Freedom H2O Zone: YUCK!

[crb04]

Maybe it's because I have one of those little germ factories, but...

I just did a search on e Coli and pools. 26 kids got sick, one of whom died, in 1998 from a water park and a baby pooping in the pool. Which is tragic, of course, but procedures have changed from that incident according to this article - http://www.about-ecoli.com/news/white-water11.htm.

 

In August - September 2006, almost 200 people got sick and one died from e Coli that was on spinach. One of the sick was my husband, from a salad in a 4-star restaurant in Albuquerque. And let me tell you, e Coli on vacation is a BLAST!!

 

 

Call me crazy, but while I think poop is nasty and I do change my son right away, swimming in a pool with him is something we do every week. Eating spinach, well, isn't.

 

I loved my little 'germ factories' at that age too :) (and now, and all the years in between).... ;)

 

But, your spinach example is actually similar to the concern the OP expressed with the possibly fecally-contaminated mist floating over the ice cream bar. Every account I've read of recalled spinach or other raw produce due to massive E. Coli contamination and subsequent illness wasn't because an adult restaurant worker didn't wash hands after using the restroom, but rather because the crop of produce was grown with soil and/or water containing fecal bacteria (from nearby animal farm runoff, or contaminated fertilizer, etc.).

 

Just as an FYI for anyone interested. I love raw sprouts and other produce, and prefer to use nontoxic cleaning agents, whenever possible. Have been utilizing this method since shortly after the study was done, several years ago.

http://www.sciencenews.org/pages/sn_arch/9_28_96/food.htm

 

Caveat--lettuce will discolor after a few hours with this solution, and of course, the two liquids are not to be mixed in same sprayer. Wishing good health and happy sailing :)

[QTMichele]

Let's not forget... urine is sterile! ;) (In a healthy individual.)

 

Also, speaking of feces... There are different strains of E. coli. The deadly strains to non-immune suppressed individuals aren't typically those that are naturally found in a healthy digestive tract. (I still don't want to eat it!) AND... fecal matter is going to be in pools regardless if children are in them or not. Each of us has residual fecal matter on our bottoms that rinses off in pools - it adds up to quite a bit! YUCK! My advice... don't drink the water!

 

For what it's worth, "this generation" parent does NOT allow her children to do whatever they want just because they want to do it. I typically follow the rules, especially when in social situations. We're not all failures. ;) By the way, kids typically get sick more than adults because their immune systems aren't as developed as an adult's. We're all germ spreaders.

 

Sorry if I've grossed anyone out, but I had to add my 2 cents. ;) (Hey, if we're going to talk about it, let's talk about it!)

[Quampapetet]

I really really want to use the hot tub but as soon as I see some big hairy guy coming over I run out. I mean...I don't even like taking a bath myself...sitting in my own filth...but to have to get in a bath with someone else? YUCK!

 

I better get over it...since I will be in the hot tub on Sunday...woohoo! Maybe a glass of wine will help.

 

You do know that they've done studies on hot tub water and those things are so disgusting and germ-infested, right? (Not being smart or trying to scare anybody - just putting out the facts!)

[KidsBgon]

you guys are way over reacting! When you swim in the ocean do you consider the same issues? think of all the marine life that does the same things and kids for that matter. If RCI saw it and had a problem with it then they would take care of it hopefully. Most small children are perfectlty safe and yes wash your hands before you eat!!!! Oh and by the way--- you pay the same amount for babies to go on a cruise as well. They deserve some fun too!

[madforcruising]

you guys are way over reacting! When you swim in the ocean do you consider the same issues? think of all the marine life that does the same things and kids for that matter.

´

No swimming in the ocean is not the same. A pool is a very confined space while the ocean is open. A pool is not nature like the ocean and the nature has systems to deal with the issues a poll has none of this. A pool has to be drained and cleaned if someone poops into it, the ocean ....it´s not even an issue here.

Well I think you get the point.

 

 

If RCI saw it and had a problem with it then they would take care of it hopefully.

 

That´s exactly what should worry the people.

 

 

 

Most small children are perfectlty safe and yes wash your hands before you eat!!!! Oh and by the way--- you pay the same amount for babies to go on a cruise as well. They deserve some fun too!

