

Mixed feelings on this.

 

I fear it will cause the already lax parents to be even more lax. the best lifeguards cant be watching every child at every second. The positive is that if someone is drowning someone with training will be immediately on hand to assist.

 

Of course costs will go up more than they already have.

 

The Breakaway drowning a few years back occurred at a time that the pool was closed and netted off. A lifeguard would not have helped in that situation.

[Two Wheels Only]

Sadly, this will just mean that more irresponsible parents will leave their child/children at the pool and go to the bar, casino, wherever.

 

Then, when something bad happens, guess who will get the blame.....:rolleyes:

[AliceIn]

Sadly, this will just mean that more irresponsible parents will leave their child/children at the pool and go to the bar, casino, wherever.

 

Then, when something bad happens, guess who will get the blame.....:rolleyes:

 

Are there signs that say children under X age must have adult supervision?

 

Our community pool requires the parent to be at arm's length up until age 5; and parent at poolside until age 12. Kids 12 and up can swim solo. It would be good practice for cruise lines to do the same.

[triptolemus]

Where are all those "Internet Lawyers" who said NCL would "never do this!!1!" because of the "liability!!!!"?

[Two Wheels Only]

Are there signs that say children under X age must have adult supervision?

 

Our community pool requires the parent to be at arm's length up until age 5; and parent at poolside until age 12. Kids 12 and up can swim solo. It would be good practice for cruise lines to do the same.

 

Something like....?

 

"We also require that children under 12 are accompanied by an adult at all times. Close parental supervision of children is required at all Norwegian ship pools and whirlpools. It’s also safest to swim with a friend (rather than alone), especially when one’s swimming skills may not be the strongest. All swimmers in Norwegian pools must follow all rules posted in pool and hot tub/whirlpool areas and should take extra care with their own and their children’s safety." - NCL

 

^^ If parents already ignore that without lifeguards, imagine how many will ignore it WITH lifeguards.

 

 

Signs are ignored just like the one that requires people to shower before entering the pool.

[old nutter]

It is important that these lifeguards have the authority and command to enforce any age or infant dress rules as well as waiting for something to go wrong. If the lifeguard sees an unaccompanied under-age child, they must have the authority to remove them and get security to find the parents who left them there. Otherwise, as others have said, I feel that there are some parent/guardians who will assume that the lifeguard is there to protect their children and will just leave them there. Unfortunately, with crowded pools these lifeguards can only be a second layer of protection and a means of providing life support in case of accidents. This protection must have a discipline purpose as well as a safety one.

[BostonGal35]

It is important that these lifeguards have the authority and command to enforce any age or infant dress rules as well as waiting for something to go wrong. If the lifeguard sees an unaccompanied under-age child, they must have the authority to remove them and get security to find the parents who left them there. Otherwise, as others have said, I feel that there are some parent/guardians who will assume that the lifeguard is there to protect their children and will just leave them there. Unfortunately, with crowded pools these lifeguards can only be a second layer of protection and a means of providing life support in case of accidents. This protection must have a discipline purpose as well as a safety one.

 

i agree, yet what a distraction to have to also police the pool in terms of kicking kids out, finding the parents/security, etc.

 

fortunately, we rarely use the pools although we do like the hot tubs. we'll continue to cruise off peak to avoid the majority of out of control children.

[Son of a son of a ...]

I would rather have a chair guard!

[skeeter195]

The "way to little" is because there should be lifeguards at both pools

 

The "way to late" is because of the child who drowned 2 years ago(I really do not want to hear that the child should have never been in the adult pool to begin with). There were more but this one sticks in my head.

 

A lifeguard is much more than a babysitter for children. How many times has there been a need for someone with emergency training on deck and it takes 5 minutes or more. A lifeguard could be there within seconds doing what needs to be done.

[Doughboy139]

Way to little, way to late.

Better late than never. A positive thing.

[DMH15]

I support this. I don't have kids.

 

It is not always children who need saving. Lifeguards are there for everybody.

 

 

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[Two Wheels Only]

A lifeguard is much more than a babysitter for children.

I think you mean that a lifeguard is NOT a babysitter for children or is anything but a babysitter for children.

[skeeter195]

You are correct, they are not babysitters at all. Also they are not "adultsitters" either.

[NCLfamily]

Listen, if it stops one child dying then it's a wonderful thing and if it happens to add a couple bucks to all our cruise fares, then who cares.

 

 

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Edited April 19, 2017 by NCLfamily

[LMaxwell]

Agreed, good news. There's a sticky about this at the top of the forum, with a link to this article, which has more info, including the rollout schedule:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=7745

 

Thanks for updating to the schedule; I posted prior to their release and did not have a copy of schedule.