babytraveler

That was an interesting guideline from the CDC regarding cruise ship pools.

I've said it before, but I'm still mindboggled. Unless only one person is using that pool, without chlorine, there is sharing of thousands of bacteria and viruses. What if someone has an infection or a sore or something? Given the epidemic rates cruise ships have of stomach flu, I'm mindboggled that this is allowed. It's like sharing bath water (without soap) with hundreds of people. We wouldn't all be rushing out to do that!

So I'm the person who did 360. I couldn't believe kids couldn't use the pool--but I assumed it was chlorinated. Now that I hear it is salty bath water, none of us will go in.

Okay, no unpotty trained kids in cruise pools...

But I'm still trying to figure out how they get away without chlorinating. I would think that would be majorly against health codes. It isn't just pee or poop--any kind of thing on your foot or anything body like, with multiple people, multiple days, no chlorine--that's a germ fest for norwalk virus, colds, strep, herpes, etc. In my opinion, far more dangerous to be with assorted adults in an unchlorinated pool than with little kids in a chlorinated pool.

Why no chlorine?

Okay, if there's no chlorine in the pool, it isn't safe for anyone. Why in the world would anyone have a pool without chlorine? We're not even talking about diapers here. All people carry a certain amount of bacteria on them at all times. Would you take a bath with strangers? There are all sorts of diseases that can fester without chlorine. Chlorine is a must. I'm concerned that diseases spread on cruise ships because they aren't clean enough. What could possess them to have pools without chlorine?

In a chlorine pool, I'm not worried about siblings catching anything from younger kids. There's chlorine. I will not set foot (not even my foot) in a pool without chlorine. What are these ships thinking?

One Step Ahead has bathing suits with built in, invisible to the eye, swim diapers built in. You wear them very tight.

DD isn't quite potty trained yet, but she might be by the time we go on the cruise. That being said, I'm a big fan of keeping a pull up, swim or otherwise, on until we are sure, sure, sure, and just use pull up as a form of underwear. In our local pools, we'll use a swim diaper throughout the summer, just in case...

Given the outrage of passengers who see a swim diaper, the One Step Ahead swim suits w/ built in diapers might be an insurance policy without flipping out fellow passengers. I just think it is worse to assume child is 99% potty trained, but not use a swim diaper because it upsets other passengers to see them. Ideally, we'll stay out of pool area entirely, but it just might not be realistic.

Here's a poll: has anyone every found poop in a swim diaper? I have 2 kids and there's never been poop. I don't think kids poop while swimming in cold water.

I