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Pools on cruise ship questions


jbobst

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We just returned from our latest cruise yesterday (Mariner of the Seas). This was our sixth cruise, and second on RCCL. My kids and I love to use the pools and hot tubs while on a cruise. Maybe someone can help me out with my question(s), but why don't cruise ships use fresh water for the pools and why don't they heat them up to a more comfortable temperature? I think that it comes down to a cost issue, but maybe there are other reasons? I know that Princess has fresh water pools, and I know that the freedom class of ships on RCCL have fresh water, but why can't the other lines follow suit? Actually while we were on the Ryndam last year, we found that the main pool was fresh water and the aft pool was salt water. So there are certainly exceptions. I know there are some people who prefer the salt water to the chlorine and chemicals of the fresh water, but generally speaking, I think fresh water is the preference for most people.

 

During our last cruise, which went to some colder climates, I asked the captian (during a Q&A time) if there was any way to make the pools warmer, and he said no...that they simply stay at 74 degrees. He didn't provide any explanation why he couldn't warm them up more. We also had a stat sheet for our cruise as to how much food was consumed, how much fuel was used, how much fresh water was made, etc., etc. The de-salinazation plant is already making fresh water for the ships water supply...why not just make more for the pools?

 

Generally speaking, we cruise the Mexican Riviera during non summer months, where as most summer time cruises or caribbean cruises are already very warm. It just seems like they could easly warm the pools up to a nicer temperature and/or use fresh water, but they won't do it.

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The fresh water pools on cruise ships still use sea water, just like the other pools. The water is filtered differently. It is a more expensive proceedure to intsall these systems.

 

As for heaters, many ships were designed and built for warm water cruising. Pool heaters were never installed.

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salt water pools don't have to be chlorinated. Most ships do have heaters to heat the water but they for some reason don't do it. Making more for fresh pools taxes the ability of some of desalination systems.

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On warm weather cruises, I think the pools warm to an uncomfortably warm temp on their own! The pools aren't deep, and the sun will work it's magic pretty quickly. There have been some hot days where the pool water felt toooooo warm--not at all refreshing or cooling!

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Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink. Its easier to pump and filter whats around you than to create the fresh. You have to remember that most of the fresh water used on the cruise is for consumption. Cooking, bathing, washing of dishes, brushing of teeth:D If they used that water in the pools then you run the risk of going without for everything else.

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Fresh water is expensive to produce at sea - and even more expensive to purchase in port.

Cost is anywhere from US$3 to US$6 per ton. Doesn't seem like much until you measure how much water is needed to fill the pool. An average ship's swimming pool holds around 100 tons of water. Do the math.

 

Every time they fill it with fresh water, it costs them between $300 and $600. Then you look at a big ship that has three or four - or five pools. Do the math. It's getting expensive.

Then you look at the chemistry you need to counteract all the people too lazy to get out of the pool to use the bathroom. The chemicals needed for one pool can run around US$100 per day. Multiply that by 3 or 4 or 5 pools. Do the math. It's getting more expensive.

 

Somebody posted here that having a no smoking section in a casino is like having a no peeing section in a swimming pool........................

 

Next time you take a cruise, take a bit of time to count how many people shower before they enter the pool. This is really easy to do. The number will be near zero. All the lotions, creams, hair treatments, perfumes, colognes, medicines - and fecal material - go into the pool.

 

The water gets very polluted very fast. But it is too expensive to dump that water every day and fill the pool with fresh water. So they run the water through sand filters to try to get the worst of the pollution out. And they add plenty more chemicals to kill the worst bugs and keep you safe. And they try to keep that same "fresh" water in the pool for as long as they can to keep water consumption and related costs down.

 

Do you want to increase the bacteria count in the pool? Easy. Just heat it up, and it becomes a giant viral incubator. The bacteria growth makes the water very cloudy. The massive amount of chemistry makes it even worse. Finally they are forced to dump this chemical mess into the sea. Eco-friendly??? Perhaps not.

 

Or they can use sea water. Pump it in fresh every morning. Dump it at night. Pump it in fresh again tomorrow.

No chemicals. No bacteria. No cost.

 

I vote for the sea water.

