Toddlers using swimming pools onboard

[BNBR]

It's all a case of cost/reward. The lines that don't have splash areas for swim diapers, and Carnival is not alone, they don't see a significant reward to having these water facilities to outweigh the cost of building, maintaining, and operating them. A large part of the operating cost is that there must be a crew member assigned strictly to the swim diaper water facility.

 

I'm not arguing cost/reward. I'm just saying that the wording Carnival uses squarely blames the government as the reason. When in reality, it's "We don't wish to spend the money to have this facility." I just thought that was kind of funny and misleading.

[cruzinlisa]

From someone whose kids started cruising when they weren’t potty trained at 12 months of age, believe me, your family won’t be “gutted” if your kids can’t go in the pools. Yes, it’s a bit of a bummer, but with so many things to do on the ship besides going in the pool, you should find plenty to do.

 

 

 

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This. We took 2 cruises with my daughter before she was potty trained. We pretty much just avoided the pool area all together. The pools are really small and crowded anyway, so its not all that appealing. OP I don't know your itinerary, but can you try beaches or a day pass at a resort in one of your ports.

 

I also agree that there are plenty of other things to do to keep you busy. Or if the 4 year old must go to the pool you can always split up and have the 4 year old have time with dad and the 2 year old time with mom- special one on one time. My DD is an only child, but I myself had siblings and always loved the one on one time with one of my parents without the sibling- it made me feel special.

[BNBR]

As a marine engineer stated in another thread - "a facility for children in swim diapers" is very expensive to build. We don't sail with unpottytrained toddlers in our party and don't feel a need for my cruise tickets to be higher for that amenity to be installed on every ship.

 

If you don't take the toddlers to the pool they don't have any idea they're missing something.

 

This argument could be taken to extremes. It's illogical, really. Cruise tickets are higher for a variety of reasons, and often no reason at all other than supply/demand. They don't build ships, resorts, or anything for YOU only. Maybe you don't use the water works, did you send Carnival a strongly worded message about wasting money on Waterworks upgrades and thus increasing your cruise fair? The cost to build and operate the swim diaper area must not be THAT bad since they increased the size of the area drastically on the newer builds. Carnival being a fun ship that markets strongly towards families, I would actually expect them to be leading the way in this area.

[torcruise]

You got 4 weeks to potty train! I potty trained my daughter in 3 days, using the 3 day method. If it's a boy it might be hard to potty train but you have 4 weeks to try! If all else fails you can bring a small blow up bathtub to use as a pool. And don't forget they can swim at the beach. My kids actually don't use the pools that much.

Edited March 22, 2018 by torcruise

[Muumuu]

I also have seen toddlers and infants in the pools. I have always brought it to the attention of the staff. Some may disagree with me but I have seen some very sick and a few deaths from E. coli.E. coli is everywhere but some strains can lead to sickness, sepsis and death.

Please parents do not allow unpotty trained children in pools. And teach older ones that pools and hot tubs are not toilets.

[grandmarnnurse]

We are going on Horizon in 4 weeks time with 2 children aged 2 & 4. The younger one is not potty trained and wears swim nappies. I have just read the following -

 

Children who are not toilet trained (and those in diapers or swim diapers) are not allowed in any of the water facilities onboard, as per United States Public Health Services.

 

Does anyone have experience of this, my family will be gutted if the younger one cant go into the pool and kids splash zone.

 

 

 

Children not toilet trained are absolutely not allowed in any pools. It is a health issue/infection control matter. Sorry, but it is vital for the safety and health of other passengers. Some people advise bringing a small blow up baby pool and draining it in floor drains on deck.

 

 

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[KJCruiser13]

I would be willing to bet there are way more adults peeing in the pool than kids.

 

 

Haha yes! My 3.5 year old has been potty trained for a year and a half and my 2.5 year old just got #1 down last week and we're working on #2 (we cruise in May so we have to be done before then!). We also have a pool at home. Those kids get out of the pool to potty 3 times more than any of the adults. Its actually pretty gross when I think about it.

 

But yeah, they aren't allowed in pools or splash areas if not potty trained. Honestly, we never went in the pool on the last cruise. Its salt water and my oldest hated that.

