Very Curious how Carnival prevents these, or do they?

[6 of us]

Staph infections from public pools & hot tubs in hotels & even in neighborhoods are a common problem. Staph infections can be very hard to get rid of & can make people very sick. A friend of mine actually got a staph infection from a very nice resort pool recently.

 

I have never heard of anyone getting them on cruise ships though & I am curious, are they common & I just didn't know it or does Carnival do something in particular to ensure their pools & hot tubs are ultra clean. SO many people from all over are in & out of the pools constantly & with the sun evaporating the chemicals, I am curious what they might do to prevent it.

[Bosox312]

They use salt water in the pools ... not good for staph. The hot tubs have a lot of chlorine, which may keep the little buggers at bay. I suppose you could take Cipro :)

[KPfromCT]

I have NEVER seen a post from anyone that has gotten one on a ship.

We always swim in the pools and go in the hot tubs and never have an issue.

However, with that being said, the smell of chlorine is usually overwhelming.

That may have something to do with it. :o:D:rolleyes:

[Illyria]

Also, cruise ships drain and clean their hot tubs daily, which is more than most gyms or hotels can say about their hot tubs. There have been a handful of reported cases of bacterial infections from hot tubs on cruise ships but sometimes you just can't prevent bacteria from growing too fast in the pipes.

[cruizinisthebest]

I would say with the amount of chlorine you can smell and the fact that thousands of people sail their ships daily (vast majority not getting staph infections) that umm, yes, they do plenty to prevent them. Plus their slides, hot tubs, and pools are all salt water.

[micheecruise]

I would agree...the hot tubs are LOADED with chlorine. It changed the color of my swimsuit, really changed it!! :eek:

 

As others stated, the pools are salt water pumped in from the ocean, staph bacteria doesn't survive in that environment.

[Frank12]

Hot tubs will definitely fade your bathing suit.:eek:

[vwrestler171]

With the high amounts of chlorine and salt water, combined with the face that they empty them every day. I think they do plenty.

[BigB0882]

If you don't want to risk getting staph then the only thing is to stay out of public pools and hot tubs. I don't know if it is less common on cruise ships or not but as someone said, the salt water could have something to do with it and the fact that they drain the pools and hot tubs quite often.

[manmachine]

Staph infections from public pools & hot tubs in hotels & even in neighborhoods are a common problem. Staph infections can be very hard to get rid of & can make people very sick. A friend of mine actually got a staph infection from a very nice resort pool recently.

 

I have never heard of anyone getting them on cruise ships though & I am curious, are they common & I just didn't know it or does Carnival do something in particular to ensure their pools & hot tubs are ultra clean. SO many people from all over are in & out of the pools constantly & with the sun evaporating the chemicals, I am curious what they might do to prevent it.

 

The Carnival staff deals with the staph.

[BigB0882]

The Carnival staff deals with the staph.

 

I see what you did there.

[chengkp75]

The pools and hot tubs are regulated by USPH requirements. USPH will tell you that the measures taken onboard ship are more stringent than nearly every public pool in the US (many of them are ex-NYC health inspectors).

 

While most public pools are checked for chlorine content a few times daily, the ship's pools are continuously monitored, and the chlorine dosing is continuously adjusted by these monitors to maintain the proper level. The ship's pools must be kept at 2-4ppm chlorine. Pools are generally drained and cleaned twice a week.

 

As others have said, many pools are salt water, but what many people don't understand is that even salt water pools onboard are required to be chlorinated. Out to sea, they can pump sea water in and let it overflow back to the ocean without chlorination, since there is no recirculation of the water. When within 12 miles of land, even salt water pools must be switched to recirculation, and chlorinated just the same as fresh water pools.

 

Hot tubs are fresh water, and must be maintained at 8-10ppm chlorine, much higher than home or public tubs ashore. The types of bacterial infections that used to be common in hot tubs was legionella, but the air jets are no longer allowed, so this has become much less of a problem. The tubs are drained, cleaned, and super-chlorinated to 100ppm chlorine nightly.

 

A fecal incident in a ship's pool requires total draining immediately, cleaning and super-chlorinating before guests are allowed back in. Public pools ashore remove the contaminant, chlorinate, and continue operation. Swim diapers are not allowed in ship's pools, except for specially designed "infant only water facilities" (none of Carnival's ships have these) that have separate water systems, higher turnover rate for filtration, and include a UV sterilizer in the filtering system.

