On-board pools emptied while cruising?

[jzmomid]

My husband, our two sons, and I will be on a Disney cruise next month. We've never been on a cruise. (We're very excited, to say the least!) ANYWAY . . . a co-worker was telling me that friends of hers had been on cruises where they emptied the on-board swimming pools while the ships were at sea. Does anyone know this to be true of the 3-day Nassau/Castaway Cay cruise?

 

[atigeg]

Yep, I think they do it every night
(maybe more frequently for the Mickey Pool if it starts getting a yellowish tinge ).
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[Mjasp]

I recently found out that some other cruise lines use salt water in their pools. I have also heard conflicting reports about the pools at sea, some say the pools are closed on sea days. Is this true? Doesn't make sense to me, I think they may have it backwards, they may be closed on port days.

 

[Michelle]

The pools are OPEN every day, very late, on both port and sea days. They do clean them each night too, and they may drain them to do it, but they are available basically from the crack of dawn until late at night. And as Barb says, the Mickey pool does tend to get cleaned more often due to the lovely hue it becomes at certain times.

All pools on the ship are fresh water pools, except for the crew pool, which is a sea water pool.

 

[mmouse37]

Sometimes they even have to empty them during the day if a child has an "accident" of the solid variety. I think they call it Code Pooh or something silly like that!!!

MJ

 

[Tluvs2talk]

The best time and least crowded time to swim is at night. We found this to be very enjoyable right after dinner.

 

[CruellaDuVille]

Interesting that Disney uses fresh water. The pools I have seen on Royal Carribbian and Carnival were salt water.

I was suprised to read that Disney pools were open in port. That's good. On the other cruise ships I've been on they've been empty and closed in port, pools filled with salt water (or maybe a blend) while at sea.

 

[Mjasp]

Thanks Cruella, So the other lines do have salt water and are closed in port. My kids would hate salt water pools.

 

[atigeg]

Wow, I guess we've been spoiled by Disney! I can't even imagine the pools being closed in port. We never venture off the Wonder in Nassau...we just pretend it's a sea day and relax in the spa, pool, and whirlpools. What a bummer to be on a ship where they're closed!
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[ohiominnie]

Originally posted by atigeg
Yep, I think they do it every night
(maybe more frequently for the Mickey Pool if it starts getting a yellowish tinge ).
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

Do people not use swim diapers? That's nasty!!!

EWWWWWWW

 

[Bonnie Voyager]

What cruise line closes it's pools in port? I've never been on a ship that did that. I don't think I'd be too anxious to sail on a ship that had no pool while in port. In port is the best time to be at the pool (less crowds). I too thought I wouldn't like the pool to be filled with sea water, but I was pleasantly surprised. It is very refreshing. I love to swim in the ocean, so it made sense that I'd like sea water in the pool though. Most of the time you can't really tell the difference.

 

[peg2001]

Hmmm. . .how to put this delicately? Swim diapers are meant to keep solids contained and do not do much to contain liquids. That is why they don't swell up to the size of a beachball when they are in the pool like regular diapers would. Swim diapers don't contain those liquid absorbent chemicals.

It is good to hear that DCL is willing to clean out the Mickey pool frequently.

 

[mmouse37]

Bonnie Voyager....many cruise lines don't open their pool while in port. I have been on Carnival, Princess, RCCL and they have not had the pool open. Maybe things have changed.

Also, (somebody correct me if I am wrong) but I am pretty sure Disney uses salt water, but they use that process called desalination (sp) to make it "fresh water" for the pools.

MJ

 

[cheekygrrl]

from what i've heard some cruise lines close their pools in port due to the circulation system for the pool water ... because they scoop it up from the sea, the water in port is usually dirty with chemicals and pollution.

and yes - disney desalinates their pool water ..

cheeky

 

[jzmomid]

Thank you all very much for the info. Sounds like the pools are emptied only at night, when the majority are sleeping. That's good to know. That's great that they drain and clean them so often. Only 34 days and counting!

 

[rcostello1]

They also may empty them (at least somewhat) and/or close them on days at seas when the water is rough. We have some GREAT pictures of the adult pool being surfable during our cruise It's kind of fun to bob back and forth in a pool...you just can't get that on land!!

 

[JLSE50]

I am changing my posting as I just looked this up. There are basically two ways to desalinate water. One is a distillation process and the other is reverse osmosis--the result of either is very clean water.

Well water is "treated" by the soils and sands that the rain water or lake water or ocean water filters through. Same idea here only it is done by people on purpose.

That means that the water in the pools, the faucets, the beverage stations, is a lot like bottled water or good quality well water.

I also understand that in cool weather (someone correct me if I am wrong) Disney warms the water for the pools. When we cruised Royal Caribbean last year, they told us the pool water was straight from the ocean. It was a greenish color so the bottom of the pool was not really clear and was COLD. When we sailed about the same time of year on the MAGIC the year before, the water was clear and a pleasant temperature.

Jan