WWYD Babies in Haven Pool/Hot tub

[chengkp75]

Swim diapers don't absorb fecal waste, they simply contain it. Swim diapers are essentially a manure teabag. Some cruise lines and most land-based pools are set up to properly to sanitize the water when used by children in swim diapers, but not NCL.That is why children in swim diapers are not (supposed to be) allowed to use pools or hot tubs NCL ships.

 

This information is not quite correct. As others have noted, no ship calling at US ports have pools or hot tubs that are "set up to properly sanitize" the water, with the exception of certain designated splash areas on DCL ships and some RCI ships (Oasis, Quantum, Freedom classes and a couple of Voyager). The CDC has studied land based pools and in particular land based splash areas that allow swim diapers, and found that nearly 70% of the pools studied, and over 80% of the swim diaper areas studied would have failed a USPH inspection that cruise ships must meet, and that the large majority of those pools that failed would have resulted in immediate closure of the facility. Don't kid yourself that land pools can handle swim diapers, the CDC, a world renown expert on infectious diseases says otherwise.

[Laszlo]

This information is not quite correct. As others have noted, no ship calling at US ports have pools or hot tubs that are "set up to properly sanitize" the water, with the exception of certain designated splash areas on DCL ships and some RCI ships (Oasis, Quantum, Freedom classes and a couple of Voyager). The CDC has studied land based pools and in particular land based splash areas that allow swim diapers, and found that nearly 70% of the pools studied, and over 80% of the swim diaper areas studied would have failed a USPH inspection that cruise ships must meet, and that the large majority of those pools that failed would have resulted in immediate closure of the facility. Don't kid yourself that land pools can handle swim diapers, the CDC, a world renown expert on infectious diseases says otherwise.

 

My son was a life guard for our local Y working there in HS and thru college. It was literally all hands on deck if someone either threw up or had a number 2 accident. They would Immediately get everyone out, close the pool and super shock it. The pool would reopen 12-24 hours later depending on the size of the pool.

[erdoran]

OMG, I guess for me the parents "we paid a lot for this cruise" shocks me - like someone else said, the parents paid $$$$$ but everyone else got the cruise for cut-rate, right? NOT!

 

Very good point about no pix of naked babies, I wouldn't have thought about that and those would be great pix to prove your point but could also, in this day and age, cause you trouble. If that's the scoop, then how about something in writing DURING THE CRUISE to the concierge and HD, take a pic of your letter (no doubt on paper) and send that to corporate.

[mking8288]

FYI, the Environmental Hotline #'s to report the incidents directly - it's listed in the Freestyle Dailies (fine prints) -

1-877-501-5976 or

1-305-436-4003

or, via email to enviromentalhotline@ncl.com

All reports are confidential

[carol54]

I would think the steward could easily confirm if in fact there are diapers in the room. If so, case closed.

 

 

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[takeadip]

This is why I don't go in hot tubs on ships. Human soup. All those sweaty bodies just simmering let alone children in diapers. They are so heavily chlorinated too which is too many chemicals for me. I understand the chemicals must be strong in such situations. You realize how many bodies soak in these things in just one week :eek: I have said this a hundred times but NCL should have one tub exclusively for children. If the mother wants to join the kids in that tub then fine. Keep the other tub/s for adults only.

I understand the concern of kids in diapers. However its equally gross the people who don't shower and have body odor who just sit there and soak spread out :eek: There is always one guy who acts like its his own personal hot tub and is spread out taking up way too much room and never leaves.

 

I think on the Dawn in the back of the ship in the kid zone pool area (where swim diapers ARE permitted...there is a childrens hot tub. Not sure if the temp is turned down...

[chengkp75]

I think on the Dawn in the back of the ship in the kid zone pool area (where swim diapers ARE permitted...there is a childrens hot tub. Not sure if the temp is turned down...

 

You are incorrect, no NCL ship has a splash zone or kid pool area that allows swim diapers. These must meet other design criteria, which are difficult and costly to implement if not done at new build.

