The Cruise ship pools

[nf_krs]

Hi! We are looking at doing our first Disney Cruise 29 February 2004.

Can someone tell me how big are the pools? Are the ships normally filled during this time?

I have been reading some trip reports and viewed some pictures that were posted and the pools all seem very small.

There are 5 of us (3 kids) and our 12 year old is autistic but really enjoys swimming. My concern is if the pools are really small and crowded then he will not enjoy the cruise.

I appreciate any information that anyone can provide.

Jackie

 

[cathie]

We went on our 1st Cruise this past Feb.& were disapponted at first by the size of the pools.The pools are small,( there are 3 ) but don't let that discourage you from cruising DCL. Most cruise lines have pools that are usually smaller than those at the resorts, probably due to maintenance & space reasons. On the positive side, Disney is the only cruise line to use fresh water in their pools instead of salt water. If you want to avoid the crowds at the pools, go in the morning as early as possible, especially when everybody is getting off the ship to go to places like Nassau or Castaway Cay.( those are the stops on the 3 Day. ) We travel with 3 kids & they enjoyed swimming @ Castaway Cay the best. We also loved the snorkeling @ CC. Hope you still decide to go!!!

 

[WDWLVR]

Compared to what you would see at a resort the pools are very small. We only use the adult pool which never seems too bad. I have heard that the family pool gets very crowded. If the pools are that important to you then the cruise might not be for you. If, however, you are looking for a vacation of a lifetime than go for the cruise - there is much, much more to do than the pools.

I would also suggest that if pool time is important that you try to do it at off hours (early morning, after dinner, thinkgs like that).

 

[angelam]

We just took our first cruise on the Wonder. When I first saw the size of the pools and how crowded they were, I was disappointed. That disappointment didn't last long, as no matter how crowded the Mickey or Goofy pool was, my kids had a blast. The adults sat on the edges with their feet in the water and the kids had a great time splashing around. The Mickey pool was perfect for my 4 yr old because it is very shallow. I didn't swim in the adult only pool, but that looked relatively uncrowded and quiet. We stayed on the ship while in Nassau, and the children's pools were still pretty crowded, but as I said before, my kids had a good time and never complained. They enjoyed the cruise much more than the Walt Disney World parks!

Have a great time!
Angie

 

[aprilgail2]

The Mickey pool also gets VERY gross by the afternoon...cloudy murky looking water....I only let my daughter in the pool at 730 in the morning before the corwds and colorful water came....if you are stopping in Freeport there is a great resort with a WONDERFUL pool there that you could take an excursion to...it the Lucayan Beach Day resort...there is a pool and a beach right there!

 

[jel0511]

The pools on ANY cruise ship are VERY small. I think they are slightly smaller than your average inground pool. Now, with TONS of kids in them, they are mobbed. We sailed in Nov, and only used the pool during our stop in Freeport, and it was wall to wall kids. So, even in Feb, DCL will be crowded and kids will be everywhere. You're only option to swim without a lot of people around will be first thing in the morning, or late at night.

 

[adisneynut]

Disney isn't the only line that has fresh water. Fresh water pools are better in my book. But of the main lines Princess and Disney have the only fresh water pools that I know of.

 

[SweetCaroline]

We just returned from the Magic 5/17 sailing and the pools were very disappointing. I think your son will be too big for the kiddie pool. My son is 8 and loves swimming and pools, but he only did the slide twice (the slide lets out into the kiddie pool) and the family pool would have been better for him but it is very crowded with lots of older kids so my son didn't even go in. I guess you could go at off times, but it is nice to be able to go in whenever you wanted. Where you son is autistic, maybe you can get permission for him to use the adult pool. Otherwise, I would check other cruise lines. Many newer ships have larger pools and multiple pools with fewer kids using them. Don't get me wrong, a Disney cruise is great and I'm glad we went, but next time I would try a different cruise line for many reasons, the big one being the pools.

I hope this helps!

 

[djs113]

My 3 year old loved the Mickey pool last week, and my 7 year old split her time between the Mickey slide and the family pool with no problems.

The pools are traditional cruise ship pools. If a big pool is required, you definitely do not want to do a cruise.

- David

 

[hilltopfamily]

Originally posted by SweetCaroline
Don't get me wrong, a Disney cruise is great and I'm glad we went, but next time I would try a different cruise line for many reasons, the big one being the pools.

I hope this helps!

I realize this is slightly off topic but....just curious about "would try a different cruise line for many reasons". Care to enlighten as to the many reasons besides just the pool issue?

Also, the small, crowded, and murky-by-midday pools are sounding like a bit of a disappointment to me also!!! Heavy sigh.

 

[MarkRG]

The only pool that gets murky is the Mickey(kids) pool, and that's only because people ignore the requirement that kids be potty trained.

They do drain, washdown, and refill the Mickey pool regularly however.

The other two pools do stay nice through the cruise.