[chengkp75]

This argument could be taken to extremes. It's illogical, really. Cruise tickets are higher for a variety of reasons, and often no reason at all other than supply/demand. They don't build ships, resorts, or anything for YOU only. Maybe you don't use the water works, did you send Carnival a strongly worded message about wasting money on Waterworks upgrades and thus increasing your cruise fair? The cost to build and operate the swim diaper area must not be THAT bad since they increased the size of the area drastically on the newer builds. Carnival being a fun ship that markets strongly towards families, I would actually expect them to be leading the way in this area.

 

Just because they increased the size of kid's water park on newer ships does not equate to the cost of a swim diaper area. The swim diaper area needs a completely separate water supply, where the larger water park only needs to have the pumps and filters increased in size. So, the swim diaper area needs a separate space for the additional pumps, filters, surge tank, chlorination equipment, the new UV sterilizer, the auto-shut down and drain equipment, and the electrical switchgear to control all this. Then there is the need to segregate the swim diaper area from other water facilities, not only to make it difficult for a kid to go from one directly to another, but also to prevent water splashing from one to the other, usually with glass partitions. Then there is the need for a diaper changing area to be near the pool, the need to provide a supply of swim diapers at the changing station or near the pool, and the need to have one crew member who's sole duty is to monitor the swim diaper area. Then you need to factor in the maintenance cost for the additional equipment, over just the same amount of equipment but larger, when you increase the size of a normal water park.

[BNBR]

Just because they increased the size of kid's water park on newer ships does not equate to the cost of a swim diaper area. The swim diaper area needs a completely separate water supply, where the larger water park only needs to have the pumps and filters increased in size. So, the swim diaper area needs a separate space for the additional pumps, filters, surge tank, chlorination equipment, the new UV sterilizer, the auto-shut down and drain equipment, and the electrical switchgear to control all this. Then there is the need to segregate the swim diaper area from other water facilities, not only to make it difficult for a kid to go from one directly to another, but also to prevent water splashing from one to the other, usually with glass partitions. Then there is the need for a diaper changing area to be near the pool, the need to provide a supply of swim diapers at the changing station or near the pool, and the need to have one crew member who's sole duty is to monitor the swim diaper area. Then you need to factor in the maintenance cost for the additional equipment, over just the same amount of equipment but larger, when you increase the size of a normal water park.

 

They drastically increased the size of the swim diaper area. Obviously Royal sees value in it and I'm guessing it's not that difficult or expensive to do since they are not only doing it, but expanding on it. They removed the fountains under the Rising Tide bar due to expense and maintenance. They aren't opposed to removing features. So why would they expand the swim diaper area if so cost prohibitive? Why even have it to begin with?

 

As I said, I'm just a bit surprised Carnival wouldn't have a great swim diaper area considering they are CARNIVAL, the FUN ships, all about family, etc. That's their market. Disney has it. Royal has it. Carnival... "due to government restrictions"... Come on...

 

Closest zone is for children in swim diapers, furthest from camera is the main splash pad.

 

 

[firemanbobswife]

Carnival now has pool monitors to hopefully remove any kids in swim diapers that shouldn’t be there. They also have them at the aft adults only pool on Conquest Class ships and I didn’t see any kids in there so that’s good. Looks like they may actually be enforcing something!

[chengkp75]

Okay, just a little confused, I thought you were referring to Carnival increasing the size of their "normal" water park area. Again, once you have it, and have made the decision to spend money to create it, increasing the size of the swim diaper area is only incremental. It is the cost of the original intent to put one of these features in, in the first place, that costs a lot.

 

As to why RCI is enlarging them, while Carnival doesn't have them, it all comes down to target demographic. So, take that however you want, but obviously RCI is looking more for young families than Carnival in my opinion. RCI wants to lock in families starting with toddlers, while Carnival wants families with slightly older kids.

[BNBR]

We are going on Horizon in 4 weeks time with 2 children aged 2 & 4. The younger one is not potty trained and wears swim nappies. I have just read the following -

 

 

Children who are not toilet trained (and those in diapers or swim diapers) are not allowed in any of the water facilities onboard, as per United States Public Health Services.