[Beach Life 1]

Why doesn't NCL just start a new rule. No one under 14 allowed in hot tubs!!! If parents don't like it, too bad. No one younger then that should be in a hot tub anyway.

[phoenix1181]

Not to say that it’s ok and isn’t their job to deal with issues like this. But just to play devil’s advocate and look at it from their side; I can imagine the situation from the employee’s side. They are being asked to enforce a policy that is based on self reporting by the parents. And some people lie and deny when they want something.

 

There’s a rule about no swim diapers that’s easy to enforce so when confronted, the swim diapers went away. There’s no hard rules about the age of the child that’s easy to enforce. And when the employee tells the mother that the children must be potty trained to swim, and she says they are potty trained, there’s nowhere to go from that. They aren’t detectives putting together a case trying to prove that she’s lying. They are service employees trying to balance customer satisfaction with maintaining the rules. And when customers do things like this it puts them in a really bad position. They will never get her to admit her children aren’t potty trained. So that only leaves them banning her from the pool. In which case she will be the one complaining to corporate that her children got banned from the pool for absolutely no reason.

 

 

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Their cabin steward can easily verify if they are disposing of diapers or not..............

[chengkp75]

Why doesn't NCL just start a new rule. No one under 14 allowed in hot tubs!!! If parents don't like it, too bad. No one younger then that should be in a hot tub anyway.

 

Since the USPH/CDC only "recommends" that children not use hot tubs, the cruise lines don't see any incentive to disenchanting passengers by enacting a stricter rule.

[Letsgo 2]

Currently on Jewel in haven. Signs at both pool and hot tub say no diapers or non potty trained children. Bruno the concierge was contacted about babies in pool/hot tub in swim diapers, the guest flipped out and has now proceeded to have the children (age 2/3 and under) swim and go in hot tub regardless and now without diapers. So pool and hot tub are not useable IMO. She said “she paid a lot for this cruise”. I guess the rest of us won our trip on a game show. So my question is, who do we contact next? Thx

Does she think she is the only one that paid for her cruise? Yes call the Hotel Director, hope he or she took care of the situation

the rules are there for a reason .

Marion

[DarkJedi]

You are incorrect, no NCL ship has a splash zone or kid pool area that allows swim diapers. These must meet other design criteria, which are difficult and costly to implement if not done at new build.

 

Epic has the kid's aqua park. That is definitely targeted at toddlers in swim diapers age.

[myfuzzy]

what about a photo, taken from the neck down, NOT showing the face. Just asking, nothing to see here

[chengkp75]

Epic has the kid's aqua park. That is definitely targeted at toddlers in swim diapers age.

 

Whether you think the aqua park is targeted at kids in swim diapers, unless there is specific signage stating that swim diapers are allowed, then they are not allowed. Now, I will qualify this, in that while Epic sails in Europe, the ship must meet the EU's "ShipSan" sanitation program, which does not differentiate between children in swim diapers (not potty trained) and those who are potty trained. When she sails from US ports, or calls in US ports the ship must meet the USPH/CDC Vessel Sanitation Program, which requires specific design, construction, and operational requirements for splash areas for kids in swim diapers. At present, no NCL ship has built one of these "baby only water facilities" that would meet the USPH requirements.

[Shidah]

Unfortunately, we noticed a decline in the type of people sailing on our May 20th cruise :(

 

I was on the same cruise and didn't feel that way at all. The Haven was really quiet and peaceful this trip, and everyone really respectful. More so than our last Haven trip on the Epic where there was one family that was rude and argumentative with staff and other passengers and broke several rules.

[Two Wheels Only]

Epic has the kid's aqua park. That is definitely targeted at toddlers in swim diapers age.

 

"Infants with diapers, pull-ups, or swimmers are not permitted in the hot tubs and pools." - Epic dailies.

[DarkJedi]

"Infants with diapers, pull-ups, or swimmers are not permitted in the hot tubs and pools." - Epic dailies.

The kids aqua park isn't part of the pools or hot tubs. Basically just a big splash area with a bunch of critters to crawl over.

[chengkp75]

The kids aqua park isn't part of the pools or hot tubs. Basically just a big splash area with a bunch of critters to crawl over.

 

It is a "recreational water facility" per the USPH definition, and therefore cannot be used by kids in swim diapers without having been built specifically for it. As stated, there must be a signage that swim diapers are allowed, there must be a crew member assigned to monitor these splash areas, there must be a supply of swim diapers supplied by the ship, and there must be a way of segregating the "baby only recreational water facility" from all other water facilities, both from water cross-contamination and from kids moving directly from one facility to the other. Having worked for NCL on their ships, as the engineer in charge of pool operations, I know the governmental requirements and NCL's policies. NCL does not see sufficient reward to justify the cost of having a swim diaper kids area.

[Letsgo 2]

Babycenter states that children under the age of 5 years should not use hot tubs. This is because young children can overheat more quickly than adults. Your child should also be tall enough to stand in the center of the hot tub and still keep her head above the water to help prevent drowning.

Marion

[toyotaford]

To lighten the mood of the thread, although I am in agreement, this is a matter that needs to be dealt with promptly, I will share my experience of being a rule breaker with a toddler in the Haven. Last summer we had just taken off on the Getaway and I had my 4 year old great niece playing in the small pool in the Haven. She was jumping in which I now know is not allowed. Anyway while she was jumping, John the butler came out and called me by name and said, "Mrs. @@@@ she can't jump into the pool." She was on the edge and looked at him so proudly and said "Yes I can, watch me". And she did the highest jump she possibly could and immediately looked at him to make sure he had seen how well she could jump into the pool. John and I looked at each other and both started laughing, realizing she had thought he meant she didn't have the ability to jump into the pool. I immediately made her get out and explained to her it was against the rules and that was what John had meant. And she didn't jump again. She and John were great friends the rest of the trip. I did later see the sign that said no jumping. I hadn't intentionally broken the rules.

[erdoran]

To lighten the mood of the thread, although I am in agreement, this is a matter that needs to be dealt with promptly, I will share my experience of being a rule breaker with a toddler in the Haven. Last summer we had just taken off on the Getaway and I had my 4 year old great niece playing in the small pool in the Haven. She was jumping in which I now know is not allowed. Anyway while she was jumping, John the butler came out and called me by name and said, "Mrs. @@@@ she can't jump into the pool." She was on the edge and looked at him so proudly and said "Yes I can, watch me". And she did the highest jump she possibly could and immediately looked at him to make sure he had seen how well she could jump into the pool. John and I looked at each other and both started laughing, realizing she had thought he meant she didn't have the ability to jump into the pool. I immediately made her get out and explained to her it was against the rules and that was what John had meant. And she didn't jump again. She and John were great friends the rest of the trip. I did later see the sign that said no jumping. I hadn't intentionally broken the rules.

 

 

LOVE it!

[Summerstravel]

I agree I do not want babies or a young child in the Haven Pool area. This is disgusting I have 2 cruises brooked for the Haven and if I see this going on I will complain. This should be health and sanitary hazard. We pay for luxury accommodations and this is not luxury. What ever happened to consideration this could cause an illness to other passengers. Norwegian better enforce a policy were this is not happening.

[SFO-F/A]

Who wants to pay the money to be in the "Haven" when it is teaming with kids????

Ugh, not me. LOL

[Seminole1975]

Thank goodness the thermal spa is adults only!

[rbt001]

Since you asked WWYD, I'll tell you that I would take pictures to document what I thought was a violation of policy, and I would be obvious in taking those photos so that everyone, including the parents were aware that I was taking the photos, since it does NOT require any consent to take photos people. And my right to share those photos is protected by the First Amendment, so I would feel no qualms when I allowed the Hotel Director to review them as I asked if what is seen in the photos follows NCL's posted rules.

 

And in case anyone wonders, I gave my response careful thought after doing research.