Now for those who are expecting Stormalong Bay onboard, not going to happen! Not on any cruise line. It is a ship and space is limited. And it is in other places aboard ship too. As was said earlier, if that isn't comfortable to you, then maybe cruising isn't for you. But don't take that as the pools being microscopic, they are certainly not. The Mickey pool covers the largest space of the three, and I would guess it as being at least 8-10 feet across (it's a big circle). The Goofy and adult pools are both rectangular, and while not exactly huge, they aren't tiny either.

The only negative time for anywhere on top of the ship are the sea days when it does tend to get crowded. I've only noticed by going there to get lunch, as personally, the sea days are the best days to explore the ship.

Personally, at 6'1", I don't feel 'confined' anywhere aboard ship, and don't understand how people can have such unrealistic expecatations.

 

[cathie]

We learned from our first cruise that you don't go on a cruise for the pools. Like everybody else has been saying, there are plenty of things to do including swimming at the different ports. We spend most of our pool time on vacation @ the resorts after we get off the ship. Disney probably could have set up the pools differently, but from what we've experienced a least they keep them clean. Hope everyone enjoys their cruise!!! Cathie

 

[SweetCaroline]

Care to enlighten as to the many reasons besides just the pool issue?

First let me say that my family and I had a great time on our cruise. Second, I have been on several other cruise lines so I do feel I have something to compare it to. With that being said, here are the reasons I would probably not choose a Disney cruise again:

1. Food and dining experience. The food was not up to par with the other cruises I have taken. It was just okay and the desserts were pretty much the same every night. The few poolside buffets were laughable offering few items, most of which were left over from dinner. Our dining room attendants were very friendly, but the service wasn't what it should be. For example, our drink waiter on every other cruise always had our drinks waiting when we arrived and constantly kept refilling them even if we didn't ask. On DCL, our drink waiter would take our drink orders and bring the alcoholic beverages first and then after delivering bread and water, then our sodas would come. My husband eventually started ordering two sodas at the beginning of dinner so he would have enough to drink during dinner. The other issue was that we had several spills during dinner (no covers on the cups) and our waiters never once cleaned it up or brought new napkins.

2. Entertainment. With the exception of Disney Dreams, the evening shows were disappointing. Many people on the DIS boards warned that the shows were not great. They were right. Also, the many other options to do at night seemed amateur. I have to mention that one of the classes my son (8) went to, the ventriloquist class, the guy spent the whole time promoting and trying to sell his videotape which was very annoying (yes, we bought it).

One last thing because this is getting very long...

3. The Spa. I think it is ridiculous that you should have to rush on board to reserve your spa visit. If you don't get it the very first day, you will never get one. To me that is absurd. Also, I met someone onboard who booked two 60 minute sessions. The massages lasted 30 minutes and the remaining time was spent trying to sell their products.

Please don't think I am bashing DCL. Their kids program is fantastic, but everything else seemed better on other cruise lines.

Please PM me if you have more questions.

 

[ohiominnie]

Originally posted by MarkRG
The only pool that gets murky is the Mickey(kids) pool, and that's only because people ignore the requirement that kids be potty trained.

WHY? This makes no sense. It's NOT like Disney is doing this to be mean to anyone's kids. It's a safety thing. It's the policy because it's just more sanitary in a pool that isn't filtered (and I suspect not chlorinated) to not have kids doing that in the pool.

On a recent Wonder cruise they had to close down the Mickey pool, MUCH to my kids dismay, because of....well....ever see Caddyshack with the floating baby ruth bar in the pool?? 'nuff said.

That's just NASTY!

So some parent of a non-potty trained kid is responsible for running my rule-abiding kids' fun.
off my soapbox now.....flame retardant suit on.

 

[mobetsy]

Hi, Jackie! Even though I haven't been on DCL yet (sigh...10 more months to wait), a couple of different thoughts occur to me with regard to your son. The question about the size of the pools has been addressed, as well as times you might find them less crowded. I don't know how long your cruise is, but at any of the ports-of-call there seem to be places where you could go swimming in a pool or the ocean. Has your son ever tried snorkeling? That might be a marvelous, less-crowded experience for him. Maybe he could try it out at a pool or somewhere this summer, so it wouldn't be a new thing when you got on the cruise. You could do taxis or rental cars (which sound like they are moderate in price), rather than a DCL excursion, to get where you want to go, thus avoiding the crowd of an excursion.

I'm guessing from what you said that noisy, crowded situation are challenging for him. There are some spots on the ship (escaping my mind now, but easy enough to track down) that are much quieter...I think, for example, that there's a small area on deck 7 aft that's little used. If he needs places to take a breather and get away from people, those could be good to know about; he and you could have a really nice time out there (i.e., it's not a "second choice" sort of thing, but a genuinely pleasant option). With a little help from people on this board, I think you could find a number of options like that, as well as learn in advance about the times/events/places that are likely to be stressful. For example, at sail-away time it sounds like some areas are really packed, while others are much more peaceful but still let you enjoy the festivities and food. People on this board are so nice about helping answer those sorts of questions! I hope you can plan your cruise in a way that helps you all feel confident and have a great time.