 

This argument is one of the most ridiculous I keep reading on the boards. Nobody deserves some fun, regardless of age and money paid if this fun risks other peoples safety and / or health.

 

 

Oh and by the way --- you don´t pay the same amount for babies to go on a cruise. You pay (unless traveling as a single parent) only the 3rd / 4th persons rate, which is considerably lower than what most others pay.;) (This was just following you crazy ME ME ME argumentation, as I said the money paid gives you no right at all to risk anyones health / safety)

[Bakincakes]

There was a thread about this subject about 3 weeks ago??? And those of us that expressed concerns about the sanitary conditions of this place were basically treated like lepers because we dared to question the intelligence of allowing small children to congregate in water that might be contaminated with fecal matter.

 

Mostly parents of these babies poo pooed (no pun intended) the idea that they may be putting their infants at risk. Now we know that other passengers might be at risk do to the "sprinkles" and that at least one parent allowed a "filled" diaper to remain in the water for an extended period of time....parents also thought those swim diapers were near bullet proof and that nothing would leak out of them.

 

I guess ignorance is indeed bliss.:rolleyes:

 

Wish I could find that thread.

[Bakincakes]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=600642&highlight=H2o+zone

 

 

Found it...

[threeofus]

The H2O zone isn't standing water....so the water that is spraying has been recirculated and is filtered and is chlorinate so It didn't bother me too much.

 

NOW - that glass circular pool.....well THAT was something else. Towards the end of the cruise that baby was closed - one can only imagine why.

[Dharma517]

Yes Yes....I know. Normally I don't go in but I figure that a drink will loosen me up and then I can bathe in purell. :)

 

Jenn

 

You do know that they've done studies on hot tub water and those things are so disgusting and germ-infested, right? (Not being smart or trying to scare anybody - just putting out the facts!)

[AFT_LOVER]

not one crew member wanted to enforce any rules. I was solo in the hot tub, it looked clean to me so I got in. Then one of the 500 Spainards who were just ridiculous with their pushing, yelling, had to first for everything mode, brings her baby to te hottub. I told her no babies in diapers, read the sign. She pulls the diaper off & put the baby in the hot tub. I just flew out so fast. I told an employee about it & the diaper was on the floor next to the hottub. she walked away.

 

What a great ship that was............ we came home with pneumonia. And we washed hands & used the bottles of hand dishinfectant plenty. The ship had none.

 

 

I thought I was a germaphob!!! I would never have been able to create the transmission of e-coli from a diaper in the H2O zone winding up over at the ice cream station. BUT...now I can...thanks! :eek:

 

I really really want to use the hot tub but as soon as I see some big hairy guy coming over I run out. I mean...I don't even like taking a bath myself...sitting in my own filth...but to have to get in a bath with someone else? YUCK!

 

I better get over it...since I will be in the hot tub on Sunday...woohoo! Maybe a glass of wine will help.

 

Jenn

[enzeno]

Just remember if there is no "P" in the pool it would be called an "ool"

 

That's why they should all be called OOL's because there is no P in them! :cool:

[hawkfish]

Maybe it's because I have one of those little germ factories, but...

 

I just did a search on e Coli and pools. 26 kids got sick, one of whom died, in 1998 from a water park and a baby pooping in the pool. Which is tragic, of course, but procedures have changed from that incident according to this article - http://www.about-ecoli.com/news/white-water11.htm.

 

In August - September 2006, almost 200 people got sick and one died from e Coli that was on spinach. One of the sick was my husband, from a salad in a 4-star restaurant in Albuquerque. And let me tell you, e Coli on vacation is a BLAST!!

 

Call me crazy, but while I think poop is nasty and I do change my son right away, swimming in a pool with him is something we do every week. Eating spinach, well, isn't.

 

This just doesn't even make sense.

 

I think you are trying to say that odds are greater that someone will get sick from eating spinach than from having a poopy baby in a pool. However, you are talking about 26 people out of whoever was at that waterpark, v. 200 people out of all people eating spinach in that region of the county at that time. But by your own example, there is a greater rate of people getting e. Coli in the pool than from spinach.