Edited March 18, 2015 by chengkp75

[pe4all]

The pools and hot tubs are regulated by USPH requirements. USPH will tell you that the measures taken onboard ship are more stringent than nearly every public pool in the US (many of them are ex-NYC health inspectors).

 

While most public pools are checked for chlorine content a few times daily, the ship's pools are continuously monitored, and the chlorine dosing is continuously adjusted by these monitors to maintain the proper level. The ship's pools must be kept at 2-4ppm chlorine. Pools are generally drained and cleaned twice a week.

 

As others have said, many pools are salt water, but what many people don't understand is that even salt water pools onboard are required to be chlorinated. Out to sea, they can pump sea water in and let it overflow back to the ocean without chlorination, since there is no recirculation of the water. When within 12 miles of land, even salt water pools must be switched to recirculation, and chlorinated just the same as fresh water pools.

 

Hot tubs are fresh water, and must be maintained at 8-10ppm chlorine, much higher than home or public tubs ashore. The types of bacterial infections that used to be common in hot tubs was legionella, but the air jets are no longer allowed, so this has become much less of a problem. The tubs are drained, cleaned, and super-chlorinated to 100ppm chlorine nightly.

 

A fecal incident in a ship's pool requires total draining immediately, cleaning and super-chlorinating before guests are allowed back in. Public pools ashore remove the contaminant, chlorinate, and continue operation. Swim diapers are not allowed in ship's pools, except for specially designed "infant only water facilities" (none of Carnival's ships have these) that have separate water systems, higher turnover rate for filtration, and include a UV sterilizer in the filtering system.

Cheng- just have to say I always enjoy reading your concise explanations on cruise ship operations due to your personal experiences and knowledge from being on ships. That being said - I never go in hottubs anywhere. Something about bathing in other people's epithelial cells just turns me off!! DH and both DD's love them, and have never come down with anything from utilizing hottubs or pools on a ship.

[chengkp75]

Cheng- just have to say I always enjoy reading your concise explanations on cruise ship operations due to your personal experiences and knowledge from being on ships. That being said - I never go in hottubs anywhere. Something about bathing in other people's epithelial cells just turns me off!! DH and both DD's love them, and have never come down with anything from utilizing hottubs or pools on a ship.

 

I know how much we do to keep them sanitary, and I wouldn't get into a public hot tub either.

[Purvis1231]

What is the source of your report? From want I have researched staph is not a problem in pools as of yet although a host of other WBI are found in pools.

 

http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/rwi/illnesses/mrsa.html

[sjn911]

I know how much we do to keep them sanitary, and I wouldn't get into a public hot tub either.

 

As always thanks chengkp75.

 

Love a hot tub...but not since I used one my family had a few year ago have I been.

 

After getting an infection years and years ago from being in a Jacuzzi hot tub .... in hotel room, a time share condo to be exact....just so leery. Interesting about air jets issues mentioned...I just can't do it. lately. But I am impressed with the work they do to keep things clean and at Cloud 9 spa...I may try that bigger thalasso pool, I hear your suit is finished after a week in them and all the chlorine. Saunas and steam rooms are nice sitting on your towel and love the looks of special spa showers. My sis got Staff from a basketball blister irritation and gym showers and is allergic to penicillin....this was in late 70's in high school...one week in hospital and very scary...Sarah

 

I do go to a natural hot sprigs pool here..all the natural sulpher I guess fights things there???..Never had a problem there but I go a few times a year..not all the time.

Edited March 18, 2015 by sjn911

[chengkp75]

A constant complaint we'd get is faded swimwear from the chlorine levels, and even rotting out the stitching on some of it (usually after an entire day spent in a hot tub). People would say, "our pool has nowhere near this much chlorine", and I would answer "yes, but you don't invite 2000 people into your pool."

 

The problem with the air jets was that the temperature the hot tubs were kept at was the prime incubation temperature for legionella (legionnaire's disease), and then the air jets would aerosolize the water and you would breathe in the water vapor (legionella is a respiratory disease). So the hot tubs were creating a "happy hunting ground" for human hosts. Out go the air jets.

 

On the subject of legionella, another major source is shower heads, where water can sit in the head and mix with air, and breed the little fellers. Ships are required to remove all shower heads monthly and sanitize them in a 100ppm bleach solution.

[ryanedoyle]

A constant complaint we'd get is faded swimwear from the chlorine levels, and even rotting out the stitching on some of it (usually after an entire day spent in a hot tub). People would say, "our pool has nowhere near this much chlorine", and I would answer "yes, but you don't invite 2000 people into your pool."

 

The problem with the air jets was that the temperature the hot tubs were kept at was the prime incubation temperature for legionella (legionnaire's disease), and then the air jets would aerosolize the water and you would breathe in the water vapor (legionella is a respiratory disease). So the hot tubs were creating a "happy hunting ground" for human hosts. Out go the air jets.

 

On the subject of legionella, another major source is shower heads, where water can sit in the head and mix with air, and breed the little fellers. Ships are required to remove all shower heads monthly and sanitize them in a 100ppm bleach solution.

 

I am thinking you need to write some articles. Super informative thank you!

[6 of us]

A constant complaint we'd get is faded swimwear from the chlorine levels, and even rotting out the stitching on some of it (usually after an entire day spent in a hot tub). People would say, "our pool has nowhere near this much chlorine", and I would answer "yes, but you don't invite 2000 people into your pool."

 

The problem with the air jets was that the temperature the hot tubs were kept at was the prime incubation temperature for legionella (legionnaire's disease), and then the air jets would aerosolize the water and you would breathe in the water vapor (legionella is a respiratory disease). So the hot tubs were creating a "happy hunting ground" for human hosts. Out go the air jets.

 

On the subject of legionella, another major source is shower heads, where water can sit in the head and mix with air, and breed the little fellers. Ships are required to remove all shower heads monthly and sanitize them in a 100ppm bleach solution.

 

This has been incredibly helpful, thank you for sharing your 2 posts with so much information. I am thankful someone answered with facts rather than just spouting off "if you don't want to get sick don't swim".

I am very thankful to know that Carnival (the cruise industry) takes such care & has such high standards, after all, it does get hot & being able to get into the pool w/o major concern is a definite perk.

Edited March 18, 2015 by 6 of us

[pls5286]

My son caught MRSA from dirty football gear, which he put on the day after a slide into second base. We were on a strict schedule of cleaning and debriding his knee. He was diagnosed with this the day before we left to go on a land vacation. Our dr advised us to not let him go in any public pools and hot tubs and the only time his knee could be uncovered was for him to get into the ocean, that this was a good way to clean it. We did follow his orders, he hated seeing his brother and sister go swimming in the pool without him, so we left my then bf at the pool with the kids and did something together.

 

Point is stay out of the water if you have the infection, it can travel to others.

[sjn911]

My son caught MRSA from dirty football gear, which he put on the day after a slide into second base. We were on a strict schedule of cleaning and debriding his knee. He was diagnosed with this the day before we left to go on a land vacation. Our dr advised us to not let him go in any public pools and hot tubs and the only time his knee could be uncovered was for him to get into the ocean, that this was a good way to clean it. We did follow his orders, he hated seeing his brother and sister go swimming in the pool without him, so we left my then bf at the pool with the kids and did something together.

 

Point is stay out of the water if you have the infection, it can travel to others.

 

Great thread and thanks to you and everyone else...as I have mentioned a lot here to gratefully get through as best as one can....I lost my mom to a rare virus that hit her heart but she had gait and body structure issues and too much fluffiness,,,things started going downhill with a foot sore poorly handled in PT, and we had a couple of years of serious in and out of hospital pic line antibiotic stuff...her immunity just went down and while not at all connected to final virus..she was just too vital and in LOVE with life to go at 76...so fast really..one month of last issue..

 

I really appreciate this whole thread on education for what you can do...sounds like a good time to have a plumber,,,and some maintenance cleaning even at home.

Edited March 19, 2015 by sjn911

[goduckies05]

I got MRSA from a hospital when i tore my MCL... also got an ear infection as well i was on sulfa drugs and had a reaction not fun. I was in so much pain at one point i was screaming and crying at the same time when they were clearing my ear out. Not fun... i am better now but still have to be careful it doesn't come back. Ugh!