Acceptable to take 3 & 4yr old in pools?

[Kutty1101]

Hello there,

We have a potty trained 3 & 4 yr old. (no swim diapers). I know that on account of higher chlorine levels, it is recommended children under a certain age not use the pools. We will be traveling on the Celebrity Constellation 10 night Caribbean Cruise this January. Even with this recommendation....can we still take them swimming? Will we be asked to leave? Will we be frowned upon? It's just unrealistic for a 10 night cruise to stay out of the pools entirely.

 

Thanks, in advance.

[OnTheBrink]

Definitely take your kid swimming! On our last cruise my son was 3.5. He swam for HOURS each day! As long as they aren't wearing diapers (or having accidents), they are certainly welcome in the pools!

[Keith1010]

You will be fine to take the children in the pool. Have a great time.

 

Keith

[rebeccalouise]

I am not sure how much clorine will be in the pool- it is saltwater on Constellation.

 

The only problem with the pools on the cruise ships (I have sailed on Constellation) is that they are deep and a little child will not be able to stand up. Your child will enjoy being held in the pool but they may not like the fact that it is saltwater. My son would get in the first day, discover it was saltwater and then have no interest the rest of the trip.

 

We have also cruised on Holland, Princess, Cunard and Disney and he really loved those pools. In fact, that's why I have abandoned Celebrity. I love Celebrity for other reasons though. The youth program is fantastic and I like the ambiance (calmness) of Celebrity.

[crusinmama06]

There is high levels of chlorine in the salt water pools? Seriously never heard of that before.

 

On that note, your kids are more than welcome to use the pools. If the pool is deep, as Rebecca suggested, then bring some type of water wings, floaties, life vest with you. :D

 

As long as it's not an adult only pool, then kids are welcome.

[cb at sea]

Chlorine levels shouldn't be any higher than in any pool--there is a set formula for disinfecting with chlorine. Too much is as bad as not enough. If it is a fresh water (treated) pool, the levels will be fine. If it's a saltwater pool, the salt does the job--no chlorine.

[bigpuma]

Chlorine levels shouldn't be any higher than in any pool--there is a set formula for disinfecting with chlorine. Too much is as bad as not enough. If it is a fresh water (treated) pool, the levels will be fine. If it's a saltwater pool, the salt does the job--no chlorine.

 

This is correct. If the pools are saltwater they don't use chlorine which is why non potty trained kids are not allowed in those pools. If the pools were chlorinated there wouldn't be a problem with kids in swim diapers.

[mrsfreelunch]

This is correct. If the pools are saltwater they don't use chlorine which is why non potty trained kids are not allowed in those pools. If the pools were chlorinated there wouldn't be a problem with kids in swim diapers.

 

I don't think even chlorine helps if they poop and it escapes into the pool! I think the health risk of feces in a pool (saltwater or chlorine) is the reason that non-potty trained are not allowed. Urine on the other hand is sterile. You know that even potty trained kids are peeing in those saltwater pools all day long - because they are having too much fun to get out and use the restrooms. That's just an unpleasant fact of life! :rolleyes:

[wrp96]

This is correct. If the pools are saltwater they don't use chlorine which is why non potty trained kids are not allowed in those pools. If the pools were chlorinated there wouldn't be a problem with kids in swim diapers.

 

 

Incorrect. Freshwater vs. saltwater has nothing to do with the restrictions on non-potty trained kids in the water. It's a public health restriction for all pools - the presence of chlorine or lack thereof does not affect the restriction.

[Kutty1101]

Thanks for all your help. Luckily both kids are potty trained. One downside of vacations are that the kids drink so much pop, juice, n/a beverages that they have to get out of the pool every 15 mins to pee. They announce it loudly, and we go running!

[bigpuma]

Incorrect. Freshwater vs. saltwater has nothing to do with the restrictions on non-potty trained kids in the water. It's a public health restriction for all pools - the presence of chlorine or lack thereof does not affect the restriction.

 

I could be wrong about cruise ships but I know for a fact that kids in swim diapers can use public pools in the US. My kids do it all the time at our community center pool.

 

I thought there were some ships with chlorinated pools that did allow kids as well.

[nybumpkin]

I ditto cruisinmama's recommendation of water wings. When our youngest son was 5, he was really getting too big for the kids' pool but wasn't ready to swim on his own in the adult pools. The water wings (coupled with dad swimming with him) worked wonders.

[wrp96]

I could be wrong about cruise ships but I know for a fact that kids in swim diapers can use public pools in the US. My kids do it all the time at our community center pool.

 

I thought there were some ships with chlorinated pools that did allow kids as well.

 

 

The rules for cruiseships are different than for pools in the US. Princess, for example, has freshwater pools but doesn't have any pool areas for non-potty trained children.

 

The only ships that have any areas at all for non-potty trained children are Disney Wonder, Disney Magic, Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, and Oasis of the Seas. These areas aren't pools but are instead small splash areas - the water that flows through these areas is not recirculated through the rest of the pool areas.

[Wavesprite]

Our pool on the NCL star was salt water, no chlorine in the pool at alll.......

[ncmomof2]

If it's a saltwater pool, the salt does the job--no chlorine.

 

I was on at least one ship that had chlorinated salt water -- murder on the eyes!! I can't remember now if it was the old Sovereign of the Seas or a Carnival ship. And salt water doesn't necessarily do the job of chlorine since there's all sorts of algae and bacteria growing in the ocean...