 

It just amazes me people using multiple arguments to justify their behavior. I just wonder if the same parents would feel the same if their own child got sick - then how would they feel about rule enforcement?

[katerkat]

This just doesn't even make sense.

 

I think you are trying to say that odds are greater that someone will get sick from eating spinach than from having a poopy baby in a pool. However, you are talking about 26 people out of whoever was at that waterpark, v. 200 people out of all people eating spinach in that region of the county at that time. But by your own example, there is a greater rate of people getting e. Coli in the pool than from spinach.

 

It just amazes me people using multiple arguments to justify their behavior. I just wonder if the same parents would feel the same if their own child got sick - then how would they feel about rule enforcement?

 

I'm not really talking about the odds. Just that cases of e Coli from a pool incident haven't been reported since 1998. e Coli was found in bags of carrots in Colorado last week. The carrots, the spinach, the green onions a few years ago...all tainted by animal fecal waste, not baby waste from a chlorinated and filtered pool. Continued contamination, year after year, unlike the water park incident.

 

I'm not trying to justify my behavior, because guess what? I won't take my son in the pool on the Jewel if he's not potty trained by the end of September - and our cruise isn't till January. I want him to have a proven track record.

 

I just personally think people blow this issue out of proportion. I get in the regular pool with my son, in a swim diaper, every week. I've been in the baby pool with him, too. We've never gotten sick from a pool. He's never had an ear infection. He did get sick from a playground and a local farm - the playground disease was enough to land him in the hospital, so I *do* know what it feels like when your child gets really sick.

[Aquahound]

Perhaps I'm missing something in this thread. Isn't the H2O Zone for KIDS?

 

Also, has anyone actually gotten sick specifically from the H2O Zone yet?

 

Sorry. But to me this just looks like another one of those "I just have to complain about something" threads.

[sueinphilly]

this is the reason I would NEVER use a public pool, on the ship or land or even at the gym. If I haven't cleaned it, I'm not filling it with water and getting in.

[crusinmama06]

Perhaps I'm missing something in this thread. Isn't the H2O Zone for KIDS?

 

Also, has anyone actually gotten sick specifically from the H2O Zone yet?

 

Sorry. But to me this just looks like another one of those "I just have to complain about something" threads.

 

KIDS yes, unpotty trained infants/toddlers NO....EXCEPT in the "BABY ZONE" seen pictured below

 

 

To the OP - I noticed the same thing. Either there were infants/toddlers in the regular section of the H20 zone wearing diapers, OR I saw parents taking the diapers off of the babies at the side of the pool so they could get past the "no diaper rule" :rolleyes:

 

The staff say NADA to them.

 

And it did effect me because both of my children were swimming in that H20 zone.

 

That is one rule they need to enforce.

[james_19742000]

You Americans really are unreal......well some of you are!!!!

 

Those of you that dont liek the idea of young children using the water facilities then the answer is simple, go on a ship that is designed for adults only, when you book and go on a ship that is aimed at the family market you will get young children onboard, personally I am glad that RCCL have designated a small area on FOS and LOS to very young children, about time! UK ships have had areas for smaller children for years, never get any problems on them!!!! The water is kept seperate and is filtered seperatly and just needs to be done on a regular basis I expect.

 

I must admit I get fed up reading this board and getting all 'poopie in the pool' talk, its total rubbish, many of you americans are so unfair on this subject, children are humans the same as you, you are as likely to an accident as many other people so none of us are immune (however unlikely) to something like this happening!

 

About time you grew up and accepted children on a ship, if you cant go on a ship that is child-free simple!!!

 

James (across the pond in the UK)

[crusinmama06]

You Americans really are unreal......well some of you are!!!!

 

Those of you that dont liek the idea of young children using the water facilities then the answer is simple, go on a ship that is designed for adults only, when you book and go on a ship that is aimed at the family market you will get young children onboard, personally I am glad that RCCL have designated a small area on FOS and LOS to very young children, about time! UK ships have had areas for smaller children for years, never get any problems on them!!!! The water is kept seperate and is filtered seperatly and just needs to be done on a regular basis I expect.