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Do you want to increase the bacteria count in the pool? Easy. Just heat it up, and it becomes a giant viral incubator. The bacteria growth makes the water very cloudy. The massive amount of chemistry makes it even worse. Finally they are forced to dump this chemical mess into the sea. Eco-friendly??? Perhaps not.

 

Or they can use sea water. Pump it in fresh every morning. Dump it at night. Pump it in fresh again tomorrow.

No chemicals. No bacteria. No cost.

 

I vote for the sea water.

 

I fully agree with you Philip! When I was on the Maasdam a few years ago, the pools were a disgusting cloudy pea green. Bandaids and cigarette butts were floating in the water. Both pools were filthy. Clearly the pump(s) had broken down. I spoke with the hotel director and he absolutely couldn't be bothered to get it fixed (wow was he rude - like this concern was petty and beneath him), it stayed like that for two days. I like to spend my day by the pool on a sea day. I have to say I would rather have a pool filled in the morning with sea water and dumped at night. At least part of the day it is clean.

 

As an FYI there are three types of pool water, fresh, sea water and like my home pool fresh water with added salt, with a cholrine generator (this as far as I know has not been used in a cruise ship pool).

 

I vote for sea water on a ship too!

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We have a 4 year old who loves to spend all day in the pool. Holland doesn't heat their main pool and the water has not warmed up on the warm weather cruises we have done. I am guessing that it is a cost issue, but we would appreciate it if they heated the pool up just a little bit so he wouldn't freeze his little butt off when he gets in.

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Fresh water is expensive to produce at sea - and even more expensive to purchase in port.

Cost is anywhere from US$3 to US$6 per ton. Doesn't seem like much until you measure how much water is needed to fill the pool. An average ship's swimming pool holds around 100 tons of water. Do the math.

 

Every time they fill it with fresh water, it costs them between $300 and $600. Then you look at a big ship that has three or four - or five pools. Do the math. It's getting expensive.

Then you look at the chemistry you need to counteract all the people too lazy to get out of the pool to use the bathroom. The chemicals needed for one pool can run around US$100 per day. Multiply that by 3 or 4 or 5 pools. Do the math. It's getting more expensive.

 

Somebody posted here that having a no smoking section in a casino is like having a no peeing section in a swimming pool........................

 

Next time you take a cruise, take a bit of time to count how many people shower before they enter the pool. This is really easy to do. The number will be near zero. All the lotions, creams, hair treatments, perfumes, colognes, medicines - and fecal material - go into the pool.

 

The water gets very polluted very fast. But it is too expensive to dump that water every day and fill the pool with fresh water. So they run the water through sand filters to try to get the worst of the pollution out. And they add plenty more chemicals to kill the worst bugs and keep you safe. And they try to keep that same "fresh" water in the pool for as long as they can to keep water consumption and related costs down.

 

Do you want to increase the bacteria count in the pool? Easy. Just heat it up, and it becomes a giant viral incubator. The bacteria growth makes the water very cloudy. The massive amount of chemistry makes it even worse. Finally they are forced to dump this chemical mess into the sea. Eco-friendly??? Perhaps not.

 

Or they can use sea water. Pump it in fresh every morning. Dump it at night. Pump it in fresh again tomorrow.

No chemicals. No bacteria. No cost.

 

I vote for the sea water.

 

They don't have to drain the pool all the time, why can the have filters on the pools just like at a hotel pool. The pools at WDW resorts get a serious workout each and everyday and they still are extremely clean and clear.

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They don't have to drain the pool all the time, why can the have filters on the pools just like at a hotel pool. The pools at WDW resorts get a serious workout each and everyday and they still are extremely clean and clear.

 

Cruise ship pools are considerably smaller. The filters don't do much for all the sunscreen, not to mention all the other unmentionables, that come off our bodies. Even a well chlorinated, well filtered pool on a ship will be cloudy by the end of the day.

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With 1 exception, we sailed RCCL, with Saltwater pools. 1st cruise we had 4-yr old and the water was warm. We usually sail from Miami or FLL. Never cold except from Hawaii to Ensenada...YIKES...Kids were allowed in Solarium pool and with cover and sun, it got to be a nice temp. They aren't going to warm it up.

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