The Swim Diaper Conundrum - I figured out why everyone must be confused!

[tamsocal]

we are bringing a small pool too on our upcoming cruise ... no idea why they would say you cant!

 

im told people fill them with the beer buckets from the pool water, then dump them down the drains.

 

DOn;t have personal experience w/ this but have read that they have sometimes been not allowed due to the contaminated water issue. The issue of diapered baby still remains-- For example filling the pool w/ beer buckets and then some have posted that they scoop out the kiddie pool water w/ the beer buckets-- the beer buckets now have been exposed to potentially contaminated water-- where are the cruisers dumping the potentially contaminated water-- if down the drain is any portion of the deck being exposed to the potentially contaminated water? is the kiddie in the kiddie pool while playing splashing contaminated water outside of the kiddie pool? This is only what I have read or been told by a mom on a cruise who was not allowed to use their pool (I think we were on Princess that cruise-- but honestly can't remember if she told me it happened on that cruise or a previous one). They also told her something about not having the deck w/ excessive splashing and water for potential falls......she said her kids weren't making the deck more wet than people getting out of the pool wet

[Seraphine]

 

so what the hay??? i am totally confused!!! the op even states she took a pool.....

 

can anyone help me out on this one??

 

 

OP here - yes, I most definately took a pool, and used it on about 6 occasions on two different ships.

 

We situated ourselves away from the pool by a level, as the pool area is always so crowded. Our favourite place was up a deck (about 4 steps?) on one side or the other (right against the solid wall of the ship, not against the railing).

 

I didn't use a beer bucket, but brought a plastic shopping bag. You don't need a lot of water! I dipped the bag in, collected the water, walked up the level, and put the water in my pool (I then tucked the bag into my stroller pocket). My daughter didn't splash a great deal - she was quite content pouring water from a cup back into the pool. I deliberately chose loungers away from others as I didn't want to chance them getting splashed (not out of concern about "bugs" but more for not wanting to be a noise nuisance).

 

Yes, I did pour the water down the side drains - I can't see this being any worse than spilled booze and God knows what else that gets poured down those drains. It's fairly easy to aim it - the pools fold, and it's easy to get the water down the drain and not all over the floor.

 

Anyone who would complain at this would perhaps want me to just bring her in the main pool?

 

We really made a point to try to be as unobtrusive as possible yet still have a good time. Carnival didn't provide a place for water play, so we provided our own. If a staff member had said anything to me (and none did, despite watching me for 6 days) I would have asked if they preferred I take her in the pool? I would have happily discussed it with management - not in a snarky way, but asking how it could be a problem?

 

Take your little pool, fill it up, empty it in a drain, and have a great time!

[Julienatul]

We also used the blow up pool many times on both RCCL once and Carnival many times. Filled it using pool water and beer bucket and then drug the pool over to the drain along the deck and emptied it. No big deal, maybe used 3 buckets of water and did not reuse the bucket to contaminate. The blow-up pool is very small.

[momofdss]

thanks everyone.

 

i will be looking for a small pool to take and will put it between two lounge chairs (my husband's and my own). of course, we will also try to situate ourselves away from other guests as to not disturb them..... we try to be very respectful of others

 

as for some people who are so determined that babies playing in the pool create such a contaminated environment :eek: and even the water from our own pools being poured into the drains being as issue :eek: - gesh....:p go get a ultraviolet light and look at the pool water!! you will be surprised as to what is in there and it AIN'T from the babies!!;):D

[Asil65]

OK I am so grossed out right now. I never get in the pool but was thinking that my kids might have fun next week. Maybe if they go in at the start of the cruise they will have a cleaner experience. Mine are potty trained 10 and 12. Yuck!