 

I must admit I get fed up reading this board and getting all 'poopie in the pool' talk, its total rubbish, many of you americans are so unfair on this subject, children are humans the same as you, you are as likely to an accident as many other people so none of us are immune (however unlikely) to something like this happening!

 

About time you grew up and accepted children on a ship, if you cant go on a ship that is child-free simple!!!

 

James (across the pond in the UK)

 

I think you are misreading what we are all saying. We aren't asking for the kids to be kept out of the water. The parents are not keeping the children in the baby section, they are allowing them in the rest of the H20 zone which is for children who DON'T poop in the water.

 

I love my kids. I don't want them swimming in someone else's feces.

 

My kids have been cruising since they were both 7 months old. My 7 year old just completed her 5th cruise. I am usually the one arguing FOR parents on this board.

 

But we just got off a Carnival Ship. Someone defecated in the CHILDREN'S pool on our ONLY sea day. Guess what that meant? My children had NO place to swim the entire day because someone thought they didn't need to follow the rules. :rolleyes:

 

This was taken this past Wednesday....here is the Carnival pool crew member cleaning crap out of the ONLY kid's pool on the ship because someone thought it would be wonderful to poop in the pool.

 

[Bakincakes]

I'm sorry the kids lost their swimming pool because some idiot didn't follow the rules. But they can't just depend on filtering even if they remove the offending floater. They have to drain and scrub and refill.:mad:

 

james from the UK...we aren't depriving kids of swimming areas. There are designated areas for kids who don't wear diapers. Some people think they are above those kinds of rules and allow un toilet trained kids in the main pool. Cruisin gave you an example of what can happen. It ruins the fun for others. If you remove a diaper from an untrained child to skirt the rules then you are most certainly going to have an "accident".

 

I must admit I get fed up reading this board and getting all 'poopie in the pool' talk, its total rubbish, many of you americans are so unfair on this subject, children are humans the same as you, you are as likely to an accident as many other people so none of us are immune (however unlikely) to something like this happening!

 

I'm not sure about the adults in the UK but most American adults can refrain from defecating in a pool.:)

[Bakincakes]

Except those on Carnival?????:eek:

[crusinmama06]

Except those on Carnival?????:eek:

 

HAHAHAHAHAHA! We swear it HAD to be an adult. A kid can not poop THAT much. :eek:

 

It didn't surprise me after the kind of people we ran into on the Carnival ship this week.

[raina*faith]

Why are there some parents (who read these threads, even) who still have their kids in diapers in the pools? I don't want to get flamed, but the topic has been around for so long, you would think it wouldn't be such an issue now? Especially on our newest ship?

[Quampapetet]

This was taken this past Wednesday....here is the Carnival pool crew member cleaning crap out of the ONLY kid's pool on the ship because someone thought it would be wonderful to poop in the pool.

 

What a crappy job that guy has!! :p

 

That's terrible that somebody pooped in the pool. I know it happens at Disney, too - and fairly often. I've heard stories of adults thinking it was just debris on the floor of the pool and they either accidentally stepped in it or tried to pick it up with their foot to take it out - yuck!!!

[WeBCruisin]

Sorry the OP and others had such a poor experience with the H2O Zone on their cruise.

 

We cruised the Freedom July 22 - 29 with a 3 yo and 7 yo and spent quite a bit of time in the H2O Zone. I went fully expecting to see flagrant violations of the swim diaper rule. I went home pleasantly surprised. Each day that we were at the H2O zone I noticed at least one - sometimes two Adventure Ocean Staffers monitoring the area. My initial assumption was that they were there to "keep the peace" by looking out for unruly or dangerous behavior. On the last sea day I spoke with one of the AO staffers that I had gotten to know due to my children's involvement in Adventure Ocean. She was "on patrol" at the H2O zone and told me that she was there for the sole reason to look for children who were in violation of the swim diaper rule. She also noted that it was a slow day as she had not seen any violations. Needless to say I was very impressed that RCI was visibly monitoring this. It appears that this was not the case on subsequent cruises.

[cruiserbryce]

We didnt spend much time around the h20 zone on Liberty but the thought of that is disgusting...Sprinkles...hehe:confused: