Closing pools for "accidents"

[st0nehedge]

Because I've only been on the one cruise (to Alaska) and noticed the pool wasn't swamped like I'm guessing warmer climate cruises are - I am genuinely curious.

How do the DCL staff know if a person pees in the pool? Is there some chemical that makes the water turn color when it gets pee in it, or is it from continual testing throughout the day?

Or do they close it if someone poops in it?

Thanks!

 

[Shanti]

Because I've only been on the one cruise (to Alaska) and noticed the pool wasn't swamped like I'm guessing warmer climate cruises are - I am genuinely curious.

How do the DCL staff know if a person pees in the pool? Is there some chemical that makes the water turn color when it gets pee in it, or is it from continual testing throughout the day?

Or do they close it if someone poops in it?

Thanks!

Number 2.

Hmm...I guess there might have been a better way to phrase that.

 

[diznymom]

I've never encountered any closures (lucky I guess). But, I have read of pool closures b/c of Code Brown.

 

[st0nehedge]

Okay cool. Thanks for clarifying that for me! I kinda assumed it had to do with #2...... but had to make sure!!!

 

[TrishaK]

There was one day we saw the small kiddie pool had been drained and was being scrubbed....

 

[kkayluvsdis]

We just returned from a cruise on the Fantasy. One morning they had to close one of the pools due to a nose bleed. So, that's another scenario to consider.

 

[NS8VN]

Don't read this if you want to keep that innocence...


Ok, you were warned. It's very simple: if there is a child in a pool then there is pee in that pool. If there is an adult in a pool then there is probably still a little bit of pee in the pool. The thing is, urine is sterile when it first exits the body. And in a properly sanitized pool it reacts almost instantly with the chlorine or bromine to break down in to benign salts. So people who run the pools just track the chemical levels as required, and they recognize situations where they sometimes should check a bit more often

Oh, and the concept of a chemical that turns color when someone pees in the pool is a myth. I guess years of being told that by lifeguards and camp counselors has worked wonders, a lot of adults still think such a thing exists. I bet someone reading this is even convinced they saw it demonstrated (spoiler: it was leak detection dye in his swim trunks). But as I pointed out, a bit of urine in a properly managed pool is not a problem so ignorance is bliss.

As far as #2: just know there is a very tiny amount of fecal matter in every pool that has a person in it up to their waist, but again the chlorine makes short work of the nasties in it. Really a "code brown" is more for the mental health of people, showing that something is being done about it, than for physical health.

 

[Trera]

Once had a small child vomit into the pool. That pool was quickly shut down as you can imagine.

 

[BrokeMack]

You must be from somewhere with a very short swimming season. That whole "the water turns colors when you pee in it " thing is an urban legend started by paranoid parents to try and scare their kids from peeing in the pool. It's not a big deal.

Also, South Park did a whole episode on it.

 

[st0nehedge]

You must be from somewhere with a very short swimming season. That whole "the water turns colors when you pee in it " thing is an urban legend started by paranoid parents to try and scare their kids from peeing in the pool. It's not a big deal.

Also, South Park did a whole episode on it.

Oh no. I'm from Southern California. We can swim just about all year long!

I just didn't swim in the pools, didn't see them close, but have read for over a couple years on the Dis about the pools "constantly being closed".... on warmer climate cruises, mostly.

I think this is all good info.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

 

[minniemouse1]

We have been on 6 cruises with DCL and I am pretty sure the kiddie pool was closed at least once on every cruise except for our first that was only a 3 day. It has been closed for blood, vomit, and stool on various occasions. Lucky us.

 

[Numtini]

Totally legit, there's a water park in Massachusetts called "Water Wizz."

 

[Maggie'sMom]

As far as #2: just know there is a very tiny amount of fecal matter in every pool that has a person in it up to their waist, but again the chlorine makes short work of the nasties in it. Really a "code brown" is more for the mental health of people, showing that something is being done about it, than for physical health.

This is not exactly true. Read up on cryptosporidium.

 

[cheribelle]

This is not exactly true. Read up on cryptosporidium.

True. Coming from a mom of a child who had contacted cryptosporidium from a pool.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

True. Coming from a mom of a child who had contacted cryptosporidium from a pool.

Yep, my DD got crypto from a pool when she was 4. Not fun!

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Totally legit, there's a water park in Massachusetts called "Water Wizz."

This is true...

 

[NS8VN]

This is not exactly true. Read up on cryptosporidium.

Crypto is actually a great example of why I said that. Crypto gets a lot of concern because of its chlorine resistance, but one of the main symptoms is extremely watery stool. So when a pool is drained due to a solid specimen being found, it is extremely unlikely to be a carrier and is being done out of an abundance of caution and because people expect it. The actual stool that would be spreading it is unlikely to be noticed and does not cause a pool to be shut down unless the person responsible, or parent of the person, is willing to fess up to a lifeguard. Unfortunately due to the embarrassment that would cause it is pretty rare someone will step forward, which is why the disease continues to be a problem in public pools.

Just a general "putting it out there" statement: Please don't swim if you are having any kind of intestinal problems. Waterborne illnesses thankfully aren't super common in public pools, but they would be near zero if everyone followed that rule.

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

I too have only seen the kiddie pool closed for an unscheduled cleaning. I believe it even happened twice in one day if I remember correctly.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Totally legit, there's a water park in Massachusetts called "Water Wizz."

Yep, been there - it's a great little park! (It was also used in the movie "Grown Ups" - for anyone who's seen that.)