[momofdss]

didn't mean to gross anyone out.... i honestly just felt that taking a pool for the little one to play in was a great idea to keep him entertained and occupied. and i will be doing so.....in an out of the way spot.;)

 

as far as the contamination debate, dh would like to point out how many people get in the pool who may have some type of vd, women who may be menstruating, a honeymooning couple who may have just had sex, a person with a flare-up of herpes, etc.....:eek: i think a swim diaper is nothing compared to these incidences. granted i would hope that these people would have the common courtesy to NOT get in the pool, but lets be realistic. this is why we have immune systems, vaccinations, and hopefully a little common sense - but when alcohol is involved all inhibitions are gone..... :cool:

 

so, while we have fun with our little one, you guys can be paranoid over the germs and who is doing what where.....

 

have fun with that....

 

:D

[snydermann]

:eek: . . . . I may never swim in a public pool again . . . :eek:

[Mack2]

I sometimes hate the pool deck... with all the ice cream, ketchup, pina coladas and daquiris that end up on the deck... I refuse to walk barefoot on the thing if I can help it.

 

Most of that stuff ends up in the drain, or stuck to the bottoms of people's feet right before they jump in.

 

Nasty... if you ask me.

[TheCalicoCat]

Assuming that the ocean/sea/lake/pond/what ever body of water you want to enjoy is pristine - no motorboat fuel, no agricultural drain off (pesticides/animal waste) doesn't the water still have animals (fish/ducks/other flying animals/etc.) that also have bodily functions?

 

There are "issues" in all bodies of water, not just those that are man-made... So the paranoia can take you down a steep grade.

 

At least the "tea bags" are an attempt to control the emission...

[In2why]

Unless a child is sick, don't most parents know when their child is about to poop? Most babies have certain times of the day, or get that wonderful look on their face. I know people think I am crazy, but we have a pool and I have always taken our little ones in it and I have never had anyone poop in the pool. I can't imagine that I am the only person that ever paid enough attention to our babies. Heck I have a nephew that will only poop when he can hide behind something. Of course this only works with older babies, and not newborns but still. :rolleyes: Glad I don't have any at diaper age but this topic always suprises me.

[Seraphine]

Unless a child is sick, don't most parents know when their child is about to poop? Most babies have certain times of the day, or get that wonderful look on their face. I know people think I am crazy, but we have a pool and I have always taken our little ones in it and I have never had anyone poop in the pool. I can't imagine that I am the only person that ever paid enough attention to our babies. Heck I have a nephew that will only poop when he can hide behind something. Of course this only works with older babies, and not newborns but still. :rolleyes: Glad I don't have any at diaper age but this topic always suprises me.

 

 

Mine never got this "wonderful look" til it was too late :rolleyes: and mine were never consistant with their timings so this wouldn't work for us. Even if they are consistant at home, travel, different foods, and sleep schedule changes do funny things to everyone's system.

 

This topic gets a lot of press because it upsets so many people. Parents who think they should be able to bring their babies in the pool, people who don't want to be exposed to body fluids, and the staff who get put in the middle of all of it. Everyone thinks they're right. :)

[cosmolulu1]

There is a small wading pool on the Carnival Glory that has about 3-4 inches of water in it and seems like no one uses it. Do you think that would be okay for my 20 month old? I wouldn't even have him sit in it, maybe just walk through. I've heard that they do allow babies in that pool. Seems silly not to allow babies (and I know the regulations etc.) because my older potty trained preschoolers wouldn't even be interested in this small wading pool. I guess that's why it's not populated. Was hoping to sneak my toddler in! I don't want to offend anyone by saying this -- I just think it's silly to have a wading pool that's appropriate for little babies and they cannot use it. It's literally just like a bathtub far away from everything.

[tkportersat]

:eek: You should have read the article in Cosmo about Hot tub dangers and all the diseases and stuff you can get from them.....I'm not sure I want to get in a public hot tub ever again.

 

 

Ahhh, this debate has always baffled me, and it baffles me more now that we are about to cruise with our 1 year old daughter. We will follow the rules because we know and respect them. But answer me this....do you all honestly think that drunk adults do not urinate in the pools? I have friends that work for RCCL and they have always told us DO NOT go into the hot tubs, and trust me it is not because of kids in diapers. Lol

[alabamaprincess]

Just got off the Carnival Fascination on Thursday. We were enjoying the pool and hot tub while we were in port in Nassau. I saw a woman with a child who had to be 1 year old in the pool and hot tub. I went to the employee staffing the towel hut to complain about a baby in the pool. He contacted an officer who informed me the child was "potty trained." He was not wearing a swim diaper, just tiny swim trunks. I know that most children that age in the U.S. are not fully potty trained at such a young age and often have accidents when they are having fun playing. Needless to say we did not get in the pool or hot tub after we saw the child in the pool. I'm not going to risk e-coli or any other infection from swimming in a contaminated pool.

The health club we go to at home has a strict policy for their pool, no one under age three is allowed in the pool. Swim diaper or no swim diaper. I wish Carnival would have a rule like that and would actually enforce the rule.

[mjkacmom]

didn't mean to gross anyone out.... i honestly just felt that taking a pool for the little one to play in was a great idea to keep him entertained and occupied. and i will be doing so.....in an out of the way spot.;)

 

as far as the contamination debate, dh would like to point out how many people get in the pool who may have some type of vd, women who may be menstruating, a honeymooning couple who may have just had sex, a person with a flare-up of herpes, etc.....:eek: i think a swim diaper is nothing compared to these incidences. granted i would hope that these people would have the common courtesy to NOT get in the pool, but lets be realistic. this is why we have immune systems, vaccinations, and hopefully a little common sense - but when alcohol is involved all inhibitions are gone..... :cool:

 

so, while we have fun with our little one, you guys can be paranoid over the germs and who is doing what where.....

 

have fun with that....

 

:D

 

No one is going to get a dangerous illness from a STD, mentrual blood, semen, or urine. However, fecal matter can be very dangerous. There are no vaccinations for e coli. Babies do poop in pools - have 5 kids of my own, and they've pooped in pools (our own). Those swim diapers don't do a great job at containing the poop, so the pool needs to be treated before anyone can go in. The problem with swim diapers in public pools is that although the child will be removed, some fecal matter probably made it's way into the pool, with no one the wiser.

 

Yes, it stinks when your child can't go in. At our pool club, non-potty trained kids had to go in the "piss" pool (aka baby pool). It was a hardship having potty trained kids who had to stay at the baby pool because of non-potty trained siblings. I was thrilled when we finally graduated out of it!

 

When I was on the Jewel, I saw lots of swim diapers in the pool, and I begged my kids to keep their mouths and eyes closed in the water.

[beachchick]

Assuming that the ocean/sea/lake/pond/what ever body of water you want to enjoy is pristine - no motorboat fuel, no agricultural drain off (pesticides/animal waste) doesn't the water still have animals (fish/ducks/other flying animals/etc.) that also have bodily functions?

 

There are "issues" in all bodies of water, not just those that are man-made... So the paranoia can take you down a steep grade.

 

At least the "tea bags" are an attempt to control the emission...

 

The volume of water in ship pools versus oceans, seas, and lakes makes this an apples to oranges comparison. The dilution and natural filtering in large natural bodies of water takes care of much contamination. Not all to be sure, especially chemicals and man-made pollutants, but the difference is huge. A swim diaper cannot prevent the spread of pathogens from fecal matter; it simply cannot do it. A small ship pool with light chemical treatment is unable to handle such contamination. Even large public swimming pools and water parks have had problems with the spread of infections, even though they are heavily treated and high volume.

 

Believe me, no one wants to keep youngsters from having water fun, but safety must come first.

