Why are there no lifeguards at the pools?

[RedSox68]

In addition to the suggestions posted so far...


2. Because you don't have lifeguards for bathtubs - which is probably a better description of those pools anyway

 

[tinyteen19401]

If my daughter was in the pool, then I am standing next to the pool or sitting on the edge with my feet in the pool... all the while watching her, because that is my responsibility and nobody else's.

I tend to agree with the people who say that if their were a lifeguard on duty then parents would maybe watch their children less. This has probably on here somewhere but the boy who almost drowned yesterday was 4.
I know that I would never let my 4 year old in a pool unsupervised. Not even a backyard blow up pool, you just never know.

I was a lifeguard for many years and if there is one by the pool the parents will not help. I do feel that it is better this way. They are your kids and the lifeguards are not there to baby sit for you.

 

[jdb in AZ]

It looks like they are actually trained lifeguards - I found postings for the position - see below (bolding mine).

From DCL's Jobs site (http://dcljobs.com/shipboard-roles/entertainment-operations):

Recreation Staff (Lifeguard)-Island:
Lifeguard at multiple lifeguard stations 300 feet apart on Castaway Cay. Clean/rent equipment—bikes, snorkel masks, boats, floats. Assist with island activities. Clean and oversee beach/boat lagoon. When working onboard the ship (approximately every 30 days for 1-2 cruises at a time), monitors children/family pools and water slides/Aqua Duck as well as all onboard recreational areas while ensuring safety of all guests and enforcing rules. Monitors integrity of adult areas. Performs hosting duties within lounges and Walt Disney Theatre in evenings. Actively supports Port Adventures (shore excursion) operation. This role has high guest interaction.

So it appears that the monitors on the slides are actual lifeguards - as well as Excursion staff and theater hosts. This is also posted on another site (http://www.allcruisejobs.com/i755/-island-lifeguards/) with similar requirements:

Shipboard Recreation Staff:
THIS POSITION REQUIRES YOU TO LIVE & WORK ON A SHIP – 4.5 MONTHS ON / 6 WEEKS OFF

• Provide aquatic rescue and recreation assistance
• Monitor opening/closing, safety and volume for the ship’s slide and pools
• Monitor all recreation areas ensuring supplies and equipment are available; set-up and/or replenish, as needed
• Assist with Adult and/or Family activities
• Assist with shore excursions sales while at times escorting a Port Adventure as the Disney representative
• Perform hosting responsibilities at entrance to show lounge and the Walt Disney Theater
• Monitor snorkel lagoon and all other water areas as needed on Castaway Cay (See Castaway Cay Lifeguard Responsibilities)

I'm not seeing anything in this job description that the cast member must be a certified life guard. Doesn't even mention CPR-certified. Is this position really just a glorified monitor?

 

[lbgraves]

The aquatic rescue requirement is probably referring to the captains at the muster stations, not anything to do with pools.

 

[bats]

Fresh off the Fantasy this past Saturday. I stated my position earlier in this thread that it's up to the parents' to actually parent. After a full a full week on the cruise, I feel even stronger that lifeguards should not be posted.

First hand I watched kids without any parent supervision. Younger than my 7 year old swimming in Donald's pool. Keep in mind this is a small pool. When I took my 7 year old in for 30 minutes, I was jumped on no less than 4 times. Not once did any of the kids say sorry. Nor did a parent come over and tell their child to apologize. If parents are willing to allow their children to go in Donald's pool at or below the age of 7 with no supervision, what will happen when there is a lifeguard to babysit their kids? In my opinion, it would be ten times worse. This is after working 5 years on Rhode Island's south shore beaches as a lifeguard back in the late 80's early 90's.

Disney did put one of their crew members over by the shallow pool to try and keep some semblance of order, but that didn't stop a kid from taking a poop in the pool.

Disney would be downright foolish to post lifeguards. If they are going to do that, then they would need to institute a poolside daycare system.

Speaking as another ex lifeguard, I have to agree with the above. A few parents do tend to rely too much on lifeguards unfortunately.

 

[bella2396]

Once again and with all due respect, no one knows if the parents were supervising or not for sure. Remember the posting said they left the ship in their bathing suits.

From what I've read they lost him and were searching for him. It could happen to anyone, most of us are lucky and we are reunited with no ill effect. I can't imagine the pain and guilt these parents feel. It's no ones fault, just a very unfortunate accident.

 

[luv2sleep]

From what I've read they lost him and were searching for him. It could happen to anyone, most of us are lucky and we are reunited with no ill effect. I can't imagine the pain and guilt these parents feel. It's no ones fault, just a very unfortunate accident.

Oh wow. How horrible! We all know what that could be like. You imagine the worst and unfortunately the worst happened to this poor family.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

The pools are like a bathtub if...

You and your entire family of 10 take a bath together at the same time Otherwise the tubs on the ship give you more 'space' to swim

 

[Rogillio]

Every parent who has a kid in the pool is a lifeguard whether they know it or not! If a child is in distress in the pool, there will be 40 eyes on that child and many people rushing to the rescue.

 

[SapphireMind]

I don't care if there are lifeguards or not, but I think they are unnecessary and possibly would encourage riskier behavior from parents due to a false sense of security that there is someone trained watching their child (they're not, they're watching the pool area, no their child)

I would love to see all CM CPR certified (which includes using an AED btw) and knowing their basic role in an emergency is to delegate responsibility (in stressful situations, a diffusion of responsibility sometimes will end up with no one taking action) But having a readily available CM who knows CPR would definitely be a good thing without the issues of a lifeguard.

Residential pools do not have lifeguards. Goofy's pool is a max depth of 4 feet. Donald's pool is a max depth of 5 feet. Yes, you can drown in 2 inches of water, but that depth means that nearly everyone who isn't holding a hand while in the pool, can touch the bottom.

Having responders available in case of emergency I'm all in favor of. The lifeguard issue I'm more meh about.

Btw, if you're on a cruise I'm on, I am not afraid of confrontation. You smoke by the pool? I will tell you to stop. If I see a 4 year old approaching a pool who is not holding onto the hand of an adult, I will stop him and turn him in as a lost child. A kid roughhousing? Same story, stop or get out of the pool. I have a fairly effective "mommy voice".

 

[luv2sleep]

Every parent who has a kid in the pool is a lifeguard whether they know it or not! If a child is in distress in the pool, there will be 40 eyes on that child and many people rushing to the rescue.

This is true but with so many kids in the deeper pools a kid could be at the bottom for some time before anyone notices. The crowding of the pools is concerning but nothing can be done about that

 

[TDC Nala]

How could anybody jump into the adult pool on the new ships? It's no deeper than a puddle.

 

[Rogillio]

This is true but with so many kids in the deeper pools a kid could be at the bottom for some time before anyone notices. The crowding of the pools is concerning but nothing can be done about that

I would not let small kids in an over-crowded pool.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

Goofy's pool is a max depth of 4 feet. Donald's pool is a max depth of 5 feet. Yes, you can drown in 2 inches of water, but that depth means that nearly everyone who isn't holding a hand while in the pool, can touch the bottom.

I'm 38 and only 5 feet tall - the Donald pool would come up to the top of my head - I think for a lot of kids under 12 (or even older), the water would cover their head and not allow them to touch the bottom and breathe at the same time. And I don't anticipate a lot of 10-12 years holding a parents hands in the pool.

I'd think that DCL doesn't have life guards because they (and other cruiselines) don't have to and so they don't want to take on the responsibility. I'm guessing DCL just followed suit from the other cruiselines and didn't install lifeguards around their family pools - a decision given their demographics, they may be reconsidering.

 

[SapphireMind]

That's only if you stand flat footed on the ground. Most people walk on their tip-toes in a pool because of buoyancy. At the very least, you can easily touch the bottom and bounce up, no swimming needed. No treading water needed.

 

[goeva]

A First Aid/CPR class takes one Saturday afternoon and is well worth everyone's time. Of course having a trained professional in proximity is invaluable, but the more people who can recognize a life-threatening situation and respond appropriately, the better.

And I know this is a bit off the scope of this thread, since horseplay and overcrowding are primary problems on DCL pools, but I want to take a moment to try to educate people about drowning, namely that drowning does not look like "drowning."

One of the main reasons people drown in front of a crowd of other people (including drowning children with their parents right there) is because we have an incorrect idea of what drowning looks like. We expect a drowning person to be flailing their arms above their heads screaming "help!" or "I can't swim!" or something. In reality, it is physically impossible for a drowning person to wave their hands over their heads and only rarely will a drowning person be able to call for help, since he or she is concentrating all of their energy on simply breathing. Drowning is usually SILENT and often goes completely unrecognized even by people standing a few feet away.

Here are some signs of drowning that lifeguards are trained to look for:

Head low in the water, mouth at water level
Head tilted back with mouth open
Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus
Eyes closed
Hair over forehead or eyes
Not using legs Vertical
Hyperventilating or gasping
Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway
Trying to roll over on the back
Appear to be climbing an invisible ladder

This is the source and a good article about accidental drowning.

Okay, carry on with the debate of parental responsibility and legal liability and so on

Thanks for sharing the article.
This is really helpful.