 

Does anyone have experience of this, my family will be gutted if the younger one cant go into the pool and kids splash zone.

 

Not sure if it matters to you, but Carnival does have the best Camp for children your age. By far. They do such a great job. You won't be able to use the pools or water works with the 2 year old, but if you want to put them in camp, they'll probably love it. We took a 2 and 4 year old as well on Carnival and it was a home run for us. Carnival is the only line I'm aware of that accepts non-potty trained children at least 2 years old into the regular camp program. Other lines have lame nurseries. The 2 and 4 year old would be in the same group, they'll change diapers and everything. Hopefully this can brighten your day a bit after the news of the water works.

[BNBR]

Okay, just a little confused, I thought you were referring to Carnival increasing the size of their "normal" water park area. Again, once you have it, and have made the decision to spend money to create it, increasing the size of the swim diaper area is only incremental. It is the cost of the original intent to put one of these features in, in the first place, that costs a lot.

 

As to why RCI is enlarging them, while Carnival doesn't have them, it all comes down to target demographic. So, take that however you want, but obviously RCI is looking more for young families than Carnival in my opinion. RCI wants to lock in families starting with toddlers, while Carnival wants families with slightly older kids.

 

On Oasis and Allure, the swim diaper area is tiny and basically useless and not really used. On Harmony, they decided to drastically expand it into a pretty darn large and robust splash pad. I think that's an interesting direction. Maybe Harmony is more of a test? Not sure. But it's at least interesting that Royal made the decision to expand on the idea instead of abandoning it. I don't even have kids in swim diapers anymore and even I'd like to see Carnival better service these cruisers, especially since Carnival has the only camp that takes non-potty trained 2 year olds. Seems they are very interested in that demographic! You could argue more-so than Royal.

[Tapi]

...Carnival has the only camp that takes non-potty trained 2 year olds.

 

 

Just for clarification purposes, Royal Caribbean does have the Royal Babies and Tots program which starts at 6 months of age. My daughter attended and loved it. The one caveat is that they do charge until children are old enough to move up to the next level at Adventure Ocean at which time the kids program becomes complimentary. But the point is that they do offer this service for those interested.

 

One of the reasons why we switched from Carnival to Royal when our kids were very young was partly because Carnival’s kids program wasn’t available to kids younger than 2. The dedicated kids water park, partnerships with Fisher Price and Matel, toy sharing program, dedicated Adventure Ocean in cabin channel, as well as the Dreamworks experience, all contributed to our decision. It just seemed like Royal had much more to offer for very young kids than Carnival.

 

 

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[BNBR]

Just for clarification purposes, Royal Caribbean does have the Royal Babies and Tots program which starts at 6 months of age. My daughter attended and loved it. The one caveat is that they do charge until children are old enough to move up to the next level at Adventure Ocean at which time the kids program becomes complimentary. But the point is that they do offer this service for those interested.

 

One of the reasons why we switched from Carnival to Royal when our kids were very young was partly because Carnival’s kids program wasn’t available to kids younger than 2. The dedicated kids water park, partnerships with Fisher Price and Matel, toy sharing program, dedicated Adventure Ocean in cabin channel, as well as the Dreamworks experience, all contributed to our decision. It just seemed like Royal had much more to offer for very young kids than Carnival.

 

 

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That was basically my point. The nursery is not camp and is pricey compared to complimentary camp carnival. We used it a few months ago. Far cry from what Carnival offers for 2 year old children. It's really not for 2 year old kids as it's more of an infant nursery. But a child that is pushing 3 as mine was, it's severely lacking. Any parent wanting to put a child between 2 and 3 into camp should be sailing carnival, unquestionably. With a 2 and 4 year old, Carnival is perfect as they will be together and do a lot of fun projects together. Carnival was an absolute home run in that respect.

[Organized Chaos]

This argument could be taken to extremes. It's illogical, really. Cruise tickets are higher for a variety of reasons, and often no reason at all other than supply/demand. They don't build ships, resorts, or anything for YOU only. Maybe you don't use the water works, did you send Carnival a strongly worded message about wasting money on Waterworks upgrades and thus increasing your cruise fair? The cost to build and operate the swim diaper area must not be THAT bad since they increased the size of the area drastically on the newer builds. Carnival being a fun ship that markets strongly towards families, I would actually expect them to be leading the way in this area.

Let's say your theory is correct...Carnival doesn't install the water systems that can handle swim diapers because they don't want to spend the money on it. So? They're a for-profit company, they can do whatever they please to incur more expenses or raise the bottom line. A lack of those systems obviously isn't hurting their business. And whether you like it or not, health and safety regulations are still a key factor.

 

"They don't build ships, resorts, or anything for YOU only." - And Carnival doesn't have to build ship's features that cater to toddlers in swim diapers, a tiny fraction of the total number of cruisers it sees yearly.

"So why would they expand the swim diaper area if so cost prohibitive?" - There's a very big difference between making an already existing system a little bigger compared to adding a brand new, separate system on existing ships.

Edited March 22, 2018 by Organized Chaos

[Tapi]

...Far cry from what Carnival offers for 2 year old children. It's really not for 2 year old kids as it's more of an infant nursery. But a child that is pushing 3 as mine was, it's severely lacking.

 

 

Since my kids started cruising before they were 2, Royal Caribbean was a better option since Carnival didn’t have anything available for them at that age, free of charge or for a fee. But I do agree with you that between the ages of 2 and 3, then Carnival is a better option. At 3 and older, the playing field becomes more even between the two cruise lines.

 

 

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[BNBR]

Let's say your theory is correct...Carnival doesn't install the water systems that can handle swim diapers because they don't want to spend the money on it. So? They're a for-profit company, they can do whatever they please to incur more expenses or raise the bottom line. A lack of those systems obviously isn't hurting their business. And whether you like it or not, health and safety regulations are still a key factor.

 

"They don't build ships, resorts, or anything for YOU only." - And Carnival doesn't have to build ship's features that cater to toddlers in swim diapers, a tiny fraction of the total number of cruisers it sees yearly.

"So why would they expand the swim diaper area if so cost prohibitive?" - There's a very big difference between making an already existing system a little bigger compared to adding a brand new, separate system on existing ships.

 

LOL, what? I said I was simply surprised that Carnival doesn't lead the pack consideing they obviously cater to 2 year olds better than any other line. Of course they don't have to do it.

 

I also pointed out the misleading wording Carnival uses. That's undeniable. They CAN have these areas but the wording they use implies they aren't allowed to.

 

Royal didn't make an already existing system a little bigger, they continued it on their latest ships and made it bigger. I suggested it was interesting that they obviously see a solid market for it and Carnival doesn't, despite the fact carnival caters to this age group.

 

You are way over analyzing my comments and overly defensive.

[BNBR]

Since my kids started cruising before they were 2, Royal Caribbean was a better option since Carnival didn’t have anything available for them at that age, free of charge or for a fee. But I do agree with you that between the ages of 2 and 3, then Carnival is a better option. At 3 and older, the playing field becomes more even between the two cruise lines.

 

 

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Between 2 and 3 Carnival is the best, undeniably. After 3 and potty trained, I'd probably prefer Royal though Carnival does have an excellent camp program.

 

Mine will be 4 and 6 next year and I booked Carnival anyways. I really like both lines. NCL on the other hand, yuck!

[crusinpsychRN]

I potty trained my kids in a day. I used a book Toilet training in less than a day. Worked perfectly for all 3.

[ParrotRob]

Great theory....now how you gonna enforce it????

 

Every seen those 300 lb dudes sit in the hot tub for 5 straight hours drinking buckets of beer...and never get out?????

 

Carnival worker: "I'm sorry sir, but you have been in the hot tub for 2 hours. I cannot serve you any more beer til you get out and go to the bathroom."\

 

Like that will ever happen when, as it clear on here, that they don't enforce half the rules they have....

 

Just out of curiosity, don't skinny people pee too? Or only "300 lb dudes"? I know I go about 240 these days and I certainly pee after a bucket of beer. If this isn't supposed to happen, I may need to see a doctor.