 

didn't mean to gross anyone out.... i honestly just felt that taking a pool for the little one to play in was a great idea to keep him entertained and occupied. and i will be doing so.....in an out of the way spot.;)

 

as far as the contamination debate, dh would like to point out how many people get in the pool who may have some type of vd, women who may be menstruating, a honeymooning couple who may have just had sex, a person with a flare-up of herpes, etc.....:eek: i think a swim diaper is nothing compared to these incidences. granted i would hope that these people would have the common courtesy to NOT get in the pool, but lets be realistic. this is why we have immune systems, vaccinations, and hopefully a little common sense - but when alcohol is involved all inhibitions are gone..... :cool:

 

so, while we have fun with our little one, you guys can be paranoid over the germs and who is doing what where.....

 

have fun with that....

 

:D

 

I get your point, but can herpes or other STDs be spread that way? A swim diaper is not "nothing," regardless of any other issues.

 

beachchick

[legion3]

I have been a lifeguard at WDW in Florida and baby diapers were allowed in the resort pool, in fact we had some in our emergency bags to hand out to those parents who didn't have them.

 

Baby poop was never the problem it was older kids who did what we call at Disney a "AFR" Accidental fecal release. Even potty trained kids often wouldn't bother getting out of the pools if they were having to much fun.

 

Then we had to close the pools and have them treated, at Disney it would take about an hour or so.

 

The biggest problem we have run into is overseas guests, particually from South or Central America who never hesitated to swim with little little babies wearing nothing - I mean nothing! and even had to deal with them feeding the babies in the pool (the natural style).

[mjkacmom]

Honestly though, this is gross but there are plenty of people who are not babies and don't "wipe properly" or pee in the pool and you are swimming in there... just don't drink the water!

 

Trust me, that water is not going near my mouth! However, when you have young children, even though you tell them not to let water in their mouths, it gets there anyway.

[QTMichele]

The normal flora (bacteria) in stool is not the concern in terms of the serious/life threatening infections. Gross? Yes, but unlikely to harm a healthy person. The E. coli strain that is deadly is not found naturally in human feces.

[Mack2]

The normal flora (bacteria) in stool is not the concern in terms of the serious/life threatening infections. Gross? Yes, but unlikely to harm a healthy person. The E. coli strain that is deadly is not found naturally in human feces.

I find myself unwilling to assume that every piece of floating fecal matter in a swimming pool that I may encounter on a cruise ship contains benevolent E.coli bacteria.

 

Remember, food poisoning occurs when normally ambivalent bacteria grow unchecked to toxic proportions. Mixed with the natural human flora, they don't do much, but in concentrated proportions, they can cause serious medical problems.

 

It is both disgusting and unhealthy, in my opinion.

 

Will it directly penetrate my skin, infect me, cause serious GI disturbances and shut down my kidneys?

Probably not... but it may increase the risk of exposure to these problems if... like... I'm swimming around and find myself wading in a brown-tinged "tea bag" accident.... I'm okay... but I'm not going to grab an ice-cream cone right away.

[QTMichele]

Mack2 - don't get me wrong, I'm not going to swim in a poop filled pool either - NASTY! Definitely not a healthy thing to do. The only point I was trying to make is that a "floatie" probably isn't going to kill you unless the person is infected with a harmful disease. I'm allllll for the rules and follow them with my own children. I do believe we agree on this topic. ;)

[Dorset Cruiser]

I have read this thread with interest as we were considering taking our 19 month old DGD on a cruise this summer. When we realised she could not use the pools (and she loves 'swimming'), as she is not potty-trained, we decided against it. It would have been too cruel for her to see the pool and not be able to 'swim' in it. In the UK parents are encouraged to take their babies, from a few weeks old, into public pools in swim nappies - no-one bats an eyelid and it must be safe or the authorities would not allow it. I do understand that the cruise ships have different rules because of the way the water is treated.

 

I can understand how people are worried about swim nappies and the risk of infections from 'accidents'. However, people are exposed to more than swim nappy infections in pools on board. On a cruise a couple of years ago, we watched an elderly lady paddling around the sides of the main pool taking photographs of her husband in the pool. When she returned to the sunbed behind me, I looked round and the soles of her feet were absolutely covered in veruccas - it was absolutely gross:eek: